Ann Masibo

The Psychology of Colour

2012-02-03T01:16:00.000-08:00

USING GIS TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEEDS OF THE DISABLED IN KENYA: GIS AND SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOLS IN KENYA

2012-02-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a project that aims to help put together a lot of scattered information about various special needs occurrences in Kenya. It also seeks to create a central source of information of these cases, their statistics and their resource centres, through initial mapping of Special Needs Schools.

The inspiration behind this project was the need to learn more about the culture of the disabled in Kenya. To read the full article, please download it below:

Using GIS To Highlight The Needs of The Disabled

25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER

2012-01-12T01:41:00.000-08:00

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE:
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION:
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3 . My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL:
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC:
"Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC:
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT:
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY:
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS:
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM:
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA:
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER:
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY:
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE:
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION:
"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY:
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION:
"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING:
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE:
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP:
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR:
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don 't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT:
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS:
"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS:
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM:
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE:
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

Mom,I Love You

Hahahaha, Just for Gags... :)

2012-01-04T04:38:00.000-08:00

An Arab was admitted in the Nairobi Hospital for a heart operation, but
prior to the surgery the doctors needed to store his blood in case need
arises. As the gentleman had a rare type of blood, it couldn't be found
locally. So the call went out to the neighboring towns.

Finally a Kikuyu was located who had a similar type of blood. The
Kikuyu willingly donated his blood for the Arab. After the surgery, the
Arab sent the Kikuyu as appreciation for giving his blood, a new BMW
540iL, diamonds, lapis lazuli jewelry, and half a million US dollars.

Once again the Arab had to go through a corrective surgery. His doctor
telephoned the Kikuyu who was more than happy to donate his blood again.
After the second surgery, the Arab sent the Kikuyu a thank you card and
a box of almond chocolate & sweets.

The Kikuyu was shocked to see that the Arab this time did not
reciprocate the Kikuyu 's kind gesture as he had anticipated..

He phoned the Arab and asked him 'This time also I thought that u would
give me Toyota Prado, Diamonds and Jewelry. But u gave only a card and a
box of almond chocolate & sweets.

To this the Arab replied 'Can't help it, friend..... Now I have Kikuyu
blood in my veins!!

How To Say "I'm Nuts About You"... :)

2012-01-04T02:04:00.000-08:00

I'm nuts about you

How To: Make the hot sauce at your local coffee-shop look cool 8)

How NOT to reason :-p

The Hackerspace Revolution

2012-01-03T22:17:00.000-08:00

Inspired in part by the open source movement, public spaces are emerging where people congregate to share ideas, make cool projects, teach, and brainstorm with collaborators on everything from coding to cooking!

With no leaders, they have one rule: "Be excellent to each other."
Take a tour of the hackerspace Noisebridge, located in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District, with co-founder Mitch Altman

NON CONFORMITY

2011-04-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

By Natasha Kimani

I spotted a lady wearing red jeans the other day. that could be termed a faux pas if we were to ask fashion experts. I, on the other hand, thought it a statement. only an extremely CONFIDENT woman would be able to pull off wearing such pants. I LOVED it. I wished i could get off the bus and give her a high 5.

Those jeans got me thinking: there's something wonderful and beautiful about being different. It's refreshing. The greatest men and women of the Bible did not conform to the norm and to the usual.

Daniel decided that he would not defile his body with the King's food and wouldn't take wine. (Daniel 1:8) this guy was radical and different and even when everyone was bowing down to the King he chose death rather than to do what everyone else was doing.

Esther did what no woman was ever meant to do at that time-speak out. she spoke for her people and her people were saved. The list is endless!! these guys did what no one had done.... they stepped out for God. they took chances and were radical in their faith and life.

Jesus was is the greatest non conformist. he dinned with sinners, had talks with immoral women. I mean this guy was DIFFERENT.

So why are we so afraid of being different? It's easier to stay in a job that drains because it pays well and because its safer. It's easier to stay in a bad relationship because being single is lonely and people will talk and blame you. Besides, all our friends are getting married and we don't want to be left behind!

Its easier to sit at the back of the class or in the middle because if you sit at the front people will start judging us and calling us wannabe's and pretentious and teacher's pets. Who do we think we are sitting in front? Don't we know that the cool kids all sit at the back?

It's easier to keep friends who are non achievers and who have morals because these friends don't ask much of us. They don't demand discipline and improvement and who needs disciplined and smart and morally upright friends anyway? It's easier to do what everyone is doing because being different has too high a price.

Being different means you will get called names at some point and cool, classy and awesome won't be one of those names. Being different may call us to leave bad relationships, change friends and quit jobs.

Being different does mean choosing a life of purpose. One that fulfills more than one that just pays the bills and one that sees us through. Being different means being disciplined enough to do our best in life and not just drift away into obscurity and oblivion.

Being different means waiting for the spouse that is godly instead of settling for the one that is available. Being different means turning down a job even though it pays well because it is not what God has called you to do.

Being different means talking about God when everyone would rather talk about Lady Gaga. Being different also means talking WITH God instead of just waiting for the Pastor to digest the gospel.

Different is about the best compliment anyone can pay you.

So here's to yellow jeans, green jeans and all the other colors of the rainbow :-)

Charm Can Be Deceptive

2011-04-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

By Natasha Kimani

We live in a world that objectifies women and makes it out to be that the only way you can keep a man and be in a happy marriage, is if you look like Halle berry, cook like Martha Stewart, are a shrewd entrepreneur like oprah, a vixen in between the sheets like Karrine Stefan and are still sweet and lovable just like the girl next door.

The “most beautiful woman” in the world Ashley Cole was cheated on by her husband. The women we seem to admire most in Hollywood are best friends with their plastic surgeons.

These are women who have such low self esteem that they secretly pay off tabloid magazines to keep their faces on covers constantly. They can barely hold down stable relationships and when they do, it’s in form of a contract.

Then, we have the example of the proverbs 31 woman. I keep reading it over and over, but NOWHERE have I found the mention of her outward appearance or skill in bed.

In fact, her attractiveness completely comes from her character. She had set herself apart.

We’ve probably been around those girls (or sadly, we suffer from this too!!!) that constantly curse, gossip, put others down, are too proud or are constantly praising themselves and boasting about their assets. No matter how beautiful these women are, we can’t wait to get away from them. They drain us.

Then there are the “plain janes”. Nothing physically outstanding, but they have such grace about them. They speak wisely, they inspire and they motivate. And everyone keeps saying “there’s just something about her!!” Michelle obama has been constantly branded a plain Jane. But without that plain Jane, I doubt Mr. Obama would be anywhere near the Whitehouse.

There’s a southern saying that “if you want to go to the best parties and be the one everyone talks about, marry a beautiful woman, BUT if you want to achieve your purpose, enhance your vision, and life a fulfilled life marry a wise and graceful woman of character”

Someone once told me that if sex made a great woman and marriage, all prostitutes would be highly esteemed and married. I laughed then, but when I think about it now, she was on course.

This proverbs woman was living her life to the fullest. Giving God her all. She was being all God created her to be.

This woman wasn’t superwoman, she never broke her back (she was the perfect leader as she delegated to her servants!!!!!) she did what she could and she did it well.

Another element we overlook is that she had a man to cheer her on. I think this influenced her a lot. He spoke so well of her….. As the Africans would say “he oiled the tits of the cow before he milked them.” She had people in her life who valued her.

This is something that every woman needs. We must surround ourselves with people who know our worth and not people who constantly drain us. This man made her feel good about herself and in turn she was inspired to do more for her family. He blessed her with his words.

Most importantly, this woman had a relationship with God. This is where it all began. There’s a level of grace that only comes from God and a constant interaction with him. All that she did, was an expression of her obedience to God.

The Real Patriots

2011-04-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

by Mburu Njoroge

I was doing my monotonous desk job today when I started thinking.. who are the real patriots in this country?

It’s definitely not people like me who go round screaming “murder! Murder! Murder!’ and advocating for complete regime change ( but I think it’s necessary nonetheless)

No. The real patriots in Kenya are artists like Maddtraxx. People who give us a reason to smile in the bleakest of times. I heard his new single ‘Skamares’ earlier this week and couldn’t keep those nostalgic thoughts from coming. Hanging out with pals, dancing along to his other jams. “kuku dance! Kuku dance! Chinese-eh Chinese-eh!”. In those moments your only care in the world is “ can I get this move right?”. Those are moments of pure happiness!

