Dambisa, Obama, Economy...lawd help me!

So after my hiatus (that's right! I learnt a new English word!), I have decided to blog a little...even though I have loads of things to do.
I can not even tell you how much stress I have been under....lawd gimme the strength! It has been hard, but I am here, and I am happy, and I know how strong I can be.

Will fill you in as we go along over the days...
So in the mean time, I got a new job ...yay! I also get my own company toys: lap top and cell phone and all, I am sooo excited! There are going to be sooo many changes in my life this year, it's not even funny!
I still don't have my passport...but my mummy is here, and she will take care of it. That's her job as a mummy:-)

So moving on....Dambisa Moyo: Dead aid
There has been much ado about this Zambian lady who went to the same secondary school as I did. She has been described as beautiful by some papers, intelligent by others, and some locals complained about her weave...lol, which reminds me I need to get a new hair do.
My views on her book are thus:
if "corrupt" governments can't adequately help the general masses with donor funds...what will their incentives be without aid?
The title of the book suggests Africa is a country and not a continent. Solutions for Ghana can not be solutions for Zambia. They are not equal.
China doesn't keep profits in Africa when it makes money and surely the poor don't profit from that
I understand that she would like us to get into dialog over the issue which is great-- thing is it's not a new platform. It has been debated for years (see better arguments on same issue by Ali Mazuri- an old Kenyan man). Once you read his stance on the same issue, and the different way he presents and studies it, you will understand why I think her topic is good but not well investigated. She sort of says South Africa is a good example while it is not...and if you follow the market closely, you will see that SA will be Zimbabwe in 10 or so years if they don't watch it. Her idea is not new, and should not be treated as such, the adage "give a man fish, and he will be hungry forever, Teach him to fish...etc has been something we have known for years.
I am not saying she is completely wrong, but she is very shaky on subject matter. I may not have a PhD in Economics, but I have been following African matters and issues for years, and can safely say she is mistaken on several things surrounding the political economy or that aid causes corruption and conflict. Aid may contribute to conflict, but it is not a cause. Congo with or without aid will continue to have civil unrest for many other reasons than aid. Countries help other countries when they have a VESTED reason. She is right that billions have been sent to Africa as aid since the 70's. She is wrong however when she fights for fair trade. Read opinions on fair trade by OXFAM...or better yet ask a local trader in Zambia their thoughts on cheap Chinese goods and what that does to their market base.
Her proposal to cut aid in 5 years is crazy irresponsible as an economist and a Zambian. Especially to try and present this issue before the G20 summit. If this were to happen, imagine how many schools, clinics, shelters, orphanages...etc would be shut down! How many lives will be lost from this bad planning? The problem is not that aid doesn't work-- everyone knows that. It's finding new EFFECTIVE ways to utilize that aid. Even the United Nations and many others have been working at finding a solution to using resources wisely for the last few years, and that is what I do not find well spelt out in her book.
AS the person who marched in England with Jubilee 2000-- I find it offensive for her to say some stuff about Bono and the crew. Without the help of those types of people and the work done by the Jubilee campaign...a lot of the African debt dropped by foreign countries would have not been possible! They worked tirelessly for debt cancellation-- something she is not credited with.
That is my mini take on the matter...and I can expand if needed. Look out for my book "why I just LOOOVE aid" in book stores near you.

Obama:
Okay...I am tired of dumb ass commentary every time I turn around about people thinking he should have been able to fix the economy by now, and they disappointed by what he has not been able to do so far. I am also quite put out by critics of the stimulus and such. You can criticise as much as you want to, but dude...where is your proposal???? I am all for people making their own legitimate and sound proposals and bringing it to the medias attention to show why they thing Obama sucks...and why their plan is more sound. After all, the economy is not a single party issue-- it's a global issue.
I want to know where the critics were when my best buddy-- BFF for life G.W. Bush was increasing debt and using money in places he shouldn't have been. They didn't ask his reasoning because criticizing the government at that time was tantamount to treason. Now that the media can speak, I think they are acting irresponsibly and without giving the guy (Obama) a chance to work. All I want to know is... If everything Obama is doing is wrong, what exactly is right???
The economy didn't get screwed up over night, and it can not be fixed over night. His plans make sense when he says the results will be years from now. Not in the near future.
You know I am a firm believer in the fact that the health care system in the United States has to be revamped. So I think he is right in putting money into that--and the Insurance companies and the people that benefit will fight this for life.
I also believe in affordable education and back his putting money into that to. Educating the masses is a big factor in a strong economy...and if people don't see how, then I don't know how to make that clearer.
Change in policy: but of course. Gas and electric companies have increased prices, and it's in every ones best interest to deregulate

aww--rite, I am getting back to my real life:)
Missed you all...and missed blogging. Will try to do better now:-)

Obama

Tonight, I curtsy to Obama.
Regardless of how I think or feel about his policies, loyalties, promises...etc-- The man has made HISTORY. That is more than you can say about many- myself included.

