ICE WATER BUCKET CHALLENGE

While the ice water bucket challenge that has gone viral all over the world might be meant for a worthy cause and fun  thing to do especially during Summer when it's extremely hot and humid, I still feel that if someone wants to donate for a good cause, they will do it at free will.

My second point might be controversial and also debatable, while lots of people are busy 'wasting' water in the first world, some and their livestock are dying because of lack of just a single sip in the semi-arid and arid areas both here in Kenya and other places around the world, some child is dying because of water-related disease because he/she drank a dirty and contaminated one and couldn't afford to get the clean and safe one and the list could continue!

USA AND FOOTBALL! OH! SORRY SOCCER!

I am not a professional writer but I like to write and share my thoughts with both the like-minded people and those that are not. My train of thought might not excite a few minds when it comes to issues which are close to heart and mind but that’s why, I gave my site the name, “SEEING U.S.A FROM AN AFRICAN EYE”. And this is the reason why my view of things happening in the U.S. of A might not ogre well with some but as always, I welcome and respect positive criticism and inputs.

That aside, one thing that intrigued me or puzzled my mind, I am not sure whether those are the right words to use though, while I stayed in the U.S. for a whole year was, I never heard of anybody going to watch a football match well, we'll call it soccer for now, or little did I hear many people talk about any soccer match that was happening at that time in the States. I must admit that this was one of the things that “culture-shocked” me! The ‘absence’ of soccer or just the absence of the talk about it or just the popularity, let’s say, caused my culture shock. 

But I remember attending one of the baseball games in Philadelphia where there was a total of 74,000 fans at Citizens Bank Park courtesy of my host brother, Gene Stevenson, may God bless him.

Many people followed and continued and I still think continues to religiously follow sports around NFL, i.e., American football that looks like rugby from where I am sitting, baseball that I might have easily confused with cricket and basketball! While soccer still lags behind baseball and the NFL in popularity, more YANKS are following soccer- or football as it’s known in most places in the world to my amazement during the current World Cup, I saw a lot of my friends from U.S.A talking more about soccer than any other time in history, i.e., since I started liking soccer.

It’s this time round of the current FIFA World Cup tournaments that I was coming to learn about the goalkeeper, Tim Howard, of course with his beards, who would identify him without beards, let’s say if he shaves them off?! Americans followed their team’s performance in Brazil with passion! And I know Tim Howard today is a Hero in the US! Is this love going to continue? Only time will tell.

Let’s face it people, USMNT has always represented US Soccer Federation and competed in CONCACAF (The Federation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) and is ranked 13^th in the world according to both FIFA and world rankings and the World Football Elo Ratings. They have also appeared in the last seven FIFA World Cups and hosted the 1994 edition! But who in America talks about Soccer? And I even doubt whether the current liking and talk about the team and soccer will last.

Just a bit of history for you, USMNT achieved their best result when they reached the semi-finals at the 1930 World Cup finishing 3^rd at that time. And this was also the highest finish of any team from outside of South America and Europe. After the 1990 World Cup, the U.S qualified automatically as hosts of 1994 World Cup eventually losing to Brazil in the round of sixteen. The team has qualified for every round of World Cup since, including 2014 World Cup.

Early Years!

The first United States national team was constituted in 1885, when they played Canada in the first international match held outside UK but Canada defeated USA 1-0.

They fielded a team in the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay, the first ever #WorldCup!

In 1934 #WorldCup, they played with Mexico and defeated them 4-2.

They withdrew from the #WorldCup in 1938 and appeared in the 1950 #WorldCup in Brazil.

Months before the famous #WorldCup loss to the USA, England had beaten all-Star “rest of Europe” side 6-1 in an exhibition match what was famously called World Cup upset by Americans in 1950, the “Miracle on Grass”.

And there is more and more history about the USMNT.

My question still stands, “How long will the talk about the team last?” “How long will the passion for the team exhibited during 2014 FIFA World Cup last?” “How many people will want to ask which outdoor league is USMNT going to play next?” Or is soccer gaining popularity in the US? Why has it taken them so long?

According to some sources, the United States has been the second largest market for ticket sales this year’s games owing may be to the proximity between the U.S and Brazil.

In fact, ticket purchases by Americans have outpaced those in several countries where football is by far most popular sport, including Argentina, Mexico, Portugal, France and Italy .

Enough said!

I'll appreciate comments.

MY STORY

While in the US, I worked as a Chaplain Assistant at Lebanon County Correctional Facility (LCCF), I also worked at a Half-way house called Transitional House where the formerly incarcerated who were also on parole were housed for a period of six months as they looked for a job and saved some money to help them as they transited to the “external” world. I also volunteered on Thursdays and weekends at a Thrift Store. All these stations of work were all under one roof, JUBILEE MINISTRIES, a very wonderful Christian Ministry organization that created and still creates the needed impact in that part of East Coast of the US.

