SON OF A CAMEROONIAN MOTHER

...Prodigal Return

2010-02-18T15:21:00.004-05:00

With the ever-increasing popularity of Twitter and Facebook, a publicity recession hit my blog. I found it a little too much having to put down my thoughts in clever, quick and interesting pieces on this blog in order to keep interest alive whilst, a cleverly juxtaposed five-worded phrase or combination thereof(fondly called tweets for twitter and tagline or status for facebook) on Facebook or Twitter could stir so much interest or controversy depending on whose side you are on.

Well, I am back now. Too many things to talk about...let me see, where do I start? PRESIDENT, oh yeah, Tea Party (Sarah Palin's new following, comprised mostly of people with regressed racist sentiments who are using the current economic situation to lash out at the rest of us for voting a Harvard graduate as America's first black president.) and Birthers (Those that believe, Mr. Barack Hussein Obama was born in Kenya or somewhere in the jungle even though birth records from Honolulu's registry show that he was indeed born there and his mother never even visited Africa-EVER before getting pregnant), President Obama, first African-American President of the United States? Healthcare Reform's torture at the hands of rash publicity and racist dissidents of a black president? America's economy? Paul Biya's Paris million dollar getaways? Chantal Biya's (Chantal Biya is Cameroon's First Lady) hairdos and bemusing, yet worrisome idolatry of Paris Hilton? Sarah Palin?...etc. There is too much to talk about and I am glad to be back to be as biaised as possible, and just as close-minded as the Republican Senators on Capitol Hill.

All and all, many things that are blog worthy are also newsworthy and as such, I intend to get a little more intoxicating and provocatively taxing, calling out some of those I believe need to be called to honesty and truth. This should be interesting!

It's on! Get ready for part two of this blog's existence.

...Mandela is 90 today!

2008-07-18T06:48:00.000-05:00

Dedicated to MADIBA (his nick-name)

Miriam Makeba - N'kosi Sikeleli Africa lyrics

...And Simon, the compatriot, Says..

2008-02-28T09:50:00.010-05:00

In the midst of all this turmoil, the greatest dictator on earth announced to Cameroonians that he shall employ all "legal means necessary" to see that order reigns in Cameroon. His address follows, then my commentary.

Cameroon: Declaration of The Head of State on the Ongoing Crisis in Cameroon
The President has denounced the manipulation of Youths and promised to ensure that law and order prevailed.

Our country is witnessing a situation which brings back unpleasant memories of a period we thought was long gone.

While it may be understandable that when negotiations fail, the demands of a group are sometimes expressed through strike action, it is unacceptable that such action should serve as a pretext for outpourings of violence against people and property. Besides, it is now established that any industrial dispute can always be resolved through negotiation.

In actual fact, that is not the problem. What is at issue is the use, not to say exploitation of the transporters’ strike for political ends. For some people, who by the way, did not hide their intentions, the objective is to obtain through violence what they were unable to obtain through the ballot box, that is to say, through the normal functioning of democracy.

They therefore did not hesitate to throw into the streets bands of youths who were joined by delinquents lured by the possibility of looting. The results are there: public buildings destroyed or burnt down, shops and businesses looted or devastated.

Be it State property, I mean our common heritage, or private premises, these are years of efforts thus reduced to nothing.

The demons who manipulated these youths behind the scenes, were not bothered about the risk that they made them to run by exposing them to confrontations with the forces of law and order. As a result, several of them lost their lives, which, of course, cannot but be deplored.

When the human and material toll of these dark days will be taken, it will probably be very heavy. Those behind these manipulations definitely did not have the good of our people in their mind. A country cannot be built through destruction.

It should therefore be made absolutely clear that Cameroon is a Constitutional State and intends to remain so.

It has democratic institutions which are functioning normally. It is within this framework that the nation’s problems are addressed. It is not in the street that they are resolved.

The vast majority of our people long for peace and stability. The last elections proved this. Cameroonians know that disorder can only bring about calamity and misery. We cannot allow that to happen.

To those who are responsible for manipulating the youth to achieve their aims, I want to tell them that their attempts are doomed to failure. All legal means available to Government will be brought into play to ensure the rule of law.

Source: Presidency of the Republic

....COMMENTARY

To start off, I don't think I can think of one instance in which Bi Mvondo Afam Paul Biya has never greeted Cameroonians at the beginning of his speech...Funny don't you think? I think I miss the familiar "Camerounais, Camerounaises, mes chers compatriots..." which he usually croaked.

That aside, Paul Biya basically declared war on Cameroonians by first insulting them when he called them amateur sorcerers, and then denying to talk about the issue at hand, which is the frustration of the common man with the way the economy of the country was going. After calling his opponents demons, he decidedly ranted musings and irreverent insults to his political opponents accusing them of exploiting the transporters workers' union strikes for their political ends declaring that his opponents were trying "to obtain through violence, what they were unable to obtain through the ballot box,that is to say the normal functioning of democracy."

Such paradoxical affirmations are unheard of especially when someone like him has fraudulently won two consecutive presidential elections with an overwhelming 90+% votes. "Normal functioning of democracy," he so fervently calls it. In the 25 years he has led Cameroon, normal functioning of democracy is evident in the constant intimidation and harassment and killing of his political opponents or anyone with a patriotic conscience for that matter, scrapping the National Assembly when they wanted to limit his powers in 1989, imprisoning any journalists in Cameroon who seek to report any news not written for them by government officials, pocketing 80% of the nation's wealth,...the list is long.

Calling his 25 year old dictatorship a normal functioning democracy really grinds my gears as I think he basically spanked all Cameroonians on their bottom after having slapped snot out of their noses with his bashful and near manic assertions. Maybe he wasn't living in Cameroon all these years to realise that his people were suffering. Oh yeah! He has been in Europe touring his vineyards, chateaux(s) and spending Cameroon's money instead of trying to alleviate poverty in his own country, which is what is being decried in these demonstrations.

He tactfully avoided the issue at hand and resorted to levy accusations on everyone else but himself. Even going as far as saying that people were taking advantage of Cameroonian youth for their personal ends. Does anyone smell a repeat of the Mombutu Sesseseko Kuku Pwendu Wazambangah debacle and downfall of a dictator?

Bi Mvondo Paul Afam Biya didn't hesitate to make it known that he would kill more of his opponents if the need arose. He so eloquently prepared us for the outcome of it all. "When the human and material toll of these dark days will be taken, it will probably be very heavy," he accusingly explains. This, he plans to do by using "all legal means available to the government ... to ensure the rule of law" He sternly warned his opponents.

Bi Mvondo mockingly states that "Cameroon is a constitutional State and intends to remain one." Can someone bring this contradictory announcement to his attention? If it is a constitutional state why not just leave in 2011 as the Constitution says rather than try to employ Cameroonian 'democracie avancee' to instigate people to elect for constitutional amendment so he can serve another term? After 25years in power, one would think he would have found whatever solace it is he is looking for and amassed enough wealth by now to be able to take care of his kids 10 generations from today. So why else does he want the constitution amended? Do not get me wrong, a constitution can always be amended but the majority has already spoken on this issue and Bi Mvondo is not welcome anymore. He wasn't welcome in 1992 and hasn't been since so what is the problem?

My dear Bi Mvondo, the time has come and the youth have realised you have put enough sand in their gari. The young people of Cameroon are tired of having to leave school with degrees and not be able to work. They are afraid of the type of Cameroon, we are building in the face of globalization and they are tired of your constant evasive and senseless promises. The time has come to make good on your promises. Why not start by reducing the prices of petrol? Why not start by increasing civil servant salaries, why not just for once spend a tenth of your ill-gotten loot on Cameroon, rather than open up bank accounts in Switzerland and France? You are 73 and we want you to leave now!

Cameroonians in the US, I hear there is a protest march planned on Wednesday March 5th, 2008 in Washington DC in front of the Cameroonian Embassy at 10:30am.

Please come out and let's remind Paul Biya and his accomplices that after 25yrs of tyranny, subjection, poverty and intimidation, we are tired and want him to leave peacefully in 2011. He should park out of Etoudi heading straight to his palace in Mvomekak. Let us come out and remember the 17 people already killed. Let us come out and pray for Cameroonians the world over. Let us pray for out children and remind the Cameroonian government that Democracy means: government of the people, by the people and for the people. We don't want any forms of this democracy be it 'avancee' or 'moderne'. We just want democracy; the simple type. The type of democracy that would mean there is some form of sustainable economic development ahead for Cameroon and it's people!

Long Live Cameroon, Long Live Freedom!

...Cameroon is on Fire...

2008-02-28T09:23:00.002-05:00

I really don't have much to say since sh%t has hit the fan in Cameroon and the strike of the Transporters' Union degenerated into something more than anyone ever imagined. With no one leading the charge, the Cameroonian lay man has expressed their frustration at continuous subdued poverty amongst other things.

Please read on ...Dibussi has more insight...

...Eto'o dancing Coupe Decale

2007-12-13T20:25:00.000-05:00

He is multi-talented. I like this kid.

...Elf has done it's part for Africa...

2007-11-15T12:14:00.000-05:00

I am compiling a list on this subject. I shall be coming back to this in a moment but please feast on this video while you make up your mind about foreign aid to our beloved continent.

My next post will start with the following line: "I have always believed that the white man, no matter how much they strife to show that they are helping us in Africa, never really intend for us to be as well off as they are..."

Now enjoy the video. Thanks!

Affaires de fric
Uploaded by laVielesGens

...Gas Prices Rise while...

2007-11-08T13:50:00.000-05:00

...Most cruel emblem of racism...

2007-11-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

Article from Chicken Bones:A Journal for Literary & Artistic African-American Themes

She was born on the Gamtoos River in the Eastern Cape in 1789 of a Khoisan family in what is now South Africa

Sara's Story a symbol of subjugation
and humiliation, her homecoming will be a spiritual thing

Sara is the short-name used these days for Saartjie Baartman, a Khoisan slave woman who at the tender age of 20 was taken from Cape Town to London and then on to Paris to be displayed naked in their streets and at their circuses like an animal her European audiences viewed her to be. Her story is a tearful and moving one. It is at once the story of an everyday woman, a human being, one of us, treated in the most grotesque ways, used as "scientific proof" of "European white superiority."

But it is also a story about the more widespread "social, political, scientific and philosophical assumptions which transformed one young African woman into a representation of savage sexuality and racial inferiority." Finally, her story is one that provokes us to look in some detail at the power of imagery to form opinions, and the way such power has been employed to depict people of color, especially women of color.

Since this story was published in February 2002, Sara's remains have been returned to South Africa. Saartjie Baartman's skeleton and bottled organs -- long stored at a French natural history museum -- were turned over to South African officials on April 29 at a ceremony in Paris, the culmination of years of requests by countrymen who wanted to bring her home [February 27, 2002 Editor's Note].

The Miami Herald on February 24 carried a story about a South African woman named Saartjie Baartman that attracted our attention, and, we have learned, has had the attention of many for some period of time.

Before getting into the story, we’d like to highlight what we think is the key issue here, the image of the black person, in this case a woman, in Western art. This is tied into the more macro issue of the way blacks have been portrayed as racially inferior and more specifically, the way black female sexuality has been portrayed as inferior. Those times are changing, but Saartjie's story is worth knowing about, because her story says a great deal about history, recent history at that.

Who is Saartjie Baartman?

She was born on the Gamtoos River in the Eastern Cape in 1789 of a Khoisan family in what is now South Africa. The Khoisans are among southern Africa’s oldest known inhabitants, people who made a major role in shaping South Africa’s past and present. But back in those days, bands of Dutch raiding parties went on horseback to the eastern and northern Cape frontiers to hunt down and exterminate these "bushmen" groups who were considered cattle thieves and a threat to settler society.

Canadian socio-linguist Nigel Crawhall, speaking of the Khoisan people, says this:

"These people moved across this land before any other human being. It was they who named the plants and the trees and the features of this land. . . . There [has been an] explosion of identity . . . [among] people who had spent their whole lives having to hide who they were. These people had been destroyed and now suddenly there [is] light and air."

