tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56775277019564773232024-03-05T19:31:59.064-05:00A FUTURE 4 KENYA"Our country sinks beneath the yoke, it weeps, it bleeds and each new day, a gash is added to her wounds." Shakespeare (Macbeth).WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-86467342342829606832013-07-18T10:21:00.001-04:002013-07-18T10:21:07.654-04:00Happy Birthday, Madiba<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma; text-align: start;">"Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma; text-align: start;">So do our minutes hasten to their end"</span></div>
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Happy Birthday</div>
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WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-44992970496370616862013-06-28T08:47:00.001-04:002013-06-28T08:47:12.397-04:00OBAMA, GAYS, AND AFRICANS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am working on a post on this subject...check back in a few hours.WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-87114450776705294952013-06-27T15:40:00.002-04:002013-06-27T15:41:12.092-04:00WE ARE BACK!!After a 3-year hiatus, we're back! I'm going to be sharing my thoughts more regularly moving forward. There's a lot to discuss. WK <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-26201567827002843122010-01-22T12:57:00.003-05:002010-01-22T13:04:03.191-05:00A RESILIENT PEOPLE: SHARING A FACEBOOK DISCUSSION WE ALL OUGHT TO BE HAVING<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">RB's Status:</span></span></b><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;"><h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; font-size:13px;"><span class="UIStory_Message"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Ours is a rich nation.. O'wise we'd have been a failed economy/ nation long ago. The million dollar scandals, super salaried Mpigs and govt fat cats.. Drought, floods, never ending political crap, terrorist attacks.. Yet we still stand strong. Najivunia kuwa Mkenya.</span></span></span></h3><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">WK</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The best glass-half-full perspective i have heard in a while. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">When I was preparing to come to the states, i went to the dean of my faculty to have him sign some passport papers for me. In the course of conversing with him, i mentioned - very matter-of-factly - how i intended to bribe immigration officers with 10K in order to get my passport fast. The professor dropped his pen and starred at me as if I had cracked the Fermat's equation. Was he shocked that i was going to bribe to get a passport? Isn't that how things are done in Kenya? I asked.<br /><br />He said it might be the case that there is corruption everywhere but there is only one reason why the country is still functioning: there are still good and descent people out there. He told me to go out there and apply for a passport and not to dare bribe anyone. I did and got it in 2 weeks.<br /><br />His name was Prof. AKong'a. I hope to one day meet the guy and tell him how profoundly his lesson changed my outlook on life. Just because everybody is swimming in Nairobi River, it doesn't mean that you too must.</span></span><span class="text_exposed_hide"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">...</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">NWG</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Kenya is the country to watch. Our continent have enough for everyone. I tend to think we need the equivalent of the civil rights movement back in Africa, coz, just like the blacks in US, even after slavery, they were still under oppression....we are independent but still subject to other people. But that is changing, we have started by </span></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">reviewing the colonial Constitution for one that is relevant to us. We are constantly threatened that will not be able to export our goods to western markets yet we can develop a thriving market in Africa. If we can provide quality, both goods and services, we wont have to beg people to buy them..does Japan or China beg us to buy their wares? There must arise a new crop of African leaders who are not driven by basic survival but by a passionate desire to deliver our people from disgrace. I attended a medical class recently in one of the developed countries, and all the case studies, including films,are from Africa. Diseases that were eradicated 60-50 yrs in those countries are still ravaging us in masses. How long shall we continue blaming colonialism for our pathetic state of things? To every young Kenyan, whether in the motherland or the diaspora,our grandparents may have fought the independence wars, but we have an even bigger challenge..just like the civil rights giants..we will be there ..I will be there!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">RM</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Its only a matter of time.. the resilient spirit is beginning to pay off in many ways. The passport experience Wilson narrates just goes to show that the first responsibility for change lies with the individual. As more and more of us catch this spirit - the belief that we don't have to uncritically accept what has been, the embracing of individual</span></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">responsibility for progress - change for good becomes inevitable. It is evident all around that we are at a critical point as a nation. We are living through defining moments... there is an awakening happening amongst us. More and more among our populace are willing to stand up and be counted as active players in the quest for change. The prob hasn't been the shortage of good and decent people - they are actually the majority I believe; prob has been the inaction, the passivity with which with have let the minority rogue members of our society run rough shod over us... the majority had believed the lie 'this is Kenya, that's just the way things are'... this mind set led individuals to abdicate all responsibility to politicians and 'serikali'... Now everyday more and more Akong'as are coming out. They are speaking loudly and clearly... and many more amongst us are believing them and taking corresponding individual and collective action..</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div></span></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-52893861830832549162009-10-14T12:43:00.001-04:002009-10-14T12:44:40.284-04:00This, I think answers the post "Being African is a Misfortune."<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre; "><object width="580" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D9Ihs241zeg&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D9Ihs241zeg&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="580" height="360"></embed></object></span>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-67309074173233516962009-10-14T12:34:00.002-04:002009-10-14T12:37:14.914-04:00Being African is a Misfortune<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 14px; font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Courtesy of Dr. Ligaga.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I am glad this forum exists, for where else would I vent, where else would I show my disgust at the endless gaze of Africa that the rest of the world clings to?<br /><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The global media has embraced and standardized Africa's image as the get-away safari destination on the one hand, and the starvation-poverty-disease</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><wbr></span></span><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> continent that swims in eternal hopelessness; they have held Africa in this light as proof that Africa, the homeland of most of the world's black population, will never be as advanced as the 'white' continents. Africa, of the inferior race. Africa of the corrupt shortsighted leaders, and of the world's surviving primitives.<br /><br />This 'dark continent' image has turned my continent into a pityful and sneer-worthy non-deserving continent. This continent where I have lived all my life, been happy in, and successful in, survived in.