As some of you know...

...I have friends in Kenya, so I'll be posting excerpts from my ongoing conversation with one of them as it applies to what's going on there.

I say excerpts because I've omitted various personal remarks and identifying details.

I'll be green, the other person is red

I know you're probably busy, but seeing as how there is worldwide reported organized violence in your general location, don't you think you might:



a.) check in a bit more often, so people who are concerned about your well being don't have to suffer premature gray hair



b.) if you're not in danger, report on what is actually going on from your point of view so we can compare it to the media coverage and have your unique insight?

hey...am fine...working hard at keeping the country informed and reminding people that ruining your neighbours property really has no impact on politicians...



am not in danger but then again am part of the establishment though everyone is affected because we all have some family in affected areas



foreign media houses [cnn, bbc, reuters etc] are being sued by the govt for inflammatory and sensationalist journalism so keep that in mind as you watch the news...
you can only report on JLos butt size for so long, so when an actual death comes along journalists get their dicks hard trying to make a name...



am pissed off at foreign media because i work in a news room...
yes people have died...
yes Kenyans are afraid for their very lives and our country...
yes we are pissed off at Kibaki and Raila...
but to act like we will never recover is irresponsible when you consider what this country means to the region... if Kenya coughs, the region catches pneumonia...
the rwandese are rationing fuel, ugandans are buying it at extortionate prices..

anyway i will keep you posted and not be so quiet :)

Keep the factual insight coming...

Stay safe...

its raining in Nairobi which is highly uncharacteristic for January but its great because Kenyans are solar powered so there will be no riots or so called peaceful demonstrations that involve tear gas...



am safe and my family is safe but i cant say the same for my colleagues families... all this tribal animosity creates distrust on such a fundamental level... suddenly what were kikuyu jokes, are now inflammatory statements... and you can only smile at people for so long when their tribesmen killed your family upcountry.. you know?

I don't actually exactly know how you feel about the smiling at people who've done your family wrong. The only thing I can relate it to is the strange compartmentalization that I quickly manifest when I get the "...but I didn't keep slaves or MY family didn't own slaves..." remarks. It keeps me from killing people. In my imagination I would just intensify that visceral lust for righteous retribution to simulate an approximation of your situation. That being said, I don't know if I could keep myself from participating in the violence. The reptile brain is sooooo seductive.