Harambee stars are other real patriots. After losing for since 2009, they decide to win just as the country is undergoing strong political divisions. Sports doesn’t care. A victory for Harambee Stars is a victory for Kenyans. In beating Angola 2-1, they selflessly undertook the task of unifying Kenyans. Fans celebrated together and danced their way into town, happy to be Kenyan, not caring about who their fellow fan is and where he came from. They were all just happy.

Our bloggers, tweeps & Facebook friends who write the silliest though most entertaining stuff for the world to laugh. You are all real patriots. In the midst of worrying about the future of Kenya,you guys give people like me a reason to laugh! Talking about something silly you did at home or how you found it funny when that fat lady couldn’t get out of the mat.

The real patriots of Kenya give hope to others that despite all that’s going on, there’s still plenty to be happy about. They never let us forget that! After all, everyone wants to be happy.

So, I thank you real patriots and challenge the rest of you: Are you doing your best to be a real patriot?

Live. Laugh. Love.

Silly saved the World!!

2011-02-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

I’m thinking of revisiting my craft classes. And taking them more seriously.

As a kid, I used to have this bicycle-man that looked something like this:

I don’t see them around as much… Wonder where they went.

As a kid, I also came across two or three books about 3-eyed monsters. And ogres.

Much, much later, as I was sitting through a class on stereo-vision and 3D-glasses… I couldn’t help but think… there must be a connection, right? - between the 3D glasses and 3-eyed monsters …

Here’s why, I thought: 3D glasses are modeled after the human eyes and how they naturally work; It is only because we have two eyes that we can perceive depth.

Also, quantum theory speculates that there is a 4th dimension… The one about time.
So… if scientists would just create a 3-eyed ‘monster’ in real life, they’d see the 4th dimension, right?

WaaAAy to go hadron-collider-team!

I feel so smart right now!

Yes, you may come for my autographs.

When I’m not saving the world, I’ll be doing my craft…

Find me here ;) !

PS: Interesting things to do:

1. Coffee Poetry

2. Be a collector

3. Origami!!!

4. Read my blog

Also, check out this site: Beautiful Life

Coffee Poetry

origami by Eredel

Esther Murugi on HIV/AIDS

2011-01-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

Esther Murugi should be locked up herself for careless, ignorant, dehumanizing banter! In a country that works so hard to rebuild the basic dignity of every human being, her remarks on PLWHs could NEVER feature Anywhere near light humor. She owes Kenyans an apology, at the very least.

You Can Have the Jam

2011-01-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

After months of a rigorous bombing campaign and night and morning hand-to-foot combat, it seems wiser, finally, to attempt some sort of compromise with the cockroaches.

"Look", I say to the one who appears to be their leader, "We’re both reasonable organisms and I believe we have a mutual interest called survival. I’m willing to share the apartment if you and your folks agree to keep to the crumbs and climb back into the woodwork prior to my turning on of the light."

"Why don’t you put down the baseball bat", he says.
In the periphery, the others scutter this way and that, forming a shifty circle around me.
"I will," I say, "as soon as you put down that bag of chips and get your feet off the table."

He leans back, rests his carapace against the back of the sofa and lets his feelers hang limp on either side of his head. He twirls his hairy legs, occasionally dipping a delicate foot into a jar of jam and then sucking it clean.

"Do you realize how many lives you’ve squished over time?" he asks.

"Well, what might you do," I plead, "if you witnessed another species walking off with a bag of your groceries?"

I feel a couple of stiff legs wedge themselves under my arms and a couple more grab my ankles as I’m hoisted horizontal and aloft. My squirming and writhing is useless. Dozens of hairy black legs pin down my chest, pressing my back flat against the top of a small marching band.

"You can have the jam," I shout at the leader. "Please just tell them to put me down!"

"Oh, they will," he says.

I twist my neck to see where I’m being taken: toward a window being raised by one who’s reared up on his back legs.

Exerpts from: A definite must-read!

STORY OF THE PENCIL by Paulo Coelho

2011-01-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

It didn’t seem very special. But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!
That depends on how you look at things though. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on to, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.

First Quality:-
You are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.

Second Quality:-
Now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper.
So you too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they’ll make you a better person.

Third Quality:-
The pencil allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes.
This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.

Fourth Quality:-
What really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior but the graphite inside.
So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.

Fifth Quality:-
It always leaves a mark.
In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action.

Family, Values...

2010-10-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

I miss being part of something bigger with my family. Those getaways we had to spend quality time at park, esp Uhuru Park, walks in town, window shopping, family visits etc. I really miss those..

We’re kinda all growing up and moving away- everyone with their personal lives, new interests, friends, workgroups etc.

I miss connecting with the people I love most deeply, and are most connected to me in a profound sense. Yet holding an everyday conversation can be so difficult at times.

I think of the family I will have in future and wonder, “Will I have a culture with them? Traditions with them? …Those things that I want my kids to know will never change, no matter what else in their lives is changing..?”

Come to think of it aloud though, I’m not sure we had to play board games as part of family time or we had to because our language grades were WANTING..

(mum.. )

I’m scared sometimes that all I wanna do is talk about is all the stuff I’ve learned, all the stuff happening around the world and everything I know- from quantum mechanics to classical to cows to f.r.i.e.n.d.s.

My friends may be interested in more details than my family would care to indulge in, naturally. So it can be uncomfortable wanting to say all this stuff that you feel you want to moderate at the same time.

Anyhow, What culture would I like to instill in my future family? What values would I like to pass on?

1. Family dinners

2. Boat rides

3. Board games (chess, ludo, scrabble.. you name it)

4. Read to them

5. Pray with them

6. Dance with them

7. Hug and kiss them A Lot

8. Play with them

9. Delayed gratification (If you want it, you must earn it, be patient and respect it)

10. Let them know that even if they wanna act stupid, I wanna hang out later

I'll also wanna sing a lot to them..

.'' I’m not perfect. I’ll annoy you, say stupid stuff, but I’ll always love yoooooouuu...''

Green Day, Anyone?

2010-09-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

I always considered myself part of the informed elite. Turns out I was highly misinformed.

I'm surrounded by such amazing people.. And also, it doesn't take much to be stripped of self-inflicted nobility.

I'll tell you more:

College for Creative Studies: Transportation Design

by Dong Tran/College for Creative Studies

Career: Mass-transit designer
Learn to: Design a hydrogen-fueled car with wind turbines attached

My country has recently taken up wind energy as a project for clean energy, and i'm very excited about that!!
Trade of carbon credits is consistently growing, with Mumias Sugar Co. already taking a lead role.

Another great idea that is fast taking shape is the Eco-Cab initiative. You may want to ride with them next time you need a cab!

http://www.eco-cabs.biz/about.php

Previous designs:

To learn more about The Kyoto Protocol, which has powerful and legally binding measures for controlling emissions, follow the link. My country is a signatory. You could find out if your country is a signatory here

PARTING SHOT(s):

1. If you will be in Nairobi this weekend, plan to attend the event of the day, by booking your seat here. Green issues will be themed

2. Get to watch TED for great talks, if you haven't already!!

3. A worthy business model/ idea: The carbon offset model, which is growing, and i'm particularly appreciative of it, especially with all the creative collaboration that has become so popular globally.

(NOTE TO SELF: post pics from "Ascent" later ;).
"Ascent"(noun)- <uh-sent>
An Initiative attended by Ann Masibo where young people get together and ask themselves questions like: "What can I do for my society that is innovative, fun and me?"

TED Talk: Don't Believe Your Lying Eyes

2010-09-02T03:27:00.000-07:00

SOME INCREDIBLE IRISH CURES!

2010-08-12T05:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a top ten of Incredible Irish cures from the Middle Ages… (You may not want to try them though)

10. Burying you up to the neck in wet riverside. That should cure you of…

(Drum rolls…)

Headache!

