In just a few weeks, the national conventions for the US presidential elections will take place. The Republican convention will be held in Tampa, Florida while the Democratic convention will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both states are key to the November election. Recalling the electoral votes from 4 years ago, here is the 2008 Electoral Map.
As the campaign enters the final months, no doubt the political rhetoric will heat up and the candidates will make all kinds of campaign stops. The presumed nominee for the Republican Party, Mitt Romney is on an international tour. After day one, he was already stumbling. You cannot go to some one's country and criticize them. It just does not work like that, but he did. He criticized the British on their ability to host the 2012 Summer Games just days before the opening ceremony. I guess since he was the chairman of the Salt Lake City winter games, no one was in a better position to say something than he is.
Despite all of the criticism that President Obama receives, many people around the world believe that he is on their side. The other day, I came across a picture from Niger, a country in West Africa and one of the poorest in the world. There in a fishing village, a man was wearing a shirt that should bring any American to tears. Here is the picture taken by Anthony Pappone, Festival on the Niger. This man may never meet President Obama, but he knows of him and seems to believe in him. President Obama's decisions go far beyond the shores of the United States. If people in the US want the world to respect them then they need to start respecting their own president. It seems the rest of the world does, for Barack Obama is a president for all.
27 July 2012
06 July 2012
Photography
Wow!!!!! I can't believe how much time has passed since my last post. Sufficient to say, I have been busy. It has been a rather hectic time. Stress from the financial markets keeps everyone on raw edge. Thus, it is really a good thing that I rekindled my love for photography. It is a hobby, that allows me to be close to nature and forget about the everyday stress in life.
A few years ago, my father gave me a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera. I already had one, a gift from my husband which started to reintroduce me to photography. My father bought one which was on the professional level, and found it required a lot of time to learn all of its features. When I saw it, I told him that when he tired of it, he could pass it on to me. Within two months of my saying that, he decided he would give it to me. I, too, was overwhelmed with all of the features, but I was very grateful for his generosity. I received the camera at the end of 2008 and 3.5 years later I am still learning new features.
There are many types of photography, portraits, landscape, nature, wildlife, still-life, sports, etc. I like landscape, nature, and wildlife. These allow me to be outside. For some reason, I don't like using flash. May be it is because I have not yet mastered the skill or may be just being outside is more relaxing.
During my junior high school days, I was the photographer for our yearbook. In senior high, I took a photography class. My father helped me to learn the foundations of photography and continued to help me over the years. Once on a recent visit to my parents, my father and I went to the zoo to take pictures of the animals. As each day passes and I see more and more incredible pictures, I want to improve my photographic skills. I have been able to learn a lot on my own, but really think it would be fun to take a workshop. The internet is a great resource for improving photographic skills there are so many tutorials both free and paid courses. It is also amazing how many people are willing to share their knowledge about photography. I have found some fantastic blogs as well.
Today, with technology there are a lot of people interested in photography. Some are professionals and others like me do it as a hobby. I don't spend much time in post-processing. The key to a good photograph for me is capturing the image you want when you take the picture, not adjusting it afterwards. I think cropping is within the limits, but color enhancing does not interest me. The key to good photography, like everything else, is practice. With the digital medium, taking thousands of pictures is more affordable than when film had to be processed. Often, I feel that I lack a subject to photography. Since reading a few blogs and watching some tutorials, everything item is worth capturing; be it as mundane as a bottle cap to a majestic picture of an iconic mountain peak.
Finally, photography has a side benefit. It is a way to get good exercise. On the days, when you just don't feel like hitting the gym or making a major effort to play around of 18 holes of golf. Take the camera and go for a walk and see what new things you discover. Recently, I took the camera to some of the villages in the area. These are places I pass on a regular basis, but just never stopped to really look at them.
Just remember get out there and shoot, shoot, and shoot some more.
