Africa @ MindSay

• I subbed for the third graders again.  Their teacher told me that they were excited because they liked when I am their sub.  :)  The teacher had me go over supply and demand with them and they ate the lesson up!  After explaining why the price of things go up because of scarcity, one of the children remarked, "Ugh! We did this yesterday! Why do we have to learn this again?"  I looked at him pointedly and said, "Because now when your parents complain about the price of gas and how it took $60 to fill up their tanks you'll know why."  "It took MILLIONS of years for dinosaur carcases to decay and form what we now call oil.  Once it's gone, it's gone.  We don't have another million years to wait until more oil is made."  He had the look of stark terror on his face and replied. "I don't feel safe anymore." LOL!  I told him, "That's why it's up to you and your generation to study your social studies and science classes so one day you'll come up with a viable, alternative fuel source. The previous generation and mine are too busy enjoying the profits they make to care." 

 Geez! It seems like I scare a couple kids everytime I have to teach social studies.  This just cracks Environgirl  up.  Before the bell rang, one of the kids left me this note:

 

 

Isn't that just precious? :D

 

• Yesterday I visited my dad at his new house.  He was happy to see the kiddo and me. It's a nice house and so far very well decorated. I expected nothing less from him.  He's always been good at decorating and matching curtains and furniture.  Taurean males tend to have a bit of a girly side and a lot of them tend to use too much cologne...but, I digress.  Anyway, I didn't see the Ghetto Assed Trick and thank God for that.  I was not in the mood to go to jail!  I also didn't see much evidence of her living there other than a couple of outfits in the closet. Dad's been in his new house for a week.  I saw no dual sets of toothbrushes or hair brushes, etc.  Hmmmm....

We watched Casino Royale together and then the kiddo and I went home. The visit was nice, but surreal, if that makes any sense. That numbness thing came in handy.

 

• I've been listening to a lot of South African music lately.  For some reason I find the call and response and the drum rhythms soothing, even when I listen to Zulu War Dance music.  When I'm angry it really calms me down (yes, even the war chants!) LOL!

 

 

African Women - Call and Response.

 

 

Fresh from their impressive performances at the 16th African Athletics championships in Addis Ababa last week, Kenyan athletes stormed to victories in the 800, 3000 and 3000m Steeplechase at the IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting in Doha, Qatar on a night when David Oliver (12.95 personal best) and Allyson Felix 100m and 400m double in 10.93 and 49.83 respectively dazzle the world with 2008 bests.

Osaka bronze medalist, Richard Mateelong's posted a 3000m s/c win in 8.07.64 (another world lead), NewAfrican champion David Rudisha out-foxed all comers with a 1.44.36 win in the 800m, whilst Augustine Kiprono Choge took the 3000m in 7.32.01 ahead of compatriot Edwin Cheruiyot Soi, Ugandan Moses Kipsiro and another Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge.

African champions Amantle Montsho of Botswana and Olusoji Fasuba of Nigeria suffered from their exhaustive performances in Addis Ababa and could only stumbled home 7th and last in 51.87 in the women's 400m and 6th in the men's 100m with 10.27 respectively.

Click here for FULL results and read more

http://www.athleticsafrica.com

You have to know em to love em.  This is Africa, in the truest meaning of the word.  First picture is called "Walkman"

Second is "Hot water system".

Three: Transportation 101, Toyota Co(w)rolla.

Four: Transportation 102, Pickup truck.

Five: Must be ...ahem...Zimbabwe?

Six:  Ambulence

Seven: Painting the pool

Eight: English as  Second language.

Nine: Enough said.

African track and field stars share with you on Athletes Diaries their dreams, update on their preparations and progress as they gets ready for the 2008 season and the road to Beijing Olympics Games.

http://www.athleticsafrica.com/Outgoing/athletesdiary.html

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

 

Dec. 3, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates traveled here today to see firsthand how combining multiple elements of U.S. national power toward a common goal is helping to prevent terrorism from taking a foothold in the Horn of Africa.  Gates met today with Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Defense Minister Ougoureh Kifleh Ahmed at the presidential palace. From there, he traveled to this former French Foreign Legion base that's headquarters to Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa to get a sense of what's working and how those lessons can be applied to the new U.S. Africa Command.