<br /><br />Is Africa really that bad? Ought we be ashamed of being called Africans? Ought we be ahsamed of being black? What about the laughter and the education and the cultures? what about the joy of playing in the dust with friends whose names you will always remember even in your old age? What about the normal lives we lead? Are these successes not worthy of the media's precious spaces? What about the fact that Africa produces super-intelligent human beings? How else can you explain how Africans have excelled with minimum resources usually made available to students their ages in the West? What about the punishment of existing in a double life, that of the home and that of school, both heavily demanding and both equally important? The double burden of being the educated one, and the provider? and yet we survive in the same world as kids who have known nothing but over-protectiveness, whose every need has been tended to? If it is about survival for the fittest, who most deserves to survive? whose survival skills has been sharpened beyond question?<br /><br />And so, while the only sport where Africans have outperformed the rest of the world is athletics (minimum resources required to achieve this goal), it is also the most inferior sport. After all, isn't it defined through funny looking, non-English speaking (hence lacking eloquence) black people from some god-forsakken land whose name periodically pops up to remind us that the world's first black leader hails from a father with humble beginnings.<br /><br />It is easier for the West to typecast Africa using images of starving children. That is our public image. we are content with this image, because it prevents us from dealing with this complex continent. We marginalize and fragment its narratives, because we do not want to cause trouble, raise the expectations of the masses of Africa, give ideas of possibilities.<br /><br />If the world is currently geared towards the superiority of capital, how can Africa be integrated into this dream? Easy! By making them give us whatever resources they have, so we can continue being the superpowers; by attracting the best brains using green cards, scholarships anything that will move the most diligent, strongest of us out of their holes, and making us grateful for the opportunity.<br /><br /><br />Now Asia rises and threatens to become the world's next superpower. Can the West let this happen? This would be extremely bad, because a breakdown of these societies would mean a change of power centres! Now we cannot have that. The under-dog race will edge its bony arse closer to the 'it' and soon we might just become powerless. This would be a big let-down. So we must fight on, we do not want to become the 'empy' continent.<br /><br /><br />So even now, while African crawls on its knees, hangs its head in shame as it begs for money from the Big Brother, accepts the disguised and sometimes open insults from the west, it continues to hope for release, relief. The West on its part continues to hold an image of eternal desperation and primitivity to measure how far its come and how far it can still go.<br /><br /><br /><br />To succ</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">eed, it needs a failure.</span></span><br /></span>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-82201457315019683602009-07-19T22:35:00.004-04:002009-07-19T22:40:40.718-04:00RECKONING FIRST, THEN MAY BE RECONCILIATION<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:Arial;font-size:10px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Whatch the whole documentary at the </span><a href="http://www.pbs.org/video/video/1182396986/program/1154485580"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">PBS website</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><object width="580" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vq3JD1yfUs8&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vq3JD1yfUs8&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="580" height="360"></embed></object></span>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-21303413611243192302009-07-16T12:59:00.006-04:002009-07-16T14:10:15.462-04:00WHO'S AFRAID OF HAGUE?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Leaders formerly for the prosecution of PEV perpetrators at the International Court of Justice in Hague, are now back peddling and suddenly realizing the importance of preserving sovereignty...as though they just discovered the concept, since it never bothered them a while back when they favored the Hague option.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">But let us first examine this thing we call PEV, the Post Election Violence. ODM (for the most part), believes or portends to believe that it was as a direct reaction to the rigging of elections and as such the primary culprit should be Mwai Kibaki and anyone who engaged in the alleged electoral fraud. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The problem with this argument is that the International Court of Justice is not concerned with prosecuting electoral malpractice but crimes against humanity. So whatever the motivation of the perpetrators was, that is immaterial to the court. Furthermore, just because those who participated in the violence feel that their actions were justified, that alone should not be a reason for them to object to a trial...after all, the court is the proper venue for them to come up with a defence and if it is as compelling as they seem to believe, then they should have nothing to worry about.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The second problem with this argument is the arbiralliness of it. Let us assume that some people did in fact commit acts of violence as a reaction to stolen elections. That would mean that during the PEV period, there would have to have been two kinds of crimes: the justifiable (as a reaction to rigged polls) and the regular crime which would have happened whether elections were stolen or not, since crime occurs all the time.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Now, let us say that one rape case which took place at a shopping center in Molo was committed by a mob protesting the stolen election and another one which took place in Naivasha was as a result of a regular pervert doing what he does. Who is to determine that one of the two crimes was a justifiable political statement and the other a random act of lawlessness? Doesn't that also mean that we free anyone arrested of committing a violent crime between December 29th, 2007 and March 1st, 2008 (or thereabout)?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The third problem: justice, in a case where there is a clear victim, is never about the accused but the victim. What the courts are going to concern themselves with is the actual people who lost their lives. So if ODM is arguing that their goons were motivated by the rigging of elections, they better be ready to prove that that peasant woman burned at a church in Kiambaa participated in the rigging. Likewise, if Uhuru or any other Central Province politician participated in retaliatory attacks and retaliation happens to be their defense, they better be prepared to show that the innocent people murdered in Naivasha had directly participated in the killings in Rift Valley.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Which leads us to this question: shouldn't the first person to be summoned by whichever court takes this matter be Raila Odinaga? Here's the rationale and please stick with me; a hit-and-run accident occurs, there is a dead body lying across the street and all but one witnesses give their varying accounts of what happened. One witness, witness R, however, claims that no accident took place at all...not wait, if any accident took place, the dead person must have brought it to himself because he is a relative of a known car thief. Now, whether or not witness R has anything to do with the crime, wouldn't you as a prosecutor want to have a few more words with him about the incident?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">That is the position which Raila Odinga is in. The whole world but himself and the hacks, acknowledges that crimes against humanity were committed in Kenya. Why should he not be the first one to the Hague so that he can shed a little more light on his seemingly untenable position?