A few years ago, my father gave me a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera. I already had one, a gift from my husband which started to reintroduce me to photography. My father bought one which was on the professional level, and found it required a lot of time to learn all of its features. When I saw it, I told him that when he tired of it, he could pass it on to me. Within two months of my saying that, he decided he would give it to me. I, too, was overwhelmed with all of the features, but I was very grateful for his generosity. I received the camera at the end of 2008 and 3.5 years later I am still learning new features.
There are many types of photography, portraits, landscape, nature, wildlife, still-life, sports, etc. I like landscape, nature, and wildlife. These allow me to be outside. For some reason, I don't like using flash. May be it is because I have not yet mastered the skill or may be just being outside is more relaxing.
During my junior high school days, I was the photographer for our yearbook. In senior high, I took a photography class. My father helped me to learn the foundations of photography and continued to help me over the years. Once on a recent visit to my parents, my father and I went to the zoo to take pictures of the animals. As each day passes and I see more and more incredible pictures, I want to improve my photographic skills. I have been able to learn a lot on my own, but really think it would be fun to take a workshop. The internet is a great resource for improving photographic skills there are so many tutorials both free and paid courses. It is also amazing how many people are willing to share their knowledge about photography. I have found some fantastic blogs as well.
Today, with technology there are a lot of people interested in photography. Some are professionals and others like me do it as a hobby. I don't spend much time in post-processing. The key to a good photograph for me is capturing the image you want when you take the picture, not adjusting it afterwards. I think cropping is within the limits, but color enhancing does not interest me. The key to good photography, like everything else, is practice. With the digital medium, taking thousands of pictures is more affordable than when film had to be processed. Often, I feel that I lack a subject to photography. Since reading a few blogs and watching some tutorials, everything item is worth capturing; be it as mundane as a bottle cap to a majestic picture of an iconic mountain peak.
Finally, photography has a side benefit. It is a way to get good exercise. On the days, when you just don't feel like hitting the gym or making a major effort to play around of 18 holes of golf. Take the camera and go for a walk and see what new things you discover. Recently, I took the camera to some of the villages in the area. These are places I pass on a regular basis, but just never stopped to really look at them.
Just remember get out there and shoot, shoot, and shoot some more.
14 February 2012
One Moment in Time- David slays Goliath
On 11 February 2012 Whitney Houston was found dead in her hotel room in California. Listening to some of her old songs, "One Moment in Time" comes to mind as Zambia and Ivory Coast took to the field for the 2012 Cup of African Nations final in Liberville, Gabon on 12 February 2012. Against all of the odds, Team Zambia wanted only one moment in time to meet their destiny by capturing the trophy.
In April 1993 Team Zambia was on its way to Senegal for a qualifying match for the 1994 World Final. The military aircraft carrying the national football team, and coaches refuelled in Gabon. Shortly after take-off the military aircraft crashed off the coast of Gabon. There were no survivors. Nearly all of the Zambian football team perished. Kalusha Bwalya, the 1988 African Football Player of the year was traveling from Europe to meet his teammates in Senegal and was not on the ill-fated plane. Now 19 years later, he and Zambia are finally able to hold the African Cup of Nations trophy. Zambia defeated Ivory Coast, a heavy favorite in the 2012 final. After a scoreless tie at the end of regulation and extended time, Zambia won 8-7 on penalty kicks.
Team Zambia returned home to a hero's welcome. Many people took a day off in order to meet the team at the airport. Some may wonder why all the fuss over a football game; for Zambia it is about building an economy. The country's main product is copper, but Zambia wants to move beyond that. With the help of football, it hopes to develop other businesses, such as agriculture and tourism.
After the lost of a generation of football players, let's hope that Team Zambia and the Zambian economy are now moving in the right direction.
In April 1993 Team Zambia was on its way to Senegal for a qualifying match for the 1994 World Final. The military aircraft carrying the national football team, and coaches refuelled in Gabon. Shortly after take-off the military aircraft crashed off the coast of Gabon. There were no survivors. Nearly all of the Zambian football team perished. Kalusha Bwalya, the 1988 African Football Player of the year was traveling from Europe to meet his teammates in Senegal and was not on the ill-fated plane. Now 19 years later, he and Zambia are finally able to hold the African Cup of Nations trophy. Zambia defeated Ivory Coast, a heavy favorite in the 2012 final. After a scoreless tie at the end of regulation and extended time, Zambia won 8-7 on penalty kicks.