9. They take a live frog and make you swallow it. That cures:

(Waaiiit for it…)

Stomachache

8. They rub your side with salted butter, and make the sign of a cross 7 times over the place where it hurts. And that cures…

A stitch in your side when you’ve run too fast

7. They cover your head with wool… then oiled cloth. Water is then drawn out of the head. When the cloth is soaked, you’re cured of:

Water on the brain

(Apparently…)

6. You need a blanket and a pig for this next one: …

To cure a sick child, wrap them in a blanket, take them to a pig sty, rub the child’s head on the back of the pig…
The disease will pass from the child to the pig- cures mumps

5. Take a branch from a gooseberry bush and point the gooseberry thorn at your eye 9 times and say “Away, Away, Away” …That cures:

(SMH)

A sty

Ps: SMH is an abbreviation for ‘shaking my head’… at least on twitter and facebook…

4. Take soil from under the feet of men carrying coffin at a funeral. Apply the soil to the affected part, then make a wish for it to disappear. And that, my dear friends, cures…

You probably guessed it…

Warts

3. Carry 2 jawbones of a haddock (type of fish) in your pocket- and the pain will vanish. This is used to cure:

(Eureka anyone?...)

Toothache

2. Take Carigan moss from the beaches of Collanmore. Mix the moss into the food or drink of someone you love. This will cure:

(Ahead of you...)

Lovesickness

(once they swallow the moss they will fall in love with you)

Ps: the people of Collanmore don’t use the mystic moss for love. They use it to cure their sore throats.

1. For this LAST one, you’ll need the SKULL from a Achill Island monk and some boiled milk.

For the cure, you simply pour the boiled milk into the skull, feed the milk from the skull to the sick person, and this will cure them of…

(Works?…)

Fever.

As you were.

Oh… And before you chop off any monks’ heads…

On Achill Island, there is a ruined monastery in the cave full of old monk bones. If someone in the family is down with a fever, then the mother of the family should carry out the cure. It’s also very important that the mother should return the skull to the cave where she found it.

Or else…
(Insert Creepy Irish Tune)

The monk will try and get it baaaack (hushed tone)

Liked this?
Check out more at:
Old Irish Superstitions

2010-08-12T04:21:00.001-07:00

WE'RE NOT SO DIFFERENT

2010-06-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

"Close your eyes; what do you see?

Do you see what you expect there to be?

It’s more than blood and bone we share.

Reveal your heart, our soul, our mind…

We’re all the same
When you are blind;

Blind to color, beauty, weight and height

There’s more to see than just with sight.

So close your eyes and see what’s there;

You see more blind

Than when you stare

Close your eyes and open your mind…

We’re not so different

When you are blind."

~Allan Odhiambo

Coming Soon In Your Area...

2010-05-26T05:50:00.000-07:00

I was born to experience a great stream of online luck today! Yaay :-)
I'm only running into relevant stories, events, updates.. a spam-less day has definitely got to be celebrated :-))))

...too bad I broke my wine glasses (since it's the only healthy alcohol), no parties. At least, not Yet.

I happened to attend one of the most brilliant classical performances last night. It was one of those that once tasted, you seem to have a boundless energy to seek out more.

Thanks to one a great Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin (1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849) and the Polish Embassy in Kenya, I got to toast to a great renaissance artist and relive moments of his life, 200 years on.

Now to share my new-found love for events uniquely inspiring, stay updated with what's happening in your area:

Classical Evenings Club, Mar 11 2010 @ Nairobi National Museum: http://nairobinow.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/classical-evenings-club-mar-11-2010-nairobi-national-museum/

For great art events WHEREVER you are in the world visit http://kadmusarts.com/

That's how GOOD this next one looks- i'm already planning my December holidays on it:
http://www.gatwitchfestival.com/index.php

And a nice story to top it all up: http://www.drumcafenairobi.bravehost.com/

Plus a bonus: well-groomed Chopin :

The Story of Joy and Sorrow... Part 1

2010-05-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

“
Sorrow was beautiful, but her beauty was the beauty of the moonlight shining through the leafy branches of the trees in the wood, and making little pools of silver here and there on the soft green moss below.

When Sorrow sang, her notes were like the low sweet call of the nightingale, and in her eyes was the unexpectant gaze of one who has ceased to look for coming gladness. She could weep in tender sympathy with those who weep, but to rejoice was unknown to her.

Joy was beautiful, too, but his was the radiant beauty of the summer morning. His eyes still held the glad laughter of childhood, and his hair had the glint of the sunshine’s kiss. When Joy sang, his voice soared upward as the lark’s, and his step was the step of a conqueror who has never known defeat. He could rejoice with all who rejoice, but to weep with those who weep was unknown to him.

“But we can never be united,” said Sorrow wistfully.
“No, never.” And Joy’s eyes shadowed as he spoke. “My path lies through the sunlit meadows, the sweetest roses bloom for my gathering, and the black birds and thrushes await my coming to pour forth their most joyous lays.”

The Story of Joy and Sorrow.. Part 2

2010-05-25T05:34:00.003-07:00

“My path,” said Sorrow, turning slowly away, “leads through the darkening woods; with moonflowers only shall my hands be filled. Yet the sweetest of all earth songs ̶ the love song of the night ̶ shall be mine; farewell, Joy, farewell.”

Even as he spoke they became conscious of a form standing beside them; dimly seen, but of a kingly Presence, and a great and holy awe stole over them as they sank on their knees before Him.

“I see Him as the King of Joy,” whispered Sorrow, “for on His head are many crowns, and the nail-prints in His hands and feet are the scars of great victory. Before Him all my sorrow is melting away into deathless love and gladness, and I give myself to Him forever.”

“Nay, Sorrow,” said Joy softly, “but I see Him as the King of Sorrow, and the crown on His head is a crown of thorns, and the nail-prints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great agony. I too, give myself to Him forever, for sorrow with Him must be sweeter than any joy that I have known.”

“Then we are one in Him,” they cried in gladness, “for none but He could unite Joy and Sorrow.”

Hand in hand they passed out into the world to follow Him through storm and sunshine, in the bleakness of winter cold and the warmth of summer gladness, “as sorrowful yet always rejoicing”.

For You, For me, For all strong spirits.

Secret Behind Happy Married Life

2010-05-04T06:37:00.000-07:00

A good friend sent me this today:

"Once I was asked by my Friend, "What is the secret behind your happy married life?"

I said, "share responsibilities with due Love and Respect . Then absolutely there will be no problems."

He asked, "Can you explain?"

I said, "In my house, I take decisions on bigger issues where as my wife decides on smaller issues. We do not interfere in each others' decisions."

Still not satisfied, the friend asked me to give some examples ..

I said, "Small issues like, which car we should buy, how much amount to save, when to visit home town, which sofas, air conditioner, refrigerator, monthly expenses, whether to keep a maid or not, paying of school fees, funding of in country holidays etc are taken care of by my wife. I just concur and try fit them into my otherwise busy schedule"

He asked, "Then what is your role?"

I said, "My decisions are only for big issues like whether America should attack Iran, whether to widen African economy, whether Sachin Tendulkar should retire, if Mudavadi should resign over the cemetery saga, If Raila is a Nyapara, if the coalition should still continue vomiting on our shoes, whether Majiwa got a fair share of the cemetery land saga cash, if grain bulk handlers is an ODM campaign fund raiser project, If PNU is dead horse, etc etc and Do you know one thing, My wife NEVER, EVER objects to any of these decisions"

GOOD LIVING....aint it!!?

Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections."

An Inspiring Toothpick...

2010-04-23T03:09:00.000-07:00

Today, I met an inspiring toothpick.

Seemingly on a streak of luck, I also ran into an cotton bud/ Q-tip/ ear bud that happened to be an inspiration too.

Now who'd have thought that cotton buds and toothpicks would make for sources of inspiration? - apart from me. And you. And all of us (who now know).

I was looking at the latest design of cotton buds (one end is pointed, the other end still rounded).. and thinking about its ancestry.

All we see around us today, people included, are an ''improvement of sorts'' of their predecessor.

So.. someone sat down (or slept, or bungee-jumped or stood up- I don't really know..) and thought- "Why can't this be done that way?/ What can we do differently?"
That's the trillion-(dollar) question.

Have a look yourself and tell me it's not inspiring:

Well.. considering it ORIGINALLY looked something like:

(Ok. - I may have exaggerated very little..)

Evolved to something like:

And for the toothpicks:

Then:

Doesn't it just give you that 'I-can-achieve-it-eureka' feeling????!!!!

APPRECIATE YOUR ANCESTRY. And Toothpicks.
(I guess I had to come up with a moral?)

Ps: What would you do differently?

Hmm..