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Elections were muddled up and that is regrettable, elections might have even been rigged and that is unforgivable but a worse affront against our country took place after the election controversy which made any theft of votes look like pick-pocketing. When the country exploded, only one person had the power to come close to ameliorating the situation, that person was Raila Odinga. He had the power to directly address those who were killing in his name and tell them that their true enemy was not their neighbors but the occupant of the state house and his cronies-in-thievery. The violence would have subsided, Raila would have earned international repute and approached the iconic status of Mandela. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">But he chose to tacitly and sometimes implicitly support what was going on. And for that reason, even when Barack Obama mentions the heroes of the PEV tragedy, Raila is not among them and neither is any of those who believed that they were opposing the rigging of elections. The only people he reserved compliments for were those ordinary people who opposed the violence which Raila still believes was justified.</span></span></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-62990562183926424712009-06-20T16:44:00.002-04:002009-06-20T16:47:31.657-04:00CONSIDER THIS FOR YOUR RESEARCH/TERM PAPER<a href="http://www.endnote.com/training/tutorials/EndNoteX3/EndNote_X3.asp">ENDNOTE</a>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-57688660319225023922009-06-15T09:48:00.008-04:002009-06-15T10:00:21.231-04:00GEORGE OBAMA SIGNS A LUCRATIVE BOOK DEAL<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/africa/01/31/george.obama.arrest/art.obama.brother.cnn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 292px; height: 219px;" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/africa/01/31/george.obama.arrest/art.obama.brother.cnn.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;"><p class="hn-byline" style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; color: rgb(103, 103, 103); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">By HILLEL ITALIE</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">NEW YORK (AP) — Another Obama relative has a book deal.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A memoir by George Obama, the president's half brother and a resident of Huruma, Kenya, will be published by Simon & Schuster in January 2010. George Obama, 27, shares the same father with his famous, older half sibling, although George and Barack Obama — 20 years apart in age — did not grow up together and did not meet as children.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">George is the youngest of the senior Obama's seven children and was born six months before his father died.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Little is known about George Obama. The book, tentatively titled "Homeland" and to be written with author-journalist Damien Lewis, will tell of George Obama's fall into crime and poverty as a teenager and his eventual embrace of community organizing — a passion shared by the president — and of advocacy for the poor, an identification so strong that he chooses to live among them.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"Even had George Obama not been our President's half brother, his story is moving and inspirational," David Rosenthal, Simon & Schuster publisher and executive vice president, said in a statement Sunday. "It is an object lesson in survival, selflessness and courage."</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Financial terms were not disclosed, but an official with knowledge of the negotiations said the deal was worth six figures. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the contract, spoke on condition of anonymity.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Other Obama relatives are working on books, including a half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng; and the brother of first lady Michelle Obama, Craig Robinson. Duke University Press is releasing the doctoral dissertation of the president's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, who died in 1995.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Barack Obama has written a pair of million-selling books, "The Audacity of Hope" and "Dreams from My Father," in which he describes George Obama as "a handsome, roundheaded boy with a wary gaze."</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">__________________________________________</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 1em; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Read comments about this story on the </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/14/george-obama-presidents-h_n_215446.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Huffington Post</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> including that of a reader who is surprised that George Obama can actually write!</span></span></p></span>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-69010894064561933902009-06-12T21:03:00.008-04:002009-06-12T21:15:06.572-04:00WE FEW, WE HAPPY FEW, WE BAND OF BROTHERS<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Substitute "Saint Crispin's Day" with "Real Uhuru Day" This speech from Shakespeare's <i>King Henry IV part 2</i> gives me chills every time I read it.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What's he that wishes so?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> If we are mark'd to die, we are enow</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> To do our country loss; and if to live,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The fewer men, the greater share of honour.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> It yearns me not if men my garments wear;</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Such outward things dwell not in my desires.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> But if it be a sin to covet honour,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> I am the most offending soul alive.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> As one man more methinks would share from me</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> That he which hath no stomach to this fight,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Let him depart; his passport shall be made,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> And crowns for convoy put into his purse;</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> We would not die in that man's company</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> That fears his fellowship to die with us.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> And rouse him at the name of Crispian.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> He that shall live this day, and see old age,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> But he'll remember, with advantages,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Familiar in his mouth as household words-</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> This story shall the good man teach his son;</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> From this day to the ending of the world,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> But we in it shall be remembered-</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> For he to-day that sheds his blood with me</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> This day shall gentle his condition;</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> And gentlemen in England now-a-bed</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.</span></span></span></span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Video</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:Arial;font-size:10px;"><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ptqev-KEmhU&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ptqev-KEmhU&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></span></span></div></div></div></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-53160716368644778422009-06-04T09:54:00.005-04:002009-06-04T10:07:56.720-04:00THINK SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><i><span style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">"Combining the passion of a social mission with an image of business-like discipline, innovation, and determination"</span></span></span></span></i><span style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> Gregory Dees.