One morning while attending to some of the incarcerated men in the prison in a Bible Study, I remember one member in my class asking me,” if the God you say exists and loves humankind so much, why did He allow my two sisters to die of leukaemia ” Another one in one of my closed door case studies asked me,” You say God is there and watches over, why did He then allow me to keep the drug paraphernalia that got me arrested again and I am back here in the prison?”

The above mentioned questions are just but a few of the difficult ones that I grappled to answer. How could I justify God’s LOVE for the few mentioned above! How could I convince them that God indeed was watching and that God not only loved them but LOVED them so very MUCH!

I have been back home for now one and half years now, I haven’t had a job for a very long time, close to a year now, I have been engaged long enough and ought to have been married by now, I have my pursuit for further education pausing if not stopping, a lot of “bad” things have happened that I haven’t liked and never thought would come my way. Jobs knocks at my door step sometimes and eventually slip off again; opportunities come and before my very eyes and many others that are more personal and dear to my heart.

I have asked for God’s provision, fasted, prayed and asked God to forgive me of my sins that at some point I thought were blocking my ways, I have served in church and in my neighbourhood, may be I haven’t done enough.

But as a staunch Christian who has walked with the Lord for many years and having been brought up in a Christian family and set-up, now, regardless of my shortcomings, I have always known that God’s LOVE is UNCONDITIONAL and true, I have always asked knowing that He will give, sought and thought I could find, knocked and I have been waiting for Him to open. I have known God to be very faithful in fulfilling His promises, many are the times that I have lost sight of this fact. I have asked for signs, I have asked Him to literally speak to me and be given direction but in vain.

Many are the times now I have found myself asking the same questions the incarcerated were asking me then! I have asked whether He do care, whether He watches, whether His LOVE is still UNCONDITIONAL. Some of the times, I have asked and petitioned Him to prove that His words in the Holy Bible are not lies. I have asked Him and told Him, that, yes, I haven’t been so diligent enough in my service to Him coming from my human background of culpability to sin but at least to reward me and stand out to the many that don’t trust in Him that indeed He does reward His people. I have complained that He has taken too long to answer my prayers.

The question that has always lingered in my mind is, “Am I asking for too much?”

I will leave it at that point.

USA AND GUNS PART TWO (2)

A few months ago I wrote about “USA AND GUNS”. Many became fussy, many thought I was meddling into their sovereign country’s affairs and many were not pleased by my article on my blog while a few praised my intellect on the same. The many who fussed and complained said, ”American needs guns.” My question therefore, was, “What do Americans need guns for?”

The Newtown, in an Elementary School, Connecticut heart-wrenching shooting comes after a few months of such irrational shooting that took place during the “Dark Knight Rises” movie in Aurora.

But I want to continue to reiterate that USA needs to enact some tough gun control laws.

And if I could meet president Barack Hussein Obama face to face, I would tell him not to fear the politics in the gun regulations but to bulldoze states (this might sound African but it’s what needs to be done) with the gun regulation tough laws and it should be done now and for all so that we, yes we, don’t continue to lose innocent lives to such heinous behaviour.

Something rattles me. Whenever there is such mass shooting, it is always blamed on the mental illness/mental health problems/mental instability! This to me is an excuse to continuing to own guns. By the way if the people involved in such shooting were said to me mentally unstable, why then do they go ahead and kill themselves after killing the mass? Where do they get the reasoning to kill themselves to avoid facing the wrath of the law after the act? They know better!! Do the mentally ill fear the rule of law, do they reason that way??

As an African who has met and worked with many from America and other parts of Europe in my homeland in the name of helping alleviate poverty, disease and illiteracy, I also want to offer myself together with other like-minded Africans as well as Americans to sit down and champion for some tough gun regulation laws and say why it’s important to have them.

I can’t continue being quiet over this issue while innocent lives are being robbed away by unscrupulous dysfunctional folks in the society.

I am therefore asking whoever is willing to join me blow this trumpet notify me.

I have a special place preserved in my heart for the American people. I also have very fond memories about the same and I do value every mankind’s precious life and nobody, and I mean nobody even one with mental problem should be allowed to take such lives.

Please, let our voices be heard at least on this.

I am sorry if this blog wouldn't ogre well with any of my readers and followers

God bless

"SAD AND TRAGIC DAY FOR OUR NATION"

I read the below article from a website and I thought it could help to post it on my blog for my follower.  i hope it resonates well with you. I can't wait to read your comments.Coming from Kenya in Africa makes me see a lot of good stuff in US that the people who live there can see and thus, "SEEING U.S.A FROM AN AFRICAN EYE."

