I have just failed my driving test.

Oooh well

Bye Bye Jose

I was saddened by the news in the early hours of yesterday morning that Jose Murinho has left Chelsea. I will miss Jose Murinho and his self centred take on events as well as his sometimes libellious comments about match officials and other managers.
However saddened I may be by Jose's departure, It did not reduce me to tears. That cannot be said for a grown man outside Stamford Bridge who was crying his eyes out. On the news, of all places to do that. If this man ever happens to read this, I have a few words for him: "Get a grip, man. It doesnt matter how special he was,he wasnt family, he was just a manager. They come and go. Get used to it or find a less emotionally tasking hobby".
I leave you with a few of my favourite Murinho quotes:

"I saw their players and manager go for a lap of honour after losing to us in their last home game. In Portugal if you do this, they throw bottles at you."

"Omelette, eggs. No eggs, no omelettes. It depends on the quality of the eggs. In the supermarket you have eggs, class one, class two, class three. Some are more expensive than others, and some give you better omelettes. When the class one eggs are in Waitrose and you cannot go there, you have a problem."

"I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea." - on Arsène Wenger

The spirit of MLK lives.

Watching the ten o clock news tonight, brought forth two main feelings in me. Thrown in amongst news about the northern rock mess and Mervyn King's appearance in front of a parilamentary select committe was news about the jena 6, from Jena, Louisiana.
The news of the Jena 6 is receiving a lot of attention across the atlantic. The jena 6 are 6 young african-american students who were charged with attempted murder after a severe playground beating of a white student. The case has resulted in grass roots mobilisation of the black community that has been unseen since the days of the civil rights movement. Roads clogged to capacity by marchers singing improtu choruses and songs, remainders of a by gone age. Many of the people involved in the protests today believe that the charges are racially motivated and that justice in Jena, Louisana operates on two tiers. One for whites and another for african- americans. In the same town, after a racially charged riot in which white students committed arson on school grounds, no charges were pressed, but a brutal playground fight in which the victim was discharged the same evening solicits charges of attempted murder. Dont get me wrong, its dispicable that 6 young men would set upon one youth even if he apparently used racist language, but a comparison of both cases doesnt show the even hand of justice at work. Additionally, the charge of attempted murder for a school yard fight is overly excessive. Common sense has prevailed and this charge has been reduced by the U.S. District Attorney responsible for Jena, Louisana.
So what two feelings swelled up within me. Firstly, I was saddened that 50 years on since the landmark ruling of the supreme court in the Brown vs Topeka school of education case , children of different races cannot still study side by side in friendship and peace in the United States. Secondly and more positively, I was amazed and cheered by the solidarity within the African- American community in the United States. Though slavery was abolished in 1864, African- Americans in the United States still in many cases live inferior lives. African- American males are the majority in penal institutions,while a minority in wider society. Many though they do not in a physical prision,live in the prison of poverty. Just because the Junior Senator from Illnois is running for President and Condlezza Rice is breaking bread at the white house doesnt mean that all is well with African- Americans. Many are content to work their 9-5s or live off social security and crime and accept the social orders of things. The outcry within the black community was a departure from this usual soul destroying manotony.
Furthermore, I was buoyed by the solidarity of other races in marching with their black brothers and sisters. At last, slowly but surely, MLK'sdream is been realised.
African Americans still have a long way to go in America. I believe that some of their woes are as a result of an unfair system and active prejudice, but abandonment of personal responsibilty also pays a big part. No amount of civil rights legislation can make a man want to better himself. Thats where the man comes in.

God Bless America!

Second chance

For those who missed the dispatches show, you may be able to watch it on the net:


http://www.channel4.com/4od/index.html

Apostates and Roundabouts




Hello again.


Its been a while since I have blogged. Not because I have been particularly busy. I have unfortunately been idle a lot of the time.
Well what can I tell you. I went driving today. My instructor thinks that it will be a tight squeeze making me road worthy by my test. I have 10 days to go, about 10 hours and I am still driving like a learner, lacking lane discipline, struggling with gear changes, slow on roundabouts and I havent even hit the dual carriage way yet.lol. I have a lot to do. A lot of it has to do with me been less than alert while driving. You will be glad to know that it isnt because I am under the influence of anything or tired, I am just a daydreamer as my mum puts it. Need to be more aware.
I found out today that the Met had misplaced my application for two weeks. If I hadnt kept calling them about it, I dont know when they would have realised it wasnt where it was meant to be. I thought I would be more angry about this, but I am not. I am not the most patient person at the best of times, despite having to wait for an additional 2-3 weeks for the application to be processed. I seem to be ok about it. Ooooh well. I have all year!
Watched dispatches yesterday. It was on the plight of Muslim born christians in the U.K. I didnt believe what I was seeing, Churches vandalised, parishioners harrassed, a police presence required for sunday service in the land of Wesley, Taylor and Spurgeon. I couldnt believe the resulting anarchy that was caused in response to conversions from Islam to Christianity . My heart really went out to those christians. One girl was assaulted by her mother and thrown out of the house. Another man was beaten to within an inch of his life by a mob and a family had their way to sunday service blocked. Its sad, but the bible speaks of days like these. This has spurned me on to pray for these guys and try to befriend muslim born believers who I come across. A man complained yesterday that he was caught in no man's land. Disowned by his physical family and misunderstood and out of place within his spiritual one. Woe, woe, woe indeed. Despite this, thank God for those who will stand for him though the cost is high and those who will go against liberal sensibilities and speak out against the radical muslims who do such things. Thank God also for those christians in the words of Brother Andrew (the bible smuggler), who have a heart for those some of us may be uncomfortable to associate with in heaven, let alone on earth. Men like Jay Smith.

May more muslims come to the true knowledge of the prophet Isa (Jesus)

Grace and Peace

Keeks