There was never any light and air for Saartjie. In her late teens, she migrated to Cape Flats near Cape Town where she became a farmer’s slave and lived in a small shack until 1810. That year, she was sold in Cape Town in 1810 at the age of 20 to a British ship’s doctor, William Dunlop, who persuaded her that she could make a great deal of money by displaying her body to Europeans. Dunlop put her on a boat and she ended up in London.

There she was put on display in a building in Picadilly and paraded around naked in circuses, museums, bars and universities. She was most often obliged to walk, stand or sit as her keeper ordered, and told to show off her protruding posterior, an anatomical feature of her semi-nomadic people, and her large genitals, which varied in their appearance from those of Europeans.

Khoisan people anatomically have honey-colored skin and stock their body fats in the buttocks rather than in the thighs and belly. These are natural things for them, but Europeans found them to provide an excuse for stereotyping African blacks in grotesque ways. For example, the British described her genitals as like an apron, "skin that hangs from a turkey’s throat."

Contemporary descriptions of her shows at 225 Piccadilly, Bartholomew Fair and Haymarket in London say Baartman was made to parade naked along a "stage two feet high, along which she was led by her keeper and exhibited like a wild beast, being obliged to walk, stand or sit as he ordered".

There were protests in London for the way Baartman was being treated. The exhibitions took place at a time when the anti- slavery debate was raging in England and Baartman's plight attracted the attention of a young Jamaican, Robert Wedderburn, shown in this portrait, who founded the African Association to campaign against racism in England, and wrote of the horrors of slavery.

Wedderburn is himself an interesting black British radical. He was arrested twice in the early 1800s, once for Sedition for defending a slaves rights to rise up and kill his master, and then a second time for sending among the first revolutionary papers from England to the west Indies. For that, was found guilty of "Blasphemous libel" and served two years in Carlisle jail. He subsequently was released wrote and released his autobiography entitled, The Horrors of Slavery.

Under pressure from his group, the attorney general asked the government to put an end to the circus, saying Baartman was not a free participant.

A London court, however, found that Baartman had entered into a contract with Dunlop, although historian Percival Kirby, who has discovered records of the woman's life in exile, believes she never saw the document.

After four years in London, Sara was handed to a showman of wild animals in Paris, where she was displayed between 1814 and 1815 in a traveling circus, often handled by an animal trainer.

French Research Minister Roger-Gerard Schwartzenberg told the French Senate recently that she was also exhibited before "sages and painters," including George Cuvier, surgeon general to Napoleon Bonaparte, and seen by many as the founder of comparative anatomy in France.

Cuvier, shown here, described Baartman’s movements as having "something brusque and capricious about them that recalled those of monkeys." Cuvier used such descriptions to demonstrate the superiority of the European races. Several "scientific" papers were written about Baartman, using her as proof of the superiority of the white race.Jeremy

Nathan, a South African film producer who is making a feature film on the life of Baartman, says such women excited the attention of the Parisian intelligentsia at the time. Cuvier was at the center of an eminent school of social anthropologists who believed she was the missing link, the highest form of animal life and the lowest form of human life.

Her anatomy even inspired a comic opera in France. Called The Hottentot Venus or Hatred to French Women, the drama encapsulated the complex of racial prejudice and sexual fascination that occupied European perceptions of aboriginal people at the time

Sara Baartman died in Paris in 1816, an impoverished prostitute, a lonely woman, and an alcoholic. She had come to be known as the "Venus Hottentot," which was a derogatory term used to describe "bushmen" of southern Africa.

Instead of providing her a decent burial, Cuvier made a plaster cast of Baartman’s body, dissected her and conserved her organs, including her genitals and brain, in bottles of formaldehyde. Along with her skeleton, shown here, Sara Baartman’s brain and genitals were stored somewhere in a back room of the Musée de l’Homme in Paris Her remains including those in the jars were displayed there until 1976.

Saartjie Baartman has created controversy in South Africa as well. Willie Bester, a world known contemporary South African artist, made a metal sculpture of Saartjie Baartman.

Bester is shown in the next photo, and you can barely see an overhead image projection on the screen behind him of his sculpture of Sara. Bester's father was Khosian and his mother what has been called "Cape colored." He was himself classified as "other colored" during the apartheid years.In Bester’s work apartheid has remained the dominant theme.

In particular he has consistently tackled the Group Areas Act (the law that defined where people could and could not live according to their color); the militarized and violent character of South African life stemming from apartheid; and the role played by the Dutch Reformed Church in supporting the apartheid ideology.

Yet, his sculpture of Baartman created controversy, perhaps because it was displayed in the Science and Engineering Library at the University of Cape Town. A panel was convened to discuss the sculpture. Some felt it needed greater explanation to accompany it, to explain the oppression and injustices committed during the colonial era. Others complained that the science library was the wrong venue, because it was in the name of science that Baartman was paraded about Europe like an animal. There were also complaints that if art of indigenous peoples are to be displayed, they should be by indigenous people.

Here in the US, an African American woman, Deborah Willis, has written a recently published book that was motivated to a great degree by the tragedy of Saartjie Baartman. The book, entitled, The Black Female Body in Photography, focuses on the power of the photographic image to reflect and affect opinions. Willis, curator at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture, commented on Baartman’s situation this way: "The stereotypical caricatures of Baartman portrayed her as entertainment while also sexualizing her image. (Despite the negative and stereotypical nature of Baartman’s images) the bustle soon became very stylish in Europe and later in America, and this may have been the result of the popularity of her images."

After reading about Baartman, Willis contacted Carla Williams, a longtime friend and fellow photographer, to discuss the possibility of a book on the black female body
in photography.

Willis has noted that most images of black women produced in the decades after the Baartman images were exotic shots of African women in tribal attire or were of slaves working in the fields or taking care of white children and babies.

The latter images, according to Willis, provide a counterpoint to the earlier sexualized images of black women. "They were images of ‘neutered’ black females instead," Willis explains. These new images of slaves and "mammies" robbed black women of their femininity and portrayed them more as genderless workers.

A recent advertisement for Benetton, an international clothing store chain, featured a black woman with a white baby at her breast and was considered controversial when it debuted, Willis says. "But I loved the imagery, because it provided a counterpoint to that neutered black female aesthetic."

It is also worth noting that a new documentary film has been produced by Zola Maseko, who grew up in Swaziland, entitled, The Life and Times of Sara Baartman – "The Hottentot Venus". Using historical drawings, cartoons, legal documents, and interviews with noted cultural historians and anthropologists, The Life and Times of Sara Baartman - "The Hottentot Venus" deconstructs the social, political, scientific and philosophical assumptions which transformed one young African woman into a representation of savage sexuality and racial inferiority.

American Historical Review has said of the film:

"Zola Maseko's elegant and rather beautiful film recounts the life and times of Sara Baartman in clear and acceptable terms, using both contemporary and contemporaneous sources.... A telling and quite powerful film. It would be very appropriate for any class in the history of racism or colonial history. And just an hour long, it is perfect for a single classroom showing."

Le Monde has written:

"By combining the history and tragic destiny of Baartman, with the theories and racist imagination of the period... (Sara Baartman) presents an implacable plea against racism."

The film was rated the Best African Documentary, 1999 FESPACO African Film Festival, Ouagadougou Burkina Faso, and Best Documentary, 1999 Milan African Film Festival, Italy.

Commenting on the film and the life of Saartjie Baartman, now known to many as Sara, Alex Dodd says this:

"Part of the power of the documentary is that, as a viewer, you cease to think of history as words on a page or abstract theories. Despite the myriad discourses her tale has triggered, one cannot for a second escape the reality that Sara Baartman was a real human being with feelings. (The film) was Baartman’s life…an amazing story of one woman’s life."

South Africa, since it broke loose from the grip of apartheid, has been asking the French to send Sara home. Former President Nelson Mandela made that a personal project. He asked the late President François Mitterand for help in 1994, and two years later, South African Foreign Minister Nzo formally raised the issue yet again But no progress was made.

However, now the French Senate, in late January 2002, approved a bill proposing that Sara be returned home to South Africa. The lower house of the French parliament, the National Assembly, is expected to pass the law before the end of June.

For many South Africans, most especially for the Khoisan and a man named Boezak, a representative on the Khoisan legacy project of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), Sara’s "sad story has become a symbol for us…of the subjugation and humiliation of Khoisan women through all the ages." He went on to say:"(When) we celebrate her homecoming it will be a spiritual ceremony. It will be a reburial. It will not be a Cape Town thing, it will not be a Griqua thing, it will be a national thing."

* * * * *

...Nigerian Comedy...

2007-10-12T07:21:00.000-05:00

Gone are those days of Zebrudaya and co.; Usher in Ukwa et al.; but don't forget the amateurs.
Nigerian Laugh Out Loud comedy. Just a couple of videos.

Another one.

...Columbia University's Guest

2007-09-24T14:47:00.000-05:00

But was he treated as a guest or a target? Columbia's president honors promise to tear up Iranian President, Ahmadinejad in opening commentary. I wonder whether the President of Columbia University would ask these tough enough questions to President Bush were he to be invited to speak there. That is just my personal perception of the whole thing...

Before you read the following CNN article and then my commentary, please note that CNN interrupted the Iranian President's Address and started commenting on it even before he had finished greeting the forum. I think this is the most inebriated form of disrespect because no one should be insulted as much as Iran's President had been right there in his face and then not given a chance to respond or not at least listened to even if he is going to try and circumvent the answering any questions posed or if he was going to try to avoid the matter altogether. This seems to be the approach that the American government has adopted since they seem to be happy with passing their opinion on everyone else. How come they allow the president of Columbia insult the president in the name of free speech and then start interrupting the very next address to those insults. The media has played a great part in tinting the American public's views on a lot of these political things and it is hard because most people believe that journalists really are impartial unless they are on FOX NEWS but I guess this is far from a truism.

CNN seemed bent on portraying the Iranian President as a bad man and we all know many people have been called bad in the media only to be discovered later that this was not true. I must also point out here that CNN also seemed to summarily think that marching for the Jena 6 was pointless. They had some gentleman on a show that argued that Mychal had prior convictions on battery and assault and was on probation and tried to make sense of the fact that these poor highschoolers were victims of an overzealous DA with a racial agenda.

Just read the CNN article about Pres Ahmadinejad...

My Comments:

I don't feel this man was given enough time to explain himself but that shouldn’t make me an idiot because I want to listen to what he has to say no matter what others have said about him already...

Imagine that the USA supported Iraq in the early 1990s to fight a war against him and now are calling the President of Iran all sorts of names. I am not a pro-Iranian but we as advocates of the truth should seek truth. The US dismissed claims of the Nuclear Inspectors that Iraq did not have WMDs and waged on with their war only to find out that the inspectors were right.

The US now has turned its attention on Iran saying they too are in possession of enough Uranium to build WMDs now how should the US be trusted when they blew it so badly in Iraq even turning down UN calls for more patience and a diplomatic solution in Iraq? It is ridiculous that we as a free people love to hate people we don't know or people who tend to pose honest questions but we really are proving to the world that we are the ignorant ones not the President of Iran...and booing him when he spoke? Please! what he said consisted his views and they will never change just as our views are pretty much set and we would not allow another person's views to even be spoken.

Bush to me is the worst and greatest dictator in the world. Wiretapping; attacking Iraq and Afghanistan; ruining the US economy; making a liar of a decorated War veteran (Colin Powell) amongst a lot of other things. He even succeeded in making a joke of the US justice system-imagine what nonsense we students of International Law and Policy have to face with the whole war on terror versus the recent firings of the Attorney Generals debacle. The President of the US even condones revealing the identity of a CIA operative's name just because her husband didn't accept his lies for without seeing facts. He promised to follow the issue and assured the nation that the culprits will be punished accordingly but what became of that? He hindered investigations by telling his former staff they had immunity and shouldn't even speak to Congress about anything he didn't want them to and Americans just sat back and kept quiet.

