I do like Dub-ya (George W. Bush)but man, I think it is time!!
Friday, July 06, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
...Nollywood: How far from Hollywood?
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.
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.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Healing Day One
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
...Somber day in Cameroon...
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.
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.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
...Better than an episode of Cheaters...
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
...Why Africa is poor. Really!
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!
“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?
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.
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.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Nancy Pelosi
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.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
...ehr...Marriage...
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
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!
Monday, September 25, 2006
...So I was thinking...
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
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
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
...The Way You Make Me Feel
(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.
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.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
...9/11: 5 years after
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.
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.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
...So My Birthday was Yesterday!
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!
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!
Sunday, September 03, 2006
...What is your greatest fear?
"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 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.
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.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
...Errh Hemmme Helpe is onde way
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!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
...One Year has gone by,
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."
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!
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!
Friday, August 18, 2006
...O Father Where At Thou?!?!
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
...Public Enemy Number One!
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
...Nostalgia or just a Momma's boy?!
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!
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