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">The government cannot and will never have the capacity to address all our problems. It is time we begun looking for ways in which we can address some our challenges without surrendering ourselves to the mercies of politicians or to the charity those who seem to derive a peculiar kind of excitement in parading our miseries. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">This is where social entrepreneurship comes in. Social entrepreneurs are business people who first identify a </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">social need</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> and then apply entrepreneurial skills to address it. A traditional business enterprise sees the potential for profit first while a social enterprise sees a social problem first. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Dr. David A. Jordan, an Adjunct Professor at Clark University in Massachusetts and CEO of the Seven Hills Foundation, says that an ideal social entrepreneur is one who combines the compassion of Mother Theresa and the business acumen of Richard Branson. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Kenyans in the Diaspora remitted about 60 billion shillings last year mainly as money sent to assist their struggling families. Chances are 60 billion more will be required next year and the year after, if the few hundred dollars that you send are a “hand out” and not a “hand-up.” In other words, a more productive way of utilizing the 60b is by making sure that the 60b goes to work and bears a few more billions, in the process creating employment and permanently lifting people out of poverty.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Success in social entrepreneurship is measured not just in profits but also by how a program has impacted a society, the ability to bring about social change. One notable case of success is the </span></span><a href="http://www.grameenfoundation.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Grameen Foundation</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, a microfinance bank which was started by the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof. Muhammad Yunus. </span></span><a href="http://www.kiva.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Kiva.org </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">has also done some tremendous good especially in terms of extending micro-credit to small scale business people.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style=";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Although we can learn from these two organizations, maximum benefits would only follow if we adopted a more “localized” approach. For instance, you could decide that instead of sending “marupurupu” to your people back home, you will band up with a few of your friends and create a pool of capital from which folks back home can borrow money just as long as they present you with a compelling business plan. That way you teach a man how to fish instead of having to provide a lifetime supply of fishes.</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";font-size:13.5pt;color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-40554773495443555882009-05-21T09:46:00.006-04:002009-05-21T10:30:08.339-04:00MOBILE PHONE DEMOCRACY<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.finalsense.com/news/image/mobile/nokia-6555-mobile.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 420px; height: 328px;" src="http://www.finalsense.com/news/image/mobile/nokia-6555-mobile.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">One in three Kenyan adults carry a cellphone. No electronic equipment since the transistor radio has had such a tremendous impact in connecting the people, especially in rural areas where land line infrastructure is yet to reach.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Most of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">progressive</span> voices I am familiar with seem to agree that the only way to free ourselves from the clutch of totalitarian politics is by the average <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">mwananchi</span> becoming involved in the political process directly without the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">intermediation</span> of agenda-driven civic groups or the never reliable opposition. So could the mobile phones be key to tuning in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mwanachi</span> to what is going on in his country?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A new search engine launched on January 2008 called </span></span><a href="http://www.chacha.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ChaCha</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, might provide some pointers as to how out IT guys can take advantage of the cell phones to empower people with information. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ChaCha</span> is a search engine which unlike Google, allows users to text in their questions by dialing a number. The answer is then relayed by a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">texted</span> response after staffers conduct a quick search on the computers.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.grameenfoundation.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Grameen</span> Foundation</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, the giant micro-finance organization, is experimenting on how mobile phones could be used to help diagnose and treat crops by farmers <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">texting</span>-in symptoms to experts or even snapping and sending pictures of infected crop to the experts who then relay back the diagnosis and treatment through text messages.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This same formula could be used to establish centers where information on say <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">constitutional</span> review process could be made available to the people upon sending a text message <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">query</span>.</span></span></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-69662943990905687152009-05-21T06:27:00.007-04:002009-05-21T08:02:42.424-04:00THE WEB IMITATING LIFE OR LIFE IMITATING THE WEB?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The previous article that touched on this subject did not do enough justice to the good bloggers out there who did and still do their best to counteract the massive negativity of the blogosphere. At the prompting of our worthy reader B-caratone, this is an addendum highlighting those shiny moments and corners. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In addition, I will use several quotes from a </span><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7189291.stm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">BBC article</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> written on January 16th, 2008 which sampled a cross section of comments from different Kenyan blogs at the height of P.E.V to demonstrate that some of what you read on the blogs has an uncanny way of assuming real life relevance. Whether by examining those comments were are able to answer the question "does the web imitate life or life imitates the web," one thing we can be sure of is that the web is a mirror through which the world sees us, nay, reads our thoughts.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But of what use is this revisionist take on what was said on such a tumultuous time by some anonymous trolls? Read this comment as reported on the BBC website and tell me that it does not have a bearing on a problem (grave problem) that we are facing in Central Province as we speak:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"what is wrong with Mungiki resurrecting? nothing. They are standing up to fight for the house of Mumbi!!!!" [Mumbi is the mother of the Kikuyu people, according to Kikuyu oral tradition</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The poster apparently supported the so called retaliation attacks which in the real sense were yet more savage attacks on innocent, defenceless people. The irony of looking at those comments in view of what is happening today is not lost on most of you. I suggest you take a look at the article for a wide array of opinions as expressed by Kenyan bloggers during that fateful period (including yours humbly) and as read by the world.