lift up your empty plates and sufurias and march on

Kenya is winning. Well at least as far as athletics is concerned. We are doing well on that end but as far as food and fuel prices are concerned, just like most of the world, we are loosing.

I went home this evening with finance minister and assistant Prime Minister Uhuru. Well, to be fair his motorcade sped past my over-priced “matatu”. His motorcade by the way consisted of two expensive fuel guzzlers. A few minutes later I saw an uninterested Uhuru announcing a 2 shilling fuel reduction on the 9 o’clock news . It got me thinking; our leaders have no idea what we are raising hell over. 

Here is why I think so, fuel prices rose by around 13 shillings and for the leaders who already spend tens of thousands of shillings on fuel every month, it meant nothing for their expenditure but a little extra pocket change they probably did not notice.  But what does the rise mean for the common mwananchi? Well, personally I’d pay about fifty shillings from home to town but now have to pay a hundred.

The effect trickles down to food prices as well and again, I highly doubt an increase in maize flour by a few shillings would hurt the mheshimiwa’s wife’s pocket. Ugali is probably not the staple food at the mheshimiwa’s house anyway. 

It is for this reason that I support Kenyans picking up their empty plates and sufurias and taking to the streets tomorrow. Perhaps this might open our leader’s eyes more. My only hope is that the demonstration does not turn into a riot as seen before. It beats the logic to protest against economical difficulty while destroying property.

Looking at Uganda I am proud of the Kenyan government. There is an adage “I might not agree with what you have to say but I shall by all means fight for your right to say it”. Museveni and the Ugandan government or whoever is in charge of banning protests in Uganda must have never heard of this adage. The Ugandan official opposition leader has for the third time in less than a week been manhandled and arrested while attempting to peacefully walk to work. Now, museveni must be trying to shatter the man’s spirit but dear sir, the more attention and resistance you give Besigye, the more you make his plight relevant. Doesn’t this fellow have advisers? 

All in all it is good show of leadership on Besigye’s side. It’s absurd for a government to continuously ignore its people’s cries. Its more absurd for the same government to allegedly spend an equivalent of ksh.60  billion on fighter jets to prepare for heaven knows what war while its people bear with sky-rocketing inflation rates.

I would like to see any of our leaders walk from Karen or whatever leafy suburb they live in to the city. After all, the IDP’s did almost 140 kilometers to come plead their very important case and none of the politicians came to their rescue.

sod off col.GADDAFI (for Fally)

Although I have not been keenly following the arab world revolution, the Libyan case has come to my attention as one that is quite interesting. In the recent past I have found that it is best to not pay too much attention on issues that I have no control of and focus instead obn those that I do.

Of late however, I have started using twitter and while the whole thing is a disaster and not half as good as facebook as far as socializing goes, it is quite informative on world politics and trends. So GMA (good morning  America)  morning news had it that officials close to Gaddafi  were looking into exile as a possible option for them should the worst come to the worst.

This got me thinking and reading more into the Libyan issue. 1^st things first, a Ugandan fellow known as Museveni does not believe that the west should interfere in the issue…so says the person whose country relies  heavily on the west to take care of its AIDS victims and other poverty stricken citizens through the west’s NGO’s.  What if the west was not to interfere with his little (yet not so little considering we are talking about hundreds of thousands of the “sebos” and “nyabos”)  issue?

I further read on something that shocked me rather than interested me: Israel has promised Gaddafi up to 50,000 troops to aid him in his struggle. Now, why would you aid a leader to fight his own people? This however does not come as a surprise, Libya under Gaddafi has in the past worked with Israel and apartheid south Africa in developing deadly germ and chemical weapons that were used by south Africa in Angola and elsewhere leaving thousands dead.

I personally support what the European Union and the rest of the world that is ant-gaddafi are doing. We do not have to wait for another Rwanda to stop civilian killings by their own leader. I personally have nothing against Gaddafi as a person; on the contrary I think he’s got swag. I just do not think as one columnist put it, that it is fair to force a whole country to live by the rules you wrote in an old book with a worn out green cover.

Another thing, why on earth does Gaddafi’s son speak for the government?  These guys are unbelievable. You cannot run a whole government as if it was  a family factory. That the AU has done too little too late concerning the issue is a show enough that the other African leaders are afraid the same will happen to them. They are living by the adage that “if you live in a glass house you should not throw stones”. Its no wonder most of the leaders that were over thrown in the recent past were so busy looking at the horizon where they would rule forever to notice the people uprising at their feet.

So to the EU, USA, NATO and whoever else is helping those rebels I say Godspeed. And to the people of Libya   “POWER UNTO YOU!! FIGHT ON!!”

