More Bad news

I am unapologetic about part of my conservative nature, one that speaks out about Gay Marriage being Extended Nationwide in Canada.

No one is denying anyone the righ to love, or the right to be together legally; But when governments and others begin to tweak and twist the definitions of institutions, institutions that have been ordained by God, sanctified by Nature, I begin to worry.

When shall a line be drawn? or rather when shall we stop erasing those lines? Are there even any drawn?

The last days...

Gone too soon

My brother just called me and Todays standard just confirms it:
Starehe founder, Dr Geoffrey Griffin dies at 72.

He passed after complications from Stomach cancer, but was a fighter till the end.

So few of his Kind left today: those who dream dreams and pay the dear, sacrificial price to make them come true.

I will be in a better position to post after my thoughts and emotions extricate themselves from each other...

Wired News: How to Thank Kenya for 9/11 Cows

Just read about How to Thank Kenya for 9/11 Cows:

"'The cows are the most amazing gift we received ?- I mean, who else sent cows?' insisted Ed McCormick, a construction worker from the Bronx. 'If those guys wanted us to have jewelry, they would have sent it. They wanted us to have cows. We should take the cows and raise them on a nice farm upstate and then send the cow puppies back to them someday.'"

That cracked me up big time thought i should share. Cow puppies...lol only in America.

I met Kimeli Naiyomah some years back - went to school with my older brother..interesting character. Love him or hate him (some Kenyans have accused the chap of being opportunist) I laud him for initiating the gesture.

The Resurrection: Montreal,NYC,Quebec City, Detroit

Lost my blog-mojo without a doubt.. Not sure whether i can be cured. It like sinking sand this epidemic - Just when I think i am out, it pulls me back in Don Corleone style. Whenever I have a kam juicy story to tell - something (often a juicier event) without a doubt will prevent me from ever starting the former, and all im left with is this sky high pile of juice that will never end up documented.

So in an effort to reclaim whats left of the scant readership of VI, heres what ive been up to for those who care:

1) Hosted my family - all 15 of them for my graduation. I reveled in the attention like no other time and could not hav e been more overjoyed to see so many folks show so much love; even though, i mean who are we kidding, they all used my grad as the perfect excuse to cut work and school. Apart from my knees getting wobbly on stage, the convcation was uneventful, - way too many pictures taken at the photo ops after the ceremony, some of which i throw up on flickr and share. Logistical nightmare it was; When your scrambling to make that many people simultanously happy, it quickly dawns on that the event(and many others that should be for u) is so NOT about you.

2) Went down to the big apple for a week. Agenda: babysit the folks , who were also there, as my bro hustled along at work. It turned out to be way more than that - amidst helping my brother with some severely needed intereor design now that he had moved from Brooklyn to the city, I did guided tours round the city via GrayLine, experienced the wonders of Juniors World famous Cheesecake in Long Island(debatably as good as sex), Napped through Harlem, Partied like a rockstar @ Hiro (where Paris has been spotted severally) , Drank till 8am in the cox with my old time best friend and soon to be insanely successful investment banker, Celebrated my parents 30th(!!!!!) wedding anniversary in cozy style, enjoyed free wifi @ the pristinely located Bryant Park quadrangle - congruently sporting my (but do i sayyyy) gorgeous iBook. Visited the largest Walmart i have ever layed my eyes on, Expereinced the Puerto Rican Day parade, was even metres away from a shooting. It was intimate this time with the Naked City that never sleeps...I cannot tell you how much more I appreciate cities like Montreal and Nairobi after my third encounter with what i consider to be a 'highly segragated and polarised babylon'. The wallet did not survived unscathed either!

3) Got back a day before my cohorts and I drove off to Quebec City for the final round of the Quebec Entrepreneurship contest. It was certainly worth the drive - We were whined and dined cabaret style with french cuisine and not-so-generously flowing wine. An unfamiliar aura of affluence and some french dignitaries assailed the night - I was embarrassed at my impairment as far as the Kifaransa was concerened. I now know what Kiwetes feel like when they see jamaas playing basketball oor climbing trees. But i digress... Our 80 page submition ends up winning the grand prize in the University category..Dont mean to gloat, I will let the press releases do it for me. It was shamelessly gratifying to be the skinny kid from Nairobi, shaking hands with Quebecs Minister for Education and recieving a cheque that is meant to credit venture creation in Canada. I left the stage thinking - 'to whom much has been given, much will be required'. I felt accountable in a way that i havent really felt before. THe pressur eis mounting to make this thing work....

