BLAIR: Iraq, N.Ireland and Africa

When President Bush jokingly said he is friends with Blair because they use the same toothpaste, no one made anything of it. It was the birth or rather acknowledgement of what has become one of the world's most famous 'friendships'. Pres. Bush will miss him when he retires this month and so will the Americans.
The Americans know if there is anyone they can count on it Britain, especially Blair's Britain, not continental Europe. And for all their views about the Iraq war they know they are much better off with U.K soldiers there. After all it is a known fact that the marines went to fight and left the 'battle for souls' to the British soldiers, and it is this that has turned out to be more important in fighting secterian violence.
If I was asked to label Blair's legacy I would safely say its a mixed one. My opinion about the Iraq war is for another day but it remains very unpopular in the eyes of many; It must be if it makes Saddam a saint in their eyes. He might have helped in destabilizing one region but his efforts in bringing peace to Northern Ireland have to be recognised. Critics say his mum was born there so he had to do something. So much for wanting to be a critic!!
I derive so much fun from listening to hot urguements about Western politics (never really do because I always join in) because opinions are buit on anything including accents. I think every African should love Blair and I stand to be corrected on this one. No Western leader in recent times has committed so much time in convicing the rest to cancel debts and keep their numerous promises to Africa. Forget those ideas of 'Africa does need donations it needs free trade' that you have read. We won't get the free trade unless whatever we export deserves it, so let take the donations for now.
Yes his legacy is mixed at best because Iraq is very polarising but he can explain all his actions. He 'did what I knew was best for my country', believe him 'if it's the last thing you have to believe.' I believe him. This is not an apology, its an explanation.

END OF THE ROAD FOR ARGENTINE STARS?

The following story is dramatized but the events are based on a real life experience. The names of some of the characters have been withheld out of respect.
‘The sun is shining on what must be a glorious summer day. In less than twelve hours the transfer window will be shut for at least five months. Managers are nervously looking through their team sheets, some are seeking to make last minute additions. One manager has had a particularly ‘constipated’ summer in terms of signing players. He has been sternly warned off Bayern Munich’s Hagreaves and Athletico Madrid’s Fernando Torres. Aware of the fans at home growing ever-impatient, he is eager to ease anxiety by signing two Argentines. When he gets to the bargaining table he is glad to hear that the usual suspects Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid are no longer pursing the players. Before any kind of agreement is reached, a man walks in and pays the asking price for both players. The manager is lost for words. It gets even more confusing when the destination of the players is revealed.’ A coup in football doesn’t get better than West Ham’s surprise last minute signing of Tevez and Mascerano.
The two lads arrived in London amidst whispers of ‘where did the money come from?’ The summer talk of a take over at West Ham became even louder. No surprise that a club like West Ham attracts investors. Last season, it was a decent team, very hard to beat, with so many youngsters. Adding the Argentine midfield maestro and the ‘Rooney’ of South America was supposed to propel them to champions league. But after the duo’s arrival, West Ham went on an eight game loosing run. Significant their recent win has was registered minus them. So what went wrong?
I think what is happening at Upton park is not their own doing. There is something that is not easy to find that they needed to buy. Pastors call it a ‘blessing’ lets call it ‘luck’ for purposes of this article. In a sport such as football where the line between success and failure is so thin, you need lots of it. Man united sold twenty goals last season and bought none. Liverpool sold none and bought several in Kuyt and Bellamy. How else would you explain united’s free scoring and Liverpool’s apparent difficulty to do so except for luck? If you still doubt the necessity of luck, ask a striker whose offside goal is allowed and another whose legitimate one is disallowed. In a world where confidence disappears without warning, you need all the luck to get the right things going at the right time.
Sometimes all you need to do is to just hang in there and do things the way you know how until your day comes, but is this is never easy. If the stall for luck was known, it, not Milan, would have been Abromavich’s stop last summer. West Ham would never have had to make the long trip to South America. I do not know the where luck is sold but I have a clue: There is a man purring with pride as his side proves all the cynics wrong. Retrace his summer moves. Life’s lottery smiles on Ferguson and company!

TOP TEN CHICK MOVIES (in my opinion ofcourse)

Genre;Romantic including the general idea that there is a man who would want to get a woman at any cost. If you are thinking 'oh please' or anything to that effect, stop pretending, we all love this staff. Below are my top ten, they are different but the above truth holds for all.