Team Zambia returned home to a hero's welcome. Many people took a day off in order to meet the team at the airport. Some may wonder why all the fuss over a football game; for Zambia it is about building an economy. The country's main product is copper, but Zambia wants to move beyond that. With the help of football, it hopes to develop other businesses, such as agriculture and tourism.
After the lost of a generation of football players, let's hope that Team Zambia and the Zambian economy are now moving in the right direction.
"For American fans it was a shame that the game, and the tournament, was not available on television. But nothing can take away a shred of delight from Zambia on the night they gave their fallen forefathers the ultimate tribute." - Yahoo Sports
09 February 2012
The Wide World of Sports-The African Cup of Nations
"Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition... This is ABC's Wide World of Sports!"
This was the opening statement of ABC's sports program which ran on American tv for 37 years from 1961-1998. The show began as a fill-in show for a summer season. The goal of the show was to showcase sports from around the globe. With the success and popularity of cable television, the show was canceled. This is quite unfortunate, because on the eve of the 2012 African Cup of Nations Final from Libreville, Gabon, there is little coverage of this event.
Every two years African national football (soccer) teams meet to decide the African champion. This event is equivalent to the European Championships and the Copa America which are held every four years. The Africa Cup of Nations was first held in 1957. At that time there were only 3 participating nations; Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Today there are 16 teams who participate, meaning that there are qualifying rounds which take place between the championship years.
The 2012 event is being hosted in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. One of the initial surprises this year is that Nigeria, Cameroon, and Egypt did not qualify. Egypt holds the most titles with 7, while Cameroon and Nigeria have 4 and 2, respectively. With these three teams absent, expectations were high for Ivory Coast, and Ghana. The majority of the Ivory Coast team play in France and England for major clubs. The Ghana national football team also has many of its players playing in Europe. Both of these teams made it to the semi-finals, but only Ivory Coast will be in the final. Ghana lost to Zambia and will play Mali for third place.
Perhaps few people thought Zambia would make it to the final match. In 1993 all but one member of the Zambian national football team was killed in a tragic plane crash in Gabon on their way to a World Cup qualifying match in Senegal. Essentially, an entire generation of football was wiped out. The current team has gone to Gabon on a mission to bring home the trophy in memory of their former teammates. From the current squad representing Zambia in this tournament, there is only one player who is on a European team.
The final takes place on Sunday 12 February 2012. It will be a David and Goliath event. With the hopes of two nations riding on the shoulders of their teams. Ivory Coast recently hampered by a civil war after a presidential election and Zambia trying to restore the pride of their nation in the memory of their lost teammates will take to the field. It is too bad that the Wide World of Sports no longer exist to broadcast this event.
This was the opening statement of ABC's sports program which ran on American tv for 37 years from 1961-1998. The show began as a fill-in show for a summer season. The goal of the show was to showcase sports from around the globe. With the success and popularity of cable television, the show was canceled. This is quite unfortunate, because on the eve of the 2012 African Cup of Nations Final from Libreville, Gabon, there is little coverage of this event.
Every two years African national football (soccer) teams meet to decide the African champion. This event is equivalent to the European Championships and the Copa America which are held every four years. The Africa Cup of Nations was first held in 1957. At that time there were only 3 participating nations; Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Today there are 16 teams who participate, meaning that there are qualifying rounds which take place between the championship years.
The 2012 event is being hosted in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. One of the initial surprises this year is that Nigeria, Cameroon, and Egypt did not qualify. Egypt holds the most titles with 7, while Cameroon and Nigeria have 4 and 2, respectively. With these three teams absent, expectations were high for Ivory Coast, and Ghana. The majority of the Ivory Coast team play in France and England for major clubs. The Ghana national football team also has many of its players playing in Europe. Both of these teams made it to the semi-finals, but only Ivory Coast will be in the final. Ghana lost to Zambia and will play Mali for third place.
