It’s finally over. Yesterday was a monumental day in my life. It felt like I have accomplished half of my goals in life. I have graduated as a class of 2006 in the Bulldog nation. I plodded on for the rest of the day how monumental the day was for me. Seeing my family and friends yell my name when my picture came on the big screen of the football stadium had strike me profoundly. If only words could explain how great and wonderful people were to me.
I earnestly endeavored to accomplish this degree, but this would not be the climax or the end. I know very well that life has a lot to offer. And I will try with the help of Allah to accomplish more. May Allah send them more degrees on my way! I have accomplished one of the wishes of my late father. My father trusted me to finish college. I can truly state that I have accomplished one of his wishes. I wish to dedicate this degree to him to all the goodwill and the wisdom he has imparted on me as a young kid. I have resisted any temptation that would have made this day imposible. Thank you dad for all the good role model you instilled on me. I can not persuade myself that they could have been a happier than you on that crowd if you could have been alive today.
My heart and thanks goes to my two cousins who flew from Toronto and Detroit to Atlanta. I can not repay what my cousins have done for me this day. There was no other way they could show what a gentlemen they were than being helpful and role models. I take this moment to thank them all .Thank you all….
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Tanzania Wants to use DDT
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53206&SelectRegion=Great_Lakes&SelectCountry=TANZANIA
This is one of the toughest decisions I recommend for African countries to take.This decision of using DDT demands a logical and biological plausability.The approach of using this pesticide should be conducted with great care.The risk of any pesticides arises from the manner it is handled, transported and applied. The African countries should develop steps to insure the safety of the public when applying this chemical.There is risk everywhere we look.If you do not put safety first you will probably end up in hospital for falling off your stepping chair.I recommend that African countries should only allow certified pesticides applicators to use this chemical.If African countries ignore these risks then the chemical will do no good to the public; only a far-reaching consequences will be witnessed. The governments should respect the people, land, economic welfare, and stewardship for the land.They should be cautious that greed should not overrun the safety of the public.It is known or shall I say, It is fact that risks from pesticides exposure depend on the dosage of the chemical, time of exposure, and susceptibility of the individuals. Always good judgements gives birth to good science.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Pfizer failure to keep up with Ethics in Africa
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/06/AR2006050601338_pf.html
The modern world based on science and the individualism of liberalism has traveled across the border. Sometimes it does come with good or bad things. Nigerian government report found out that Pfizer conducted unauthorized clinical trial on patients in Nigeria. Pfizer was found out to have violated the international declaration of Helsinki that governs ethical medical research. According to reports that are reported five children died from the unapproved anti-biotic clinical trial. Trust has been seriously been shaken by this incident. This incident should raise an eyebrow for all the future pharmaceutical trials that are conducted in poor nations. Pharmaceutical companies should look for ways to contribute to the accurate scientific results without jeopardizing the lives of the poor. They should engage in responsible, accountable, and transparent business/science. The African governments should not be blindfolded just because they are gaining free medicine. They should know if a price is attached to these “free medicine”. They need to keep up integrity in their scientific panels that approve sensitive researches. Accountability should be the motto for stopping such things to ever happen again.
