who to watch out at the olympics

 with the london olympics starting tomorrow, heres a few people  africans should look out for, being klenyan i have no doubt kenyans will do well, as for the rest of the continent , i can only hope they make us proud

 Athletes from 53 African countries have been arriving in London ahead of Friday's opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympic Games.

So who among the continent's sportsmen and women are likely medal contenders?
BBC Africa's Farayi Mungazi picks the 10 African Olympians he thinks are in with a chance:

Segun Toriola - Nigeria: Table tennis player

Segun Toriola is Africa's most-decorated table tennis player. London 2012 will be his sixth Olympics - his first was Barcelona 1992.
In Beijing four years ago, he became the first African so far to make it to the quarter-finals.
The youngest of nine brothers, he plays professionally in France.
A former Commonwealth champion, he has also won every major honour in Africa, dominating the sport there for nearly two decades. But at the age of 38, London 2012 could well be his last Olympics.

Benjamin Boukpeti - Togo: Canoeist

Benjamin Boukpeti's bronze in the men's single kayak slalom in Beijing was the first Olympic medal in Togo's history.
He was also the first black man to win a medal in a slalom event.
Benjamin was born in France to a French mother and Togolese father.
He has struggled with injuries since Beijing, but enters his third Olympics with high hopes.

Kirsty Coventry - Zimbabwe: Swimmer

Kirsty Coventry holds the world record for the 200m backstroke and over her two previous Olympic Games she has won two gold medals, four silvers and a bronze.
The 28-year-old is seen as a national treasure in Zimbabwe - "our golden girl" President Robert Mugabe calls her - and has been voted African Swimmer of the Year five times.

Sifiso Nhlapo - South Africa: BMX rider

A former world silver and bronze medallist, Sifiso Nhlapo has represented South Africa at the World Championships a record nine times.
In Beijing - when BMX made its Olympic debut - he was in contention for a medal when he crashed out, but he still made the final.
The following year, he broke his neck in another accident - but if his body holds up, he is definitely one to watch.

Aya Medany - Egypt: Modern pentathlete

After making her Olympic debut at the Athens Games in 2004, aged just 15, Aya Medany is now one of the most recognisable sports stars in Egypt.
Her sport - the modern pentathlon - demands that she fence, swim, ride horses, run and shoot.
Her religious beliefs demand she do it wearing specific clothing.
She is the only elite pentathlete who competes wearing a hijab.
London 2012 is her third Olympics and she is on a mission to better the eighth position she achieved in Beijing.

Caster Semenya - South Africa: 800m runner

When Caster Semenya stormed to victory at the World Championships in Berlin in 2009, she also ran into a storm of speculation over whether or not she was female.
But although she has struggled to reproduce her world-beating form of 2009, she has been talking up her chances of breaking the 800m world record - the longest standing women's world record in the sport - set in 1983.
This is her first Olympic Games.
And with former world and Olympic champion Maria Mutola as her coach, Semenya is in good hands.

Tirunesh Dibaba - Ethiopia: 5,000m and 10,000m runner

Defending Olympic champion at both 5,000m and 10,000m, Tirunesh Dibaba is regarded by many as the fastest finisher in the history of women's distance running.
Since the Beijing Olympics, she has struggled with injuries - leading to lengthy lay-offs from running.
But her form suggests she may be on the way back to her best.
One of the most-anticipated events of London 2012 is her clash with fellow Ethiopian Meseret Defar and the formidable Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot.

Amantle Montsho - Botswana: 400m runner

The world, Commonwealth and African champion, Amantle Montsho will be chasing her country's first Olympic medal so far in London 2012, her third Olympic Games.
In Athens she failed to get beyond the heats, in Beijing she made the final, but in London she is the favourite for gold.
Her strength and speed have improved considerably since Beijing and she is now the woman to beat over one lap.
She has said that an Olympic gold medal would mean everything to her and she is extremely light on her feet.

Mary Keitany - Kenya: Marathon runner

Three years ago, Mary Keitany caught the world's attention by winning the World Half-Marathon Championship.
She followed that up by smashing the world record for the distance - a record she still holds.
Since she stepped up to the full marathon distance, she has been just as impressive.
Two third places in New York came either side of a stunning victory in London in what was the fourth-fastest time in history.
It is that track record that makes her one of the favourites for gold at London 2012.