Presidential Election:

by JO on NOVEMBER 7, 2012

After hearing that President Barack Obama had just been reelected to a second four-year-term as our nation’s president I turned to my laptop and watched as Facebook suddenly became a blur of emotions, with months of political discourse coming to a head and clashing in a sea of  insults and joyous celebration.

For perspective, I posted this on my timeline:

“In 1981, my parents fled Poland two weeks before Martial law. I was 4, my sister was 8 months old. They left the only home they ever knew and came to America, because they knew it was filled with promise and opportunity rather than riddled with the side effects of Communism, like crappy health care and 5 hour long lines for stale bread. Some are elated tonight, and some are downright depressed, but know this: we get to pick again in 4 years. Before you bad mouth our country, try living somewhere else, where there is No choice and truly No hope. Count your blessings America, because there are many.”

I awoke this morning knowing our country continued to be greatly divided and that emotions were running high and I checked in on my favorite social media sites to see how everyone was faring.

But my fascination quickly turned to disgust when I kept seeing the same status popping up over and over again:

“A sad and tragic day for our nation.”

Disappointing? Sure, if your guy didn’t win, I’m sure you’re feeling disappointed.

Frustrated? Nervous? Deflated? If you were counting on a different outcome, then of course you’re likely to feel these things.

But to exclaim that this is a tragic day for our nation?

Really?

To those who truly believe the Presidential election results are tragic, let me refresh your memory of what tragic really looks like, because it seems so many have clearly forgotten:

This is what TRAGIC looks like. Photo courtesy 9/11 Photos via Flickr

Again. This is what tragic looks like. Photo courtesy 9/11 Photos via Flickr

If I sound like I’m scolding some of you, it’s because I am. Get it together people and gain some perspective. Because this country will go to hell in a hand basket not because of a single man, but because we allow ourselves to forget just how amazing and resilient and FREE our nation truly is.

Maybe you woke up this morning feeling frightened about your future because you were counting on the other guy to make things better. But you also woke up in the same country where you are Free to express your religious beliefs, Free to speak your mind, Free to choose where you want to live, and Free to think idiotic things such as “this is a tragic day for our nation.”

I urge you to find a way today to remind yourself just how good we have it, even if you’re facing economic strife or some sort of adversity. I can tell you this much: as a mom of a special needs child, there’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be because I know that even though we have a long way to go in the way of awareness, accessibility, and acceptance, we are light years ahead of so many other countries in the world.

Today I un-friended the first person since the Presidential campaigns began. She threw a tantrum on Facebook and compared our President and those who voted for him to terrorists.

I draw the line there. Those photos above? That’s the handiwork of terrorists.

So if you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps today because Mitt Romney won’t be moving into the White House come January, remember that we live in a nation where you get to do this all over again in four years.

In the meantime, empower others by getting involved in your community somehow. Do something kind for someone. Be someone’s hero. Spread kindness and tolerance. Teach your children that diversity is the cornerstone of this country and show them that not only is it possible to lose with dignity and respect, it’s imperative if we’re to move forward as nation.

Then meet up with your coworkers at the water cooler or your friends at the bar, and talk about what an idiot you think Obama is.

Because you can.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE BEEN HELPED BY THIS ARTICLE

WHY I WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!

Having lived in America for some time, I got to understand that politics and religion were some of the sensitive topics that nobody would dare talk about in public or in a group unless one got to understand really what kind of people were around them. So I most of the times shunned and have continued to avoid these thorny topics.

One thing that has really really made me to shun from meddling into this topic of politics even after being home from North America at a time when Americans were at the apex of making decision to elect their next president for the next four years was that, not many of my friends in the US supported Obama’s candidature! I would say that 1 out of 10 only did support my “uncle”.

I have struggled balancing between friendship and opinion by not contributing to this discussion for a long time on social media. Many are the times I would get hit really hard when I read many of my friends post many negative and derogatory things about Barack Obama and to maintain friendships, I felt bad and avoided the discussion because I value relationships! That’s my confession. Thank God this campaign and voting stuff is said and done.

Why I could have still voted for Barack Obama even if it meant losing with him, not because he’s my uncle, not because he’s coming from the same village where my mother came from and not because our ears and noses look alike but because of the following:

·    He was consistent all through his campaigns and never changed goal posts.

·         He admitted that things had been tough for the last four years he had been in the office. And I know many Americans blamed him for so many things during this time.

·         He always had the ideas and he laid the clear-cut plans on how he was going to accomplish them.

·         He was always very realistic even with tax deductions and stuck with it. He has been confident in himself and in what Americans are capable of doing.