For those that argue with Gaddafi’s track record of helping the youth and making Libya what it is today, I leave you with the words of yet another columnist

 “If a man in his youth was graceful and morally upright but in his manhood became a mass murderer, surely, he cannot be judged by his history but by his present”

camp and vals

so its valentines today...the day everybody who is in love is much more in love than any other day of the year. the day single people feel like the world is not right (but not me). the day flower vendors make a killing. the day you might loose you girl to a more romantic bloke. the day you might get married, the day you might be rained on-and you will find it romantic-depending on who you are with...the day i spent doing nothing, absolutely nothing (and no one hehehe)

yeah my day wasn't very valentiny which is not to say am bored or dissapointed...far from it (one of my high school principals used to say that) am actually more happy and content than i thought i would. i dint buy any one flowers or send anyone cards...and i don't think i was supposed to. i did however receive a couple of sweet texts and honestly i didn't reply most of them. one for personal harsh reasons and the others for the simple reason that i was not in the mood and to wish them love and happy times back when i did not me would be lying-and i make it a habit not to lie unless i have to.

i spent most of the day cleaning, listening to music, listening to myself sing (this is quite some work heheh) and just thinking about stuff.

i had a great weekend though...camping, i cant have enough of it. at one point when i make enough money to piss on the world I'll probably grab a tent and camp out somewhere for a year or more...or at least until i get bored of it. so waht did i love about camping?

first, we were camping out by lake naivasha at fisherman's camp and on the 1st morning i woke up early, took a shower and in light clothing headed out to a raft just off the shore of the lake. i watched the sun rise. as the rays split through the reeds, the the raft sway slow over the wind-blown water. and i sat there legs crossed listening to some soft music as the soft breeze blew through my hair and face. birds in packs of four or fives flew above me...probably finding breakfast. and the lake stretched out far leaving only a beatiful shade of blue horizons as far as my eyes could see.

in the evening i set out walking for a few minutes and ended up several kilometers up a hill opposite my campsite. the scene became more breathtaking the more i went up and i kept going. by the time i got hold of myself i had gone over the hill and on to the other side where there was a small village; a true village made up of about 10 or so huts spread out. the walls were of mud and the roofs made of hutch. the village was complete with three cow sheds made of dry maize. it was sunny and the animals lazy so that they the animals carelessly lay by their sheds and stared at me rudely for disturbing their peace.

the women were gathered in one hut fixing their red hair while the men lay under their hut entrances protecting themselves from the scorching sun. the children were the only ones who walked around. they looked at me and laughed. apparently something about me was extremely amusing (i wonder what). on my way back down i came to a rock peak where you could see the whole lake down below...by the time i got back to camp, it was almost dark.

did i mention we were driving a BMW? yes her name is rosy shes a red BMW 520...beautiful thing. Muchi had a few problems with her most of the way but pulled through and boy ain't she a female puller. other than this i got drunk, got naughty and met a few people (note: meet not make friends). at some point i got so high and though i was crawling in a dessert...am now told that i dramatically crawled about a meter and blacked out after that. it was a great weekend...and yes i feel cured now.

happy valentines.

something missing

it went well. it went better than expected B.A.F one was a success. although it started out on a wrong hitch apparently the venue we were holding it was family owned and some of the family members weren't happy with it and so we had a somewhat confrontation. funny really, women older than my mother could stand out and speak rudely to me despite the fact that it wasn't even my decision to hold the event there. where is the love or respect even...sad.

paukwa pakawa people showed up in good numbers and my artists were able to make up for their money. it went well and i couldn't be happier. life is a journey and you learn as you go. although i cannot quite quantify the lessons i am learning from all the happenings i am experiencing and being part of i know i am learning quite alot.

to be able to rise up and say i was wrong is a good lesson and one that i am quite thankful for. there was nothing that taught me this better than B.A.F. to be able to stand up and take responsibility for something you have no control over.

business aside and to more personal issues...the saying "out of sight out of mind" couldn't be truer (if that's even a word). after all is said and done i find myself quite lonely and alone. i find myself angry and frustrated that i can do nothing about a lost friend that i was forced to think of today...more than friend actually. and even though i  feel this, i must be reminded that logic must take center stage before all.

and in this case logic states that i do not go back to this person in any stature. logic and emotion are hard to separate and that i am forced to do. i choose to follow logic. sometimes, when people choose to be what they are...nothing much one can do about it but hope you get over it.

i am looking forward to tomorrow's successes and  achievements, to the fun i am going to have, to the challenges i am going to face, people i am going to meet, mistakes i am going to make, lessons i am going to learn, music i am going to love, forgivenesses that i must make and the moving on that i must do.

May God bless the work of my mind and my body.

horoscope

so today, my horoscope read
"Sagittarius, today you will be like a good-luck charm to your family and friends. It's up to you to motivate people to get going and have fun together. Show them your enthusiasm for life. Anyone would be extremely lucky to cross your path today. Your world is full of joy, creativity, and laughter. You're a real inspiration to the people around you."

funny relationship with this horoscope. i find it interesting to read when it does get my day almost correctly or when it's promising like today and on the days  it does not it gibberish. so i like it today...its got a positive vibe going on plus its an almost correct analysis of this day.

this is one of my happy days...am looking forward very much to the next few hours. an event am organizing is taking good shape but as always am expecting a few disappointments here and there, i hope they do not overshadow the success but am optimistic.

and atfer today i have camp tomorow...the weeknd cannot get better. and the camp has nothing to do with valentines (am as single and alone as life can possibly allow) which actually saves me alot of money. the camp is just one of those fun random things we do.