The modern world based on science and the individualism of liberalism has traveled across the border. Sometimes it does come with good or bad things. Nigerian government report found out that Pfizer conducted unauthorized clinical trial on patients in Nigeria. Pfizer was found out to have violated the international declaration of Helsinki that governs ethical medical research. According to reports that are reported five children died from the unapproved anti-biotic clinical trial. Trust has been seriously been shaken by this incident. This incident should raise an eyebrow for all the future pharmaceutical trials that are conducted in poor nations. Pharmaceutical companies should look for ways to contribute to the accurate scientific results without jeopardizing the lives of the poor. They should engage in responsible, accountable, and transparent business/science. The African governments should not be blindfolded just because they are gaining free medicine. They should know if a price is attached to these “free medicine”. They need to keep up integrity in their scientific panels that approve sensitive researches. Accountability should be the motto for stopping such things to ever happen again.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Kayaking Trip
A group of us decided to set a goal of kayaking in the broad river before our graduation ceremony in few weeks. Broad river is one of the local rivers close to our campus. The river has 70-mile navigable continuous water. The idea incubated from one of our friends who have been to the river. When the news got to me I wasn’t happy about it. I am a bad swimmer. I couldn’t figure it out of all the other activities we could do, why choose water activity? We set the date to be last Saturday. They thought these would be a fun to remember since we were all going different directions in life. The thrill of free falling from five feet waterfall was unimaginable thought. We all promised to meet in the intramural field at eleven in the morning to head down the river. The weather didn’t seem an auspicious start of a day. But that didn’t stop us. One of my friend’s girlfriend started whining right before we were about to leave the field. She is a complete extrovert girl, but her nagging gets under my skin sometimes. Propriety restricts me from hushing her. We let her boyfriend deal with her.
When we all paid our dues, a staff member gave us each a kayak and a rowing stick. What looked like a safety culture tips followed? I choose the kayak that was hard to overturn even though it was heavy. All the other friends including the two girls picked the normal Kayak. You might think I was a Cassandra who always predicted the worst to happen. All these kids grew up around swimming pools while I grew up where there was no swimming pool. Maybe this explains my attempt to ingratiate myself when they all looked at me differently. In any case I didn’t expect an overwhelming cheers or shouts from them after all they were pain in the neck kids. Maybe this will make you understand them more. This group is composed of four Indians, two Somalis and three Ethiopians. They all grew up around Somalis. They even use words like “Caasharo” when they are describing women they met the night before at a party. We all call ourselves Qaxootis. Soon I am going to learn that no one was highly skilled or had an aptitude for Kayaking accept the Somalian dude, Ebb, who grew up in Canada.
It was due to my disposition or maybe fear that made me to be one of the last people to get in the water. I was caught up in the trivial details of safety that I hardly noticed I was ahead of everyone. The river was long and dangerous for a beginner like me. It had many twist and bends. My diffident made me not to trust the edges or the center of the river. I always made circuitous turns whenever I reached a waterfall. I thought these waterfalls would be the catalyst of my boat overturning. I was ahead of the group about ten minutes when accidentally I slumped into a rock and my Kayak overturned leaving me to gasp for air as my life jacket propelled me upward. I thought I was done. I was going to die in the water. I started yelling for help, but my friends were nowhere near. Luckily my Kayak was in my hand, but I lost my rowing stick. I forced myself to reach the nearby Island, but I was out of breath. I finally made it to the top of the rock when my friends arrived. I was socked in water and may be gulped down the river water during the accident. Ebb was an expert. I come to realize this when he rescued my Kayak and stick. He was able to get my stick from downstream and bring it up where I was. He started fuming at me how he told me not to leave the group. I apologized and got on my Kayak. When we reached a big waterfall he advised me to take the right side while he himself, the expert, went through it. But unfortunately they all fall of their Kayak. This was a hilarious moment for me. I laughed at them.
My friends kept on going back to the big waterfalls. They wanted to make it through without flipping over their kayak. I was logy from too little sleep from the night before. Don’t ever go to kayaking especially if you had been up all night. The air outside was becoming quite chill .My friend’s girlfriend and I decided to leave those lucid brigands
behind. We cheered wildly and slap ourselves at the back. And paddled our way to finish the trip. We were left with about four miles then. She would be my life guide if I ever drown, or so I thought. Actually we were both not sure of what to do if we ever got stuck in a rock. This never bothered me. By now I was gaining confidence and becoming expert on my own.
Never have I ever thought not to gain confidence with a little learning skill. Half way through our paddling my friend's girlfriend kayak flipped over. I was ahead of her. I made through safely. She is screaming and hollering my name. I, being the biggest Igalshidhat (Somali figure of fear), never looked back to save the poor girl and her kayak. I was moving like an errant calve trying to figure it out how to get up there. I knew I was scared to death. I lean on a big rock watching her being helped from a distance. Some blue eyes saved her by swimming down the stream. I was embarrassed and helpless. I was afraid of going upstream. Lets just say she got few bruises, which I will be blamed, for the rest of my life. I felt like a senseless git! The Kayak did help me strengthen my flexors. Whether you start the kayaking with a state of abject decrepitude or virile state, you will eventually welter in a turbid feeling. Your tenacity will be put under a test. You will not believe this I was the second person to finish the Kayaking trip. I was proud of myself!!