 

Navy Rear Adm. James M. Hart, task force commander, described operations under way to provide not just security assistance, but also humanitarian support and development to the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

 

These initiatives fall directly in line with the "soft" elements of national power Gates wants to see beefed up so non-military U.S. government entities can be stronger partners in advancing U.S. interests around the world.

 

Speaking last week at Kansas State University, Gates emphasized that the military can't go it alone in standing up to threats the country will face for the foreseeable future. He urged greater funding for diplomatic and other non-military aspects of U.S. national power so they're better able to complement the military's kinetic "hard-power" capabilities.

 

Gates told reporters today that he looks at Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa as a model of that concept through its military-to-military efforts and humanitarian and civic-support activities.

 

"It's a good model for Africa Command, but also an indication of the mix of activities I think we should be doing more of," he said.

 

"Kinetic efforts alone cannot achieve our goals in today's type of conflict," a senior defense official traveling with Gates told reporters.

 

She pointed to the "three Ds" -- defense, diplomacy and development -- as "three legs to a stool" that provide a solid base of support. "And you can't succeed in one without moving forward on all three in order to get to a stable environment," she said.

 

CJTF-HOA serves as a unique model for this approach, another official explained.

 

The task force initially stood up in November 2002 as a seafaring force aimed at blocking terrorists fleeing Afghanistan from setting up a new safe haven here. But within six months, it moved ashore and its mission morphed into a blend of military cooperation, military-to-military training and humanitarian assistance over a massive region two-thirds the size of the United States.

 

Today, CJTF-HOA applies the "three Ds" as personnel representing the Defense Department, State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development work hand-in-hand to create a stable climate that promotes a better quality of life for the local population.

 

Security is the base upon which other goals are built, an official said. So CJTF-HOA partners with nations within the Horn of Africa to build their military capacity so they can counter threats and maintain stability.

 

Meanwhile, the task force advances an active civil-works program and humanitarian assistance efforts from providing medical and veterinary care to promoting school and medical clinic construction and water development projects.

 

"JTF-HOA has been experimental and unique in that it is one of the places where we have integrated this concept of development (and) traditionally humanitarian-style outreach efforts in a non-combat environment," the official said.

 

Gates talked today with commanders about lessons learned -- the good as well as the bad -- and how they can be applied elsewhere, including Iraq and Afghanistan, she said. Those lessons will be critical as the new U.S. Africa Command takes shape, and in many ways, looks to CJTF-HOA as its model.

 

"How does he make sure the good (CJTF-)HOA is doing is maintained as AFRICOM stands up, and how do we find the right role for HOA itself as AFRICOM matures in the future?" the defense official asked.

 

Gates' discussions with Djiboutian officials included an assessment of the role CJTF-HOA will play in the new command and how to enhance efforts under way on the Horn of Africa. "It's a very unique opportunity for him to meet with the Djiboutian leadership to ask them their perspective and advice on JTF-HOA and the role it plays, not only in Djibouti, but in the region," she said.

 

That's critical in this area chock-full of real or potential flashpoints, including Somalia; Darfur, Sudan; the border region between Ethiopia and Eritrea; and ungoverned areas where terrorists driven from Afghanistan might seek refuge.

 

Navy Capt. Bob Wright, the task force's public affairs officer, said CJTF-HOA is actively working "to remove conditions that allow radicalization to occur."

 

"Our success will be in preventing conflict," he said.

 

While visiting with officials, Gates saw signs of the huge growth taking place that will expand Camp Lemonier from 97 to 500 acres. The expansion will provide vast quality-of-life improvements for troops here, replacing that tents some currently live in with permanent structures.