2010-04-19T04:54:00.000-07:00

A Sony employee displays the company's new speaker system RDP-NWV500 for the Walkman. The coffee thermos shaped speaker fits in the cupholder of vehicles, and has a two-way bass-reflex speaker system producing 16W of audio and 360-degree coverage

More great pics at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/picturesoftheday/7606420/Pictures-of-the-day-19-April-2010.html?image=28

It's Word Play...

2010-04-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

PRESBYTERIAN:
When you rearrange the letters:
BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

DESPERATION:

When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE :
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY

ELECTION - RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters:
IM A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE

MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER

How to stay young..

2010-04-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me an email that read:

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9.. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next country; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares?
But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

I decided to share it...

It can only get practical, no...?

2010-04-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

How come our parliamentarians don't think of practical solutions to everyday problems?

Like constipation for instance.

..They could organize a peaceful campaign against 'hard pieces of s***.'
"-gosh! That was one tough one!" ..they would reminisce.

Ok. Back to what I was doing before the thought struck... I was looking for my shaving dress.
I need to find this dress- very special dress.
The shaving dress.

In unrelated events, make your difference today
Check out http://www.stoprapenow.org/
Upload your picture, and let's help put an end to rape. Together.

Hmm.. What to do..

2010-03-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

My browser is being annoyingly slow today..
I think it's just about that time I shifted to the moon for my loooooooong overdue visit.

I'm on a short break.. so I think i'll need some help with ideas on..
what to do// what to do// what to do//...
I could ..

Watch a movie.
(nah.. too cliche)

I'll.. sleeeep
(bOOoOoriN..)

I'll ..Eat?
(hmmm.. Maybe)

-stAre.

Yep.. I'll stAre!

Now.. to find what to stare at..

Oh well.. I'll just stare at a movie picture.

.. Of someone.. who had probably started watching a movie, while eating..
But
fell asleep.

Perfect way to spend a day!!

A lesson in Chemistry?

2010-03-13T04:37:00.001-08:00

This is for the women in my life, and to the men who appreciate greatness where they see it. You are loved.

PERHAPS MY CHEMISTRY TEACHER SHOULD HAVE ELABORATED MORE ON WOMANHOOD IN CLASS?

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS DATA SHEET

ELEMENT:	WOMAN
DISCOVERER:	ADAM
ATOMIC MASS:	ACCEPTED AS 55KG, BUT KNOWN TO VARY FROM 45KG TO 225KG

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

1. Body surface normally covered with film of powder and paint

2. Boils at absolutely nothing- freezes for no apparent reason

3. Found in various grades ranging from virgin material to common ore

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

1. Reacts well to gold, platinum and all precious stones

2. Explodes spontaneously without reason or warning

3. The most powerful money reducing agent known to man

COMMON USE

1. Highly ornamental, especially in sports cars

2. Can greatly aid relaxation

3. Can be a very effective cleaning agent

HAZARDS

1. Turns green when placed alongside a superior specimen

2. Possession of more than one is possible but specimens must never make eye contact

Picture of the day: 4 March 2010

2010-03-04T04:10:00.000-08:00

An orangutan attempts to use a nut vending machine at Hanover Zoo, Germany. Before they can get their grub to drop down to the bottom of the food station where they can grab them, the apes have to pull a succession of strings

Picture: ACTION PRESS / REX FEATURES

Ran into some funny pics..

2010-03-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Hey.. look at me! I'm a sexy chicken..

Amusing honesty...

Kenyan kitchen cabinet?

Mowing the lawn one day at a time..

What with all this cloning technology..

I love football too.. so does my pet cocroach

yummy..

Friends... till death do us part

I'm with stupid too :-)

Hacklab Tweeting Toilet !

2010-02-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

A hacker at Aculei has rigged up a regular toilet to make it sync with Twitter: it tweets with every flush. "It's more useful and relevant than just about everything else on twitter," says the creator, who has also posted detailed instructions for making your own toilet Twitter-ready.

Check it at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/22/future-bathrooms-amazing_n_471219.html?slidenumber=FbW2ZTWx6qw%3D&&&&&&&&&&slideshow#slide_image

In Another TIme ..

2010-02-20T02:40:00.000-08:00

Then God asked me... remember when you were 9 and you thought the opposite sex was tOtAllY gross? And completely un-likeable?

So... I was getting a lesson to day on perspectives.

I was thinking about sex. And growing old. Totally related subjects.

It must be a normal fear- to grow old. And not be able to have enjoyable sex.

He said.. Well, it was just that your hormones were barely distinguishable- and well.., underdeveloped.

Then you begin to "blossom"- conveniently so.
..I mean, there had to be a way for procreation to be a 'necessary evil'; to ensure the continuity of the human species- survival and all that blah blah fish.

.cake!

Then you begin to 'degenerate'- after serving your purpose. You pretty much become that 9 year old, whose body doesn't really 'react' as easily to any tom, dick and sally.

-conveniently so... I must add.
You're used and ready to go.

So much for sex.
But thanks G. for that lesson on perspectives.

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?- sequel

2010-02-16T12:37:00.000-08:00

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER: to get to the other side

PLATO: for the greater good

SADDAM: this was unprovoked act of rebellion and we were justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.

BUSH: we don’t really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either with us or against us. There’s no middle ground.

ISAAC NEWTON: any chicken in the universe shall always cross the road perpendicularly and in infinitely long straight line at uniform speed unless it stops due to unbalanced reactive force in the opposite direction of the chicken’s motion.

NELSON MANDELA: Never again, will the chicken be questioned for crossing the road. This is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

THABO MBEKI: we need to establish if really there’s a connection between the chicken and the road.

BOB MUGABE: for all the years the road has been owned by white farmers, the poor underprivileged chicken has waited too long for that road to be given to him and now he is crossing it in force with fellow war veteran chickens. We shall take over the road and give it the roadless chickens, so that they can cross it without fear of retribution from Britain. We will not stop until all roadless chickens have roads and the freedom to cross them, even if hunger and 10,000% inflation bites them.

MATIBA KEN: Let the people decide. No short cut…

SAMUEL KIVUITU: I’m not sure if the chicken crossed the road. The chicken keeper has disappeared with form 16A. Don’t ask me again. You can shoot me if you want…

MARTHA KARUA: this is a legal matter that must be taken to the High Court of the animal farm where the eagle is the judge. That’s the tradition.

ORENGO JAMES: it’s vital we first establish if the chicken crossed alone or it was accompanied with anyone, whom we overlooked in our haste to observe the chicken crossing.

MUTULA KILONZO: it depends upon your frame of reference to see if indeed the chicken crossed or the road moved beneath it. You should read all relevant chapters and not just conclude after reading only one chapter.

PETER NYONG’O: it was looking for equity and social justice.

MUTUA ALFRED: the chicken never crossed the road. This is a complete fabrication. We don’t even have chicken.

LOOSY: Mimi kama Rais… najua jibu

KIRAITHE (Police Spokesman): the scene must have been video edited to show the chicken crossing the road yet it was still standing.

RUTO: Haki yetu!!

KALONZO MUSYOKA: it was expecting a miracle across the road.

MZEE MOI: Kuku kitu gani? Siasa mbaya, maisha mbaya.

RAILA AMOLO: had the chicken signed an MOU not to cross the road? Crossing the road is a two-horse affair. Anything else is a donkey!! Besides no one can stop the R. Nile… But if we cross the road as we did on 27th Dec, then we can invite the chicken back to the original side of the road. Raila na mpira… gooooooaaal

EMILIO MWAI: kuku ilivuka palepale, ikienda huko huko… na hilo ndilo jambo la muhimu… hakuna mambo ingine… na hatuwezi kataa, tutakataa namna gani? Hakunaaaa!!! Na hao wanaendelea kuongea mambo ya kuku… ni wapumbavu… mavi ya kuku!!!

PST DEYA: her miracle chicks had already crossed earlier.

ATWOLI (BANGING THE DESK): Uchingaa hii sasa!!

PLO: that Jesus of Nazareth entered the town of Jerusalem not on the back of a horse, but on the back of an ass. The prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him rod into Medina not on the back of a horse but on the back of a camel. Victory comes via the ass and via the camel and not via the horse.
GIBSON KAMUA KURIA: My Lord, it was Mr. Bowry who told the chicken to cross the road.

KALEMBE NDILE: alekoa anakimbia keladeloba kizeee.

RED CROSS: it was fleeing post election violence and the only other route it could have used was barricaded by marauding gangs.

