WHO SAID THE FIRST HELLO?

Before anyone said hello or before Adele turned it to an iconic song, it was just merely a name.

THE ONLY SONG THAT MATTERS NOW - LA MARSEILLAISE

• By Alex Marshall

It feels right now like there is only one song in the world anyone is singing: La Marseillaise, in my opinion, the greatest national anthem of them all. It has been played on radio stations in between pop songs. It has been belted out in concert halls, most notably by New York’s Metropolitan Opera this weekend. Dozens of people have been posting videos online of themselves bellowing it at full volume. And tonight, most spectacularly of all, some 70,000 football fans are going to sing it at Wembley Stadium when France play England, something most English football fans could never have imagined themselves doing.

The song has in the space of a few days stopped just being France’s national anthem: it has become the ultimate symbol of solidarity, a way for everyone in the world, no matter whether they speak French or not, to express their unity with Paris following last week’s tragedy, and show they share the country’s defiance.

But one of the most remarkable things about everyone singing the Marseillaise, though, is that without realising it, every singer has tuned into the song’s very original meaning.
La Marseillaise was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, a 31-year-old soldier and amateur violinist. He was in Strasbourg on the night of 25 April fearing Austria was about to invade, intent on rolling back the French Revolution and restoring Louis XVI to full power. The city’s mayor was desperate for something to inspire the city as it faced devastation and that night begged Rouget de Lisle to have a go at writing something – anything – that might help.

Rouget de Lisle ran back to his room half-drunk from that meeting and in the space of just a few hours wrote la Marseillaise. He probably stole the music from a popular song of the day, and he definitely stole half the words from graffiti plastered around the city – but what he created that night was undeniable, a song of defiance that would give everyone who heard it hope.
Yes, he did make it incredibly bloodthirsty. One line says, “Can you hear them in the countryside coming to slit the throats of your wives and children?” While the chorus cries out, “To arms, citizens… let’s water the fields with impure blood.” But Rouget de Lisle realised he needed to make it so shocking to motivate. He also knew those were not the song’s key lines. That goes to this the opening of the first verse. “Arise children of the fatherland, against us tyranny’s blood banner is raised,” it says. It is those lines that seem to be resonating around the world at this moment.

If you do not think the Marseillaise is great musically, you should only need to look at how the song has been used by other musicians to change your mind. Everyone from Wagner to The Beatles, Debussy to Serge Gainsbourg has taken it for their own. Perhaps most famously, it was used by Tchaikovsky in his great 1812 Overture. He meant it to symbolise France about to be defeated by Russian troops, but it is such a powerful melody, anyone listening would think France is the real winner in that battle.

It is a song that has inspired French people throughout the country’s history. A French general once said it was worth 1,000 extra men in battle. A German poet once wrote that it was responsible for the death of 50,000 of his countrymen. In both the first and second world wars it was sung continually in France in an effort to inspire (even though the Vichy Government banned it). The famous scene in Casablanca of a French crowd tearfully and resolutely singing it to drown out some celebrating Nazi soldiers does not in the slightest overplay the emotion the song can invoke.
Tonight’s singing at Wembley is likely to be just as emotional and powerful as any past rendition. Get ready to join in.

SUPERSONIC JET TAKES 4.5 HOURS FROM NEW YORK TO LONDON

(CNN)When you absolutely, positively must eat breakfast in New York followed by lunch in London, there aren't currently that many options.

That could change in the not too distant future, as the first ever supersonic private jet takes a big step towards reality.

Dubbed "son of Concorde," the AS2 Supersonic Private Jet, a joint project involving aviation giant Airbus and Aerion Corp., has secured its first customer.

Business jet operator Flexjet has placed an order for 20 of the $120 million aircraft.

Designed to carry eight to 12 passengers at a top speed of Mach 1.5 -- that's 1,217 miles per hour or 1,960 km/h --its makers say it'll be able to carry up to 12 passengers from New York to London in four hours and 24 minutes.

Subsonic flights on that route currently take about seven hours.

If it gets clearance to fly cross-country, it also could link the Big Apple with Los Angeles in a couple of hours.

It's not due on the market any time soon, though.

Initial test flights are expected in 2021, followed by delivery to Flexjet in 2023.

ETO CONDOLES WITH VICTIMS OF THE YOLA AND KANO TERROR ATTACK

Thank you Eto. Today you became a Nigerian.