... Peak of Randomness (mind me not, trying to catch up)

2007-09-21T07:02:00.000-05:00

I haven't been on blogger for a while. Routinely, going from a nine-hour work day to a three hour evening school class and from school, homework; falling asleep on top of the books stacked on my computer desk; and waking up with a jolt to realise I am running about 30 minutes late for work, and then amidst the mad rush to catch up with time, realise I haven't eaten anything in 24hrs is the life I always dreamed of in America. Of course I rush out and get to work a minute late and have to get scolded by a supervisor that just came back from a three week vacation in Hawaii; God save her soul I was a little winded else, I'd be writing this piece from within three walls and bars with a peep hole for a window. The Peak of my ramdomness...here it goes:

....Zimbabwean Parliarment has set a new precedence for African countries still under draconian law of dictatorship by offering a retirement package to Robert Mugabe. Really, I doubt that they saw any other way of asking their president to leave the country and leave it in peace. I think Cameroonian Parliarmentarians should start thinking about a retirement package for Bi Mvondo and his Etoudi entourage. READ MORE

....And the Senator from Idaho who is gay but actually doesn't think he is...Courting an undercover police officer in the bathroom at the airport in Portland? The funny thing is that he pleaded guilty quietly and when the media is unto him, he decides to take back his plea, etc..This is the second gay Republican Senator that has been outted in half a year. There is the one who was not only a gay man but a pedophile also targetting Congressional Pages. I am seriously tired of Republicans in the US. The war in Iraq is going well; the US economy is doing very well; We know Iraq has weapons of mass destruction; the list is unend. More Republican balderdash here!

....Oh! The Jena 6 Neocivil-liberties-era racism at its best is all I can say. Why hasn't the prosecutor been summoned by Congress? Mike Nifong, the former prosecutor in the Duke rape case has been disbarred, served a 24hr sentence in jail, had to pay a fine and is now facing a multimillion dollar lawsuit from the students whose lives he ruined.

....Oh and my birthday was September 6th. HA!

....still thinking... we will catch up in the next piece. Thanks for reading and making sense out of my randomness this morning. God speed.

... Legislative and Municipal elections in Cameroon July '07

2007-07-26T09:42:00.000-05:00

With the July 22nd elections come and gone in Cameroon, the ruling party in Cameroon, the CPDM (Cameroon Peoples' Democratic Movement) has been declared winner by landslide margins. Asked by a friend of mine whether I thought the SDF (Social Democratic Front), the leading opposition party in Cameroon was ready to rule the country, I was adamant yet very clear in my response. See my response below.

With 9 million people registered to vote, the MINAT (Ministry of Territorial Administration) is reporting that 4.5 million voted this past July 22nd, contrary to the 1 million reported by BBC, and the Associated Press. This in itself is enough for us to realise that the Cameroonian populace is sick and tired of the politics surrounding our country and they have through silent protest, expressed themselves clearly.

The landslide by the Bi Mvondo Household is somewhat a good thing for Cameroon since I will stand by many who love Cameroon and spell out that Ni John and his family is not ready to move to Etoudi. 1992 was a perfect year for the revolutionary ideas and change that Ni John would have brought to the Cameroonian political scene but since then, his influence has faded and his ideals remain shadows of patriotic idealism at best. That is not to say though that the Ni John's SDF hasn't contributed to the somewhat apparent change in the Cameroonian political life as well as socio-economic progress and development. Heck, their constant criticism and outcry captured attention from the world and have paved the way for renewed interest in Cameroon from investors.

The SDF is just too distracted at this point to do a great job in ruling the country. The fact that the SCNC (Southern Cameroons National Council) is based in the Anglophone part of the country and its ideals of a separate sovereign state call it Southern Cameroons or Ambazonia are far more appealing to the populace and to my brothers and sisters who have been jobless for years, poses another huge impediment to the SDF Etoudi takeover machinery. You must also note here that Buea (seat of the SCNC) is a mere 8 hours by road from Bamenda (seat of the SDF) and so is Yaoundé (seat of the CPDM).

That aside, the SDF has even lost ground in its own lair. Losing out Wum, Ndop and Bamenda in the legislative elections in the Northwest province thus far. There are more places where the SDF lost and will lose the elections in the Northwest and this is a relatively big slip up given that in the 1996 elections, the SDF lost out only the Bali constituency to the CPDM and that was because as it was alleged, the Fon of Bali had taken ballot boxes to his palace, …but that is another discussion. The SDF even won some parts of Yaoundé in that election.

Then there is the infighting issue that has rendered the SDF a joke in the face of international observers. Could someone answer this question to me clearly? Why on earth is Ni John Fru Ndi still the Chairman of the SDF? 1992 to 2007 is 15 years that is one year more than 2 seven-year terms (septenats), which the current constitution says is the limit for any one president of Cameroon. If Ni John had been president, would he have stepped down in 2006 like Mbah Ndam and the other dissenters in his party called for? That to me is the root of all the infighting that has derailed the SDF charge to taking over the Etoudi mansion.

Bi Mvondo's house (CPDM) on the other hand, is united around their greatest figure and were Bi Mvondo to be elected chairman again in the CPDM, I am quite sure, they will have control of the country for a couple of more decades or so. They are more organised and their popularity is growing even more in Cameroon, even attracting the toughest critics. I hate to admit this but most of the opposition leaders in Cameroon have thrown in the towel and are very good at making a truism out of the if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them statement.

It is sad yet very true when you consider that people who were running for elections in the SDF camp not too long ago have somehow "seen the light" and are now with l'equipe qui gagne. Our SDF leaders promised a lot of things and they themselves have not stood up to the end of the deal so it is tough to side with them. Through their my-way-goes type of attitude, we have had people we looked up to scuffle and tumble over the direction the party should take. The infighting amidst other things has crippled the SDF and interest has dissipated.

Cameroon's politics is in the hands of the CPDM and with them becoming the majority in the National Assembly for the twenty seventeenth time since our independence, we are sure to have another constitutional amendment that will ensure another 14 years at least for Bi Mvondo as chief exec of La Republique. This of course only means that Cameroon will continue to be raped by corrupt officials and as foreign investments keep pouring in, government officials will continue building mansions, etc.

Fellow Cameroonian brothers and sisters, it is up to you and me to make sense of this travesty. Either we pick up arms and revolt and turn the country into what Cote D'Ivoire has become today or, we just sit back in true Cameroonian laissez-faire fashion and drink while our country is sapped of its little pride and economic resources. Of course the second option is always going to be more appealing to the greater population since many do not understand or simply don't care. I do think though in some naively unrelenting way that if the price of beer were to double as has the price of gasoline in Cameroon, some people may actually start to feel the pinch enough to realise what Bi Mvondo and his accomplices have done to our great nation of Cameroon.

God be with you all!

...How I wish all Americans thought like him.

2007-07-20T15:32:00.000-05:00

If there is no soccer in heaven, I am not going...

2007-07-19T11:56:00.000-05:00

He is a three-time African player of the year and I saw him play his first games in Cameroon. Enjoy!
Oh yeah! If you can identify the songs please leave the title and artist in the comments section. Thanks!

...I too think it is high time!

2007-07-06T09:10:00.000-05:00

I do like Dub-ya (George W. Bush)but man, I think it is time!!

...Nollywood: How far from Hollywood?

2007-06-22T15:04:00.000-05:00

In India, the term used to refer to the movie industry is called Bollywood. In Nigeria, it is Nollywood. These are renditions of the powerhouse movie center of the world, known as Hollywood.

Hollywod is located in Los Angeles, California in Western USA. Anyone hoping to pursue a dream as a career actor hopes to one day move to Hollywood, where more than half the population in some way is connected to the movie industry either through acting or production. There are a few dozen gigantic movie production houses like Paramount Studios, Universal Studios,etc that help make this dream come true.

Half-way around the globe, in Nigeria, the scene is another page of the book. Springing into action in the late 90s, the Nigerian movie industry has grown tremendously to greater heights. I still remember the title of the first movie I watched, Glamour Girls. We had gathered in front of the TV as my mother proudly announced that she had managed to secure one of the few copies available of the first Nigerian movie to hit the stands in Cameroon.

The nostalgia is still fresh as I remember popping open a bottle of juice and savoring a slice of cake as the screen flickered. The feeling was immense as I was proud to note that my own kind were movie leads and actually had put something together.

Fast-forward 10 and some years. I am in the US and every African or International Grocery or Clothing Store you go into has Nigerian movies on sale. The titles are inumerable. It seems movies are produced by the minute and the stands are suffering of this mass production type deal. The themes of the movies all seem to be alike, with most of them very poorly done due to attempts to jumpstart acting and production careers, and beat the competition. It has become so cut-throat that now, the movie need only have a title and a few people to call actors.

Mostly void of plots, and story lines, the Video Compact Discs leave quite little to desire. The truth is, if I were to create a label from Microsoft publisher, I am sure I would do a better job. Apart from the physical appearance, the content itself always almost leaves me regretting the reason for my purchasing the movie to start with. Grammatical errors, inconsistent plots and horendous audiovisual quality are the sign posts by which these movies thread.

Don't get me wrong, I admire the effort but I have to also admit that the road is quite long and mass production of this kind is only diminishing quality, which goes a long way to affect the quality of our most dear possession, the ability to make movies about our own society and lives. It is a great thing to make movies but because the Nigerian movie industry is lack lustre in quality, this has caused a lethargic pace to theme Africa's movie industry. We are a long way away from Hollywood.

Healing Day One

2007-05-14T08:12:00.000-05:00

It is time to start my healing process...

I shall answer to my God
If question ever were He to of my love for her.
He knows it,
she knows it,
I know it,
That the love was love.
The love was immense.
Endless was the love.

We stuck to our love,
Through the mill,
We believed in each other,
Through the storm,
We were each other's rock.

Yesterday I cried.
Today I cry.
The tears come trickling.
I know not if I shall stop,
The pain too severe.

But my dear,
Through all the hurt,
I still will find it in me
To forgive.
As you desire,
I shall set you free.

So fly.
Fly high
Go for your dreams
The world is yours to conquer.

My one and only love.

...Somber day in Cameroon...

2007-05-08T11:43:00.000-05:00

Email from my friend in Cameroon:
Dear friends,
It has been a dark weekend for Cameroon;
In a split second we lost prominent local businessmen (Cameroonians, Chinese, etc.), Top management staff of MTN Cameroon (CEO, CFO & husband, and 2 others), 3 of Cameroons international referees on their way to manage a continental clash, and the list goes on.
To the families, friends, colleagues and other close ones of these victims I pray for courage in this time of grief.
Have a safe week ahead.

********************************************************
Flight 507 engine failure a focus

POSTED: 9:23 p.m. EDT, May 7, 2007
Story Highlights

MBANGA-PONGO, Cameroon (AP) -- The searchers drove as far as they could into the swamp and then set out on foot, crawling over soggy earth until they found signs of so many lost lives.

A white tennis shoe. A black purse of braided leather. A length of orange and blue cloth that a woman might have worn as a skirt. Unrecognizable, shredded debris hanging from trees.

Crash investigators were combing through the wreckage of Kenya Airways Flight 507 on Monday. They were concentrating on the possibility that the jet lost power in both engines during a storm and tried to glide back to the airport before plunging nose-first into a mangrove swamp.

All 114 people on board were killed.

Members of the recovery team -- some soldiers in camouflage and red berets, others barefoot villagers in shorts and T-shirts -- used branches as walking sticks during the 20-minute hike to the site. Workers placed bodies and body parts found nearby on stretchers and carried them to waiting ambulance. Trees had been chopped down and placed over puddles to make the walk easier.

The Nairobi-bound Boeing 737-800 sent a distress signal shortly after takeoff Saturday from Douala, delayed an hour by storms, and then lost contact 11-13 minutes later. It took more than 40 hours to locate the wreckage, most of it submerged in murky orange-brown water and concealed by a thick canopy of trees.