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Those who came out and lent a positive voice during that time include </span><a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ory_okolloh_on_becoming_an_activist.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ory Okolloh</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">of kenyanpundit.com who in conjunction with David Kobia of mashada started the <a href="http://www.ushahidi.com/">Ushahidi</a> initiative, a web "hotline" project which helped inform on suspicious activities to warn people of attacks. Several </span><a href="http://petitions.tigweb.org/electionviolence"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">online petitions</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> were also started calling for peace and such was the tenor of some comments even in blogs which predominantly appeared to fan the inferno.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I hope I am wrong but this goodwill may have to be summoned again. But as I said on a previous post, we now have the luxury of having looked at our horoscope and seen the horrors in store for us. For that reason, the rational voices among us must act preemptively and be on the watch for the red flags if we hope to avert the tragedies of the past.</span></span></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-56219411831853750072009-05-20T10:29:00.001-04:002009-05-20T12:53:01.739-04:00LEST WE SAY WE WERE NOT WARNED<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I used to be a regular poster at Mashada in the run up to the 2007 elections. One of the things I grappled with then was whether to respond to or altogether ignore the posts which were increasingly becoming vitriolic and inciteful. Mostly, I ignored them supposing that the posters were just cyber lunatics, fringe elements who were underepresented in the actual population. Well, the hell that ensued after the elections led me into a 180 degree turn on how I viewed the hate spewed on the web; it does have an uncanny ability to either mirror or affect things "on the ground." The web does immitate the world or the world does immitates the web; the former being more plausible.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">On April 17th 2008, Mary C. Joyce wrote the following on the Harvard Law blog: </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Kenyan blogosphere has been active since 2003, one of the most active in Sub-Saharan Africa. There are over 400 blogs in the country although the national Internet penetration is less than 10%. From approximately December 25th to January 1st there was a media black-out in Kenya, making the role of blogs all the more critical to the collection and dissemination of information"</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">She also noted that "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(73, 73, 73); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">technology was also used to encourage hate...A chat room called </span></span></span><a href="http://www.mashada.com/" style="text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Mashada was s</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">hut down due to pervasive hate speech between Lou and Kikuyu</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(73, 73, 73); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><a href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/idblog/2008/04/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/idblog/2008/04/</span></span></a></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For that reason, one of the things that I am going to commit myself to doing is to kind of monitor, feel the pulse of what is going on in the cyber space and then report back here for our analysis. To be forewarned is to forearmed.</span></span></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-58770732415070251792009-05-19T19:30:00.001-04:002009-05-20T12:53:43.718-04:00THIS IS WHERE WE ARE GOING WRONG<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As much as I hate to engage in tribal dialectics, the purpose of this post necessitates that I do so; so bear with me.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">One of my more eye opening encounters happened early this year when I met a fellow Kikuyu who supported and still fervently supports </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Raila</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Odinga</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and the </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ODM</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. I was of the view, having paid close attention to how the </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ODM</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> had run their campaign, that for a Kikuyu to support </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ODM</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> it would take a reckless disregard of the most basic of animal </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">survival</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">instincts</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">: self-preservation. How someone can reconcile the need to stay alive with the reason defying act of supporting an entity built around coalesced and amplified hatred against him, is still to some extent </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">beyond</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> me.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yet this gentleman whom I hold in high regard is still </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ODM</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">damu</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. His support for the </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ODM</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> is rooted in the great disillusionment that </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">blanketed</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> the country after </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kibaki's</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> euphoric triumph in 2002 had been turned insipid by the Anglo Leasing and Armenian Brothers scandals and the president's dismal failure to keep the country united by making agreements he never meant to honor without appreciating the national implications of such callousness. I was hit with the ominous realization that </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kibaki's</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> performance had been poor enough for people to ignore whatever imperfections his opposition might have had. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">While still not being convinced that it would ever make sense for a Kikuyu to empower a guy who had openly referred to them as "</span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">adui</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">," it begun to make sense to me why people from other tribes, people removed from the victimization of this hate without being necessarily hateful themselves, would find an appealing candidate in </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Raila</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. Essentially, for anyone who had been disappointed with </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kibaki's</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> performance, </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Raila</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> was a very easy choice, an easy enough choice for even people he had on his sights to consider voting for.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The reason why I bring up that story is to encourage people to every once in a while, put themselves in the other person's shoes, to get curious as to what the motivation of the other side might be. Of course being conscious of the opponent's grievances does not necessarily mean giving in to their thinking and neither can we rationalize every cause but we must always be awake to the fact that the one </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">opposing</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> you could be doing it entirely out of good faith.