THE PUPPET MASTER AND RINGLEADER OF PARIS ATTACK IS DEAD

French Security forces have confirmed that the that the man considered to be the puppet master and the ringleader of the Paris attacks , an Islamic State operative known for his effort to terrorize Europe and a high profile target: Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a 28-year-old Belgain of Moroccan descent, who was hiding out right under the noses of French intelligence, is indeed dead.

The suspected ringleader of the pris attack has was identified as one of those killed in a raid in Saint Denis, the Paris prosecutor says.

According to BCC news, his body was found riddled with bullets and shrapnel in an appartment in the northern Paris suburb on Wednesday. He Belgian National was identified with his fingerprint.

WHO DESERVE THE CROWN? ADELE OR BEYOUNCE

I know from the image, it kind of looks like Beyounce is paying homage to Adele or if you recall the several post election images of the Nigerian Election like the one below.

You will notice that the incumbent is on the higher ground and on both pictures, they seem to be saying to the predecessor, "A job well done, but I am in charge now."

What do you think, who deserves the crown?

OSCAR AWARD WINNING ACTRESS MO'NIQUE THINKS WOMEN SHOULD GIVE THEIR HUSBANDS FREE PASS TO CHEAT, FOR A STRONGER MARRIAGE

Mo'Nique the Oscar award winning actress and TV host offered a very bizarre and yet interesting marriage advice in an interview she had with True Exclusives.

She said, "why couples should live by their marital vows, she also believes that people cheat because of something they are not getting." She then went ahead to suggest as a solution, a "pass to cheat" technique, like a "Hall pass," if  you remember the movie. She went on to say, "if couples have open and honest conversations with their partner, it is Ok to go ahead and cheat, especially if the person your partner wants to cheat with will do something that you don't want to do."

She said that she doesn't want to do what her husband wants doesn't mean she should deprive him of it. In her own words, at this stage, "That is when the relationship is real real"

ADELE'S ALBUM "25" IS SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE TOMORROW 20TH NOVEMBER 2015

I don't know about you, but since her debut single "Hello," from her upcoming album 25 become the fastest selling single in 18 years since Elton John's Candle in the Wind in 1997. It is also first song ever to sell over a million downloads in a week, precisely 1,112,000 downloads, and become the second fastest video to reach 1 million views on Youtube, and with a 61.6 million streams in the first week, 20 million plays in the first twenty four (24) hours and a record of most Vevo views in a single day, I am definitely one of those counting down to the release of the album tomorrow. I so love this woman. 

FACEBOOK SAFETY CHECK HAS BEEN ACTIVATED FOR THE NIGERIAN YOLA CRISIS

According to reports from Aljazeera, facebook activated its "Safety Check" feature in Nigeria after more than 30 people were killed and dozens wounded in a blast at a market in the northeastern city of Yola, Nigeria.

Mark Zuckerberg, founder of the social network, made the announcement saying, "After the tuesday attack, Facebook's decision to implement the feature- which allows users to check-in and let family and friends know they are safe, comes after the network received a heavy backlash for activating it for the attack in Paris on Friday, but not after bomb blast hit the Lebanese capital, beruit, a day earlier."

Critics accused Mark of valuing the lives of Western victims more than those in other regions. mark said, "After the Paris attack last week, we made the decision to use Safety Check for more tragic events like this going forward. We are now working quickly to develop criteria for the new policy and determine when and how this service can be most useful"

BOKO-HARAM HITS YOLA

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) has reported that according to a local Red Cross Official, Aliyu Maikano, at least 31 people killed and 72 others injured in a bomb blast that rocked Yola in Northeastern Nigeria Yesterday, Tuesday 17th November, 2015 at about 7:48pm local time (1:48 PM ET), shortly after the evening prayers.

This area houses a livestock market, an open-air restaurant and a mosque. The explosion happened as traders were leaving the mosque and others were eating at the restaurant.

I seem to remember His Excellency, GMB, calling the former president GEJ, a clueless president due to his inability to defeat Boko-Haram. I completely remember when he was just a Presidential Aspirant under the APC, he promised to dismantle the notorious sect within three (3) months.

My question is, what happened to those promises? What happened to the CHANGE that was like an epidermic air-bourne virus on the mouths of many Buhari supporters that made it seems like just the mention of the mere words "CHANGE", like a genie robbing his golden lamb, all our problems will disappear?

My heart really bleeds for this country that I love so much and even when i consciously try not to make it my business, It feels like that negligence draws away life from my body and It feels like I am holding my breath on land and breathing under water.

My fellow Nigerians, My brothers and sisters, What can we do to stop this madness?