Mashada Blogs » February 9, 2009

You Missed This: The Hague: Proven Euthanasia to Impunity

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:32:00 -0500

The engines of The Hague express are revving and rearing to go. Kenya’s GATE KEEPERS are scared to the bone marrow.

True, impunity mutates and in Kenya it has a price tag. Thank Mother Nature to small mercies. By one stroke of genius, Justice Waki sealed all the loopholes and the rats are enjoying the run to no where inside the maze.

The political savages are out renting MPs. The big boys weaned on Kenyan’s blood and sweat are doing only what they know best, throwing KES 1m loose change to rookie MPs salivating to gobble as much as they can fearing for their political future. Given this poisoned political environment, Hague remains our singular refuge from this bunch of scoundrels.

With phase I of the GCG premised on entrenching SECURITY IN NUMBERS with regards to corruption and grand looting almost accomplished, it is time to scheme big with eyes singularly trained on the ultimate political trophy come 2012. So why not rent mouths to take Kenyans one more circular round doled in a local tribunal as the vultures cycle carcase Kenya for the choicest of remaining skeleton.

You don’t need to be a NASA scientist to see what the attempts to trash KNHRC findings amounts to. Forget the street rants packaged as pedestrian justification of the right to be hard. The war lords were unreachable and untouchable when they were busy marshaling their militia to decapitate fellow Kenyans. Emptying Nakumatt shelves of all machetes was more of a priority than appearing before civil shenanigans masquerading as seekers of justice.

Judicially failed state
Make no mistake. No Kenyan big gun is comfortable with the Hague where Moreno Ocampo reigns supreme with his meticulous and ruthless prosecution that no wallet can buy. When push graduates to a shove even our local Pol Pot is not sure when the Khmer Rogue generals will spill the beans detailing the massacre organized at his address. Al Bashir may soon be in good company and benefit from Kenyan version of security in numbers.

Most of the MPs are only playing hard ball to hike the value of their lips. Inadvertently Kenyans stand to gain immensely in their selfish plot to derail the formation of a local tribunal which only flag off Hague Express. Speak of unintended wider gain.

Let the faint hearted and smaller version of the present political vermin wax patriotic all the much they wish. We are already a failed state except in name. Let the Hague help sort us out from our perennial mess. We already have our national bum aired to the world and no more share in exposing the smelly rot underneath to the international arena.

In our collective and shameless penchant to live a national lie, we have slept so long with fleas oblivious of the danger thereof. Well, only The Hague can comprehensively disinfect us as a nation.Kumekucha

Mshairi: Mshairi’s week of love: 3

Mshairi — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:30:54 -0500

Silence

She sits there where she can see your eyes
Fill with faithless tears
She sits close to hear your hushed voice
Murmur words of sweetness and love to another
Desiccated lips stricken in silence
She says nothing
A smouldering flame spreads beneath her skin
A feverish ague shakes her body
She says nothing
Teardrops sting her eyes
She sees nothing
Her soul clenched in sadness
Her spirit broken
She feels nothing
In her ears a deafening roar yet
She hears nothing but
The thousand chimes
Of a rupturing heart

And still she says nothing

Memories, Sentiments, Rants and Raves: 25 Random Things About Me

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:02:00 -0500

(copied off my facebook, Shiroh am getting to your tag.)

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. My friends are 90% male with like five women that am not related to who I consider to be my sister-friends.
2. I love Uganda, there is something about it that just unleashes my wild alter ego.
3. I know without doubt that if I get to be half the woman my mother I am a sure success.
4. My dad still thinks of me as a little girl and I sometimes act like it when am around him.
5. I disconnect from people and situations with ease. Once my mind is made up I leave and cannot be convinced otherwise.
6. I come off as standoffish and harsh to people who don’t know me.
7. I still get nightmares when I watch scary movies so I generally stay away from them.
8. To sleep I have to be tired so most evenings I do at least half hour of aerobics and shower.
9. I love to read and listen to music .
10. My family is most important to me and I talk to them every Sunday evening
11. I go home(being my parents house) whenever I feel under the weather and at least once every month.
12. Most of the men in my life treat me as one of the boys and are protective of me.
13. I am not fashion conscious and prefer to be comfortable more than fashionable any day.
14. I love to cook and my weekends are used trying out various recipes.
15. I don’t know how to ask for money or help.
16. I love and enjoy being in school ,learning and discussing my point.
17. I am an ambivert.
18. I am friends with all my exes.
19. I am poor at keeping in touch.
20. I hate drama/confrontation and will almost always walk away.
21. I love God and all things related to Him.
22. Am a closet geek.
23. I blog.
24. I love traveling alone and outdoor activities.
25. I have skinny dipped at last 3 times in the last year.(See #2)

Farmgal: Soliciting…..

farmgal — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:47:56 -0500

Hi all… I would like to ask anyone out there to please please buy me a Nairobi-San Diego plane ticket. It’s $1700 return. Any secret valentines I have out there, this is what I would really love. The sevens start on the 14th…. Thank you!

AfriGadget: “Scratch and sniff” Africas HeroRATS

Paula — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:51:29 -0500

I know, 2008 was the year of the rat - so I’m a year late….guilty as charged, but then again, things are ‘never late in Africa’ are they?

I heard about this extraordinary use of rats years ago and am hoping that sharing it today will bring a smile to many faces. Although Mozambique’s civil war ended nearly two decades ago, unexploded ordinance continues to be a major cause of injury and death. But now they have a solution. Rats! Local giant rats are being trained and employed to assist in mine detection.

De-mining rat

The rats are attached to little red harnesses and guided down the length of a 100-square-meter field by their trainer. When the rat hits on a suspected mine, it stops, sniffs and starts to scratch. These rats are not only huggable, but they are smart (unlike some African politicians who are neither smart nor huggable), they work fast - two can cover 200 sq m per day - an area that takes a human 2 weeks. And are too light to detonate the mines they’re sniffing so don’t worry, they do not go BOOM…splat!

The project to train rats started in Tanzania as a collaboration between Belgians and Tanzanians at Sokoine University through an organization called APOPO. They call the rats HeroRATS and their website is full of information, history, heroRAT worship and yes, you can even adopt a HeroRat for 5 Euro per month, chose between Allan, Chosen One, Kim or Ziko.

Adopt a HeroRat for 5 Euro per month

and by the way when I said “giant rat” I meant, “GIANT rat”!

After finding a mine, the giant Gambian rat is rewarded with a banana

Rats have the amazing record of being able to detect mines 95% of the time. If only all our politicians would work this hard and for a banana….. I keep hoping against hope…

For more scientific information, read this article in the Journal of Mine Action