</span></span></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-40166031592667057782009-05-18T20:20:00.002-04:002009-05-20T12:57:26.510-04:00WOLFRAMALPHA is HERE; SHOULD GOOGLE RUN?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">You may not have heard about it but there is a huge buzz amongst the scientific community, </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Internet</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> geeks and voyeuristic wanna-be polymaths like myself about the launch of a new search engine, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><a href="http://www.wolframalpha.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">www.wolframalpha.com</span></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. Some have hailed it as the coming of the elusive google killer and others (I see some truth in this) as just another one of those "</span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">mathy</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">" </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">thingys</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> that only fascinate geeks.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Wolfram is not google and to be fair, does not pretend to be google. In fact, if you search for a geographical entity, say a country, one of your options is to "view satellite photo" which directs you to Google maps. Google maps is owned by Google!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Wolfram will come in handy to people who are out to get hard facts, especially figures, numbers, stats, graphs etc. You can get a real time exchange rate of </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">KES</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> to </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">USD</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and in addition a graph indicating past trend. The same thing with other searches such as "Kenya GDP" (see graph below)</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="http://www4b.wolframalpha.com/Calculate/MSP/MSP432195h68ci56i2ii3100004i437bc5f47dhia3?MSPStoreType=image/gif&s=46" border="0" alt="" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 440px; height: 167px; " /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> which gives you not just current figures but also puts them in a historical context. You also have the option of downloading the data as PDF.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A search for the major languages in Kenya brings up not only the number of people who speak those languages and the location of where the languages are spoken, but also the numeral names from one to ten. Maasai returns the following results among other important data:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www4b.wolframalpha.com/Calculate/MSP/MSP1106195h64ei202228ca000014f86fd6972f9f68?MSPStoreType=image/gif&s=56"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="http://www4b.wolframalpha.com/Calculate/MSP/MSP1106195h64ei202228ca000014f86fd6972f9f68?MSPStoreType=image/gif&s=56" border="0" alt="" style="cursor: pointer; width: 496px; height: 78px; " /></span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">One thing that you will get on Wolfram and not anywhere else is the distance from your local town (I mean local as in </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">ushago</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">) to the nearest major town. For instance, </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Nyeri</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> to </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Othaya</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> or </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mandera</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> to </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Isiolo</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. In addition you also get a few facts about the areas even though not every little hermit is covered yet since Wolfram is still in development.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">To compete with Google, Wolfram will have to move beyond the scientific precincts and embrace the average Joe. So far, the search site, perhaps owing to its technical origin from </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><a href="http://www.wolfram.com/products/mathematica/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">mathematica</span></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, leans more towards being more of a tool for the science and math heads.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-55863856194563505482009-05-18T10:18:00.002-04:002009-05-20T12:54:32.567-04:00THIS IS WHAT SHOULD BE DRIVING US MAD<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">How unfortunate is it that one of the most influential blogs on Kenyan politics seems to have settled for cheap, tribal, divisive politics...nay, not politics even, raw, puerile, feudal propaganda. How depressing that the younger, more enlightened generation (I can assume those two qualities because they can at least use the Internet), the Obama-</span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">esque</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> change agents lurking in the wait to deliver us from the evil of the "tired old politics" of colonial era politicians, are the ones fanning animosity amongst Kenyans based on ethnicity.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The average proletarian doesn't have any problems with his oppressed counterpart from a different tribe - unless the ones his politician conjures up on his behalf and sends him to war over, while his (the politician's) and other bourgeoisie kids from the "contemptuous" lot drag race on government BMW's after a hard day of work stealing maize from famished granaries.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The real outrage, the blood which the gallant warriors of democracy who burnt women and children cowering in a church should be baying for, is that of their elected and selected leaders whose first order of business was to secure themselves a pay hike, exempt themselves from taxes, all the while remaining </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">vehemently nonchalant </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">on matters which could mean life or death to the average folk. I now hear that it is quite usual for </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">MPs</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> to trade votes for a few mils on the back alleys of parliament.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">How is it that in a country whose per </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">capita</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> income is a measly </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">$560/yr</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> (14</span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> poorest country in the world) the legislative members are paid </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">$220,200/yr, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">over</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> $390 times more than the per </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">capita</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> income</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> while in one of the richest countries in the world, the US, legislative members get $174,000/yr only 4 times over the country's $41,770 per </span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">capita</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> income? Isn't this where all the outrage, regardless of tribe, should be directed to? </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I have seen US members of congress at the Capitol late at night carrying out house business, sometimes even sleeping in during filibuster motions...so their not so shabby check is oftentimes earned. What about our pot-bellied warlords and thieves? We have turned an institution whose allure should be the need to serve, the readiness to sacrifice for the greater good, into a lucrative haven for the most greedy and unsavory of characters.