David Rudisha - Kenya: 800m runner

World champion and world record holder, David Rudisha has dominated the 800m for the past two years.
In August 2010, he broke the world record twice inside a week and then took gold at last year's World Championships in South Korea.
And the lanky Kenyan is the red-hot favourite to add the Olympic title to his collection.
London 2012 will be his first Olympic experience - he missed out on Beijing through injury.
His father, Daniel, won silver in Mexico City in 1968.

beauty of africa

           i     
 ts a beautiful continent with lots of beautiful people and  below is a link to a song by east africas kidum in which he profiles some of the most beautiful people in kenya. it is ni9ce ti know that in a world where just about  everything is westernised or you have to be a " yellow bone" to be defined as beautiful  there is still room for the natural dark brown skin
http://youtu.be/hXNYP6DiQAs

some more beautiful peole
       
 keep ma look oiut for more photos , and ladies do love yourself..be proud to be african

its july the 18th and i would like to take this opportunity and wish nelson mandela a very happy bday.
94 years i s a very long time and i hope u have urself a fab time

     
 hears to hoping u live to see another couple more years

living with a disabled child-anne ngugi's story

this morning, i came across an article by one of my favourite news readers. Anne Ngugi, in this article she speaks of her daugter  angel who was born with  the condition  hydrocephalus or having "water in the brain."  which then allows the head to grow a lot bigger than it should
 this week my aim has been to bring attention to the disabkled people in the world who may be suffering from one form of disability to another
 below is anne's recent  story about her daughter and haow she has coped with he daugters diasability
More than six years ago, Anne was involved in a relationship believing it would lead to marriage. She, however, ended up pregnant, alone and with a broken heart to mend. Anne, however, amassed her courage and carried on.
"It was scaring, but that my parents were supportive was very encouraging," she says. In March 2004 she went into labour and a very long one at that. With 21 hours of travailing and no signs of the baby, her doctor swiftly advised a C-section.
But alas! Her baby Angel was born with a defect. The doctors diagnosed the condition as hydrocephalus or having "water in the brain." This is a situation, which causes a baby’s head to swell abnormally and eventually results in stunted growth.
Babies born thus suffer from an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles or cavities of the brain. This may cause increased pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head, convulsions and mental disability. The experience can be very confusing to a parent as Ngugi confesses.
"When I held Angel in my arms, I refused to acknowledge that she had a problem and kept hoping that the swelling would subside and that she would be normal like any other baby within the shortest time," she says. "In the days following, I would massage her head with Vaseline for two hours daily, but her head kept swelling and the veins were protruding. It was then that I realised I needed to seek medical help."
Angel had her first operation when she was only three weeks old. Doctors fitted plastic medical gadgets called shunts in her head that went right through to the stomach so that they would direct the flow of fluids.
However, four months after the operation, Angel began to experience hot spells, her head was still big and she could not smile as yet.
"I could see she was very uncomfortable but not knowing what else to do, I only watched her helplessly. It was heartbreaking. How was I to continue going to work as if everything was okay yet I was dying inside?" In the same year while on assignment at Kijabe’s Bethany children’s Hospital for the crippled, she met a Caucasian doctor who advised her to take the child for an operation to remove the shunts.
"He was heaven sent and he directed me to a hospital in Uganda — Cure International Hospital — that specialised in the condition," she says. "I researched on the hospital and contacted them online. I met a Dr Charles Waff and decided to go for the operation. I was ready to do anything for Angel. However, I did not know how I would get leave from duty or where the money for the operation would come from. All I knew was that my little Angel needed help," she recalls.

Armed with Sh25,000 for a down payment and a bus ticket, Anne and baby Angel travelled to Uganda on August 26, 2004.
"At the hospital I met several women from all over Africa who had babies with a similar condition. I was the youngest; most of the women were married and had endured so much. For some, their husbands had rejected them and their babies; others had been ostracised by their communities as ‘they were cursed’. But in those two weeks, we mothers bonded — we shared our experiences and encouraged one another. It strengthened me knowing that I was not alone in this."
With stretched facilities, the stay at the hospital was not rosy but who cares when it is for your child’s sake. So after two weeks of treatment, the hour of reckoning finally dawned. The operation was meant to last six hours. "When the other mothers were called for their babies and no one was calling me, I feared the worst. I even began to see a baby casket before me; I left for the hospital garden and cried my heart out to God. Twelve hours later I was finally called in and my heart burst into joy when I saw Angel. She had not fully recovered from anaesthesia but for the first time ever she smiled — you have no idea what that made me feel".