1.50 FIRST DATES, Imagine having to win over the girl of your dreams... every friggin' day
Plot summary;Henry Roth is a man afraid of commitment up until he meets the beautiful Lucy. They hit it off and Henry think he's finally found the girl of his dreams, until he discovers she has short-term memory loss and forgets him the very next day.
I wish I could say this can happen!!!! But all the same I loved the movie. There an edge that Adams Sandler usually crosses, but Drew Barrymore more than makes up for it. For imagining that men have the one quality that they seem to lack(patience), this movie takes top spot.
2.DIRTY DANCING ...HAVANA NIGHTS, Turn up the heat and follow the rhythm
Plot summary;18-year-old Katey Miller moves to Havana with her parents in November 1958. Her parents expect her to move within their well-to-do circles, but she defies their wishes when she falls in love with Javier, a waiter who also happens to be a fantastic dancer. Secretly meeting in a Havana nightclub, the pair practice their dance steps in preparation for a prestigious national dance competition.
Easily the best dance movie I have ever seen. Watching it at any time, in any mood, can make you want to go shoping for dancing shoes.

3.HITCH, The cure for the common man.
Plot summary;In this sophisticated romantic comedy, Will Smith stars as Alex "Hitch" Hitchens, a true urban myth -- a legendary New York City "date doctor" who, for a fee has helped hundreds of men woo the women of their dreams. The ultimate professional bachelor, Hitch discovers that all of his tried and true tricks of the trade are no match for Sara (Eva Mendes), the one woman he truly loves.
This is the only movie where the cliche, 'you laugh you cry' applies. Another proof that love has no experts. Need to quote a line from this movie for all you who only read your books; 'There is more to life than just watching others live it.'

4.SWEET NOVEMBER, She Just Needed A Month To Change His Life For Ever.
Nelson (Keanu Reeves) is a man devoted to his advertising career in San Francisco. One day, while taking a driving test at the DMV, he meets Sara (Charlize Theron). One thing leads to another and Nelson ends up living with her through a November that will change his life forever.What seems to be a perfect reunion is ruined when Nelson wakes up the next morning to find that Sara is once again asking him to leave. Sara tries to run away but Nelson runs after her. Eventually they catch up and in the tearful scene that follows Sara asks Nelson to leave so that he will always have only happy and strong memories of her. Sara explains that she needs to know this is how she will be remembered, so that she can face her last days in life.
Yah mushy and all, but atleast workaholics have a lesson to learn here.

5.BRIDGET JONES DIARY, It's Monday morning, Bridget has woken up with a headache, a hangover and her boss.
Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) is an average woman struggling against her age, her weight, her job, her lack of a man, and her many imperfections. As a New Year's Resolution, Bridget decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. The fireworks begin when her charming though disreputable boss (Hugh Grant) takes an interest in the quirky Miss Jones and the ups and downs of their ill-fated relationship prove hilarious and touching at once. Thrown into the mix are Bridget's band of slightly eccentric friends and a rather disagreeable acquaintance (Colin Firth) who Bridget cannot seem to stop running into or help finding quietly attractive.
Brighet Jones, is well... Brighet Jones! I got surprised when the director chose to have her end up with any body. Consolation for all of those struggling to come to terms with who they are.

6.RUMOUR HAS IT, Based on a true rumour
Sarah Huttington, recently engaged, goes home to Pasadena with fiancé Jeff for a family wedding. She hears a rumor that "The Graduate" (book and movie) are based on her family. Did her grandmother and her mom have flings with the same man just before her parents married? Is she a strange man's child; does this explain why she doesn't fit in? Was her mother happy? Is she too facing a loveless marriage? Where can she seek answers: her mother's dead, her father's a pleasant naïf. Ask her salty grandma? Better to ask the man in the triangle, the real Benjamin Braddock. With Jeff's blessing, Sarah heads for San Francisco, looking for the key to her past and to her future.
Official Hollywood sweet heart, at her best. This movie is a combination of both science fiction and true life; Remember the scene at the end when Aniston takes the lift and Mark Ruffalo opts for the stairs but she finds him at the ground flow, waiting for her!!!!! hmm

