Monday, 24 October 2011

US AND TOILETS –WHY DO WE DISLIKE EACH OTHER SO MUCH?

Just contemplating on the above subject is enough to give one jitters.
Without self analysis and critical examination, one cannot be honest. Honesty is a very expensive piece of information.

Like some proof?
Ask any wealthy person to give you the price for honesty…tell them you want truth at any cost. Watch their faces; listen to the tone of their voices. You will observe a certain degree of discomfort in their reaction.
Truth is annoying and that is why we had the hacking scandal via News of The World earlier this year. The owners of News of The World kept denying. Denial is the best weapon for avoiding the truth.
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Tuesday, 4 October 2011

JE, KWANINI OMBI LA WAPALESTINA KUJIUNGA NA UMOJA WA MATAIFA NI MUHIMU KWETU SOTE?

Wiki iliyopita kiongozi wa Wapalestina, Mahmoud Abbas, alipigiwa makofi alipotoa hotuba ya dakika 35 kuutaka Umoja wa Mataifa uwatambue wananchi wake kama taifa huru.
“Wakati umefika, “ alieleza, “kwa wanaume, wanawake na watoto wetu kuwa na maisha ya kawaida. Kulala salama wakijua wataamka bila woga wa nini kitatokea kesho yake asubuhi.” 
Wapo waliompinga; mathalan Hamas, iliyodai kuna njia  bora zaidi kuwasukuma Wayahudi watambue haki za Wapalestina. Hamas ilisema Wapalestina lazima watumie nguvu kujikomboa badala “ya kuupigia magoti” Umoja wa Mataifa.

Mahmoud Abbas akiwa na bango la kiongozi maarufu wa Wapalestina Yasser Arafat....

Mrengo huo wa mawazo  unathibitishwa na Wamarekani walioshasema dhahiri kwamba watatumia kura ya “veto” ndani ya Baraza la Usalama kuzuia Wapalestina kuwa taifa huru. Kihistoria kura ya “veto” ilishatumika miaka ya nyuma kuyatia kabali masuala mbali mbali ya kimataifa. Iko mikononi mwa mataifa matano: Marekani, Uingereza, Urusi, Ufaransa na China.
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Friday, 16 September 2011

GREED HAS EVOLVED INTO A DANGEROUS MONSTER POST 1967 ARUSHA DECLARATION ERA

Monument symbol of the historical declaration in Arusha 1967 that changed  Tanzanian course for many decades...

Prior to the 1967 Arusha Declaration it was common for the new African political elite to party and enjoy. An expression that evolved in Kenya via then President Jomo Kenyatta applauded greed.
Enjoy the fruits of Uhuru” the late Mzee Kenyatta is quoted to have said.
The late Jomo Kenyatta, first President of Kenya, he died in 1978.

 Political critics coined the word “Wabenzi” to describe the African ruling class because of their preference to the luxurious German Mercedes-Benz. Mwalimu Nyerere had written in his 1962 book on
Ujamaa that after winning Uhuru we cannot accept a society of “haves and have-nots.”
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BRAND TANZANIA, 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF WORLD ATHLETICS

Think about this.
You are seated watching recently ended World Athletics in Daegu, South Korea. Every time you see a group of Kenyan and Ethiopian runners win medals you clap. You yell loudly when the TV presenters say “look at those amazing East Africans.”
Which over joys you. But you are not quite content. Of course you are happy for the Kenyans who also speak Swahili. Yes. East Africans are doing very well. On a global level they are up there amongst the Americans, Russians and Britons. Kenya where images of starving children and women have decorated world wide television suddenly means glory, glory, glory.
Are you still watching?
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“STAYCATION” AND HOW WAZUNGU ARE COPING WITH CURRENT DIFFICULT ECONOMICS

“Portmanteau” is a blending of two or more words to form one; for example smog (smoke and fog), brunch (breakfast and lunch), Wikipedia (Wiki and Encyclopaedia) or to be more familiar Tanzania (Tanganyika and Zanzibar).
Linguistically speaking, portmanteau was popularised by English author and mathematician Lewis Carroll in the 19th century, very fond of playing with words. German poet and journalist Heinrich Heine of the same era also loved the lingual form and created at least 60 “portmanteaux” (note the French plural form). In Kiswahili portmanteaux are quite common too, e.g. Lelemama (a traditional East African coast dance), Darubini (microscope), Runinga (television), etc.

German writer, Heinrich Heine, fond of portmanteux...
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Sunday, 28 August 2011

KIFO CHA MWANAMUZIKI AMY WINEHOUSE NA FUNDISHO KWETU BONGO

Moja ya nyumba zilizoporwa wakati wa ghasia mjini London majuma mawili yaliyopita ni ya  mwanamuziki maarufu wa Kiingereza , Amy Winehouse aliyefariki mwezi Julai.
Ingawa uchunguzi wa nini hasa kilichomuua ungali ukiendelea hadi Oktoba, Amy Winehouse alifahamika kuwa mchapa pombe kali na dawa za kulevya wakati wa maisha yake mafupi ya miaka 27.
Mwanamuziki huyu Myahudi alikuja juu 2003 kutokana na kipaji chake cha sauti nzito ya kupendeza juu ya utenzi wa maneno  aliyoyaandika kwa ustadi sana.
Akiwa shuleni alifukuzwa sababu ya tabia ya bashasha, kutosikiliza aliloambiwa, kutoboa pua. Aliimba kila mara darasani akawakera waalimu. Ingawa hakuwa bado mlevi ufundi  wake wa muziki (alipiga pia gitaa) ulimpatia nafasi ndani ya vyuo mbalimbali vya sanaa ikiwepo Sylvia Young Theatre School.


Amy akiwa na babake Mitch Winehouse. Picha  Shaun Curry wa Getty Images.
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Friday, 26 August 2011

POSITIVE LESSONS FROM LONDON’S TANZANIAN EMBASSY

I am not an expert on the holy Quran.
 However, words from Sura 2- The Cow (the oldest of the Medina Chapters said to have been revealed in April 622) may illuminate today’s topic about Ramadan.
 “Oh believers! A fast is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may fear God.”

"Sala" or prayers during the Futari at the Embassy last week. Pic by Urban Pulse

Fear of God is one of the most revered words in all religions. And this fright was better elaborated by Sheikh Mohammed Nassor (of East London mosque) when closing a Futari dinner at the Tanzanian High Commission last Saturday.
 Insisting on unity and love the esteemed Sheikh explained: “You should not fear God but rather stay closer to Him.”
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