It was when Anne returned to Nairobi that she finally came to terms with her baby’s condition — the possibility that she would be crippled. But she was prepared to buy a wheel chair, and if Angel became blind, as it was feared, she knew that she had the strength to deal with it.
Anne believes that when a child realises that you love her or him and are not ashamed of her or him then they will blossom beautifully. At times she felt embarrassed to take Angel out because other children would laugh at her or people would stare but she realised that children are innocent and the older people are just ignorant. She openly goes out with her daughter. She finally understood that her daughter deserved to be accepted the way she was and never to be hidden like she was something to be ashamed of.
"To say that it is easy to raise a special child is a huge lie but as a parent it is our duty to love our children unconditionally. Angel is a gift from God, I do not think there are many children for whom prayers have been said more than Angel. God has been faithful; today she is five and at Loreto Convent School. The doctors said she would not grow but look at her hands and legs they have grown, she is a very happy child and the teachers say that she is confident, very active and social," says Ngugi.
Anne and her husband Simon Ogolla, a businessman in the entertainment industry — a man she had been friends with for quite a while but began dating in 2007, married last year in October. They were blessed with a child — John Mark, on April 2, the same year.
"My husband loves Angel so much, they are best friends, watching them play together brings tears to my heart. As parents we talk to her about her condition and constantly tell her that she is beautiful. She knows that her head is bigger than normal and we do not pretend that it is not. We want her to know that she is just as beautiful as every other child," says Ngugi.
Her word of caution to parents is that they need to understand that every child is a gift and should be treated so and that God cannot give you more than you can handle.
Word from the expertJane Olago, a counselling psychologist at Nairobi Women’s Hospital advises that when faced with a similar situation, parents need to come to terms with it as soon as possible. And that although some people might require counselling, denial can have detrimental effects on the child.
"Instead of searching for a way to ‘cure’ your child, accepting him or her for who they are and finding ways to help them realise their full potential would work wonders. If a child realises that you are embarrassed about them or you do not accept them the way they are, then it will affect them emotionally all through their lives. Where necessary, the child should also go for counselling," she says.
She gives tips on how parents need to take care of a special child:

Do not take a special child as a "cross you must bear," but simply accept them.
It is important that parents do as much research about the condition so that they learn about the diet and different treatments available. "Become as educated as you can about your child’s condition and when others reach out to you to help, accept their help willingly."
Parents must remember to take care of themselves as well. Taking care of a special needs child can be draining, challenging, full of fear and uncertainty, not to mention incredibly difficult. There are physical challenges of your child to consider, as well as his or her emotional needs, and a great many medical concerns to think about. Plus, there is the emotional toll that caring for a seriously ill child will take on yourself and other family members.

Learn to take the situation moment by moment as opposed to day by day as things can change in a matter of seconds. Realise that there will be plenty of uncertainty and a fair share of stress and be prepared to run through a variety of emotions in a day.
Children often fear that they did something to cause the condition but parents should reassure them that he or she is in no way responsible for it.

hey, heres an article i read on yahoo and i thought i should share it with yall

7 things women find unattractive about men

RealBuzz – Mon, Jul 16, 2012

Unattractive male habit 1: Boasting

Some guys big themselves up so much that it would appear they’re trying to prove to themselves that they’re a good catch. We’ve heard about how amazing your job is, how much money you’re earning, how hot your exes were, how everyone loves you. Now time to talk about ourselves... nope, because you haven’t finished bigging up your car and your house and your hilarious personality (erm, really?). Do you think that all this bragging will make us overlook the fact that you’re so boring? Being egotistical won’t make the ladies stick around so employ a bit of modesty and try asking questions about us rather than blabbing about yourself all the time.

women find boasting unattractive in men

Unattractive male habit 2: Having no old-fashioned values

We don’t expect you to act like one of the gentlemen from a Charles Dickens’ film, but not being gentlemanly at all is a huge turn-off. You can take us on a few dates and treat us like a queen but the day you leave us to walk down a dark alley to find our car is the day we suddenly realise we’re not attracted to you anymore. We want a man who has old-fashioned values and treats his women with respect. We like to be looked after and feel safe when we’re with you, not feel as though you could ditch us at any moment because you’ve remembered you’re late for the pub with the lads.

Unattractive male habit 3: No sense of humour

If there’s one thing a man must possess to make us feel attracted to them, it’s a sense of humour. It’s a powerful tool in a conversation, particularly when overcoming awkward moments, and not having one makes you seem overly serious and boring. When we’re laughing until we can barely breathe at something undeniably hilarious, it’s not very attractive when you sit there straight-faced and serious. The guy who is having a laugh with his friends, however, always looks like a fun person to be around. We like the guy who is intelligent enough to make us laugh until our ribs hurt and won’t give us an evil stare when we start breaking out into a giggle.

