I am a woman and I love everything about being a woman. We are nurturing, compassionate, hardworking, good at communication and generally make good leaders. However, this is an overall generalization of our gender. Our roles have changed in modern society, therefore not all women are “naturally” nurturing.
With that in mind, I had said that I believe women generally make good leaders, but this is when our soft (people) skills that are inherent in women are combined with intelligence, hard work, wisdom and a dash of good luck in having the right people around you.
We need more women in positions of leadership. Women are half of the population, however few countries have 50% representation in their leadership, even the United States of America. We need more women leaders; therefore it was no surprise to hear that much ado was made about Sarah Palin being named as McCain’s running mate. This was reflected in his ratings surging among voters in the American population, especially since a number of female Democrats who supported Hillary Clinton felt that Sarah was a good enough make do for their woman missing out on the party ticket. I thought it was great for him to choose a woman, however, I have issues about the individual he chose.
I worry when people choose women as leaders just because of their gender. Sarah Palin was in no way qualified to be McCain’s second in command, apart from the fact that she was a woman. It’s not PC to say it but it is true. A running mate is next in line to run the country if God forbid, anything happens to the president. Sarah Palin, as governor of Alaska, had never set out of her country before she was nominated. Never set out of her country! Foreign policy is one of America’s biggest issues right now and Mr. McCain chose a running mate who has never set out of her country! Her ignorance on foreign affairs issue as well as her poor grasp of the key issues in the elections is becoming clearer and clearer every time she opens her mouth. It’s especially a shame that he chose Sarah Palin when there are many more qualified and intelligent women in his ranks such as Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison from Texas and let’s not forget Condoleeza Rice who is the Secretary of State! At least twenty-nine more women in his party are more qualified than her on every single level.
It pains me when I see one of the oldest democracies in the world make such a grave mistake. We need more women in leadership positions, however a woman is not fit to be a leader just because she has breasts and a pretty mouth. Placing unqualified women in positions of leadership does more damage to the struggle for gender equality than not having a woman in such a position. Because the naysayers, those who stand in the way of a world where women have equal rights and have an equal voice will say. “ Look! I told you a woman can’t lead! Look at what she is doing.”
We have the same problem in our country; how many of our female leaders have inherited seats from their deceased relatives or been nominated just because they were women who were making noise? Women are unique, no two women are the same; and it is time for the world to stop looking at our gender as a whole and to start looking at us as individuals. As it is with men, some women are capable and some are not, but that doesn’t mean that our entire gender should be denied the chance to lead. I want more women in leadership, but I will say no to incompetent women in leadership positions; a big NO to the Sarah Palin error which does more harm than good for the women’s cause.
Kenyan businesses, especially those that deal with electronic items, have deplorable customer care. to get specific, Anisuma traders, who are Sony’s Service Centre in Kenya should be shut down!!!
I took my camera there to be fixed. They charge an outrageous fee just to look at the camera. That’s ok, I thought when I was paying, everyone deserves to get paid for their labour right? Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
Why? Because they didn’t even fix the problem! And do you know how I found that out? After I took the camera home! If they had carried out tests after apparently fixing it, then they would have seen the problem. Maybe? Perhaps that’s a possible way of knowing you’ve fixed something?
So I return the camera to the ANISUMA Sony No Bloody Service Centre. There is a long line full of grumbling customers and wait my turn. When I finally get to the counter, I’m seething, and the customer no bloody service rep insists that the camera is fixed. I show him my underexposed pictures, which I kept as evidence (thank God for CSI and Cobra Squad- always hold on to the evidence!).
He then reluctantly agrees after conferring with his boss. I hand in my original receipt for him to write that I have returned my camera, which wasn’t serviced at the ANISUMA Sony no damn service unless you bloody beg for it centre! He wonders why I need to have the “collected” sign erased from the original receipt?
“Well maybe it’s because I am returning what I previously collected, therefore you should write received on it as proof of receipt?” I retort.
CSI and Cobra Squad have an apt pupil in me; I always hold on to the ,evidence no matter what- don’t you just love me Horatio!
“So will I get called when it’s fixed?” I ask politely.
“Yes! Yes! Madam! As soon as it’s ready!” He quickly replies.
I leave, although I am tempted to stay on and make sure they fix it, but I have a life outside of standing in line at ANISUMA you’ll get Service, but you’ll wait for it, oh you will makaratasi Service Centre.