7.LEGALLY BLONDE, A sorority girl dumped by her boyfriend for not being serious, becomes a lawyer who then frees a blonde who is accused of killing her older, rich husband.
Elle Woods has it all. She's the president of her sorority, a Hawaiian Tropic girl, Miss June in her campus calendar, and, above all, a natural blonde. She dates the cutest fraternity boy on campus and wants nothing more than to be Mrs. Warner Huntington III. But, there's just one thing stopping Warner from popping the question: Elle is too blonde. Growing up across the street from Aaron Spelling might mean something in LA, but nothing to Warner's East-Coast blue blood family. So, when Warner packs up for Harvard Law and reunites with an old sweetheart from prep school, Elle rallies all her resources and gets into Harvard, determined to win him back. But law school is a far cry from the comforts of her poolside and the mall. Elle must wage the battle of her life, for her guy, for herself and for all the blondes who suffer endless indignities everyday.
Very loveable movie, even if you are not blond. Though it would do better with a shorter tagline.

8.SWEET HOME ALABAMA, Sometimes What You're Looking For Is Right Where You Left It. Plot summary; New York fashion designer Melanie Carmichael suddenly finds herself engaged to the city's most eligible bachelor. But Melanie's past holds many secrets, including Jake, the redneck husband she married in high school, who refuses to divorce her. Bound and determined to end their contentious relationship once and for all, Melanie sneaks back home to Alabama to confront her past, only to discover that you can take the girl out of the South, but you can never take the South out of the girl.
I have never liked people who can't make up their minds but sometimes it's the best thing.

9.MAID IN MANHATTAN, This Christmas ... love checks in.
Plot summary:Marisa Ventura (Lopez) is a single mother born and bred in the boroughs of New York City, who works as a maid in a first-class Manhattan hotel. By a twist of fate and mistaken identity, Marisa meets Christopher Marshall (Fiennes), a handsome heir to a political dynasty, who believes that she is a guest at the hotel. Fate steps in and throws the unlikely pair together for one night. When Marisa's true identity is revealed, the two find that they are worlds apart, even though the distance separating them is just a subway ride between Manhattan and the Bronx.
I have watched this movie more than a dozen times, I mean it!!!! It has every thing you can ever look for from love and politics. Jlo's best for me. But who allowed women to lie about the one thing people are meant to like about them(identity) and expect them to understand?

10. A WALK TO REMEMBER
Plot summary;Each spring in the little port town of Beaufort, North Carolina, when the wind smells of pine and salt and the sea, Landon Carter remembers his senior year at Beaufort High and Jamie Sullivan, the girl who changed his life... Serious and conservative, Jamie is the daughter of the town's Baptist minister and not afraid of letting people know that her faith is the most important part of her life, even if it cost her some friends. After a harmless prank goes terribly wrong, Landon is forced to tutor a young student at a poor school and participate in the Drama Club's spring play - two activities the principal hopes will teach him some humility. They also happen to throw him into close contact with Jamie. Clearly in over his head, Landon is forced to ask her for help. Soon, against his own expectations, Landon finds himself falling in love with this outwardly plain girl who possesses a passion for life he never imagined possible.
This is probably the most eye-watering movie I have ever watched. Funny how we continue to watch these movies even when our eyes are welling up.

The old bibilical tale about the prodigal son could do with being told for the modern age