"The plane fell head first. Its nose was buried in the mangrove swamp," said Thomas Sobakam, chief of meteorology for the Douala airport. He said the plane disintegrated on impact.

The early investigation is focusing on a theory that the plane lost power in both engines but did not have enough altitude to glide back to the airport, a source close to the airline's investigation in Kenya, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press.

A Cameroonian coast guard official helping lead the recovery operation said late Monday one of the plane's two black boxes had been found, a development that could help investigators determine what happened on the flight. It was not clear whether it was the data recorder or the cockpit voice recorder, or what condition it was in. The official, Capt. Francis Ekosso, did not immediately have further details.

The wreckage was found late Sunday along the plane's expected flight path. Procedures for losing all power in an aircraft call for the pilot to try to return to the airport along the same path. A nosedive crash also is consistent with a plane stalling as a pilot desperately tries to coax the plane farther along the glide path.

There were no survivors, said Luc Ndjodo, a local government official.

"We assume that a large part of the plane is underwater," said Ndjodo. "I saw only pieces.

'Scene of horror'
Debris at the crash site is spread over a small area roughly the size of a soccer field.

"It's a scene of horror," said Bernard Atebede, prefect of the nearby town of Vouri. "I saw things that should never be seen. It makes you realize the fragility of life."

He said 20 bodies have been recovered, and DNA testing would be used to determine the identities of some.

Among the 105 passengers on board was Nairobi-based Associated Press correspondent Anthony Mitchell, 39, who had been on assignment in the region. Nine crew members also were on board.

Initially, the search focused on the rugged, forested area near the town of Lolodorf, about 140 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Douala. Sobakam said officials were led astray by an incorrect satellite signal, possibly emitted from the plane.

But fishermen living in the swampy mangroves near the Douala airport reported hearing a loud sound at the time of the crash.

"It was the fishermen ... who led us to the site," Sobakam said Sunday. "It's close enough that we could have seen it from the airport -- but apparently there was no smoke or fire."

'Just a big muddy hole'
A U.S. Embassy official who saw the crash site from a plane Monday said it would have been impossible to find from the air without coordinates provided by searchers on the ground. He said searchers in planes saw nothing when they flew over the site Sunday after hearing reports that the plane could have gone down in the swamp.

"It's not what you expect -- a bunch of trees knocked down and charred," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media. "It's just a big muddy hole, like many others out there."

The U.S. and France are among the nations providing aircraft and other equipment to help Cameroon. A U.S. National Transportation Safety Board team was expected to arrive Tuesday.

Capt. James Ouma, Kenya Airway's chief pilot, told journalists that Douala airport does not have weather radar but that such equipment was not mandatory because airplanes are required to have their own weather radars.

Stormy weather, power failure a focus
Officials said it was too early to tell what caused the plane to go down so soon after takeoff. But crash investigators focused on the stormy weather as a possible contributor to the crash.

Another source close to the investigation, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said officials wanted to know if the storms caused the plane to lose power in both engines. Also of interest was whether a power failure caused the aircraft's own radar to fail, the source said.

One of the many unanswered questions is why the plane stopped emitting signals after an initial distress call. The plane is equipped with an automatic device that should have kept up emissions for another two days.

An exhausted battery could be one reason, said Capt. Paul Mwangi, head of operations for Kenya Airways. He also said Sunday the device could have been destroyed upon impact.

Kenya Airways is considered one of Africa's safest airlines. The Douala-Nairobi flight runs several times a week, and commonly is used as an intermediary flight to Europe and the Middle East. Many passengers had been booked to transfer in Nairobi.

The plane was only six months old, said Titus Naikuni, chief executive of Kenya Airways.

The last crash of an international Kenya Airways flight was on Jan. 30, 2000, when Flight 431 was taking off from Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on its way to Nairobi. Investigators blamed a faulty alarm and pilot error for that crash, which killed 169 people.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

...Better than an episode of Cheaters...

2007-05-03T11:30:00.000-05:00

These two were caught pants down... literally. LOL! In many parts of Africa, if you are caught cheating on your spouse, you can face punishment up to and not limited to being stoned to death. Most parts of Nigeria for example, where Shari laws prevail take this very seriously. In Zimbabwe, where these two are from, I guess the pictures tell you how they treat them. I wonder how this would be handled in Cameroon since it seems he is married to her but sleeping with her, her and her, and she is married to him, but sleeping with him, him and him. Man, I need to open a manufacturing plant for condoms.

I probably should have told you that these two didn't even have the courtesy to get a room. They were right behind the market.

...Why Africa is poor. Really!

2007-05-02T11:42:00.000-05:00

Although many people consider Africa poor, the continent is rich in resources and one can only bemoan the situation in which the people of Africa are. How does one explain being rich in resources but really poor? How do you come to see that a people that are so warm and friendly can be so destitute and corrupt? How do you explain an act so inebriated and cancerous that a government official, instead of trying to help his people would be ridding it of the financial regiment that sustains such a lethargic economy?

“Africa: Rich in Resources but Economically misfit. The Case of Cameroon.” is the title of a term paper I submitted in 2006. In it, I talked about the theoretical and conceptual principles in the economical and financial health of the 82nd richest country in the world, (GDP-Gross Domestic Product of $16,875,000,000. World Development Indicators database, World Bank, April 23, 2007) cross referencing such wealth to the current factors that cripple any meaningful sustainable economic development and growth in the country of 16million people. Although Cameroon has this much potential, ranked among the top ten percentile in Africa, ahead of Gold-producing power houses Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, little is left to be desired in the country’s futile trade and industry scene. In 2005, it was estimated that a little more than 40% of the country’s households live on less than $2 a day, while the average household lives on about $6-9 daily.

While the economic picture vis-à-vis the potential show a considerable departure from progress or adequate utilization of its resources, Cameroon has never failed to RSVP economic meetings abroad. This, most ministerial budgeters see as an opportunity not just to go abroad, but also to transport their ill-gotten loot to foreign banks and sap their country of any more financial resources as they report exorbitant expenses. For example, when the Minister of State of Communications visited Bonn, Germany for a conference in 2006 for three business days, he had a delegation of four. The report they submitted for expenses totaled almost $40000. Now, imagine how many round trip air tickets and hotel room packages can be bought for that much. But then, since there are no checks and balances, the government is bound to absorb the charges. How ironic that this delegation had just flown back from Bonn with an insurmountable amount of knowledge learnt from the conference that was based on the role of Communication in the Good Governance and Anti-corruption war.

Please look at the picture below and tell me if you see what these people learnt during a conference just like the one my Minister of Communications attended, and whether they are more likely to plunge a country into the troughs of poverty rather than development.

...Yea you guessed right, probably the jet lag!

...So VETOed; What can you do about it?

2007-05-02T08:04:00.000-05:00

My man, Dub-ya did say yesterday that he didn't think the bill before him made much sense. While I applaud his resilience and duck-taped stubborness on anything concerning Iraq, I also realise he is the ultimate deciding power in this country. Should Bush have waited for more intelligence before dragging us into Iraq? Sure. Should he have gathered support and tried his hand at diplomacy first? YEAH! Should he have had a consistent plan and a strategy for withdrawal after success? Sure. Are our friends, relatives and loved ones dying in the war? Damn Right! So why is he so stubborn and in utter denial of the reality of the war...

The reason is simple: You voted for him ... twice! Now take that. Actually, I take that back. You voted for him once because of Florida.

Many people would gladly say this man, Dub-ya, is going to go down in history as the worst president ever in the history of the US. True, but he may also become a heroic influence for rogue leadership as he has set an untellable presidence, that I am sure others would gladly emulate.

The Senate understood that their bill would do very little to shake Bush of his stance, but they nonetheless went ahead and put it through. At least they did something right for once. Remember before the war, they all voted to send our man, Dub-ya to war with a blank check? Then come time for elections, they all came out swinging at Dub-ya saying the war wasn't going right, the war could have and should have been avoided, etc. You voted them back in, and they are now back to big ole buddy-system voting for bills. Politics is an institution of fanatics even greater than religious extremism, I must point out here. These old goons have the powers to make decisions but when they get to the Hill, their resolve is to do what their next buddy is doing, and pass irrasive bills.

Let's see what these people at the Hill and our man, Dub-ya at the Maison Blanche or La Casa Blanca or das weiße Haus have done to our beloved country:

1. Gas is $3.00 a gallon when before our man stepped into the White House, gas was $1.09. The economy could have suffered no worse fate.
2. I cannot have a normal phone conversation because I know they are listening.

3. The-US-dollar-to-UK-pound conversion rate was 0.96 in 2000(the dollar was almost the same value as a pound, now, it is 0.49 (dropped to almost half the value of a pound)This tells you the value of the US dollar outside of its boundaries.
4. The justice system has been made fun of in so many ways. Some of which are:
a)THEY Fired Atty Generals because of their failure to acknowledge republican power and lied that their performance left lots to be desired. When the inquest by House Committee started, they tell everyone that Karl Rove's emails went missing. Email records from 2001 to 2006 from his computer and also from the servers. How convenient!
b)THEY Leaked the identity of Valerie Plame. As if firing her husband was not enough, they went ahead and told reporters that his wife was a CIA operative.
c)THEY Drowned people in New Orleans. I don't need to elaborate this point any further...actually I have one for this point. THEN THEY Had their mother call people in the astrodome, refugees "living in better conditions [in the astrodome,] than they are used to in their regular daily lives." ...Oh and gave THEIR friend, FEMA director, a new job after his "commendable and excellent handling of the Katrina disaster".
d)THEY Lied to Congress about his rationale for war. Do I really need to elucidate here?
e)THEY Disgraced a decorated war hero, Colin Powell, by reducing him to a lying-cheating-coniving head hunter for an administration riddled with indignant affinity for revenge on Saddam and strip his country of its oil.
f)THEY Massacred the queen's language on numerous occasions,etc
5. The list continues... (don't want us to spend the day on this, but please feel free to add to the list)

Why are you surprised about Iraq?

From its inception, the War to Free Iraq was doomed to go sour. The administration was never forthcoming with their motive for war and time went on and international opposition mounted, they continued to make up reasons. Saddam has WMDs
(which have not been found till date); Saddam hosts Al-Qaeda terrorists (which is a blatant lie); Saddam is a dictator and is killing his poeple (I will get back to this later); Saddam bought uranium from Niger, Africa, to build WMDs (Ginomous lie-Ambassador Wilson proved it); the reasons went on as the war progressed. I wonder how they could have passed up the fact that Saddam cheated on his wife too.

The administration lied from day one and they still continue to throw (for lack of a better term) shit in the faces of the American people and actually smear it all over. It is ridiculous that in this land of freedom, the administration would hijack personal liberties, amongst other things and blatantly violate the constitution by infringing on the rights of its people and actually act as though to say: "what would you do about it?"

Although the motives for war were shady and the conduct of said war has been far less inspiring, Dub-ya is the ultimate executive power in this country and decided whether or not we go to war, and also decides how much can be spent at the war, and how it should be run. It is what the constitution says so the Senate was sort of fighting a battle that was out of their arena when they cut a spending bill and sent one to Bush saying that troops should start leaving Iraq by July 1st, 2007. The war was waged by the President, and until the President says it's enough, our troops are going to be in Iraq . All we can do is organize rally after rally after rally and hope that he understands that we hate the idea of war.

I know you don't want to hear this from someone who has been Dub-ya's nultimate fan from his days at Stanford, but the constitution says so and I am a sucker for history and the law, so constitution hurray! The only thing though is that the other articles of the constitution preventing wire- tapping without warrants, bank account tracking without warrants, etc have been swept under the rug. It is lamentable that the cherry-picking never ends. HURRAY CONSTITUTION!

Saddam's dicatorship and effects of imperialism from the West

The situation in Iraq now is worse off than it was years ago, when Saddam was their leader. Minus the fact that they are at war, the country is now in a civil war that pits tribes against each other. The Sunnis and Shiites hated each other and now, it is only more prevalent as violence keeps escalating. This is what Saddam knew and sought to put to rest. No wonder he was so draconian with his rules and would crack down at the sign of any uprising.

