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There are many fine

If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?

Human beings around who I haven’t had dinner with to waste the opportunity on fictional characters. Next it will be a robot.

I oscillator between having dinner with the rich and famous or rich and infamous or powerful but interesting.  Other times, I think of having dinner with the regular but interesting taxi driver who has driven the rich and famous.

But mostly, I like to spend dinner with people we can have a lively conversation, and enjoy whatever food is served.

But, it would be most interesting to have dinner with the creator of the fictional character. What drove them to this character? What part of them is represented by this character? Why this character and none else?

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Silly question

I am reading “the dream of a ridiculous man’ by Fyodor Dostoyevski and early on, he presents a very interesting question. You are destined to die in 2 hours ( in this case by one’s own hand), should you feel shame for not offering help one in need?

Or, as the ridiculous man argues with himself,  as long as one is a member of the community of the living, they have a duty to help the suffering regardless of their later plans?

Is Dostoyevsky expecting too much of a fellow preparing to kill themselves? Or is that the least we should expect from everyone except psychos?

Happy weekend everyone

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Happenings these side of the pond

Last week, sixteen girls lost their lives, and many others got injured in an arson attack in their dorm school. Sit with that for a minute. 16 girls. It is alleged the fire was started by fellow students. These are girls between the ages of 14-16/7 years of age.

This is not the first school fire we have seen in this country. On the contrary, it joins a long list of schools where students have put the lives of their colleagues in harm’s way. Studies have been done to examine the conditions that lead to these incidences, and safety recommendations made but not implemented or followed. We expect knee jerk reactions from the government and the business as usual.

I am curious to know if in your villages, across the pond,  there are only boys or girls boarding schools? How are schools ranked? I ask because we inherited a system that makes discrimination a national pastime. Some schools, national schools, are better staffed, better equipped and admit only the top students. The slots are few and if you can’t get in through the short and narrow, then you gonna pay for an opportunity. Then we have at the lowest rung, village or community schools- poorly staffed, poorly resourced and admit those pupils left over after all other ranks have chosen theirs.

Does sexual orientation predispose someone to violence? Rumours circulating in social media here suggest that the girls who allegedly set the fire on are of a certain orientation. There’s no evidence to support this except that it is convenient.

I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of the parents who lost their daughters nor the parents of the girls who allegedly set the fire on. For those who lost their children, I wish them grace and peace. To the parents whose children are in custody, grace and courage. This is going to be rough for all parties involved.

I think at the end of the day, we will have to buy a big mirror as a country. We need it.

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Do you want the truth

What’s the first book you ever finished and still remember to this day?

Or the lie.

I can’t remember the first book I ever read and finished. What I recall is I was in primary school, I had access to story books, read one and did a short summary. I don’t recall the title of the book. I never expected someone will one day ask me about it.

Since that book, I have read many books in between. I remember some, some I know where they are in case I need to refer to them and some I have no idea I had read them.

In all, I am here to wish you all a pleasant week.

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PhD troubles

So I am hardly here these days and it is not by design. I wish I would spend more time reading, liking and commenting on your blogs. I would also love to check on friends to know how they are keeping on. And hope that Nan or Suzzie do not have to carry IDs to prove their Americanness to ICE. I have not followed the shitstorm that is Epstein files.

So last December I received authorisation from my university that I can go and collect data. I thought this process would be easy. Write to the statutory body, get contacts, send questionnaire and wait for responses to trickle in. Shock on me!

First challenge data protection laws. Makagutu we cannot give you the details of our members because of the law and all. Another one, no response two months later. And another, here are the names and contacts details. I send email and then crickets. In a few days I will be at my wits ends if this continues but I have to be patient, I hear. So I will have to strangle a hegoat [details nyuok as my ancestors would say] and hope things work.

So if you dont see me on your wonderful blog, it is this PhD troubling me.