3 hours or so from now...i might have a different story...hope it will be a good writing home.

music that makes my world go round II

still cannot stop writing. writing about music as is turning out is quite enjoyable so here are a few more from my 25 most played play-list.
now i dont listen to very much hip hop and in my top 25, Drake accounts for more than five of the tracks. not drake bell the rock guy, drake the Canadian-he of the young money fame. i am addicted to this guy. he seems to sing my life with his verses. as such i shall not just quote one of his songs but rather i shall pick versus from my three favorite tracks. take them as ...poetry stanzas

drake-dreezy
hurt-remix
this song is the 13th track from mix tape heart-break drake 4. there is an unidentified female voice in the track it starts out

"aint nothing worse than the hurt you receive from love
when you get hurt by the one you living for
pain can make you wanna love no more..."

the chorus goes something like

'so many tears ave cried and all for nothing am afraid to say
loving you no more, i just...i cant...i just cant be loving you no more
i love you more than i love myself..."

one of the lines i find most captivating in this song and perhaps one i relate to most is...

"ave been dependent on your love for so long,
punishment for me is trying to move on..."

there is no doubt what the song is about.

karaoke
this is the 2nd track from the album "thank me later". i believe this song is based on an experience he had with Alicia or some girl like that and the song is basically about a girl who leaves him because she believes his life too much.in the song he tries to explain that he must do what he has to. the song is really about the things and people you loose in the race to succeed; i very much relate to that.
the chorus ain't that great (mostly because he auto-tunes it himself himself) but the song is magical.here are some lines that get me

 "things have been crazy and hectic, i should have gotten back by now
  but you knew how much i wanted to make it, its probably better anyhow..."

"isnt it ironic the girl i want to marry is a wedding palnner
then she tells me my life is too much and then moves to Atlanta...
am always up too late and i worry about you there alone, in that place you call your home...
i hope you dont get known for nothing crazy
because no man likes to hear stories like that about his lady..."

the final nail on the casket however is

"dont be fooled by the money, am still just young and lucky, am surprised you couldnt tell
i was only trying to get ahead"

where
this is the 2nd track from "heartbreak drake 4" mix tape. this song is simply about those people that dont give two shakes about you...until you get something that interest them and oh my goodness they love you. though its only two and a half minutes this song could speak for my whole life.

"took it from signing my own yearbook to booked for the year..."

" i find it kinda ironic you fit with them, coz they weren't around when it wasn't appealing..."

"before this i could never get a call from y'all, now all texts finish xoxo..."

"the difference with me is i don't foregt the past and you gave me nothing so ama give you nothing right back"

"where were you when i was passed out, cashed drought, assed out...i know u here now but..."

music that makes my world go round

i love music but ordinarily this would not be a topic i would write on. i am however battling mentally with something right now that i do not care to discuss with anyone and frankly do not care to continue thinking about for it is not worth my time and effort. therefore the only thing i can do right now is write and write and write until i can write no more while listening to music of course. so yes i shall write about writing and music...how cool is that?

so lat me get to it. let me talk about my about play-list, the music i like most and why...here we go...top 25 most played. (ipod nano is a work of wonder by the way) let me start close home;

sauti sol-sunny days

  i went to high school with these guys (which is not the reason i like them). they are a talented lot,the best in Kenya if you ask me

their album "mwanzo" is a true work of art and though i love 90% percent of the tracks in it i find myself often listening to this specific track.

the song starts with quite a happy chap whistling and you can almost see him hoping down the street joyfully.
this song gets me on the first few lines

"sunny days, beautiful people pass my way
butterflies and bubble bees, nectar in the air
so i said hip hop hurray!! a brand new day
breath of fresh air to me...smile for me baby"

other lines such as  "music is my life, music is my time..bringing me better days,all i can do is sing" just take me out of this world.

this song brightens up any of my blue days and the chorus is as meaningless as it is meaningful and harmonious.

sometimes when we touch-Bonnie Tyler

what gets me about this song is the deepness and the emotion that it is sung with it...the song is literally love. again i cannot stress enough on the urgency and deepness that the song carries. and why wouldn't it with such lines as
" u ask me if i love you, and i choke on my reply
i would rather hurt you honestly, than mislead you with a lie"

and the chorus
"sometimes when we touch, the honesty is too much
that i have to close my eyes and hide,i wanna hold you till i die
till we both break down and cry, i wanna hold you..."

"am just another writer, still stuck in my truth"

this is one of those songs that you break down to.