When we all paid our dues, a staff member gave us each a kayak and a rowing stick. What looked like a safety culture tips followed? I choose the kayak that was hard to overturn even though it was heavy. All the other friends including the two girls picked the normal Kayak. You might think I was a Cassandra who always predicted the worst to happen. All these kids grew up around swimming pools while I grew up where there was no swimming pool. Maybe this explains my attempt to ingratiate myself when they all looked at me differently. In any case I didn’t expect an overwhelming cheers or shouts from them after all they were pain in the neck kids. Maybe this will make you understand them more. This group is composed of four Indians, two Somalis and three Ethiopians. They all grew up around Somalis. They even use words like “Caasharo” when they are describing women they met the night before at a party. We all call ourselves Qaxootis. Soon I am going to learn that no one was highly skilled or had an aptitude for Kayaking accept the Somalian dude, Ebb, who grew up in Canada.
It was due to my disposition or maybe fear that made me to be one of the last people to get in the water. I was caught up in the trivial details of safety that I hardly noticed I was ahead of everyone. The river was long and dangerous for a beginner like me. It had many twist and bends. My diffident made me not to trust the edges or the center of the river. I always made circuitous turns whenever I reached a waterfall. I thought these waterfalls would be the catalyst of my boat overturning. I was ahead of the group about ten minutes when accidentally I slumped into a rock and my Kayak overturned leaving me to gasp for air as my life jacket propelled me upward. I thought I was done. I was going to die in the water. I started yelling for help, but my friends were nowhere near. Luckily my Kayak was in my hand, but I lost my rowing stick. I forced myself to reach the nearby Island, but I was out of breath. I finally made it to the top of the rock when my friends arrived. I was socked in water and may be gulped down the river water during the accident. Ebb was an expert. I come to realize this when he rescued my Kayak and stick. He was able to get my stick from downstream and bring it up where I was. He started fuming at me how he told me not to leave the group. I apologized and got on my Kayak. When we reached a big waterfall he advised me to take the right side while he himself, the expert, went through it. But unfortunately they all fall of their Kayak. This was a hilarious moment for me. I laughed at them.
My friends kept on going back to the big waterfalls. They wanted to make it through without flipping over their kayak. I was logy from too little sleep from the night before. Don’t ever go to kayaking especially if you had been up all night. The air outside was becoming quite chill .My friend’s girlfriend and I decided to leave those lucid brigands
behind. We cheered wildly and slap ourselves at the back. And paddled our way to finish the trip. We were left with about four miles then. She would be my life guide if I ever drown, or so I thought. Actually we were both not sure of what to do if we ever got stuck in a rock. This never bothered me. By now I was gaining confidence and becoming expert on my own.
Never have I ever thought not to gain confidence with a little learning skill. Half way through our paddling my friend's girlfriend kayak flipped over. I was ahead of her. I made through safely. She is screaming and hollering my name. I, being the biggest Igalshidhat (Somali figure of fear), never looked back to save the poor girl and her kayak. I was moving like an errant calve trying to figure it out how to get up there. I knew I was scared to death. I lean on a big rock watching her being helped from a distance. Some blue eyes saved her by swimming down the stream. I was embarrassed and helpless. I was afraid of going upstream. Lets just say she got few bruises, which I will be blamed, for the rest of my life. I felt like a senseless git! The Kayak did help me strengthen my flexors. Whether you start the kayaking with a state of abject decrepitude or virile state, you will eventually welter in a turbid feeling. Your tenacity will be put under a test. You will not believe this I was the second person to finish the Kayaking trip. I was proud of myself!!
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