Two weeks later; no call. I pick up my receipt and dial the number written on it. The phone is out of order. They are not listed in the yellow pages under electronic repairs, electrical supplies, electrical equipment or incompetent makaratasis! I made up the last listing, but i honestly think that the yellow pages should seriously consider adding that category, it would be so vast, so vast…
I work in Lavington; therefore leaving work to go all the way to town to find out if they have fixed my camera is an inconvenience for me and it will be for them too…
Where do I start?Too much to complain about so let me talk about something that made me laugh hysterically this morning as I was having my cup of tea.Don’t you love the papers?They always have interesting information.Much better than big brother.the article that has inspired me?Well apparently our distinguished and well decorated head of state Kibaki of kumbaff infamy has urged donors to waive debts.Someone must be growing his weed next to a tannery coz he cant possibly hav the audacity to urge for developed, but increasingly broke donor countries to waive debts when his den of theives are getting outrageous allowances that they refuse to tax!Is he serious?No really!
Here’s a tip your honorable sir-try taxing your buddies and maybe perhaps cut down on corruption, get money back from pattni,half of kenya back from our first presidents family and then you might be able to improve our country’s financial situation and credibility.and then he harps on about vision 2030.
Right now we are facing a partly man made shortage of maize in our country.at one hundred bob,a packet of maize costs more than what many people live on each day.if our country has no ugali to eat now, how will we have the energy and will to build this country my lord?
It’s time to end this farce.My sides hurt from laughing. It’s time to stand up, leave the theatre and get things done in the real world.a note to our president,revolutions are started by people with nothing to loose, and you and your pack are giving many Kenyans a lot of nothing.viva la revolution!
DARK KNIGHT REVIEW
I watched Batman begins two years ago, but didn’t think much of it to be honest. While it was an exciting movie, with great acting and special effects, I felt that Christopher Nolan’s debut feature film Memento was still his best effort yet.
Then I watched Dark Knight. This movie transcends its action movie genre. It had brilliant action sequences, good costuming, casting and dramatic structure. My only gripes were one, the casting of Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel – because the part where the Joker says, “My! Aren’t you beautiful”, doesn’t quite ring true, no offense to Maggie who is a good actress in her own right. The second issue I had was the length, it felt a bit drawn out in the last act, but maybe that had something to do with the fact that I watched it at nine.
Despite those two factors it was a great movie, a modern day fable. It’s the kind of movie we’ll watch in 50 years with our grandkids, and not care that the special effects are a bit outdated at that time. The Dark Knight was a journey into the darkest parts of men’s souls, men who still hold on to hope, men who have given up on it as well as men who never had it to begin with.
The Dark Knight is a story about hope and faith – the fragility of these two emotions, which literarily keep the whole world from spinning into chaos. Look at the Joker, who is driven insane by a lack of faith in the goodness of humanity. Harvey Dent, Gotham’s White Knight, is a beacon of hope in the movie, but life’s tragedies got the better of him, turning him into the vindictive Two-Face. His transformation is dramatic, psychologically and physically, yet in times of extreme despair many idealists in the real world turn on their very ideals that defined their existence.
Yet despite the fall from grace of Gotham’s White knight, even those condemned by society still cling on to their faith in humanity. The two ferries and two bombs sequence summed up the essence of the entire movie, Gotham’s residents have no choice but to hold on to our hope that good will always prevail, no matter what happens.
Batman realizing who he has to become in order to defeat the most evil of evil is amazing to watch. Many people have criticized Batman’s extremely hoarse voice, but it works for his character. Batman is not good nor is he evil, he is the outlaw who operates on the fringes of society in order to create order in the midst of chaos.
This movie has more than entertainment value; there are a lot of lessons to learn in this movie. Globally and nationally we are experiencing dark times with terrorism, inflation and general apathy. Just as the residents of Gotham had to learn, we must cling onto the hope for a better future after the darkest of nights, or we will go mad.
WHO OWNS AFRICA?
Who owns Africa?
A land once owned by those who worshiped it,
Once covered with fields ploughed with love,
The man came, saw, conquered and left behind
A generation of people who razed their own fields,
who created stone prisons and new memories;
Memories of lush homes, storied buildings in
towns that were built on land that once fed us all,
Land that once united us but now divides us.
Neither the towns nor the storied buildings belong to us,
We gave our pound of flesh for loans disguised as boons,
to build these stone prisons run by a bunch of goons.
We traded in our treasures for these stone towns, stone prisons,
We hold them dearer than those who own them lock and key,
One day they will come to collect.
Who owns Africa?
NOTES:
Musings inspired by looking down at London Bridge and part of East
London over a year ago; from the highest point of the Monument.
Maybe it was standing at that height or fatigue from climbing the stairs 390 something stairs plus!
However I think there is some sense somewhere in between the ramblings.