Unattractive male habit 4: Scratching your private parts

They’re the big manly hands we like to hold, the hands that make us feel safe, the hands you cook the tea with on the odd occasion, and the hands you er... scratch your privates with – nice. It’s definitely a turn-off for women when men shamelessly scratch ‘down there’ without a care in the world. It gets worse when you insist on stealing our chips. You don’t pinch one off the top; you rummage right the way down to the bottom with your scratching hand. At least get your scratching fix in the bathroom when you’re not in full view of everyone else. And then wash your hands afterwards.

Unattractive male habit 5: Lack of ambition

Most women are attracted to men who have a focus in life, and we find it repulsive if you have no ambition to achieve anything. It makes it hard for us to respect you if you can’t speak to us about your goals, ideas, and things you want to achieve. No one wants to settle down with the guy who gets his kicks out of lazing around on the sofa watching day time television while we’re working hard to achieve our dreams.  Getting your kicks out of video games and nothing else is sad and boring.

Unattractive male habit 6: Expecting us to clean up after you

So you get annoyed at us for nagging, right? Well don’t give us a reason to nag then. If you didn’t leave a trail of clothes, food, and towels around the house then we wouldn’t have anything to nag about. You make out as though we’re clean freaks whose lives revolve around cleaning and tidying when, in actual fact, we just don’t want to live in a pig sty. You suddenly lose your attractiveness once we’ve seen your boxer shorts scattered around the floor and your beard hairs in the sink. We’ll clean our stuff up, you clean yours. We know this will never happen, but you’d be a million times more attractive if it did.

Unattractive male habit 7: Being over-protective

As much as we love to feel safe and cared for, there’s a fine line between that and being over-protected. Being over-protective is a sign of insecurity, and we like our men to be independent and tough. One minute we’re saying thanks to the postman for delivering a parcel, the next we’re being accused by our other half of flirting and wanting to marry the guy. Accusing us of fancying every Tom, Dick and Harry that crosses our path is annoying and it makes you seriously unattractive.

olympics

i looooove the olympic!!! more than i can possibbly tell anyone
 with ten  days i am eargally waiting tof friday the 27th  , especially the opening ceremony.. thats my seconf favourite part , apart from the ath;lectics ofcourse
 i cant wait to see my fellow african brothers and sisiaters on the tracks , doing theiur thing and wininng .
 africa has talent and i believe it that talent
 ;lets keep the spirit alive

hey hey

 they say an apple a day keep the doctor away, and cleanliness is next to Godliness

 check out some of this  household hints that i found pretty interesting

1.       Use a Pringles container to store spaghetti

2.       Rubber band a stocking or sock over your vacuum to find small lost objects like earrings

3.       Use sticky notes to catch debris while drilling on a wall. Take the sticky note and fold in half so that the sticky side attaches to the wall and fold up to create a shelf that will catch debris as it falls. When finished simply fold up and toss in the trash

4.       If you wrap Christmas lights around a hanger they will never tangle

5.       Place a wooden spoon across the top of a pot to keep it from over boiling

6.       Did you know that cold tea will clean woodwork?

7.       Place a shallow dish of baking soda(bicarbonate of soda) behind the toilet to absorb bathroom odours

8.       To rejuvenate your feather pillows tumble dry in a cool dryer for about 10 minutes , to make them really fresh then add a cloth dampened with fabric softener

9.       To clean oven racks, place racks to the bath tubs with ½ cups of dishwater detergent and several cm of warm water. Allow to soak for 45 minutes. Just rinse. No scrubbing needed.

10.   To keep ants out of a pet food, dish with Vaseline. Rub a small dab around bottom rim of bowl

11.   Don’t throw out all that leftover wine: freeze into ice cube for future use in casserole and sauces

source: just there midrand

disability is not a diability

omg!! it feels good to be back, been away for a month .. actually i have been on holiday. and you know while on holiday,, cellphones and laptops are not usually my best freinds .. shopping and sleeping are what i like to do best.
one day during the holidays  i came heard the song Mbona by daddy owen, a gospel musician from kenya ,this song basically asks the question why is it people act ot react differently to disabled and handicapped people. at the end of the day they are just people ,who may not necessarily look or do things  like other people, but are just people never the less
 one of the people in the video basically says "its only my eyes" , otherwise am good..
i feel people should not be quick to judge peole with disability. ay the end of the day there are just people, created in tyhe love and image of god. give a helping heand wherever you can and make a differnce,