The US, just like colonial powers in the mid 1800s to late 1900s, failed to realise that instituations that work for one society will not work for another society. Islam and it's people have a democracy of their kind and although this doesn't necessarily work for the West in general and the US in particular, did not necessitate a strike and war as has been the case in the past 4 years. Moslems through Islam are keen to allowing themselves be ruled by someone they believe is doing all in their interests just as Allah commanded. They retire their freewill to the common good of their religion, which is evermore present in their government.

In the US and much of the West, on the contrary, our democracy obliges us to each exercise individual freewill and choice. We have a say in everything that we want done and the affairs of state are distant to religion because we each have a freewill to either believe or not believe in God or not.

The picture is that of two contrasting ends of the spectrum and for us to come out successful, we need to understand not only the culture behind their way of life, but also the fashions of their thoughts.

You march in with guns and bombers, they throw stones but still come out martyrs to their country men. They will go as far as blowing themselves up in crowds in order to put through their message.

I would close with an anecdote that my father once told me. A man was in his house watching TV when he noticed a mouse running around. He caught the mouse and took it outside and set it on fire. The mouse, on fire, ran back into the house and the structure was incenerated.

...

2007-05-02T07:34:00.000-05:00

Nancy Pelosi

2006-11-17T08:34:00.000-05:00

I must admit, everytime I hear this name, I have to look around me. I don't know why I do that but I have tremendous admiration for this lady. For those who don't know, Nancy Pelosi is the California Congresswoman from the 8th district, who is now, the Democratic House Leader. Imagine Hilary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi running the berth for the White House...
Did it sink in yet? It would be a strong pair. Tough one to beat too, at least that is what I think. Anyways, that is not the point of this post.

So, who voted during the midterm elections a couple of weeks ago? Did you? Oh you didn't vote? Are you kidding me? I won't hold that against you but read
the King's One Week Later and tell me if I am over reacting.

D, two words: Spare me!

It has only been a week! Maybe we should give the Dems more than 12 years to see if things really turn around. Did anyone notice the gas prices go down by almost a buck just before the elections, and now, they are almost back up to the price it was at 8 weeks prior to the elections? Did anyone notice the slump in the Stock Market?
Voting may not have changed much but at least some who have loved ones in Iraq-Bush’s war to reap Iraq of its oil- may actually have a chance to spend New Year’s Day with their loved ones.
I hate to be this direct about this matter but we have to realise the power of a single voice. Without Martin Luther's single voice, we won't have some of the privileges we now enjoy, albeit limited.
Things don’t change much because of a mentality like the one expressed by Chuck Gillespie (fictional) who would go to the polls and check all Republican or Democratic names on the ballot without even stopping to think that he has lost almost a million dollars in the stock market, the value of his house has drastically decreased, and they are now more vulnerable than ever to die in a terrorist attack even before 9/11. But again that is democracy-government for the people, by the people and with the people.
Things don’t change either if you would adopt the mentality being expressed in this post. Don’t get me wrong, here because I do validate your logic here. But you may not have noticed that things changed because you may have actually contributed to things being that bad by not voting at all. Your high school Alma Mater may now have metal detectors because you failed to go vote on gun control years ago and maybe your vote could have swung the decision the other way.
Voting is the only human way possible for your opinion to be heard. To have the right and not exercise it, I think you should be taken to the guillotine. People died to secure that right for you and me. And still, in many parts of Africa, Cameroon for instance, people don’t have the right to vote or they are allowed to vote but the elections are stolen by the incumbent, just like Bush did Florida in the yesteryears.

My view that not voting should be treated as a capital offence may be too fundamentalist but I see no reason to have the right to vote and not exercise that right just because you don’t think you would make a difference and then ONE WEEK-only one week- after the elections, you come out fluttering, pointing out how things haven’t changed yet. The Dems took over the House of Senate and Congress. They did not take all executive power from the Reps yet. Senate and Congress can enact laws, etc but the Head of State can veto any one of them.

One vote, one voice is a powerful tool. Had Nelson Mandela not stood up in defiance of the Apartheid system in South Africa; that country may still have been under the worse form of racial segregation ever known to mankind. Your vote may not have counted because your candidate lost, but you never really would understand what that one vote could have done had it come down to just your vote in order for your candidate to win.

...ehr...Marriage...

2006-10-04T13:24:00.000-05:00

Excerpt from Laleyio.com:

A newly circumcised female will wear a headdress of small hanging shells. This symbolizes her passage into adulthood as either engaged or free to marry. Males may approach a family with gifts as a sign of interest. Some females are promised as babies to males, who continue to give a family gifts until [the girl's] circumcision.
After a dowry is agreed upon by the parents and the groom, the marriage may proceed.
The groom arrives at the bride's home with a male companion (best man) on the appointed day. He walks the bride to her new home. Her belongings are packed and she is colorfully decorated. in the traditional wedding apparel from head to toe.
As she exits the home, her father and a member of his age-set bless the marriage by spitting milk and honey onto the bride. The bride makes a slow passage away from her family home. It is [believed that the bride risks turning into stone if she looks back at this point].
Along the way, her new husband must make sure her journey goes as smooth as possible.
Upon arrival the new bride is teased by the other women of the household. Here, the bride will also receive cattle until she is satisfied. Cattle become the property of her husband.
The new bride will not share sexual relations with her husband for at least the first two days after her arrival.
As a symbol of being married, a woman will wear a blue cloth along with her other pieces of clothing.
A Maassai man is allowed as many wives as he can care for. He is the head of the household. However, he lives in a separate home from his wives and children.

I was asked three times two weeks ago whether I ever planned on getting married. I actually was scolded by the third person, who seemed upset over the fact that I am not yet married. While I must admit, I couldn't hide my embarrassment at this unbridled abatement of marriage, I still did feel happy though they looked at me and thought I'd be responsible enough to get married at my age.

As you probably guessed already, I am Cameroonian, which means polygamy is legal in my country. Culturally, marrying more than one wife depicts status in not just wealth, but other things. The fact that a man can handle the needs of more than one wife is admired greatly

among the traditionalists. In the modern world today, this is an abhorrent act of disrespect to the female gender and in most parts, people serve prison sentences for it.

The picture below is that of a Cameroonian man with his wives. If you go to his compound, there is a main house in which he lives and a string of houses that are built in a circular mode around the compound. These women have their own children in their homes with them and each woman has to cook for him everyday. He gets to taste everyone's food and women take it personal if he dares to say he is too full to eat all the food brought to him. He must taste it. No questions asked.
I usually wonder what it is like for him at night. Is there a schedule of whose turn it is to perform the nightly duties to satisfy their man sexually? But that is beside the point. I kinda feel the unity amongst the children is probably impecable as all children love their dads. But that doesn't mean they are not faced with their challenges.

My thoughts? Well, Marriage is the same whether it is to one woman or to more. The way I look at it, most married people cheat on their spouses anyways, so it is just like polygamy although the other partners don't know. But then, there are the faithful ones and that is where I come in. I like the idea of having just one person to love and cherish. It'd be sad to be laying in bed alone during winter season, knowing your spouse is next door warming up another lady.

But again, that is just what I think!

...So I was thinking...

2006-09-25T11:24:00.000-05:00

that I have not posted in a while.

I was thinking that

Today, I'd like to start over
Just flip the pages and start all over again
See if I would make the same mistakes of old.
I would like to go back in time
And make right what I spoiled.
What I chose to ignore,
Douse with my attention.
I would like to go back
And say I am sorry even before wronging anyone;
The lover I hurt, I would console
Caress her gently while I fed her grapes.

Today is anew
at least I would like to think.
Today is a re-beginning of sorts
I know I should reignite the spell
that taught me love was real.

I shall be a fine husband someday
My dad was.
I shall make a great dad
My dad was.
I shall love my kids
My dad did.
And cherish my wife dearly
My dad did.

So I was thinking...
that I love you

...The Way You Make Me Feel

2006-09-12T12:16:00.000-05:00

(dedicated to the lady from Massachusetts)

You make me feel special,
You make me feel new,
You make me feel loved,
With everything you do.

Everytime we are together,
It seems like the perfect place,
And when I hold your hand,
I love the shimmer that lights up your face.

I love the way you can make me laugh
For absolutely no reason at all.
I love how no matter what I do,
You will be there to catch me when I fall.

I just want you to know,
That even though we sometimes fight,
I will always love you!
No matter what, day or night.

...9/11: 5 years after

2006-09-10T10:01:00.001-05:00

On 9/11/01, I was laying in my bed in at Dryden Hall, Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA when my mom called. It was about 9am Pacific. She instructed me to turn on the TV and to my dismay and utter horror, I was spell bound.
Two planes had hit the World Trade Center, another plane had flown into the Pentagon, and another, headed for the White House, had been wrestled to the fields of Pennsylvania. I have always believed this last plane had been shot down (reason why nothing was really ever recovered from it) but that is another story.

Today is exactly 5 years since this barbaric act of terrorism was waged on the US and most of the world and although it may seem dim to some people, watching the videos or many documentaries airing on TV this week has a sobering effect that adjectives fall short of depicting clearly.

When I watch the tapes of the events, especially the one that just aired this Sunday morning @ 9:30am on HBO, I remain glued to my sit with my fingers clenching down so hard on my seat that I can hear the fabric moan from the effect of the pressure exerted. It is only understandable that after such a horrendous act of war Bush et Co would want to go after Bin Laden, albeit that they have turned the tide and deviated from the mission at hand, to a war in Iraq, amongst other things.

Afghanistan

Although I never really understood why the Bush administration went after Afghanistan, I still think Saudi Arabia would have been a better stage to wage the war on terror. Nine of the hijackers were Saudis. Bin Laden himself is Saudi. Saudis are the proven supporters of terror. They hate US guts and have often been two-sided in their policies in support of the US.

But Bush and his administration made a case for Afghanistan and went with it. They targeted the Taliban, stating that he did nothing to eradicate Al-Qeada in his country. Hmm... come to think of it, the US had provided Bin Laden and his network (Al-Qeada) all the armor and might to fight of communism two score decades ago.
My comment is that they never actually cared if they caught Bin Laden. Bush had to make it look like he was doing something to fight terrorism so he could usher in his evil plan of taking over Iraq's oil.

Iraq

Bush may argue as much as they want and even offer as much bogus information as they want to justify their attack on Iraq, but it was totally uncalled for. My reason. It is very clear that invading Afghanistan was a great idea but that mission ought to have been completed before ever considering another target. Bin Laden had not yet been found but Bush really didn't care.
The United Nations and the G8 except for Britain asked Bush to hold off. But he won't listen.
The CIA offered intel revealing that Iraq had no connection to Al-Qeada but Bush still won't listen.
You actually already know all of this information but you chose to vote for him one more time.

Anyways, I would like to remind everyone that the effects of 9/11 are still very glaring, especially when you consider the actions of a C-grade student heading the greatest country in the World.
One fact that remains is that 3251 children now wake up and go about their day without their dad or mom.
3475 people from 83 different countries died on 9/11 from the WTC and Pentagon attacks.

Say a prayer for them when you have a minute.

...So My Birthday was Yesterday!

2006-09-07T08:32:00.000-05:00

I would have preferred to post something else but for the randomness, I will just let my fingers run.

Yesterday, September 6th, I was officially a year older and a year closer to my grave. After all my years on earth, I have come to realise that:

1. I have never had my car keyed by an angry ex. Guess I just never dated one crazy enough or maybe my car is already messed up so much that it would hurt their key, were they to try it.

2. If you are what you eat, then I am fast, greasy and cheap, but sometimes sophisticated, exquisite, expensive and quite stuck up.

3. I have never had any awkward looking purple pimples or sores grow on my manhood.

4. I am very good looking and 99% of the people I know and meet daily will second this motion. Seriously though, I look beautiful!