Perhaps few people thought Zambia would make it to the final match. In 1993 all but one member of the Zambian national football team was killed in a tragic plane crash in Gabon on their way to a World Cup qualifying match in Senegal. Essentially, an entire generation of football was wiped out. The current team has gone to Gabon on a mission to bring home the trophy in memory of their former teammates. From the current squad representing Zambia in this tournament, there is only one player who is on a European team.
The final takes place on Sunday 12 February 2012. It will be a David and Goliath event. With the hopes of two nations riding on the shoulders of their teams. Ivory Coast recently hampered by a civil war after a presidential election and Zambia trying to restore the pride of their nation in the memory of their lost teammates will take to the field. It is too bad that the Wide World of Sports no longer exist to broadcast this event.
23 January 2012
Political Shenanigans
It has been a long time since my last post. Where does the time go? I have not forgotten that I have a blog. I have been trying to decide which topic to hit first. I have tried to hold back from posting about the US primary elections, but I can't resist anymore. I am not very politically active, so may be I am not the correct person to write on this subject. Nevertheless, I am throwing my two cents in to the pot.
To say that I am appalled by the shenanigans of current group of Republican presidential candidates in the US is a major understatement. Being outside of the country and listening to all of the rhetoric, I can only wonder what those living in the country at this time are thinking? First, there is just outright disrespect for the current administration. This is not to say that everyone should agree with the president, but to be so boldly disrespectful is unheard of. Second, some of the campaign speeches and debates are just filled with inaccuracies. One candidate stood up and said he was the best one to protect the US in case of a nuclear attack by Iran. What? Third, each of the Republicans believes he is the best person to get the country out of the current economic quagmire. Apparently, they have forgotten that the economic situation of the US started well before 2008. And the list gone on. There is no need to beat a dead horse to death.
This passed weekend Newt Gingrich revived his campaign from the dead. But did anyone really expect that Mitt Romney was going to win the South Carolina primary other then himself? I think the only surprise there was the margin of the win. So the Republican primaries drag on until the last one standing is appointed the nominee.
The next major state is Florida. This is going to be an interesting primary as the current motley Republican crew has just about alienated many of the citizens in the state The candidates are mainly anti-immigration, and anti-government programs for seniors. Even Jeb Bush has yet to throw his support behind one of the candidates. Anyway, this farcical process will continue until June. There will be more and more negativity and false statements and allegations to come. Once November arrives, I do hope that citizens of the US will be able to put all of these political shenanigans aside and choose the person who is most capable of governing the country for the next four years.
To say that I am appalled by the shenanigans of current group of Republican presidential candidates in the US is a major understatement. Being outside of the country and listening to all of the rhetoric, I can only wonder what those living in the country at this time are thinking? First, there is just outright disrespect for the current administration. This is not to say that everyone should agree with the president, but to be so boldly disrespectful is unheard of. Second, some of the campaign speeches and debates are just filled with inaccuracies. One candidate stood up and said he was the best one to protect the US in case of a nuclear attack by Iran. What? Third, each of the Republicans believes he is the best person to get the country out of the current economic quagmire. Apparently, they have forgotten that the economic situation of the US started well before 2008. And the list gone on. There is no need to beat a dead horse to death.
This passed weekend Newt Gingrich revived his campaign from the dead. But did anyone really expect that Mitt Romney was going to win the South Carolina primary other then himself? I think the only surprise there was the margin of the win. So the Republican primaries drag on until the last one standing is appointed the nominee.
The next major state is Florida. This is going to be an interesting primary as the current motley Republican crew has just about alienated many of the citizens in the state The candidates are mainly anti-immigration, and anti-government programs for seniors. Even Jeb Bush has yet to throw his support behind one of the candidates. Anyway, this farcical process will continue until June. There will be more and more negativity and false statements and allegations to come. Once November arrives, I do hope that citizens of the US will be able to put all of these political shenanigans aside and choose the person who is most capable of governing the country for the next four years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)