MARGARET WANJIRU: it was searching for more glory across the road.

KIMUNYA AMOS: did it cross or flew over the road? It will be very expensive telling the chicken to go back to its original side. We don’t have money for such an exercise.

'WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?' -1

2010-02-12T04:04:00.000-08:00

ARISTOTLE: It is in the nature of chickens to cross the road.

BUDDHA: Asking this question denies your own chicken nature.

THE BIBLE: And God came down from the heavens and He said unto the chicken, “Thou shalt
cross the road.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal a job from a decent, hardworking American.

GEORGE W. BUSH: I don’t think I should have to answer that question.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What do you mean by chicken?
Could you define “chicken” please?

DARWIN: Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way
that they are now genetically dispositioned to cross roads.

EINSTEIN: Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken is a
matter of relativity.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON: The chicken did not cross the road. It transcended it.

JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Isn’t it obvious? Can’t you people see the plain truth in front of your face? The chicken was going to the “other side.” That’s what “they” call it: the “other side.” Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens unti we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like “the other side.” That chicken should not be free to cross the road. It’s as plain and simple as that.

LOUIS FARRAKHAN: The road, you will see, represents the black man. The chicken ‘crossed’ the black man in order to trample him and keep him down.

FREUD: The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.

BILL GATES: I have just released the new eChicken 2000, which will not only cross roads, but will also lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook; and Internet Explorer is an inextricable part of eChicken 2000.

GRANDPA: In my day, we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Someone told us that the chicken had crossed the road, and that was good enough for us.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die. In the rain. Alone.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR: I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives called into question.

CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK: To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.

MACHIAVELLI: The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motive there was.

KARL MARX: It was a historical inevitability.

FOX MULDER: You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. How many more chickens have to cross the road before you believe it?

RICHARD M. NIXON: The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat, the chicken did NOT cross the road.

RONALD REAGAN: What chicken?

JERRY SEINFELD: Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn’t anyone ever think to ask, “What the heck was this chicken doing walking around all over the place, anyway?”

DR. SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes! The chicken crossed the road but why it crossed, I’ve not been told.

KEN STARR: I intend to prove that the chicken crossed the road at the bequest of the President of the United States in an effort to distract law enforcement officials and the American public from the criminal wrongdoing our highest elected official has been trying to cover up. As a result, the chicken is just another pawn in the President’s ongoing and elaborate scheme to obstruct justice and undermine the rule of law. For that reason, my staff intends to offer the chicken unconditional immunity provided he cooperates fully with our investigation.

OLIVER STONE: The question is not, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Rather, it is, “Who was crossing the road at the same time, whom we overlooked in our haste to observe the chicken crossing?”

COLONEL SANDERS: I missed one???

KENYAN VERSION OF FACEBOOK.. (hahaha)

2010-02-05T01:15:00.000-08:00

A picture is worth a thousand words..

POINT OF INFORMARTION

2010-02-05T01:13:00.000-08:00

What is Crohn’s disease?

Crohn’s disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract, also referred to as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Crohn’s disease can affect any area of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum. The swelling extends deep into the lining of the affected organ. The swelling can cause pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea.

The digestive system.

Crohn’s disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some families. About 20 percent of people with Crohn’s disease have a blood relative with some form of inflammatory bowel disease, most often a brother or sister and sometimes a parent or child. Crohn’s disease can occur in people of all age groups, but it is more often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. People of Jewish heritage have an increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease, and African Americans are at decreased risk for developing Crohn’s disease.
Crohn’s disease may also be called ileitis or enteritis.

More information: http://teamchallenger.wordpress.com/about/
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/

"UNDERSTANDING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY"

2010-02-05T00:48:00.000-08:00

What to do when you are bored at work ..

2010-01-27T11:11:00.000-08:00

What to do when you are bored at work ..

What to do...
1. Kill a few Flies

2. Put them in the sun to dry for one hour.

3. Once they are dry, pick a pencil and paper... Let your imagination flow.

Here are a few examples

By Carol Nzui

MDGX3EDUXKJD

Financial Planning?

2010-01-25T08:31:00.000-08:00

Dan was a single man living at home with his widowed father
and working in the family business.

When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune
when his sickly father died, he decided he needed to find a wife
with whom to share his fortune.

One evening, at an investment meeting, he spotted the
most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty
took his breath away.

"I may look like just an ordinary man," he said to her, "but soon,
my father will die and I will inherit $200 million."

Impressed, the woman asked for his business card and
three days later, she became his stepmother.

Women are so much better at financial planning than men.

C’EST LA VIE.

2010-01-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

The questions we ask,
The answers we seek,
Are all but mirage
Of wisdom that speaks…

Of stories untold
Images held
Our lives slowly unfold…

We pose, we think, we wonder, we feel…
I stop to wonder, to ask, who knows?
The essence of sense,
of being,
of it all…

And maybe, just maybe…
I get the joke.
I laugh at myself,
As one dare say…

Perhaps the dogs are laughing at us
And we just don’t get the joke.

HUSBAND OF THE YEAR AWARDS

2010-01-25T07:45:00.000-08:00

Welcome…!

Husband of the year awards

The honorable mention goes to: The United Kingdom

...followed closely by The United States of America

and then ................. Poland

but 3rd Place must go to ........ Greece

It was very very close but the runner up prize was awarded to.............. Serbia

But the winner of the husband/partner of the year ...... is

......... Ireland

Ya gotta love the Irish.

The Irish are true romantics. Look, he's even holding her hand.

7. LOSING OUR CHERRY

2010-01-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

"
“The introduction to sex is…complicated and difficult…The first time remains an emotional, guilt-ridden, bewildering and not wildly erotic moment.”
– Karl and Anne Taylor Fleming, The First Time

The classic coming-of-age joke tells of a tenderfoot trying to gain acceptance in a rough-and-tumble Alaskan mining village. He is told he’ll be accepted by the other men if he 1) chugalugs a gallon of 180 proof local rotgut, 2) screws an Eskimo girl, and 3) wrestles a bear. He drinks the whiskey and stumbles out of the bar to accomplish his next ordeal. When he returns, bloody and battered, he announces, “I did the bear. Now where’s the Eskimo girl I’m supposed to wrestle?”

The scariest step in a boy’s quest for manhood is sexual. The twins must make it with the girls. They may not want to get close to them but to prove heterosexuality so the boys won’t have to feel unmasculine in their closeness to one another. So our boy, trying to hold his grip on his throbbingly impatient little twin, shouted onward by his male chorus, marches forth in search of a female who has the power to save his magic wand and turn him into a man. To whom will he entrust his nascent masculinity: a prostitute; a curious friend who wants to examine it and find out how it works; an insecure girl who wants to curry favor; a compassionate elder woman who feels gratified when she kisses tadpoles and turns them into princes?

At first, we need girls who don’t scare us, who don’t threaten our budding masculinity. We feel safest with girls who are younger, smaller, weaker, perhaps damsels in distress who collapse upon us and make us feel strong and important. Yet our male chorus may propel us toward the girls who are ‘popular’ and beautiful, trophies that announce our masculinity to our fellows. A virginal 15year-old boy’s dream woman might be a beautiful, popular, undersized, slightly mentally retarded, depressed 14year-old anorexic (with big breasts), who is running away from an abusive family.

These experiences are at least as traumatic and crucial for the girls as for us, yet we are barely aware of one another as we go through this– physically together and emotionally worlds apart. In times past, a “nice girl” tried to hold on to us by holding us off. She somehow knew that the audience for these sexual experiments was still the other boys and the invisible male chorus, and her primary power lay in frustrating us. How tortured we all were, and how grotesquely we overvalued sex as a result! We might even think we were in love with whatever girl would frustrate us most maddeningly.

What enormous power children grant one another! The two combatants are sure to have very different agendas, the sex is bound to be a disappointment if anything beyond survival were expected, and there is no way a horny little boy will respect anyone but himself in the morning."

Exerpts from "Man Enough" by Frank Pittman, M.D.

6. MATING

2010-01-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

"
Once we’ve passed the hurdle of our own virginity, we don’t really need women for sex: we might prefer them, but we can do that… (for…)

What I did not realize until I became a father myself was that there was very little to talk about. There was no secret to fathering, no magical answers about masculinity that are passed on from generation to generation. Boys just learn to be men by being with their fathers, experiencing the world and living life. But if they haven’t had that experience, they may never feel comfortable with an awareness of what it means to be a man, what they are supposed to do with their masculinity, and how they can become fathers themselves. "

Exerpts from "Man Enough" by Frank Pittman, M.D.

5. WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A MAN

2010-01-14T05:59:00.000-08:00

"What goes between the father and son, and what does not go on between them, is surely the most important determinant of whether the boy will become a man capable of giving life to others, or whether he will go through life ashamed and pulling back from exposure to intimacy with men, women, and children.
But it is not enough for the boy to win his father’s love and anointment and be declared man enough by his father. He must also satisfy his mother, pay back for her sacrifice for him, and break free with honor and comfort from the maternal symbiosis.

Even that is not enough. He must become a man among men. He must establish sufficient brotherhood with his buddies to join the men’s team in life.
And finally he must find mentors and myths of heroes to inspire him and show him the way to go beyond the model of his father and his peers, and what he has learned from them. And he may be inspired to develop his own masculine heroism.

It takes the fulfillment of all those relationships for a boy to become a man who is able to live in peace and cooperation with his community and to give something back to his family. But if there is a failure in the father-son bonding, the rest of the boy’s tasks will be distorted. If his father abandoned his mother, he may find her impossible to satisfy and leave. The unanointed boy is likely to feel shame or distrust with the other boys and shrink away from their brotherhood or compete with them too fiercely. If his father hunger is too intense, he may choose unattainable heroes and take them far too literally.

Without a father, he may never become a man."

Exerpts from "Man Enough" by Frank Pittman, M.D.

4. THE DISORIENTATION OF PUBERTY

2010-01-04T05:51:00.000-08:00

"
“I wonder why men get serious at all. They have this delicate thing hanging outside their body, which goes up and down by its own will. If I were a man I would always be laughing at myself.”
– Yoko Ono

A boy’s puberty is a strangely unsettling transition, perhaps not quite so dramatic and definitive as menarche (though a boy’s first ejaculation can be every bit as frightening as a girl’s first menstruation), but a great deal more disorienting because it involves such total change in the boy’s body. Prior to puberty the bodies of boys and girls are similar enough to be easily interchangeable except for the insignificant little genitals. Much is made of those little genitals from birth, and they become the determinant of everything in life, but for the first 12 or 14 years they have little significance except as predictors of future events.

Early on, girls begin to menstruate, which is dramatic but not obvious to their playmates. They grow taller and rounder, but underneath their makeup they are still recognizably themselves. For boys it is far more disorienting. Puberty comes later, sometimes much later, and its delay is humiliating. While the tall, round girls are getting themselves up like grown women, the prepubertal boys, with their featureless, hairless bodies, are just dirty little kids who could pass for the children of the hypermature girls.

The genitals are the first part to change. First there is a little pubic hair and then, with alarming suddenness, the penis blossoms into its full glory, utterly inappropriate to the little boy body from which it projects. A boy’s penis seems enormous and hard to hide, far too big yet still too small, always too small. It has a life if its own, responding to all the wrong things at all the wrong times, intrusive and embarrassing, yet utterly honest in its responses. It requires much time and attention, much measuring, exploration, and comparison with the other guys, and much concern about how it is going to behave in the presence of girls. The boy has little control over it, and for a few years it is not clear who is in charge of whom.

He must masturbate constantly to keep it down. But beat it down, however many times a day, and it will spring back up just when it is least welcome. Yet when it is needed, it is nowhere to be found; with any anxiety it will run away and hide. The boy has become one of Siamese twins, with this other, independent person attached to his body, a constant, unreliable companion.

While the boy is preoccupied, learning to ride this willful creature, thick hair has started at his ankles and is moving relentlessly up his body. All this is happening inside his trousers and does not show to the outside world, until his voice changes, and his pants one morning are far too short. The hair reaches his pimply face, and his body gives off goatlike odors, and his muscles bulge– again never enough– and the boy bears no resemblance to who he was a year ago or even yesterday.

Parts of his body look like a man, and the impatient girls who got into puberty before him expect him to act like a man so they will feel like a woman, but he doesn’t feel like a man and his parents don’t treat him like one. His parents may not even be aware of what is happening inside his pants or inside his head. And he certainly doesn’t know how to talk to them about it. At the beginning, he clings to the other boys who are going through the same exciting, terrifying changes, and they forma separate society, really a very intimate one, alternately avoiding and examining the sexuality that obsesses them and passing on fantasy, fears, and lies about sex.

A man’s relationship with his penis is rooted in that pubertal experience when his masculine identity is between his legs. His penis is the first and, for a time, the only part of him that seems truly masculine, and since he has grown up in awe of the masculinity he is supposed to develop, he worships this first confirming symbol of it.

Boys with models of masculinity can learn to keep their penises under control. But a boy without models my consistently defer to his penis, which seems so much more masculine than the rest of him, and spend the rest of his lifetime being a slave to an insensitive, noncommunicative, unreliable, utterly self-centered, spineless piece of flesh.

In time, as his measurements and comparisons establish some confidence in his physical normality (though he’s still sure that it’s not big enough), a boy dares to put himself in the hands of equally excited and terrified girls. Some of the boys, less sure of their capacity for masculinity, more daunted by what they believe to be the requirements or the expectations or the dangers, may postpone this test of it, perhaps skip the process entirely and spend years or lifetimes keeping their penises safely out of the hands of women. Once we entrust our sexuality to women, we leave the safe company of the boys."

Exerpts from "Man Enough" by Frank Pittman, M.D.

3. GROWING UP MALE

2010-01-04T05:45:00.000-08:00

"
“Snips and snails and puppy-dogs’ tails;
That’s what little boys are made of.”
– Anonymous

“All men were once boys, and boys are always looking for ways to become men.”
– James Dickey, Deliverance

A BOY AND HIS PENIS
We know from the beginning that we’re supposed to be boys, but the Y chromosome doesn’t show. The only visible sign of our maleness is a useless little peanut we’re told to keep hidden. So we have to wear boy clothes and play with boy toys and try to act like boys act. When the other boys are with us we practice being cowboys or soldiers or football players or space jockeys. We practice pissing off the porch, rolling in the mud, whatever we can think of that boys do and girls don’t do.

We have to show that we don’t fit in at home. We’re too loud or messy or crude or clumsy. We clearly belong out there in the jungle with the wild animals who don’t scare us because we are one of them, and we have the protection of the magic peanut and an invisible chorus of males to give us the courage to battle fiercely.
We aren’t big yet, or strong, and we can’t make the muscles grow very much, so we substitute courage. Long before our peanut becomes a pecker, we are trying to reassure ourselves that we have balls.

We go around pretending to ourselves that we’re big, powerful men, but our mothers keep reminding us that we are still little boys. When we are prepared to test our bravery against the forces of darkness in the night, mother tells us to brush our teeth and go to bed. Mother treats us as if she, not we, owned our bodies and our lives. Mother isn’t even fazed by our magic peanut. We’re still her baby, and as much as we love that when we’re hurting or when we need her service, she can bring us back from the soaring fantasy world of masculinity to the inglorious little life of a child.

We long for our father. We wear his clothes, and actually try to fill his shoes. Anything of his is charmed and can endow us with his masculinity. We hang onto him, begging him to teach us how to do whatever is masculine, to throw balls or be in the woods or go see where he works. We spend so much more time with our mother we begin to fear that she will tame us from being the wild animals that we now must be. We want our fathers to protect us from coming too completely under the control of our mothers. We fear that femaleness might be contagious and we don’t want it to rub off on us. We want to be seen with Dad, hanging out with men and doing men things.

We practice our masculinity, trying to develop enough of it. We feel a bit foolish with it, like imposters, so we practice it in front of mirrors and around strangers, trying to learn how to swagger, trying to mimic the men we admire. We always overdo it. If we have a father (or uncle or grandfather) we know and admire, and we can find him in ourselves, we can imitate him. If our older brother will give us the time of day we can use him as a model, though he probably hasn’t gotten his act polished yet, either. We may have to imitate stars or sports heroes and we may have to look to the other boys our own age– also posturing– to tell us when we’re overdoing it.

As boys without bonds to their fathers grow older and more desperate about their masculinity, they are in danger of forming gangs in which they strut their masculinity for one another, often overdo it, and sometimes turn to displays of fierce, macho bravado and even violence. "

Exerpts from "Man Enough" by Frank Pittman, M.D.