Each of these events in essence is a universe of lessons to blog about. Sometimes life gets a hold of you and taking the time to document it feels like u are trying to sever that hold and life in itself may pass u by as u type emphatically type away. One thing is for sure though..After losing an disgusting amount of cash to Detroit's loss this Thursday, i will definitely have LOTS of time sitting at home to blog.

Kudos @ daily.nchiyetu

Good (and silent) people of VI...you need to check out Nchi Yetu Daily. I finally got round to spending some time to jus idle on the internet and boy! was i taken by the site. I lost all sense of time and spent hours poring through the thoughts, rumblings, inspirations, experiences and diverse wisdom of many kenyan bloggers. It was just amazing the quality of writing that many of the kenyan bloggers have and exploit in the blog craze... Do yourself justice and take a peek daily.nchiyetu.com. I take no responsibility if you are fired from your job for oogling for too long at the site. (Denis expect an invoice!!!)

I have been having conversations with several guys both studying outside and within Kenya about the level of brain drain that Kenya experiences every year when a massive number of form four graduates leave the country for further studies in Europe, Canada, Australia, etc and who after completing their studies and with the overwhelming incentive of job security, better pay and generally better career prospects opt to take up jobs in their countries of study. The different takes that i gleaned from several discussions on the subject were quite interesting and varied; but generally tilted towards condemning our brethren who opt to take jobs out of the country.

One passionate guy argued that kenyan parents spend millions of dollars to educate their children in foreign institutions, which millions of dollars could have been used otherwise to hasten the economic development of the country in a myriad of ways. His cry was that these millions get lost and eventually work to the benefit of the developed countries in whose institutions we sink (positively) in funds. At what point does the investment return to the motherland, was the question he raised.

I got an interesting response thereto in this informative piece. Take a look http://uhurunihaki.blogspot.com/2005/06/brain-drain-chit-chat-for-brain-dead.html

Whats your take

RE:budget

Well this year's budget will go down as a manya a 1sts.

1. it was the shortest budget in recent history (atleast to my knowledge) lasting only 2hrs
2. it was a year when few things were increased on most tax waivers awarded eg. maize flour, sanitary pads, LPG gas
3. fuel was not increased
4. MPs were uncharacteristically alert with no one dozing, or being caught on camera doing so

with this year's aim to promote rapid growth, maybe many of us will now get to taste the fruits of the so called 4% economic growth, as claimed in the last financial year. One thing I think we should start is a budget review about a month before the reading of the next budget, with debate on it. This will be a source of referendum for the ministries of planning and finance, as well as an avenue for accountability to the tax payers. In the past we have not seen where/how our money is spent, maybe this may prompt the tax defaulters and evaders amongst us to come forward.

I posted soon after the reading, so there is likely to be more info from your dailies in the coming day.

One.2U all

RE:Fear and life

Well, we tend to 'respect' what we fear. In Kenya they have tried that whole principle thing and value judgement but it failed, lost on a generation that was as flimsy as a leaf in a storm. So what do they do? Use the one tool that has worked from time immemorial...instil the fear of a thousand camel fleas and the likes....and vuala! Results. It may be little, but atleast it's a step in the right direction.
Agreeing with soulsta, some think it funny that i may sit and just listen. absorb the world around you, pick up on the energy that u inadvertently miss, drowned out by the illogical things of this world, or as we are consumed in our foolishness.
Every once in a while i hug a tree.don't laugh, my lecturer taught me this. Be one with the Earth, jus go hug the tree, and thank it for all those things you take for granted ie.oxygen production.
May this inspire u, try planting a plant of whichever sort and tend to it. It'll be an eye opener to the rest of ur universe, in whichever realm you perceive it to be (some of us run parallel to the rest)