The old bibilical tale about the prodigal son could do with being told for the modern age. Only this time the emphasis should not be forgiveness but making the right choices. Van Nistelrooy and Canavaro to Real Madrid, Khevchenko and Ballack to Chelsea it's been transfer merry go round. Never mind that all this players are approaching or are already on the wrong side of thirty. Now its our turn to see who got their decision as right as Rooney or as wrong as Wright-Phillips.
Moving to another club can be the player's best experience if it is the right club and time. But the trouble is having to check the former club's records for the players' career highlights when they could have stayed on and become 'true' legends. Unfortunately this is what might happen to Nistelrooy, Ballack, Khevchenko and Canavaro.Granted, Van Nistelrooy fell out with Sir Alex but choosing to stay in your manager's good books especially if he is Alex Ferguson, is part of 'making the right choices' that we are talking about. Ruud may a predator supreme, Khevchenko, Ballack and Canavaro may be the best of their kind but no man is too big for failure if they get their decisions wrong.
Football can be very unforgiving as Anelka will testify.He had become a sensation at Arsenal winning the FA cup and Premiership double in the 97/98 season and becoming the PFA player of the 98/99 season. Soon after, he swapped common sence for arrogance demanding much more improved terms from a club that is rumoured to be run by misers. He later transfered to Real Madrid scoring four goals in twenty nine appearances the next season. Although he won the champion's league that year, he failed to settle and Paris St Germain provided him with an escape route. From PSG to Liverpool (loan) to Man city to Fernabahce and finally (hopefully) to Bolton. A player of Anelka's quality should never have had to travel that much.
Owen was the blue-eyed boy of Anfield until he threw away his halcyon days for a move to spain. Soon it was evident he had not done his homework, moving to a club that had watched Ronaldo at the world cup and believed in Raul. He failed to secure a first team place despite many scoring goals as a substitute.Beckham's, Veron's and Viera's stories are for another day but the point is there is a certain stage in a career where one should just feel lucky. Why move to another club when when you are already accomplised, especially when the two are playing at the same level? Ballack refused to sign a contract even after persuatoin for over a year and headed to Chelsea claiming he needed a new challenge (read; champion's league trophy). But what except the English premier league couldn't he win with Bayern Munich?
Last season, newspapers devoted a lot of space covering Crespo's, Reuben's and Wright - Phillips' unrest but strikers and midfielders still headed for the bridge.Footballer's never learn from others experiences which is why they still sign for Chelsea. Abramovich has single handed turned the phrase 'money can buy any thing' into a cliche. Buying to solve all Chelsea's prolems but most importantly to prevent his rivals from solving their's which is what players don't want see. The worry is of late he seems to have taken on Real's failed galactico policy: buying old and expensively. Soon many compare their new life to the old and they can only get frustrated.

Thou shall never be Late, Thou shall never be poor, Thou shall never be caught.

Clinical exposure experiences on a surgery ward
You must already be wondering what the title has got to do with the surgery. But so many things will surprise you, for instance can you imagine surgery has alot of physics? But don't worry that is not all I got from surgery ward. It is just that I was late for my first lesson that is what the tutor told me to read before we began. There was alot to learn including Jazz jargon from the tutor, so do you still think doctors are boring?
week one: We went through the all important skill of taking history. He emphasised the importance of knowing the patients' names and refering to patients using them through out the history taking.
week two: Was easily my best week. We did revision of the cardivascular and respiratory systems. Many new experiences but for me the machinery murmur of a heart with a patent ductus arteriosus(PDA) and the under water seal drain are second to none.
week three: We went through the CNS, GIT and the genital -urinary systems, don't ask me how we managed to do all this. My colleague and I interviewed a patient with right sided hemiparesis, I can confirm that examining the nervous system is not a stroll through the park, especially when the patient's speech is disoriented and they have no attendant. All the same it was fan, the most relieving moment was when the patient decided we deserved to know his name, in the middle of history taking!
Take home; 1. The wedge showing the relationship of clinical and basic sciences during our stay at the medical school should be at the back of our minds always.
2.You can only throw away what you saw in the anatomy dissection room in the first two years at you own peril.
Many thanks to our tutor MR. Kijjambu for making our exposure sessions worthwhile. And yes, ...I shall never be late, poor or caught (short of knowledge).
Enjoy studying medicine, it's a noble proffession, we are all noble people!

The picture was taken from the anatomy lab, the days already seem distant, the knowledge had better not be.

ROONEY AND RONALDINHO LAUGHING ALL THE WAY.