After many years since the abolition of slavery in the USA, this is the first black citizen to come close to being called 'Mr President' and for that I commend him and the American people for finally 'somewhat' suspending the color divide.

Who I'm I kidding! Once the real race is on, it will all come down to black versus white and not so much who has better policies.

Any hoo, Obama has made it further than I thought possible for him, and so he deserves a curtsy from me.

C'mmon!

So when Obama picked up speed some childish MoFo leaked a picture of him in traditional Somali garb hoping to incite the usual 'oh my God he's an A-rab!' response. I am ashamed of whoever did it! They should be moved to Iran and dealt with there!!!

If you're gonna hate the man, hate him for REAL reasons. Not stupid fairy tales! I have personally stated why I wouldn't say he was the best candidate for me and I attacked his thoughts on an issue of IMPORTANCE to me. It has nothing to do with experience or lack there of, his religion- or lack there of, his race- or lack there of...lol, or his gender...ain't nothing lacking there coz the dude is rather sexy! Okay, so I have a major weakness for broody intelligent men with undertones of arrogance:-) *purr* and he seems to possess those qualities:-)

Then in more sad news.... who in the world has the gall to say Hanif Adams is not Zambian??? The man has worked in the world of soccer for as long as I can remember...and if I'm not mistaken he supported the women's soccer team I was on! Who owned the team by the way?, we were so drunk half the time when we played and practiced that it never crossed my mind to find out who owned the team:-) well our coach was a bouncer at Hanif's clubs...which brings me to my other point-- Hanif has been in Zambia for as long as I can remember. His son was in my cousins classes in primary school ( I only remember coz he had a crush on her for the longest time...it was cute, and so was he-- but I digress as usual).

I also had my first experience of a night club in his club on great east road in Lusaka! Man what a night!!! I was thirteen (not that the bouncers cared!)...in my orange jeans shorts, doing my patra moves on the dance floor...I can still see it now! How the smoke and the lights in the room had me soooooo charged up...I felt like I was Patra herself!!! Queen of the dance hall:-) I did the butterfly and shook my bottie like my life depended on it! Ahhh...such happy memories...*sigh* I can remember how totally cool I was when I went to school to tell my classmates where I had gone that Saturday... I made it seem like I had done this several times of course...and was like 'you mean you haven't gone clubbing yet?'...lol.."It cut exay!"

Any way...my main point is (after all the extra info there!), that man is as Zambian as Kaunda! Making ignorant comments about his race is just un-Zambian...and those perpetrators should also be sent to Iran and be dealt with there!!! My Zambia is a colorful nation where we are accepting of everyone. I have many Zambians of Indian origin in England and in the USA who identify as Zambian and speak a local language. Once a Chipatan always a Chipatan...GOOOOOOO eastern power!!! Let's leave the ignorance in the ablution areas please! Our country's slogan--emblazoned on our passports reads: One Zambia...One Nation. Plain and simple, it doesn't differentiate.

I hope it wasn't a bemba that passed that comment. I will be greatly disappointed because it will mean s/he doesn't know his/her history! Mwitu sebanya bane!

Mariposa

May I be a beautiful butterfly when I grow up:-)

Yesterday was soooooo cold! If summer came tomorrow I wouldn't be the one to complain;)

If you haven't been to Fogo de Chão (fo-go dèe shoun), ...stop depriving yourself and head out to experience the tasty-ness that is fogo! http://www.fogodechao.com/ All I can say is yummy!

I FINALLY went to Bodyworlds... I thought it was okay...nothing new to you if you've had Anatomy and Physiology courses. I mean I think I was expecting the displays to look more real, but they looked too plastic for me. I know they are real bodies...but they still had a major plastic look to them. The worst moment for me was seeing the pregnant woman cut open with the baby visible from her stomach. I think that's what gave the exhibit a 'human' feel. I also wasn't too keen on seeing the week old fetuses with bursting amniotic sacs....

I also made a stop over to the cheesecake factory for my favorite white chocolate raspberry truffle... it is AMAZING! I promise you that!!! I am such a glutton at times and yesterday was no exception:-) The tea there sucks like the food on their menu... so I avoid it at all costs. Actually I hate food from 'chain' restaurants usually, but as I needed to thaw my poor body... I drank the lousy tea:-)

My cousin was sooo excited last night because she had seen the Barak Obama rally in Ohio. She came home screaming 'yes we can'... I also got to see the will-i-am song for Barak on http://www.dipdive.com/ my baby daddy number 10 --John Legend...OMG! He is so delicious looking! He wouldn't even have to speak to me, he could just communicate in song....or just by pointing for what he wants done!!!