·         During his tenure in Office, he managed to make sure that the Al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden was hunted down and killed. Terrorism has been a thorn in the flesh for many countries around the world and we even felt the wrath of Al-Qaeda here in Kenya when US Embassy was bombed in August, 1998.

·         He has always gone slow with immigrants since many of the them have contributed to Americans development to where she is today.

·         He moved me when he admitted that he was taking full responsibility as the president when the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya was attacked and US ambassador together with other three American citizens were killed.

·         When the superstorm/Hurricane Sandy ravaged most parts of the East Coast of US, he demonstrated leadership and did what a good president who cares about his people should do and he stood with people during such hard times.

·         He’s a people’s person, humble, social, articulate, jovial, etc.

·         In his ancestral background in Kogelo, many have felt his presence due to the many infrastructural development that our Kenyan government has taken over there in terms of roads, water, electricity, security has also improved. It’s turned to be a tourist destination for many and this has helped to facelift the region’s image and create jobs for many as well. Meaning, his leadership has trickled down to the small village in Kogelo.

N/B: The above, together with many other things could have made me to vote for my uncle even if just in case I did not like him as a person. I know many American voters would have had different reasons to vote him or to vote for the GOP’s candidate ranging from Tax cuts; employment and education, abortions, same sex marriages, pot/marijuana smoking, Medicare, foreign policies, immigration to personal attributes, etc.

But I am still glad that he WON.  

I loved it when Barack Obama said the below statement.

I think bo is his dog!!

"We're all in this together. That's how we campaigned, and that's who we are. Thank you. -bo"

The above is just my opinion, not meant to brush with anybody in whatsoever way. Since this is a very sensitive topic, I will agree to take constructive criticism, corrections and comments. Apologies to any who might have felt that his/her right has been infringed on in any way or the other.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS KENYA

UNITED STATES AND GUNS

I tried to study US and I have continued to do so even after I returned home. For one, USA takes pride in so many things one being the established infrastructure they have had and continues to sophisticate since the discovery of USA by Christopher Columbus, anyway, where and what was USA then before its discovery???

Another thing that USA continues to boast about is the “proliferation” of guns, the freedom they continue to enjoy up to date be it owning shoguns, hunting guns, etc. Some guns are even inherited by the descendants in a family line. I tend to think that once one dies, a gun should be returned or just sold back to the dealer.

Owning guns in the US hasn’t done them any good at all but rather has brought more harm than good to the citizens by many indulging in irrational gunshots here and there with the recent ones being the at Middle Town close to Empire State Building, a very prominent place for tourists visit where a gunman stealthily followed a former workmate-his boss and shot him dead-Jeffrey Johnson is his name, two shot dead, him being one and the victim and 9 others got injured.

Another case was the mass shooting during a new Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises” at Aurora where 12 people were shot dead and 58 others wounded by a PhD student from the University of Colorado and the Wisconsin Sikh August 2012 hate shooting (domestic terrorim) where 6 were killed on the spot leaving 4 with injuries.

The above hasn’t been the only cases of irrational gun shootings; I have only managed to quote just but a few of the recent ones. There have been several others in the past in the major cities like NYC, Philadelphia, Chicago, in schools, homesteads, other social gatherings, etc. But did you know that James E. Holmes, the 24 year old PhD student at the University of Colorado bought a gun, tactic gear, vest, magazine pouch and other ammunition with your own hard earned taxes? He used to get a federal scholarship of $26,000 per year for his education!!

The following questions continues to linger and puzzle me and many others around the developing countries around the globe and the US citizens and residents;

1.       How can one just get to a shop and buy guns and ammunition like he is buying groceries and nobody seems to question what they are going to do with the same??
2.       How many of such irrational killings will it take US to get serious about gun control?

I know one thing for sure that none of my friends in the US is feeling safe when walking/strolling around their towns/cities, neither is none feeling safe attending a movie nor is any feeling safe attending a church/temple service. And for this reason, as a layman and as a non-US citizen/resident, I want to say that it’s high time the Religious sectors, Human Rights institutions, Corporate bodies, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) engage the US government in serious gun regulation/control policies.

EXCLUSIVE

What do you think of Dr. Dinesh D’Souza’s Obama’s America 2016 video trailer?

I have the following observations to make regarding Mitt Romney’s campaign conference in Florida;

1.        While addressing the attendants, Mrs. Anne Romney did not touch any issue regarding Mr. Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” something that I expected her to at least talk about.
2.        She seemed to talk about more of their love, without becoming sensitive of how many women in that same conference doesn't have husbands to love neither is some interested in any!

Please, I would like to hear your comments, criticisms, corrections and your sincere opinions on this.

THANKS