2. Living with a woman

2009-12-28T03:52:00.000-08:00

"To be a real man, we must do more than bed a woman, however expertly: we must mate a woman. We must actually partner, a woman. This can be confusing to men: on the one hand we gain manhood by escaping a woman, and on the other hand, we gain our manhood by putting ourselves in full and equal partnership with another woman. How can that be? Aren’t all women the same, just incarnations of the same virgin/mother/crone that has been seducing, terrifying, nurturing, and dominating us all along?

We approach each woman as if she were our mother, come to punish us for independence by taking our puberty away. It takes balls to get all the way into the partnership of marriage. It isn’t easy to explain this to a woman, because it sounds too dumb, but women don’t hear the same incessant voices men hear.

The garden variety of men who can’t commit are suffering from hyper masculine panic, in which they are still waiting for their penis to get bigger before they dare put their balls in the hands of a woman. To feel fully masculine, a man must not only win a woman, he must satisfy her. A woman can utterly deflate a man by refusing to be aroused, or if things get to that point, by refusing to be satisfied. (“I am the Earthmother and you are all flops.” “I know the game. If you’re not a stud, you’re a houseboy.” “Which are you baby? Houseboy or stud?” So goes Martha’s test in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?)

Many men live even more dangerously, by requiring that a woman respond orgasmically to his penis, of all things! He’s orgiastic over his penis so he assumes she should be, too.

In marriage, we are playing a new role, discovering the female perspective and the limitations of being male. Are we able to be partners with someone whose perspective is different from our own, and then go through a lifetime with binocular vision? Or must we protect ourselves by choosing hierarchically and protecting our maleness from her femaleness, playing our male role to her female role, going through life marching to the brilliant tune of our militant chorus? We know how powerful our mother was when we were little, but is our wife that powerful to us now? Must we relive our great deed of escape from mama with every other woman in our life?

Each man may have to remind himself, as many times a day as necessary, that he is how and forever a man, that this woman beside him is not his mother, that she is not the source of his masculinity, that she can not take it away, and that he will not enhance it by escaping her. Maybe if he sticks around for a while and opens up to her a bit and gets to know her, he may even discover that she’s not feeling especially powerful, either."

Exerpts from "Man Enough" by Frank Pittman, M.D.

2009-12-28T03:36:00.000-08:00

I celebrate masculinity.

As a woman who may partner a king and raise sons, I must say my greatest read this past year was 'Man Enough' by Frank Pittman, M.D.

The next few articles will seek to share a bunch of things I've learned- they might just save a life..
Any man, woman or child will appreciate the insight brought out from a great father, lover and friend perspective. Check it out!

"1. THE GREAT DEED
A boy does not become a man just by running away. He would be hounded by guilt and shame and self-doubt forever. First, the boy must pay his mother back for giving and sustaining his life. That is a hell of a debt to pay off. The classic solution to the mother-son dilemma is for the boy to go off to war to protect the mother he leaves behind. He is thus leaving her, joining the other boys, taking on an adult role, and fulfilling his responsibilities to his mother by offering up his life for her in payment for the life she gave him.

The boy may achieve a great success in the world that makes his mother proud. The young professional athletes who buy their mothers a mansion or Rolls-Royce before they can leave home and get married…
The boy who wants to ransom from his mother may have to settle for a different kind of great deed. He may simply bring home a wonderful daughter-in-law, who makes both him and his mother happy. He may even send his new bride over to do the things a dutiful child would do.

Of course, best of all, he may bring home grandchildren who will give the mother some connection to the future. Becoming a man and a husband and a father, while still being a son, is all that a mother could have hoped for anyway. But does he know that that is quite enough?

A real man doesn’t have to run from his mother, and may even have to face the reality that no great deed is going to be great enough for him to ransom himself completely, and he may always be in his mother’s debt. If he understands that, he won’t have to run away, he won’t have to feel guilty, and he won’t have to please her completely. He can go ahead and be nice to her and let her be part of his life.

When men pull back from family life, it causes a critical overload on the relationship between mother and child. Without father, mother is never enough but always too much.

By the ’80s, in films like Terms of Endearment and Steel Magnolias, mothers came back into favor. As women gained more power in the world, children felt less guilt about leaving them, and the culture no longer had to imagine mothers as dangerous. Mothers who run for governor, take up painting, or find a new husband seem safely powerful; the mothers who languish at home alone and helpless seem threateningly powerless, and therefore in need of their children’s lives to make their life complete.

But we seem more afraid of mothers if they have no life except us. We are able to forgive our mothers anything except loving us more than they love themselves. We are willing to enshrine our mothers in positions of honor only if they are too busy with their own careers and their own affairs to come to the ceremony..."

The beauty of it all

2009-12-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weanesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Sometimes, it feels awkward being in my skin. I wonder whether other people feel the same in their own skins too.
Today, I realized how many fallacies surround me. I remembered how evolving 'truths' are always implanted in memory- they cannot remain constant; they have to adapt every time to fit each and every situation.
I see how liquid everything can be. How shifty deception is. I wonder about times I've built principles, habits, beliefs, on such foundations. It kinda scares me how easy it is to dis-appear from reality, from truth, from all that really matters- and probably always will.
And I'm glad you're with me. I'm glad you relive truth and love. Some are on a quest for truth and love. For me- they found me, when you found me.
There are races I'll never have to run- they're not my own; Bridges I'll never have to cross- they're not for me; Battles I'll never have to fight- at least never alone; Tears I will never have to cry, paths i may not need to walk; Achievements I'll never have to strive.
I'm living on a set out path. I am not an accident and today is not just another day. You planned it,are very much in control.
Teach me to trust you.
Teach me to walk with you.
Teach me to love you.
Teach me to listen.
Teach me how to follow.
Teach me to enjoy you.
Let me swing with you.
Allow me to be wild for you.
Allow me to experience beauty with you.
Allow me to cry with you.
Let me know you.
Let me grow in you.

X0X0

eXam wEek

2009-12-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

'Me my answer is so-oo simpo, like de butt of Bert Simpson.' Amusing.
So.. I am a celebrity. Get me out of here.
Eve, Adam's lifelong partner, is a different mug of beer. Did you know, About 500 Americans die every year from asphyxia, trying to get a more powerful orgasm? - Fact. Random.

Hmm.. Hate. The game, not the player. Already. Amarula diluted with soda. So cooL!
NOT.
Rat-eating stars. U.I. - user interface. They stole his past, now he's taking back his future. Hardwired. When love conflicts with duty, call Pamela Oldfield. Dedan Kimathi's last moments. Redsan. ODE and PEV- could they be long-distant cousins?

Bikini edition. Some cattle thieves. Kissinger- quite the name. Ati international diplomacy. Witches and brooms. All that jazz...
I have a room called 'stuff'. It's in my house.
Is tomorrow here yet?

Happy beyond repair. You know what..? Maybe his nuts are frozen.
I hear the world ain't just black and white. Cutex. The reds, greens, greys and violets. Of the world. Randomnesia.
A6. Craze in. So.. showerheads- what's with them anyway?
Going Martian. Third-rate football teams. Threesomes- just love 'em. Interest rates just went up- not again! IMAX.

Blackberrying- Definition: picking wild berries from a bush ..YEP! - Just looked it up. Skeletons.
Can't take a joke.

So.. are you still the devil.. 'coz it's global recession and all. Darn Mohawks- they look so-oow good.
On everyone else.
Oops..! so.. my sausage just fell in the sink. Again.. and my hat went in to rescue it? WT..
Blackforest, I hereby take you- to be my forever love. I will not cheat on you- ..with another blackforest.

(Unless of course a sweeter blackforest comes along.. then we'll wonder about post-nups..)

Snapping back to reality

No. Wait. Honey-cake.. can we have a pre-nup?

Candles and clocks. Casinos, death and taxes.
Smiling bookmarks.

Can I just keep writing or go watch a movie..?
Who feels like reading anyway..?!- It's eXam wEek. 'N me thinks i'm coming down with a serious bout.
Of randomnesia.

Ok. I'm taking a break. It's Ow-ficial.

(Anyone else wish that sounded half as cool as ay-howl, tho..?)
I Do.

I Now Know...