5. I abhor all books that start with 101 ways ..., 101 things..., and all in the category

6. Paris is probably the most beautiful city in the world and Seattle is probably the most beautiful city in the US. Dubai would probably be in my list but for the many robes the dudes wear!

7. Investing in Africa today is probably the smartest thing to do.

8. I will actually take a bullet for the One I love.

9. I am easily amused.

10. I fantasize about winning the lottery but I never play.

11. I like to plan almost everything except what comes out of my mouth during an argument.

12. I love Fox TV shows

13. Koffi Annan is probably the most multilingual person I know

14. It is OK for men and women to talk all day as long as it costs $4 for the first minute and $1 every minute after that.

15. I really would think twice about going to heaven if they had no soccer.

16. The Redskins will not make it to the playoffs this year.

17. I think pain is another way of knowing that you are still alive and that life still sucks.

18. I still don't get the bleeping effect on TV. FCC should be shut down!

19. I love God

20. I am going to be a millionaire!

...What is your greatest fear?

2006-09-03T20:06:00.000-05:00

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Marianne Williamson, in her book, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles. Quoted by Nelson Mandela on the day of his inauguration in 1994 and also recently used in the movie, Coach Carter.

I will be a year older this September 6th, and to tell you frankly, I don't know whether the next year will be much different from the past two score and more years I have been on earth, and that tears me up. I don't know what to expect. Something I have wanted so bad in the past three or so years is soon going to become reality and I think I may not be ready yet! It sucks and I wonder whether I would have actually accomplished anything when this becomes reality.

I am afraid. Very afraid.
Fear what the world has in store for me.
More so confused.
The confusion you feel
when you simply can't understand why.
Why things are the way they are.
Why you do certain things.
Why you say those things.

I am afraid. Very Afraid

that I have many more obstacles

to overcome.

I am afraid

that I may be overwhelmed

And forced to pull over.

I am afraid. Very Afraid.

I am frustrated.
Frustration
because I have been patient enough
3 years and still no response.
6 years and still no major 'accomplishments'
I am disappointed.

Disappointed in myself
For the things I have done and said.
No wait, I feel responsible.
Accept responsibility
For the things I have said and done.
I hardly regret anything,
And carry with me lessons learnt.

I wait unerringly
For a chance to pass on the little I know
The unbridled yearning to start my own family
To be the solution
to all of my mother's problems
to all of my family's tribulations
I will work harder
And reach my target
I will not forget God.
I will pray
For guidance.
Cherish his love and mercy
Hope that I get there in time.

...Errh Hemmme Helpe is onde way

2006-08-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

It is true they were warned but Dayum! How can you see your own country men and women going through this and not lend out your help? ...Oh come to think of it, they really didn't care!

These people took initiative and started walking. Can you imagine how much walking they probably did, before getting out of New Orleans?

Oh yeah! The top story! Black people looting grocery stores, while the white poeple are finding bread and soda! Tell me if you see bread in the picture below! Please!

...One Year has gone by,

2006-08-24T11:03:00.000-05:00

but the pain is still being felt. KATRINA, the hurricaine, left an indelible mark on the state of Louisiana, and parts of Mississippi. The storm, the Leveés, the pretensious response from FEMA and the Federal Government, the flooding, the many people stranded(mostly black in skin color), the allegations,the looting stories, the Mayor cursing on TV, the Astrodome, the many promises for assistance, etc. The list is long and I am sure we could talk about this for days.

Now, that the hurricaine hit and our poeple have been ignored by the Dub-Ya Administration, what do we do? We need to pull together and remind everyone that Katrina's aftermath is being felt even as I write.

Although I personally don't know anyone who was affected, I had the chance to talk to someone who owned a gas station in New Orleans, had taken pictures of the water coming up to untellable heights, and was rescued by the Coast Guard... of course he was white!

The people that felt it most were those that had no way out of town. Press conference after press conference, the re-elected President of the USA, His Excellency, Dub-Ya repeated the words: "I thhink, ..eh..hurh.. F FEMA is doing a darhnn goode jabb! We halve tacken ...hurh..ehhh..m ehh hurh measzhores to make szure ...ehurrhn.. that help gets to the victims."

And so the victims waited.

As they waited, they got hungry! They went to the vacated grocery stores and the media said the black people were looting while the white poeple were looking for food. PLEASE!

Yeah, help did come! ehh... ehurh,...emm... almost two weeks after the hurricaine hit. And the help wasn't intended for everyone!

Then there were those who were stranded on their roof tops. It is reported some actually died there waiting the errh...hurh....ehemm... help that Dub-Ya and his FEMA partners promised.

So brothas and sistas, pray with me that the issues plaguing the black community in the US are erradicated for good. Pray that when the storm comes again, we be ready to face it. We already know who our tax dollars go to help, so we cannot actually count on the Feds or FEMA. Blank promises never come with blank checks. Let's stop the black on black violence. Stop having fatherless children. Stop dropping out of high school. Stop dealing drugs to our own. Stop all the mess and get a grip of your lives. Don't throw it away cause the hurricaine is anxious to ferry them away!

Sorry for the haphazard nature of this post. My mind is just flailing right now! God Bless!

...O Father Where At Thou?!?!

2006-08-18T09:43:00.000-05:00

August 15th is celebrated by Catholics worldwide as the Solemnity of the Ascension of Mary into heaven. As I sat in church last Tuesday, I noticed the mass servants were young girls. In the traditional Catholic Church, it is unheard of. Heck there are still parts of Cameroon that adhere to the rule. Forget the chauvinistic observation here, but Jesus was a man and women really never were mentioned in the Bible as parable-tellers, teachers in the synagogues, etc.

So my psyche started asking these questions about whether ten years from now, we will hear the young ladies come forward that they too were molested by Priests. Nah! That’s not possible, I thought to myself hinging on the fact that Priests were usually more interested in young boys anyways! My seriousness at examining the issue I was preoccupied with drew to a close as it took a humorous turn as my mind started going feral with presumptuous foretelling.

But this issue of priests molesting little boys is noteworthy: pertinent enough to have caused the Papacy to call a meeting in 2003 in the Vatican to discuss the issue. Between January 2002 and September 2003, about 230 people reported abuse in Boston alone. The Boston Archdiocese paid out 98 million dollars in lawsuit settlements causing it to close the Catholic charities foundation and bringing the archdiocese within a hair of bankruptcy.

The Catholic Church has been plagued with a number of issues lately including but not limited to priests involved in illegal activities, priests molesting children(boys especially), priests fathering children, and worst of all, priests covering up these atrocities. Until now, priests were sent to retreats and then reassigned to different parishes when an an allegation of molestation came up. And it is believed that the church would then intimidate the victims into silence. But because so many people started coming forward recently, and even sued the Catholic Church in the US, everyone involved straightened their neckties.

The recent uproar on child molestation accusations by the clergy has led many people to question the church’s devotion to celibacy in the priesthood even citing it as the direct cause for the abusive tendencies most priests have. For fear of sounding blasphemous, I will level my discourse on illustrations drawn from commentaries on the subject presented by more informed people.

Biblical Context
1 Corinthians 7:32-35

Indeed, I want YOU to be free from anxiety. The unmarried man is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he may gain the Lord’s approval. 33 But the married man is anxious for the things of the world, how he may gain the approval of his wife, 34 and he is divided. Further, the unmarried woman, and the virgin, is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in her body and in her spirit. However, the married woman is anxious for the things of the world, how she may gain the approval of her husband. 35 But this I am saying for YOUR personal advantage, not that I may cast a noose upon YOU, but to move YOU to that which is becoming and that which means constant attendance upon the Lord without distraction.

Need I say more about these verses? Although there are other verses in the Bible that infer the direct opposite of these verses, it is rather clear here why the Catholic Church chooses to have its priests in ‘constant attendance upon the Lord without distraction.’

Celibacy isn’t the Problem
by Cardinal John O’Connor. (Taken from Friday Aug 18th, 1995 Edition of “The Irish family.”)

The article by Cardinal John O’Connor ends with the vibrant three words that stirred me to shudder. “GOD WILL WAIT!” Cardinal John O’Connor didn’t mean that God will wait for you to believe in Him before the last day. He certainly didn’t mean that God will wait for you if you are late in showing up to heaven. He simply meant, God will wait for the persons devoted enough to take the vow of celibacy and join the priesthood.

…God's time – [we] will be bursting our seams once again with joy-filled healthy celibate priests willing to make the sacrifice. God will wait.

In responding to the unremitting media attacks on the Catholic church’s stance on celibacy for priests, the Cardinal points out that priests are just like other men, who are trained to be less sensitive to bodily desires (amid other things) and be able to defy the temptations of diversion to their vocation. He recognizes that it is not easy for the choice to be made and that most priests seem to be happy with the choice they have made to be celibate and become agents of the Word. He also reckons with the fact that some priests that regret their vow of celibacy, are usually readily dispensed from priesthood. And these are things he far-too-well knows and has dealt with, and also recognizes as part of human nature.

The picture of the ideal priests' marriage is vividly painted in this stern retort bringing dust to settle on the issue of the idyllic marriage. People cheat, the Cardinal points out, so what makes us think that a priest getting married means he will not succumb to the temptations and consequently eliminate promiscuity in the ‘sexed’ up society we live in today. This readily goes to dismiss the faulty assertion that if priests were allowed to marry, paedophilia will automatically be a thing of the past, he argues. “Priests are no better than millions of married and single people in the world,” he purports.

Commentary

The idea of celibacy in the priesthood has often been argued to be the individual exertion of the last pontiff, John Paul II. But the idea actually dates back to the early church that formed after Peter. If you consider that the Pope was Peter’s direct successor, then you must expect for him to marry since the Bible clearly states in the gospels of Mark (1:30), Luke (4:38), and Matthew (8:14), that Peter had a mother-in-law. Yes you heard it right! Peter was married. So why do his followers not marry?

Nonetheless, our world today is not the same as it was then. So, arguing that priests should be able to handle temptation isn’t an easy undertaking. The truth is that, if priests were allowed to marry, they will suffer lots of meltdowns primarily due to stress that by and large are not good for any congregation. Imagine having to watch over your family’s affairs and then handle your God’s work in your church. Seriously it is just too much! Reverend Camden in the WB’s famed TV Show, Seventh Heaven is a clear depiction. But then again, this is open to individual interpretation. Seventh Heaven is just a show, and usually Rev Camden handles himself well enough to withstand the pressure of crumbling. Also consider though that he has undergone heart surgery as a direct result of the stress he suffers.

Stress is not the only reason, if priests were to marry, soon, the Parish will start noticing the parish credit card statements having charges from Saks Fifth Ave, or Tiffany’s and this will cause derision because although most men can stand to their wives faces and say: “No! I am not getting you that $3000 dress!” there are also some men that will get anything for their wives even if she wanted the Statue of Liberty in their bedroom. You know where I am going with this… No smart comments! I know of the church of Jesus the Messiah Nebuchadnezzar Bethel House of the Lord Christ the King Worship Kingdom that crumbled cause the pastor embezzled church funds for his mortgage payments, bought a Cadillac and opened a bar. There are many small churches that are evidence enough for this.

Finally, I would like to say that all I am expressing here is pretty close to speculative discourse which leaves room for variant reaction and results. Each person is designed with free will and if the Catholic church’s tradition is that Priests don’t marry, then we must accept that we will not marry if we choose to become Priests. Tradition does not change with time, hence the reason for tradition being a custom i.e. doing something the way it has always been done. We cannot choose to go into priesthood knowing fully well that we are not allowed to marry, and then start lobbying for the sacred calling of the priesthood to be changed to something more soothing to our desires. Humanity is built on tradition and I will stand for tradition always! Change comes at a price and priesthood is not ready to handle celibacy yet!

...Public Enemy Number One!

