Thursday, January 29, 2009

Cure to AIDS discovered courtesy of His Excellency Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh

The president of the Gambia claims to be able to cure AIDS. Watch this and decide for yourself?!?!
Also food for thought...
Jammeh graduated from Military Police Officers Basic Course Training at Fort McClellan, Ala., U.S in 1994, in July of the same year he successfully executed his coup. hmmm...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Pfizer tests experimental drugs on Africans leading to numerous deaths

In 1996 during a bacterial meningitis outbreak in Nigeria, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, illegally used a test drug on the local population. "Those reportedly treated by the company ended up with adverse effects like deafness, muteness, paralysis, brain damage, loss of sight, slurred speech and death." I find it interesting that pharmaceutical companies choose to test in Africa...why is that? Perhaps the developed world is too good for testing and thus opt to use Africans as their Guinea pigs. Today Pfizer settled out of court with the government of Nigeria in an attempt to further hide the truth of their inhumane testing practices.
Read more here
All Africa
Washington Post

Thursday, January 22, 2009

My Zimbabwean soapbox or how the world watches another country collapse (the other being Somalia)

Okay, so it is not often that I use this blog as soapbox for my views and opinions but I feel that the situation in Zimbabwe is an issue that people should be aware of.
So... consider this less of a opinionated imposition and more like a passionate rant. Current president Mugabe is an archaic freedom fighter turned kleptocratic murderous dictator. He has single-handedly transformed the "breadbasket of Africa" into a failed state marked by food insecurity, a feeble health care system, and daily human rights abuses.
A January 21st IRIN News Report states that "Forbes Asia, put the annual inflation rate at around 6.5 quindecillion novemdecillion percent - 65 followed by 107 zeros. "Prices double every 24.7 hours," The geniuses behind this financial demise also decided this month to release a 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollar note so that people no longer have to take a wheelbarrow full of money to the store in order to buy a loaf of bread. Thanks guys...
Despite all this, the question should be "is there hope for Zimbabwe?" Assuming the breadbasket collapse was not caused by global warming the answer is yes, but this change will not be achieved through sanctions or through the limp noodle governments in Southern Africa who have stood along and watched as Mugabe manhandled his own people. The biggest obstacle is no doubt Mugabe who has shown himself very resistant to change as he recently stated "Zimbabwe is mine- I will never surrender". So as the world turns Zimbabweans are starving, Cholera is breaking out all over their country, and their currency can be used as a toilet paper substitute. Thank you Mr. Mugabe.
Since this is a photoblog, I will post some pictures of trees for your enjoyment....















Sunday, January 18, 2009

Guten Tag Deutschland

After a wonderful Christmas with my folks in Germany, we are back in the states waiting for our contracts to come through (Deo Volente). My soul is itching to return and I feel quite like Marlow when he said, " It was not my strength that needed nursing, it was my imagination that wanted soothing." Nevertheless, we are enjoying time with family/friends, english tv, and drinking water from the faucet.

Here are some pics from our time in Euro.