Safari Notes

I first heard about Barack Obama early last year; with time, the more I read about him, the more I became interested, and the more I admired the man . Not only because of his Kenyan origins and he having a Muslim father and paternal family; but his whole background and life history, I have found very interesting and absorbing. Not only is he the first man of African descent to win election to the United States Senate as a Democrat , but, too - he is the fifth African American Senator ever , in the whole of the U.S. history; and is the only African American currently serving in the US Senate. Incredible. Just unbelievable! Of all places on Earth, there is only one place that allows such! Only one country, that gives one such opportunity. The United States of America! As much as I am against American policies, foreign - in particular; as much as I dislike the way the present American leadership is behaving and handling international issues; as much as I am against American corpora

"We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible.” "Americans want to feel good about themselves and their government............They can be called upon to sacrifice, and they can be ashamed when we fall short of our ideals, but they don't believe that the main lesson of the past five years is that America is an evil hegemony." Photo by: ideogrove

The last one week has had some very interesting developments in the fight against HIV/AIDS! A few days ago, the International Aids Conference ended in Toronto, Canada; as always, such forums - give much hope to those affected and help in focusing the world's attention on the scourge. Then two days ago, there was this: US scientists say they have discovered how HIV evades the body's natural defenses against viral infections . This discovery could help in finding better ways in fighting the disease. Roger Pebody, treatment specialist for Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "This study is promising, and we hope that it will help researchers develop new therapies that may be available over the next decade." And now: ' ......male circumcision, and the not so new high-tech gels or drugs, could be the next big thing in the fight against HIV/Aids.' Preliminary data presented at the 16th International Aids Conference in Toronto, Canada, from two studies in Kenya and Uganda

“Peace is more precious than a piece of land... let there be no more wars.” “Most people seek after what they do not possess and are enslaved by the very things they want to acquire.” “There can be hope only for a society which acts as one big family, not as many separate ones.” “He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality, and will never, therefore, make any progress" More On Sadat: presidency.gov.eg , New York Times , Wikipedia , Google Scholar , Google Books Image From: Britannica

The Maldives is sinking! And is prone to tsunamis ! But, it's one of the most beautiful places I can ever imagine! Just breathtaking! "Sun, sand and sea, a thousand ‘Robinson Crusoe’ islands, massive lagoons with different depths and infinite shades of blue and turquoise, dazzling underwater coral gardens; a perfect natural combination for the ideal tropical holiday destination. However there is more to the Maldives than just that." Visit Maldives "The pearls of the Indian Ocean, as it is popularly known, are situated in the South West of Sri Lanka, on the equator. The numerous coral reef islands, 1,190 in total , form an archipelago of 26 major atolls ( groups of neighbouring coral islands). The country stretches 820 km north to south and 120 km east to west. Out of the incredibly large number of islands only 200 islands are inhabited, with 44 islands adapted as exclusive resort islands. The climate is generally warm and humid. Sun shines all year through with aver

No sportsman or entertainer has been as outspoken and revolutionary as Muhammad Ali; in fact, even few politicians are. Sportsman, politician and rebel, that is Ali. Only had the courage and the will to tell America: "Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?" "I got nothing against no Viet Cong. No Vietnamese ever called me a 'nigger'." "Nobody has to tell me that this is a serious business. I'm not fighting one man. I'm fighting a lot of men, showing a lot of 'em, here is one man they couldn't defeat, couldn't conquer. My mission is to bring freedom to 30m black people." Today, due to his health condition, he is quiet. But, still, he is as well known and recognized just as he was before. Of all people of African descent, only Mandela can claim to be more outspoken and as much of a pe

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same” “It always seems impossible until its done.” “There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” “As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.” “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” "I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses" More On Mandela: Nelson