Oh...how could I forget this funny story!

Agony is:- getting a new job and being informed that they will have lay offs in a few ...:-)

That was really amusing!... So my supervisor was like it's nothing to worry about... lol!!!

Any way the phone has started again...gotta go....

It's an Obamanation

Okay a few interesting facts, that one of you out there might be interested in and probably don't know:

Aside from the fact that this guy has proved me wrong...which is very rare because guys never prove me wrong:-) lol... I am sorry that I had written his political obituary even before he had started looking for votes. Actually even Hillary for that matter has proven my theory slightly wrong. So kudo's to the both of them.

The thing I wanted to say today though is that I found out Mccain's top aide Mark McKinnon (are they both Irish? lol) said that if Obama wins the nomination, he will step down as Mccain's aide!!!! Those are some very strong sentiments right there!

Granted (if I'm not mistaken) Mckinnon was a democrat before he went republican and then he was one of the power tools in getting Bush in the white house.

So I think like I said, when it comes down to the wire... if it's Mccain vs. Obama...dude might have a chance. For that matter if it's Huckabee vs Obama, he would still have a chance!

I still insist that if Hillary is nominated, the dems can forget it and drink guiness or something, coz they aint gonna win:-)

Another bit of info...president G.dabya (after stressing that he wouldn't endorse anyone BTW) sort of endorsed Mccain over the weekend... well I think that's a little like political crucification for Mccain or maybe it will help him. Who knows?

so that's it for now....:-)

(Insert catchy heading here)

Oh I am soooooooo good!!!! I had predicted Ghana v. Cote d'ivoire and that Ghana would win, and then I predicted Egypt would win overall... ask my friend that I bet with:-) I should have added more money to the challenge....nah wah!

It's been an interesting few days...I think I'm either catching a cold or maybe the alkee I over indulged in is catching up, or maybe it's the distressing thing that happened to me regarding facebook:-) and that's all I will say on this matter....Ladies and Gentlemen....The mighty have fallen! Ndiiituuu!

I over booked myself as far as activities are concerned and I am feeling it all catch up. Friday I spent most of the day out..doing stuff. Then Saturday I was out with friends for the usual get together. We did Sushi first, then we went to The Vin restaurant for dessert and of course wine :-) Now I found it rather upsetting that they didn't have my favorite wine on the list any more. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that it is called 'negro/ negra' something, so possibly someone was offended and had it removed which is just pathetic really because they should have consulted me first! That wine was the bomb man!

Dinner was great...and you know you need to cut down on going places when the waitress in a busy restaurant turns and says "nice to see you as usual" The newbies at the table turned to me and asked exactly how often I go there...I responded with a smile because I was too embarrased to say how 'often' I go there. They were like, 'why don't you ask for the usual', i was thinking to myself...'i bet i could', but I didn't test the waitresses knowledge of my likes and dislikes:-) she was too sweet.

I enjoyed the camaraderie and the cosmopolitans and the cute little desserts we ate. I like the fact that the Vin actually serves bite sized desserts, so that way you can eat several different kinds. They make apple crumble and ice-cream in a cappuccino sized cup, and all sorts of other wonders...you know creme brulee, souffles...etcetera. The mangoe and rasberry martinis that they make there are to die for!!! I can still taste them as I sit here typing...ummmm:-) Little miss Asia and I were the two minorities at the table, and we sat at direct angles so we could balance the table dynamics...lol:-)

I also wanted to go out to see http://www.bodyworlds.com/ I didn't have the resolve to do so, so i stayed home instead catering to my other addiction- reading. I am almost done with my book and I will discuss it when I complete it. It seems I was the last to read it because everyone I speak to about it has read it already and wants to start telling me the story....I am like....NNNOOOOO!!!

Oh and you can forget about me giving up cussing, coz that didn't last long! I forgot about my slight tendancies to semi-road rage, so I sinned on day 2. So needless to say, I gave that up and I am now trying to follow the new carbon fast craze...hmmm we'll see how long that lasts:-)

See the issue I have with restraint is that everytime someone tells me I can not do something...I keep hearing that I can in my head and, the more I try to control myself...the harder it gets to abstain from something... mon dieu c'est difficile!!!

Obama is in town tomorrow, so if the weather is condusive and the flesh is willing, then I will go and listen to him speak. I'm sure I will quite enjoy it.

I would also like to see 'Caramel' a movie set in Beirut. I have two escorts to the movie, but can not decide which one to take:-) This is what happens when you're too popular...*hair toss and loud sigh*

woe is meeeeee....I feel sooo under the weather at the moment.