2009-11-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

I've nEver bEen aloNe; YOu loVe me in spite of me; I'm stronger than I think I am; I still HAte undue influence; Bitchy can be cool; You still RoCk 10 years on; You're my greatest weakness and my greatest strength; I'd do anyThinG for yoU; GueSs I'll aLwayS be sTuck with You- might as wEll be hAppy while at it..

You can be sweet when you want to be; I'd rather get rained on with you and dance with you still; You're full of surprises- in fact, so pRedIctably so; You can be fUn too; Sometimes, I like you... right now- not so sure.

You maKe me mad- not that I miNd; You're my love;
You brIng out the bEst- and the woRst too, in mE; You'Re making soMeone reaLly jealous right now; I wish it could always be this way- we both know better; You have a way with me- you alwaYs haVe and prObably alwaYs wilL; About that point- I think that's undue infLuence, hence unFair, wRong, and just plaiN immoRal; I'm still so in LoVe with yOu;

I like to believe I taught you something- thanks for letting me believe that; You make me feel safe; I don't woRry when I'm with you; You sUcK sometimes; I loVe that I can hate you and i hAte that I can stiLl love you; I'd die if I didn't have you;

I'll neVer have enough to sAy concErning you; I'm gLad i'm sTucK with yOu.

History Of Ethiopia

2009-11-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

I'm currently doing a study of Ethiopia and I think it's a very beautiful country!

Here's a Short History:

"Aksumawi was the son of Ethiopis and the great-grandson of Noah. He established the kingdom of Aksum which is itself the ancestor of modern Ethiopia. Unfortunately a snake took power in Aksum and ruled for four hundred years. The snake was 170 cubits in length, had teeth a whole cubit long, and the people of Aksum had constantly to supply it with milk and virgins. One day a stranger came and slaughtered the snake. The stranger was called Angabo and in turn became ruler of Aksum.
Angabo married the Queen of Sheba, and after he died she left the city of Aksum with 979 camels to visit Solomon in Jerusalem. There, with Solomon guile, he seduced her. Back in Aksum she gave birth to a boy named Menelik, and when he came of age he journeyed to Jerusalem to see his father. When he left Jerusalem he had the Ark of the Covenant. With the Ark the blessing of the Lord was transferred from Jerusalem to Aksum, from the people of Israel to the people of Ethiopia. Menelik was the first of Ethiopia's line of Solomonic rulers.
The land around Aksum was very fertile and it came to be known among the world's peoples as a place of wondrous plenty. Every rock on its open plain was a loaf of bread. Once for eight days showers of gold and pearls and silver fell on its hills and filled the rivers with riches. Palaces and temples swelled the bounds of the city. The graves of its kings were marked by standing stones and with each passing king the stones grew higher until they scraped the underside of the sky.
In 1974, Ethiopia was still ruled by the 225th member of the Solomonic line. Emperor Haile Selassie was then an old man. On the morning of 12th September, Ethiopian New Year, some junior officers of the Derg came to his palace, read out a deposition order and took him away in the back of a Volkswagen.
Derg means 'committee' in Amharic. It was established as a small concession to the armed forces and ended up taking over the whole country. With the emperor gone, the Derg ruled from his palace. In the cellar below the throne room, they imprisoned about 150 men. They were members of the emperor's family, his generals, his government ministers and senior clerics. They were kept there for eight years. When the Derg met in the throne room, the prisoners below could look up from their dungeon and through gaps in the floorboards see the feet of the new rulers pacing back and forth."

The Chains of Heaven, An Ethiopian Romance (Philip Marsden)

Rantings

2009-11-03T22:57:00.000-08:00

I recently killed a cocroach that was sitting on my desk trying to look pretty- and trying it really was.

But before I go any further, just in case there are some insect activists who encounter this- my sincerest apologies and condolences to them 'coz really- the cocroach was just being clueless- no other crime I could think of then. Note: Then.
Of course I've learnt to use my language better in favour of my interests... So I wouldn't really hesitate if you asked me now, to say that I was ideally protecting myself from potential harm-
Imagined or otherwise..
from the cocroach's presence.

A cocroach, if we may indulge, may to the normal anthropologist be a work of art- a masterpiece of creation.. but not exactly an appetising/ enticing thought to a normal, simple, everyday-like creature like 'normal man'...(read me), who prefers to enjoy her meals and generally her hygienic lifestyle without the disturbing thought of potential disease.
Life, if you ask me, has a way of teaching you that the clueless will not many a times stand a chance; and I guess since survival is for the fittest, then it is only fairer, that those in the higher pecking order get to tune themselves to this law of nature..in this case conveniently in favour of.. ME.
Cluelessness. Hmmm.. the very word reminds me of some people I once came across. I think they were my neighbors.
Before I divert, Isn't it so normal (especially when one is having a 'bad day') to look at one who is purpotedly gazing cluelessly, or maybe even, staring, to think angrily ("What do you think you are staring at?!@*")- my exact reaction at the cocroach...
I add, conveniently... and give it a life-giving smack (to its second life, of course)

How I'm jostled by the reality of life; to sit and look out of my own conveniences and into the mirror of others.

You know, I even wonder at this point, whether I'm clueless...

Life lessons

2009-10-11T04:12:00.000-07:00

Stunning vulnerability truly is beauty. It inspires strength. It speaks.

A submission to God is a beauty that emanates, and illuminates us. It inspires, and it draws Him to love and protect us; to strengthen us by his love.
It's amazing how this cogwheel of love, trust and growth are shown in this very basic principle of every true relationship.
A profound truth-
So simple, yet so powerful.
So high, yet so earthly; so humane, so real.

A submission to each other in our daily walk with God inspires a strength, a love and a protection we would otherwise not have known.
It must be experienced to be understood; for no amount of learning can liberate our souls to such a level. It is a truly beautiful experience.
To know we can trust; we can love; and not just love, but be liberated by it.

Submit to others, just as you submit to God. You'll never regret you did!

Quotes

2009-10-11T04:10:00.000-07:00

"Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God."

Quotes

2009-10-11T04:09:00.000-07:00

"The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life, however, is to give it away."

Quotes

2009-10-11T04:06:00.000-07:00

If it didn't endure, It wasn't love..

-Pst.T

Quotes

2009-10-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

"Life is what happens when you're busy worrying about living."

Quotes

2009-10-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Don't fall in love with every good person that comes along.. You know you deserve the best; Only the best belongs to you.! ;>

Science sites

2009-10-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Some useful science sites:

http://www.usborne-quicklinks.com/usa/usa_entity_pages/usa_select_link.asp?lang=usa&lvl=2&id=1025&From=16&To=17">

All you have to do is key in a page number at the bottom of the site page and tadaaaaah! - you get useful website links that I must admit... are very quick!

The above link allows you to key in a range of pages 1-53.

Check it out!

Happy surfing :)

Avowal to Africa

2009-10-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

I think of you, my little bare-foot sister
ebb and flow of odour and shadow
Are you dewdrop in the garden when it dawns?
Are you laughter or the gleam of light that flees the
suffering sky?
Do you feel to the full your doubts, your suns?

Without a dream, without a season,
Without a smile, without a sign
Just in the body of their minds
Just their minds
The longing of nations lingers in your curves
Have you heart enough to thrust me into life?

Little girl, I think so of you, pure-faced Star whom
All things bathe in a light livelier than rivers
Your eyes are first, your country next
At your fingers, a world trembles, on your lips
a gentle thirst
The winged white horses gallop far from earth,
to take your breath away
They clap their hands, they cast light forth
Are you the rich green grass in which joy revels
with a roll?
I think of you, woman of the furry rain forests,

of flesh, of sex,
Hot and full like music, so many promises over there
on your hills, so much softness in a stone,
so many secrets, hunger
and love, so much earth and water, winter and sun,
love and death,
will you be the summer break where a particle of life
hanging from the moonbeam plays?

I think of you, African Woman, tenderness and stream
beneath my thoughts,
At your presence, fail men’s gestures, their words break,
The reflection of your phosphorescent body burns them,
Your hair is the liana where the clawing of insomnia grow
tangled, prompt and tender, you reject them
with primeval gesture:
Forget
But the mirrors are dancing on my body
but the soaked eye slides down the cheek, rolled up into a
handkerchief of blood
But my skull, my skull is swinging
Between the earth and sky without a parachute
Tired, I spin, my heart and hands are empty
As I remember, as if my memory were lived
The couches where I loved, in which two fates were lost.

Extract from "Black Beauties"; Photos Courtesy: African Heritage City