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It makes sense that during her formative years, the USA did not remunerate her founding fathers but rather only offered a $6.00 sitting allowance. Benjamin Franklin was completely opposed to the idea of compensating public servants. For that reason, when US needed men of honor and sacrifice most, she got exactly that. When Kenya - at this juncture of Armageddon -needs selfless leaders to steer us away from a catastrophe, we get goons who would have been making a comfortable living in the black market had politics not been as financially attractive.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And what are we think of the blogging groupies then, who perhaps don't get a share of the loot but fervently lick the boots of these masters nevertheless? What are we to think of the peasantry blind to this common enemy and instead allows itself to be drawn into a war amongst itself... against its interests?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It is so easy to give up on Kenya.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19px;font-family:verdana;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-92184817927589472002009-05-14T12:47:00.001-04:002009-05-20T12:55:14.657-04:008 MONTHS FOR A DOUBLE MURDERER!!!!!? WE WERE BETTER OFF 49 YEARS AGO<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45748000/jpg/_45748202_007283331-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 170px;" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45748000/jpg/_45748202_007283331-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(70, 70, 70); font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Tom Cholmondeley has been sentenced to 8 months in jail for killing Robert Njoya in 2006. In addition to this grotesque travesty of justice, Justice Apondi tells the court that part of the reason why the sentence was so light is because Mr. Cholmondeley is a "first time offender." Well, a first time offender who has killed twice.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(70, 70, 70); font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(70, 70, 70); font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">All animals are equal but some are more equal than others.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">49 years ago, a Mzungu named Peter Poole was sentenced to death by a white court for killing an African boy who had thrown a rock at the Mzungu's dog when it came charging at him.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br />What is a bit curious reading this </span></span><a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,939179,00.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Time article</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> is that a good number of African leaders, including our hero Tom Mboya, were opposed to the punishment of Mr. Poole. They were essentially pressuring the white court not to hang one of their own, at the behest of the slain boy receiving justice!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(70, 70, 70); font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">___________</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">__</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Meanwhile, Philip Ochieng apparently wasn't thrilled that I commented on his column with a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">slight challenge.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> He tersely wrote back:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">"My job is to advise on English. But if you want to continue in your folly, I cannot force you out of it." </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">My response: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">My folly</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">? My response was full of praise for your column, Mr. Ochieng. I regard you as an informative and honest intellectual.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">I refuse to believe that you are not open minded enough to entertain a challenge as benign as the one contained in my response to your previous column.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">What will become of us if our intellectuals haul rocks at students in response to questions?</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Mr. Ochieng, nothing in my correspondence warranted this kind of a response; I'm afraid.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:13px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Wishing you well,</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Cicero</span></span></div></span></div></span>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-1850179188957034812009-05-12T09:21:00.000-04:002009-05-12T09:22:36.725-04:00TRIBALISM IS NOT THE PROBLEMHere is the delayed posting, your thoughts are welcome.<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre; "><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GJfv5d1RvJs&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GJfv5d1RvJs&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span><br /></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-79521871800176971942009-05-11T19:34:00.001-04:002009-05-20T12:56:02.976-04:00ONE FROM THE "CONTEMPTUOUS KINGDOM" CHIMES IN<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">How Can I get atonement for that original sin? How do you rectify a problem if the problem is you? I guess one answer is what happened in Kiambaa, Eldoret early 2008. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">There is no end to people's absurdity. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">This is the most repulsive retrogressive mindset a person can have. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Following your rationale, you should'nt have a problem with someone associating you with any of the Black stereotypes because it's "really about the contemptuous Black people." An individual wrongdoing indicts a whole population!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">What an idiot! </span></span><a href="http://kumekucha.blogspot.com/2009/05/this-is-not-about-uhuru-its-about.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman';">http://kumekucha.blogspot.com/2009/05/this-is-not-about-uhuru-its-about.html</span></span></a></div></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-47412974682798979032009-05-09T12:57:00.000-04:002009-05-09T13:15:17.854-04:00I DARE THE MIRROR!<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" align="left" style="text-align:left"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; ">Do I war with nature</span></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" align="left" style="text-align:left"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; ">Or stop short and tard when Canaan’s yards o’er?</span></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">Am I Icarus heaven-bound? Stiff limbs ‘gainst the limber</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left;tab-stops:271.5pt">Pinioned masters, or Brother Wright but wrongly flutt’ring?<span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left;tab-stops:271.5pt">What I see of humanity! Just wrecks and wrecks upon shores.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left;tab-stops:271.5pt">From newly, doomed babes born, to those that failed again before.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left;tab-stops:271.5pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">Have you seen my children cry, as flies</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">Licked salt from the corners of their eyes?</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">Their toad-like bellies poking sickly underneath</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">Ill –fitting garment once tailored for distant friends?</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">And where the lights burn bright, daily groping in the dark</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">Or yelling and cursing on rooftops flagging Noah?