Somewhere in France, a man grimaces at the thought of the single moment that could tarnish his legacy. Not far away, three clubs are relishing the unexpected challenge of playing in next season's serie A. Several others are more than content with the thought of playing atleast one serie B match in a stadium as good as Juventus'. You will be surprised to know how many people are enjoying what's going on in football. Italy's match fixing scandal and Zidane's absurd moment with Materazzi meant that after the world cup, the cameras could only make a brief stop in France before focusing on Italy. No time for the usual reflections after the world cup.
Two men are laughing all the way as one man takes all the heat for stars that underperformed at the world cup.Rooney and Ronaldinho are lucky men. For reasons very obvious to every one, thry were the most 'hyped' about players before the world cup. A nation took on discussing an injury to a small bone in the foot while another almost got named Ronaldinho. So for their disappointing displays at the world cup finals, they not just Zidane should be under the microscope.
Every one who read what followed headlines like "the world cup is not coming home" must have hoped for a few minutes of real reflection from the English press after the world cup. In the wake of England's exit,the press dwelt on every thing apart from the real reason for their exit. Rooney commits a red card offence, Ronaldo chooses to get involved. Rooney is sent off. The press crucify Ronaldo despite the referee insisting he did not influenc his decision. Crazy. Agreed, Ronaldo should not have got himself involved in an incident with a club teamate against a country where he plays. But that does not explain his ealier tackle on Calvarinho or excuse the push he gives Ronaldo.
Atleast Rooney stamped his attendance with a red card performance. The worry for Ronaldinho is many will think he did not turn up for these world cup finals. We waited for Brazil (read Ronaldinho) to display exraordinary skills but it wasn't to be. Not even the sight of Zidane,many years his senior, disappearing over the horizon with all the praise could force a moment of magic out of him. Before the world cup Ronaldinho had inherited Zidane's fame but the world cup gave all of us something about. It's almost like another man turned up in Ronaldinho's shirt.
But the beauty about fooballis fans forgive so quickly. It will take a few fine skills from Rooney or Ronaldinho for fans to don their replica shirts. South Africa 2010 will provide a last chance for Ronaldinho to shine, at 32 years of age. Rooney has to wait till then for his first world cup goal. What a story it would be if he failed to score one in his whole career. This may sound like one of those stories written by a pessimist but it is very likely. The negative aspects of his seem to be maturing with his talent.The challenge for the English press is to hold him responsible for his actions for once. His ills can't be blamed on other people every time and neither can they be blamed on his upbinging. His is an attitude problem, It's knowing he can always get away with it. So as the press castigate a man who got it wrong at the end of his career, they should not forget the one who is getting it wrong at the beginning of his.
Picture shows Zidane trudging past the world cup trophy after being sent off.
This article was published in the newvision.

MATCH FIXING HERE TO STAY

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has always been a man of many words. From calling footballers "semi-educated" to voicing his disagreement over their high wages, the soccer supremo is not new to controversy. But none of his comments beats his failed attempt to convince the rest of the world that match fixing is a thing of Africa. When commenting about the recent match fixing scandal in Italy, he said, "I could understand if it had happened in Africa but not in Italy." What makes Mr. Blatter's comment ridiculous is the fact that not so long ago, a similar scandal rocked Germany.
To any neutral observer, the signs of match fixing are present in almost all European games. You just need to count how many penalty decisions favour the big teams. If that's not enough, check the amount of added time at the end of games where the big guns are losing or drawing. European football associations like to think their leagues are fair but they are not at all. Nothing about the modern game asks you or helps you to be fair. We might want to think that the numerous trophies that our clubs have gathered are a result of pure football geniuses but facts point elsewhere. Match fixing is real and is almost a necessary evil, atleast these days.
Big European clubs have expenditure sheets that border between being unaffordable and unrealistic. This makes winning a must.club authorities would have wanted their teams to win fairly but the thought of the "money-men" growing ever inpatient is unbearable. And the outcome of losing games like missing out on European football is unthinkable for most clubs. This, plus the embarassment of losing to teams assembled for smaller fractions, makes match fixing inevitable.
Take Chelsea, for example. Club owner, Roman Abromavich has created this caricature of a man with bottomless pockets to outcompete his opponents. But he has began to pay for this. Everytime Chelsea come calling for any player, the pricetag is doubled, and so are the wages. After spending so much, winning should be the natural order of things. And when this doesn't happen, the situation has got to be fixed; with money. Match fixing scandals have not yet hit England but the FA should watch out. It's just a question of time before they start investigating their own officials and club presidents.
At the moment, it is Juventus' turn for its actions to be under the microscope and the consequences may be far reaching. But unless football associations get to the root cause of match fixing, punishing culprits will not help. Football needs to go back to its humble beginnings. There should be limits on player transfer fees and especially their wages. Until something is done to stop the escalating cost of running football clubs, match fixing will continue to be part of the game.
This article was published in the newvision.