2006-08-09T14:33:00.000-05:00

So as I sat in front of the TV relaxing, I let my mind drift into temporary castle building mode; I picked up the remote and stumbled upon the show called the Flavor of Love 2. Not only do I detest the concept of the show, the idea of that many more or less ladies or shemales throwing themselves at some 50+ year old man who wears a gigantic clock as his necklace is far less fathomable than Hugh Heffner and his three inflattable dolls

That aside, the number of girls that come on the show to provide more evidence of the white man's backyard notion of "black people are crazy animals" is just appallingly unforgivable. How do you comprehend someone with an MBA in Education (I am sure she probably meant Master's degree in Education-don't hold them to it), would come out and debase themselves on national TV the way they do? There are the girls that drank so much they couldn't stand and slurred every syllable they afforded to utter; there was the girl that beat an innocent white girl up over a bed in a room with twenty-something beds; there was the typical loud black chick who shat on herself...not on a turtle, on herself!

While I understand that generalisations in cases like these are a very touchy subject, I would like to offer in my defence that a cross section of the African American Community is guilty of this kind of behavior. We carry ourselves in a way that denotes ghettoism to its best and the few of us that seem to carry a good head on their shoulders get shunned for adhering to the white man's standards of proper manners.

When are young men going to understand that there is more to success than becoming a ball player or rapper? When do you make the teenage girls understand that being a video girl is not a career goal but the fastest way to the grave? How do you cultivate the idealogy of not limiting yourself in your children? What do you do to make sure your daughter doesn't end up in a street corner, scuffing the earth for what dirtbags are willing to pass on some infectious miscreant virus for a couple of bottle of 'gnac? How do you make sure that your son doesn't think of passing out little bags of Colombian produce on 14th and K St and calling it an enterprise? How do you ensure your community stays in a positive guise rather than take giant leaps to its doom with each new birth on your street?

Things of the sort happen right in front of our eyes and we chose to look the other way. Why? I ask. Some reading this today would be tempted to classify my thinking in the likes of Bill Cosby and offer menial arguments like you just don't understand. Well, there is no reason good enough for any human being to limit themselves. While it is true that there are external reasons, call them whitemanish forces working to keep the black man in the barn, we must also realise we are not doing anything to target the internal devils we have. The devil that will make Tyrone shoot down a fellow nigga brotha because of a scuffle over who drank his apple juice. The devil that will tell Lil Ray Rae that pawning off his sista, Shenika to unknown miscreants for hourly wage is good and healthy for her three fatherless children. Oh yeah and 10 year old girls saying that they are gay! Lawd...You can complete the list.

I point an accusing finger to athletes and rapstars that young African American men and women idolise. They come from these types of communities and the majority of them leave it for the NBA, NFL, MLB and never look back. Those that make it in entertainment even go on to tease you with their success. They taunt you with songs about thier million-dollar homes, their thirty car garages, sea of private jets, the ice they have that didn't come from refrigerator, etc. I have never been able to grasp the concept of someone pouring the contents of an $800 bottle of champagne on a troupe of scantily clad ladies in a song that tells of you needing a girl to love. Do you really need a car for each day of the month? But this seems to be the consistent themes of music videos nowadays and we accept it. So the next finger I have is for you, yeah you and me! We actually make our children aspire to be like these people.

We chose to remain in these conditions. How else would you explain that a girl that was brought up in baby momma fashion ends up becoming a baby momma herself actually breaking her mother's record? Why I ask?

We need to rise and see what beauty lies in our kind. We need to learn to value each other especially within our community. No matter how busy poeple are, parents should always have time to check if their kids did their homework. Talk about school and see what difference that makes in your kids. ... Please go to Dr. Phil or Oprah for all the advise needed, all I was trying to do is point out a malaise in the community I have come to love and cherish.

"Any transition serious enough to alter your definitaion of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinkgin but a full-on metamorphosis." Martha Beck.

...Nostalgia or just a Momma's boy?!

2006-08-02T08:14:00.000-05:00

I don't know if I told anyone this before, but I last saw my mother on a warm humid night in 2001. She had hugged me and cried and told me to be careful. I kissed her and held her tighter than I ever did before. When I finally let go, I smiled uneasily and told her I loved her and turned towards the Airport ticket checking tunnel. It was at Douala International Airport, Cameroon. June 24th.

As I went through the final check point, I could hear her sobbing away. I felt weak and wanted to run back to her and tell her how much more I loved her. How much I will miss her. But I had to make this flight. It was the last one leaving Douala that week. Had no choice but to board and off to the Seattle, WA I went.

I talk to my mother at least twice a week and most times, it is like we were sitting at a table together and reveling in the sweet munificience of Yaounde's warm and humid weather. The nostalgia I feel usually is more than I can handle. Some nights I barely sleep just wondering what she may be doing at the time, since because of the 6-7(depending on Daylight Savings) hour difference it would be day in Yaounde, where she teaches Secondary school kids some French.

Most people talk about the things their moms do and no matter how heroic they may sound, my mother is my rock and foundation. Oh and she cooks better than your mom and can beat her too!

I have been told that early on a Sunday morning in September, about two score and three years ago, my mother was 15, lying in a hospital bed at Hopitale De La Caisse, sweating profusely and screaming at the top of her voice, while listening to instructions from some Morrocan lady in a white overall to push me out. And after about four hours, emerged my large head, immediately followed by a skinny body covered in what many English adjectives fall short to aptly depict. 11lbs 19inches were my measurements. Little Fatso!

Amidst this, my mom had to return to school to finish up her education. It wasn't until I was in High School and after four more trips to the hospital delivery ward that my mom was finally able to go to the University, where she earned advanced degrees in the Queen's and Molliere's languages and then shipped off to Advanced Teacher training School.

My mom had been bethrothed to my dad at a very tender age-true African traditional style. When she had me, I doubt she knew how to enjoy the process of making babies yet. Nonetheless, my mom stood tall at a very young age and took care of us like no other.

A month after my 16th bday, and 4 days after my mom's 31st bday, my dad died. Her world was shattered to pieces and I knew my world had come to a screechingly abhorrent halt. I grew even closer to my mom. We were all heartbroken and I knew I had to take over the batton and be the family man, just like my dad had done or at least my mom told me to. Not long after that, my mom lost her own dad and her elder brother, leaving her alone to fend for not only her own children, but for her siblings.

Life had dealt her a rough hand, she had attempted to bluff but the flop didn't bring good news either. She was already all in and was hoping that the turn or river would fix her up a little. NO! it didn't! She has since then been struggling with all of us and me coming over to the US was great relief. Like in most African homes, having a child abroad means that at least, some of your problems were readily taken care of. Through my mom's endless fight, my sister earned a visa to go study in London, one of the two or maybe three good things that had happened to her in half a decade.

I write this story for a reason. Although I cannot get into details of what exactly my mom has gone through, I thought this was a pretty good implication of the tribulations she underwent when she lost her husband, the only man she had grown to love and count on. I respect my mother and above all trust her with every ounce of my existence.

For what she has been through for my siblings and myself and for lots more. Call me a momma's boy but my world revolves around my mother. LOVE MOMMY and LOVE HER LOTS!

So they said...

2006-07-28T13:16:00.000-05:00

So they said...

They got in their ships and sailed around the world.
They got to the land of my forefathers,
So, they said they discovered the dark continent.

They saw the gold, ivory and iron.
They liked it,
They wanted it,
They needed it bad.

Tall, dark and strong, my ancestors stood,
Toiled and sweated all day in the plantations.
They needed that man power they saw.
They bribed us with wine, beer and guns,
So they said it was trade.

Their brothers and sisters each wanted a share,
The outcome was the scamble for our land.
Sacred land, whose riches incessantly they reaped,
They fought amongst themselves.

Greedy beings.

The big war they brought into our peaceful land,

After the war,
They shared amongst themselves us like cake.
A part of me in Nigeria;
The other half of my soul Cameroon.
So they said it was colonialism.

They got ashamed of their actions,
Or was it the mosquitoe that saved our land?
Their people they retreated,
Left all their land for the sell-outs.
So they said it was independence.

Our economy still depends on them,
Goods we produce cannot compete in their markets,
They tell us what to produce, when to sell,
They dictate the price at which to sell,
and to whom we should sell.

They crippled our economy,
Sent in Structural Adjustment Programs,
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
To ensure our dependence on their goods.
And they say we are HIPC's or Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Goods that come from our resources,
They continuously reap from us.
Pretend to know our problem and offer a fix.
They have stolen everyday.

Rounded up our best resources and ran off,
Our men now toil and sweat to no avail,
Our land afraid to bear fruit since the vicious rape.

So they say we are underdeveloped countries.

Some of our men now act like them,
Reap what they can of the left resources,
And ship them off to offshore banks,
Now they say we are corrupt.

...The Power of One

2006-07-26T10:56:00.000-05:00

"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." Nelson Mandela

Back on February 11th, 1990, it was Youth Day in Cameroon. I was sitting in front of the TV when the news guy came on after the interruption of the colourful, "NEWS FLASH" jingle. The announcer proclaimed that Nelson Mandela was finally free. There was an uproar of cheering in my dad's living room. My 8 year old mind could make no sense out of the sudden excitement amongst the grown ups and the hugs they generously exchanged.
This morning, when I woke up, my mind was torn between going to work or not? As I pondered on my demise, I said to myself gently: I don't think they would miss me if I didn't show up. I turned to my bed and sank inbetween the sheets. As I closed my eyes to move on, I could hear that voice I hate, saying; Get up! Get up! You are needed at work!
My mind immediately drifted to the impact my presence or absence at work may have to my company I work for hence, my conclusion on today's post, "The Power of One." The power of one is also the title of a book by Bryce Courtney published in 1989 about the adventures and trials of Peekay, an English-speaking orphan, in the midst of Afrikaners during the Boer occupation of South Africa and is influenced by a German expatriate. But I digress.

VETO. VOTE.

In the two words above, it is interestingly discernable that the position of the vowel seems to give the word a different pronunciation and altogether a different meaning.

Vote: / vôt / noun. Pronounced “VOAT”. The word is derived from the Latin vôtum (neuter past participle of vovére), which means vow. A vote is defined in the Webster Desk Dictionary as a formal expression of preference for a candidate for office or for a proposed resolution of an issue. A means by which such a preference is made known, such as a raised hand or a marked ballot.

Veto: / vìtº / n. pl. vetoes. Pronounced “VITO”. The word is derived from the Latin vet (first person singular present tense of vetôre, to forbid.) It means the vested power or constitutional right of one branch or department of government to refuse approval of measures proposed by another department, especially the power of a chief executive to reject a bill passed by the legislature and thus prevent or delay its enactment into law. An authoritative prohibition or rejection of a proposed or intended act.

The conviction of applying one's values to bring out more of the best in oneself, or the best in others, to me is more noble than any political agenda that may exist. My reasoning comes from the fact that conviction is something personal. Something that is felt internally and if you cannot be shaken from your position, then your conviction is noble.

The reason I bring conviction up is because recently, I applauded Bush's standpoint on the Senate bill on Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Although I don't like Bush and most of his ideals, I was able to recognise his deterrence and concise stubborness at standing for what he believed. He argued that his reason for vetoing the bill was because he thought stem cell research was killing innocent embryos at the hope that they can cure diseases like Parkinsons and Alzheimer's. I strongly commend his position and am glad he was able to stand up to what he believes in. The King actually confirmed this. He states his point with conviction and is hardly ever moved.

The more empirical argument has been made, and duely substantiated during the course of history, that one voice can make a difference. One vote, one voice or even one Yeh or Nay can change the result of a ballot. There have been many poeple that have stood up just like Nelson Mandela and have made a difference. Mention must be made here of heroes like Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Mahatma Ghandi, William E Dubois, etc. Voting is a right and the reason why most Americans don't exercise it is appallingly ambiguous since, there are millions of people across the globe that would rather die than not vote. A lot of people in the oppressed parts of the world have no voting rights and thus cannot express their views of their government.

That said, I often wonder if both words are not paradoxical because what point does it make if we voted for something and someone else just vetoed the vote? This one person in that case would have imposed his choice upon everyone albeit that the majority may not agree. I end my post today with that question. Tell me what you think.