</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left"> </p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">Yet if I built a pyramid that stayed,</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">And schemes I drafted parted deep sea waters,</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">While it was just me; a lone star upon a sphere</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">Lorded by masters pale in comparison,</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">Wouldn’t you swab me, microscope me and say -</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left">“How? Beautiful mutation birthed by Calibans!”</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="left" style="text-align:left"><o:p> </o:p></p>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-4709353746013837472009-05-08T16:18:00.000-04:002009-05-08T20:24:10.623-04:00OCHIENG, I DISAGREE!<p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This has nothing to do with politics!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It's a commentary on an article </span><i><a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/595278/-/476rv3/-/index.html"><span style="color:blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My names? There is no such thing</span></span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> written by my favorite Kenyan thinker; perhaps one of the only few Kenyan public figures whose name can go with "think" without sounding oxymoronic -Philip Ochieng. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Every Friday he writes a caustically witty column in which he gives grammar lessons to Kenyan newspaper writers by pointing out printed cases of incorrect usage of the language and then brilliantly weaving in topical themes to illustrate the "how to's" and the "how not to's." </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This week Ochieng wrote about the common mistake of pluralizing one's name. It would be wrong for instance, to say, "my names are Wangu wa Makeri Wahome" if the grouping of those distinct names is what forms "my name." A name could contain more than one name in it; and that I agree with.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But Ochieng goes off track when he equates having a name (which may contain multiple names such as Willy Brother Wangoto) and having "other names"outside a defined grouping. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">You could correctly say "my name is Billy Jones" and proceed to name a hundred names </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">contained in that name</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> but incorrectly say "my name is Billy Jones" if Billy is what your other girlfriend calls you and Jones is a nickname you picked because you sound like James Earl Jones. But the reason why we normally wouldn't say "my names are" (unless we work for Kenyan newspapers) is because for people with multiple names, only one is required for a particular context. If your wife or girlfriend knows you by the name Sukaringuru, you would have had a lot of s’plaining to do the day you introduce yourself thus: “my names are Billy Sukaringuru.” I even doubt the whole sentence would come out!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:left;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman";font-family:";color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Our duly appointed prime minister could therefore say, "My name is Raila Amollo Odinga" but he cannot say "My name is Raila Odinga, Agwambo, Tinga, Wuod Akinyi, Nyundo, Hummer, Hammer, Tinga." Well, he could but I would know that he is lying.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left" style="text-align:left"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></o:p></p>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-36116392905726012222009-05-05T17:22:00.000-04:002009-05-05T17:24:12.387-04:00TRIBALISM IS NOT THE PROBLEMWGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5677527701956477323.post-40934624971440805162009-04-27T17:23:00.000-04:002009-04-27T19:58:37.565-04:00WHAT NOT TO EXPECT HERE....<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">W</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">hat I refuse to do is pretend to be a poltical "analyst." A self-styled diviner of the minds of these rogues we call our politicians...I refuse elevate their status by psychoanalyzing their moves and making tired predictions (like our erstwhile blogmates!)as if their actions make sense in the first place!</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What I would rather do though, is have an exchange of ideas on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">where to go from here, we are mad at the politicians, so what?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. And I dare not approach this venture as a superior partner but as a person who equally values your input in this epoch matter facing us, namely <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY.</span> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I am not a guru coming with a miracle prescription but an ordinary mwananchi who sees some truth in what Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King said in 1967, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"A time comes when silence is betrayal."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> However, by not being silent I do not mean that we get up and burn buildings and uproot railroads or even just whine and whine on blogs. Gripping and grizzling, as pleasurable and oftentimes lucrative an exercise, will not move a brick. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">CHANGE will be brought about by honest men and women who will labor in abscurity and perhaps even never make into the margins of history books; not the false prophets who bask in the glamour of ostensibly prepresenting the poor while doing things that keep them poor. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Before Barry was Obama, he was an underpaid Harvard grad slogging in the mire of Southside Chicago.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I mean that we SERIOUSLY CONTEMPLATE ACTION(S) which will move the country forward. For starters, unless people sober up (and by people I mean the populous minus the politicians)...unless we sober up and realize that 2012 (or sooner) could well be the end of the road for Kenya as we know it, then 2012 (or sooner) might just be that; </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">THE END OF THE ROAD FOR KENY</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> The reason is simple: When the US was attacked on September 11, 2001, things changed in the way Americans conducted business...you could tell that there was an aggressive effort to say </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"never again."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: -webkit-monospace; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Up until this day, you cannot travel through an airport without taking your shoes off (ironically echoing how Muslims enter their sanctuary). Yet 9/11, as tragic as it was in the loss of life, was never an existential threat to the US; the future of US as a country was not even remotely threatened by Al-Qaeda. Yet for Kenya, 2007 December was clearly a moment which we came very close to disintegration, to annihilation as a country. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Have we said never again?</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What is to stop 2012 from presenting us with an even more cataclysmic conflict? How can politicians fervently crusade for positions in parliament, marshaling up their reliable constituencies into a frenzy of righteous indignation and yet remain blissfully blind to a rapidly approaching precipice? What about us, the people? How can we sit and just hope on the unlikely possibility that we can have the exact same scenario as 2007 in 2012 but be greeted with different results, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">somehow</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:48px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: -webkit-monospace; font-size: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">A TIME COMES WHEN SILENCE IS BETRAYAL.</span></span></span></div></div>WGFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10127887170770221816noreply@blogger.com7