...War Stories

2006-07-19T11:05:00.000-05:00

...Success meant history. I was poised. But the scene on the beach was desperate. Since the ships could not get closer to the shore line, we had to make up the distance to the beach. One by one we jumped into the water hurling towards the beach. Sinking under the mass of my arms, I had to find my footing quickly so as not to stumble in the chest-deep waves, and fight the enemy, who, standing on the dry land, could easily kill and maim my battalion.

The arduous task to me beset nothing but the fear of losing, if it has to be admitted, and I took pleasure in firing back. The alacrity and enthusiasm of my enemy was overwhelmingly unencumbered by my continuous advance towards the beach. I kept firing and held onto the trigger of my weapon. Shells dropped and I saw my comrades sink and their bodies rise up onto the water's surface after a few seconds, maybe minutes. I turned to look towards the ship I had just jumped out of as it slowly started its retreat into the deep of the ocean. I looked around me to discover I was surrounded by bodies floating in the waters. I turned back to face the enemy even more enraged.

I was not going to lose, I thought as I could hear my commander over the radio call for air support. Explosions hailed our advance towards land. The enemy stood its grounds and we lost even more men. I don't know how many men the enemy lost.

A sudden seismic tremor and I felt my knee go limb. The waves swayed with even more rage as my mass sank into the water. I felt a sharp pain on my left side and tried to push my body over the surface of the water and started to beat the waves arm in hand. I was close enough to the sand. As I pulled my besieged weight out of the water, I felt the deepest relief I could imagine. I was out of the water and for that moment had conquered something, I thought. One victory, one more to go and immediately took back to firing my weapon.

The enemy was resilient. As I kept firing, I wondered whether victory meant as much to them as it did to me. Wondered whether they understood why I was fighting for my country. Wondered whether they would understand if I explained my personal views on the situation to them. Wondered whether if I waved the white flag, the opponent soldier would take me for a lassy. The thunderous roar and shelling didn't stop. It felt at times as if I the earth had gone into a turbulent spin and the had abruptly shifted. Sporadic cries for help immediately quelled by the tempestuous explosions and firing machine guns.

Impaired by my inability to run, my regiment went ahead of me and as I lay unmolested on the sand among the dead and the dying, waiting to be airlifted to a care center, I looked up to capture the most unique view of the battlefield: The awful events passing lay beneath my view; nor was there aught to interrupt my observation save a few bodily twitches, the pangs of prostrated ambition, and the shot and shells which burst close, or nearly cut the ground from under me.

In my thoughts, the birth and growth of my young soul had three midwives: Democracy, God, and Luck...

... I shook to discover it was all a dream and I was actually still laying in the comfort of my sheets and comforter. I was elated to know I was not hurt. It was all a dream I thought, a dream that was so real. Wow! As I reveled in the premise, I turned my TV to MSNBC and my elation at my finding out that I was safe from war was shortlived. Israel and Lebanon were still at it. Iran won't listen to the UN security council. Dub-ya still has US troops in Iraq. Diplomacy with North Korea is stalling. The anti-terrorism war seemed to be in full gear. People are still dying in Dafur. Same story for the Southwestern parts of Central African Republic. The list goes on...

...Poorer by Day

2006-07-14T16:16:00.000-05:00

It has been what? 4 days? 5? 6? since I last posted something on here!Oh well, I decided to write something today because I saw on the news that most billionaires are virgos. Some astrologer lady named Susan Miller was laboriously trying to explain why that was the case and frankly I could not make any sense out of it all. But since I am a Virgo, I thought what the heck! I will become a billionaire whether I understand her reasons or not...Anyhooow, here goes my post for today.

You have probably seen, like I have, the "Feed the Children" commercials on TV about helping some organisations curb hunger in the world. Usually these organisations ask for just $1 monthly from you to ensure that someone half way across the globe has a blanket for the cold night. That is the cost of just one McDonald cheeseburger! Don't feel guilty though, because I stumbled upon an article on how extravagant the officers for some of these agencies spent your contributions, that I think I will never donate to some organisation unless I know my dollar will find its way to some kid's starved stomach; and since I can't verify that my dollar will make it to the kid's stomach, I think I may just keep my philanthropy within the confines of my arm's reach.

Yes you heard right. I will refrain from contributing to all the agencies until I figure out a way to channel my aid to the intended. But that may be a long shot so I will start with home and handle only NGOs (Non-governmental Organisations) that prove worthy i.e. me and you.

Charity begins at home so I will give money to only those I know and have seen that the have it worse than I do. For example, if you asked me if I had a dollar for a soda, I may just be kind enough to give you!

Most of your hard earned dollars are put to good use but you may be flawed to know that more than a third of global development funding-about 20 billion US- goes towards technical assistance.Technical assistance here refers to training of officials, research, and the services that consultants offer, which you and I would frankly call exorbitant. Imagine paying someone $200000 monthly to be an adviser on how aid should be distributed in an impoverished country. The job title? Special Counsel on Aid in Africa. Now, I don't know about you but I think these organisations are missing the point. Aid is to go to the poor not the consultants.

In Ghana, it is reported that local Aid workers earn the equivalent of $300 monthly but their foreign counterparts earn this in a matter of hours. The statistics are compelling and one is forced to wonder whether the aid actually goes towards what these Funding programs preach. It is understandable that the development of the poor African nations takes back seat to the enriching motives behind the money-run aid programs.

One major issue that comes with this is that most of the development contracts are awarded to foreign based companies. This, of course in guise to make sure the African companies (which are well-qualified for the contracts awarded) don't grow any bigger or richer than they are, while ensuring that the money being awarded for aid goes in part back to the originator. A case in point is the BDID (British Department for International Development). Of all the contracts they awarded last year, it is confirmed that more than 80% of them went to British companies.

In their obvious argument, they will quickly point out that the money went towards aid and development in Ghana and Kenya. But we all know, so I will not belabor the point.This goes to shed more light on why there can be no real sustainable development in parts of the world predominantly considered third world. This of course is just one of the reasons for the deplorable and incessant dilapidation of the African economy and socio-political climate. One readily thinks of corruption, lack of resources due in part to the encrusted effects of slavery and slave trade amongst other reasons. But that is another discussion.

...Reflections on the FIFA World Cup 2006

2006-07-10T12:34:00.000-05:00

Yep, the Fifa World Cup 2006 is now over with Italy winning.

I won a couple of bets but some friends chickened out. Someone had bet their paycheck on Italy not winning the world Cup from the beginning. I am sure I would have refused to give up my pay check too had Italy lost. Anyways, the world cup had its moments as well as its faux- pas! I like negatives so I will focus on that.

It is true the letargic pace of the players in the finals made it painful to watch but then, I am glad we really got to see Zizu misbehave on his last day before retirement. If anyone remembers, in the 2002 World Cup, Zizu acted the same way in France's second game and the summary of his career at Real has been a catalogue of disgusting outbursts and shenanigans that cut his playing time a lot. This guy is one of the best in ball control, no doubt, but what image is he trying to show our kids? Man, just when I thought I could like him! Moving on!!!

To me, like I said in the beginning of the tournament, Italy was always a possible champ. Anyways, Juventus will be playing in the third division next football season but that doesn't mean we will not see them in two years back in the Calcio! Most of its players will be loaned to other teams and what not and will get back with the team once they are back in the Calcio.

But the Azzurri are at this moment on top of the world and the pleasure is all mine. They better enjoy it. Now, we have to rebuild the Cameroon national team, win the African Nations Cup in Ghana in 2008 and then get to the World Cup semi-finals in 2010 in South Africa.(I doubt this is possible but hey, I can dream right?)

THE DISGRACE OF THE WORLD CUP!!
1. Zizu played well in the second round of the tournament but then spoiled everything when he headbutted Materrazi. Thierry Henry barely got a touch of the ball, although he scored with one of those rare touches. P-i-t-i-f-u-l!

2. Roger Lemerre's Tunisia and the impossible fatigue. Tunisia conceded four or more goals towards the last ten minutes of all their games. Against Saudi Arabia, Tunisia led right up to the waning minutes of the game when Saudis came back and tied. Same story with Spain and Ukraine. They had a chance to advance out of the group especially when Ukraine had lost woefully to Spain.

3. Brazil's games were painful to watch. Ronaldhino can't play without Deco. And there is no arguing about this. Ronaldo's weight issues were blatantly apparent. Dida was pretty good but Lucio just dampened his light. My goodness, Brazil came with nothing to the World Cup. I am sure Socrates and the older players crawled out of their graves when this was over. Read on as I am sure the analysis of Roberto Carlos' marking of Henry below is evidence enough.

4. De Rossi of Italy intentionally elbowing Mcbride of the USA. He got only a two-game suspension. He should have been kept out of the competition.

5. Argentina’s coach soiled their dreams when he pulled Riquelme off the field with 20minutes left and never put Wonder boy Messi to churn the stomachs of the German D when Germany drew level. He opted for Luis Gonzalez instead.

6.Ivory Coast being over-confident in their play. They think they are all stars but then, we found out otherwise. Eboue had his worst outing ever. Drogba didn't want to run, the list is long!

7. The refs throwing out yellow cards at each blow of the whistle. Man, it made my eyes bleed when the ref in Portugal v. Netherlands gave out 16 yellow cards and four red cards. Good God!

8. I am out of ideas but I think anyone else can enlarge the list. If you remember something, please add it. Oh and the good thing about the tournament? I got to see Shakira move that waist/belly or whichever she was moving. I tell you it was a delicacy watching Shakira on stage. Not a bad point! Good thing number 1 about the world cup. Loved it! Hey, check out Roberto Carlos marking one of the world's best attackers, Henry! Go from left of screen to right!!!

...Incroyable mais vrai: Zizu's gift to France

2006-07-07T08:31:00.000-05:00

I had promised myself to not post anything about the Fifa World Cup 2006 taking place in Germany until it was done with. But I think there is a point I want to make here, so to hell with my promise.

Nobody and I mean everyone including the coaches of the team didn't believe that France could make it to the World Cup finals this year. France once again has proved the old adage that the soccer ball is round and therefore can roll eitherway during the 90 minutes on the pitch and that Fifa rankings don't determine who wins and what not.

France's expedition started with a strained tie against Swtizerland and Korea. They seemed to have gained some new wind after they trashed Togo thereby grabbing a ticket out of their group. They then went on to fly past powerhouses, Spain, Brazil and Portugal to earn a spot in the finals this Sunday in Berlin.

This only after France had performed its worst ever since winning the World Cup in 1998 when they hosted. They hadn't even scored a goal until their fourth world cup game against Korea. France would not be at the finals were it not for one 35 year old man, who plans to retire from international and club soccer after the World Cup in the Germany. His name: Zinedine Zidane (Zizu for short)!

Although his performance holds the key to France's play, the French national team is full of superstars whose performances thus far have been at best average. But not Zizu! He has for the most part been an integral part of the ball flow, with his neat one-two touches and his ability to magnet the ball to his boots. Unlike Ronaldhino, Zizu is the game regulator. He slows down the game when his teammates need to catch their breadth and picks up the pace when Malouda, Henry and Viera are ready to run. What a soccer great!

I know you must be wondering whether I will mention Brazil! Oh yeah, I was going to get there but since you are thinking about it, step into my office. Brazil are still considered soccer gods albeit, their lack lustre performances throughout the competition. I personally didn't think Brazil would go anywhere this year but you always have to be alert when Brazil is playing. For the most part of the competition, the Samba boys never seemed to get their rhythm together. Ronaldhino barely completed a pass, Robinho didn't see enough playing time, Kaka laboriously worked the outside left to no avail, Ze Roberto was plain lost in the field of play, and Ronaldo... Oh, wonder boy Ronaldo! Although he broke the World Cup leading scorer record, his performance was outfitted by his weight gain and lethargic pace being all over the headlines.

That said, Italy was my favorite from the beginning and I would love for them to win since I have some money riding on them. But imagine what joy it would be for Zizu to retire after winning the cup for his country. It would be a good thing I guess but I am not willing to lose any money. Va Squadra Azura Va!