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MOHAMMED ALIYU PAIKO's Friends
| December 3, 2008 | 11:22 AM |
| December 3, 2008 | 11:22 AM |
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education
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What the hell is it? Who knows best? What is the best schooling?
School assignments give you something to do. If you’re not in school, no one will give you any assignments, so you have to make up your own assignments, and not too many people are good at that. So that’s why school works. It puts you around people, you’re in a social setting, you make friends and you remember the recesses, lunch breaks, team practices and secret crushes. It gives you a reason to keep going and its manual is:
- listen to your teacher
- make your parents happy
- do your homework
- study
- get good marks
- and you will have a better life.
That was SO me baby! I loved school. It was awesome.
But then something kicked in. I grew up. I realized that it wasn’t school that I liked, it was the act of DOING. I was the one motivating myself. I was the one questioning things, reading things and getting stuff done. I was the one who was teaching myself. I was the one who beat myself, worried myself, stressed myself and hated myself. I was passionate and I didn’t know why I just couldn’t get to what I wanted. I pursued a creative arts program in grade 7 and that’s when I discovered graphic design. It was fun! I liked computers and programs and it had no boundaries! I could teach myself as much as I wanted and the teacher had no control. So I kept teaching myself. At the age of 12, the computer became my toy. So much to explore! Graphic design was what kept me going in school, but what I really wanted was to be a super sports star.
That didn’t work out. So I chose an art school and studied graphic design — why the hell not? It was easy and fun.
Then I started discovering that, um, I need a passion. I started seeing what graphic design for what it truly was and then I started hating it as “school”. Everyone was doing it. It wasn’t as fun as before. It was like everyone else was discovering it and the profession of it became dull for me.
Who am I? Why am I doing this?
School couldn’t answer that question because school has only one answer and the answer is: “it’s not my problem - you chose to go here”
So education became exploring myself.
And that really happened in my last year of school. From 0 to 21, it took me that many years to realize that education is freedom of expression, networking and collaboration.
I take full responsibility for thinking that way because I know who I am now.
I AM education baby. All I do is school me.
     
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| November 27, 2008 | 1:11 AM |
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Eric Gitonga Mburugu (Kenya) is ABC4All Mentor of the Week sharing his vision: Global Efforts Initiative (GEI)!
About this category: Learning & Education
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Erick Gitonga Mburugu, stating what is uppermost on his mind, offers his vision: The Global Efforts Initiative (GEI).
To read Eric's words provides an opportunity to review where we have been, where we are and where we are headed. ANY ABC4All Mentor can read Eric's vision and have such stimulation!
Included in what Eric shares:
"I have chosen to work very closely in partnership with ABC4All in order to ensure the success of humanity in meeting the transcendent challenges. Therefore, I am willing and ready to hold talks with you and others within and out your network on how we could work together in forming a strong alliance...Maybe we could come together and merge our ideas, you know the idea and vision you had and have for ABC4All and that I have for the Global Efforts Initiative, and form something new and very progressive for the global community. It's just a thought that has popped up. Think about it."
Indeed we can all think about it!
Thank you, Eric, for such a carefully presented offering for your MOTW page!
Respectfully,
Burton Danet, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, ABC4All
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Below is the response to Eric after first reading of his submission:
Eric, Eric, Eric,
You are amazing.
You are eloquent.
You are organized
You are dedicated.
You are relentless.
You have assessed What The World Needs Now.
http://ABC4All.net/wtwnn.htm
You have taken action.
You are creating GEI.
You are working in conjunction with cooperating parties.
You are on the right track, you know it, you are passionate, and you BELIEVE and have FAITH in what you are doing.
Eric, we are on the same page.
Parallel tracks, perhaps, but nevertheless we already are working together,
perhaps without formalizing it. How we discover the path to mutual cooperation will become evident.
CLICK! to read Eric's Mentor of the Week page!
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Where is ABC4All headed? Answer: A Knol has been created!
http://knol.google.com/k/abc4all-team/poised-for-global-relief/yz1gm8gg234a/2
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A Better Community for All (ABC4All), a virtual entity, encourages community empowerment through sharing of information.
Participants create their own activity/role and eventually discover an appropriate self-designation, all the while supporting Global Humanitarian Relief!
PREAMBLE: http://ABC4All.net
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| November 21, 2008 | 10:56 PM |
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Time don’t exist baby!
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Who doesn’t want the world to be a better place?
I don’t know if I know anyone who doesn’t. And I also don’t believe that people enjoy seeing people suffer and die unless they disconnect themselves from reality and live in illusion.
Speaking of illusion, I think Time is an illusion. I don’t believe that it exists. Everyone knows that we live in the Now. But it’s not just Now that we can focus on. Our brains are much more complex than that and unless we live in the countryside, down in the valley or up on the mountains, life just ain’t all that simple as Now. What about doing things and getting things done without having any preconceived ideas of how long it will take? What about doing what your heart desires, what your brain connects, what your vision gravitates? What about all that energy inside you that you didn’t know existed until you saw that photo, that film, that book, that baby, that child, that boy, that girl, that woman, that man, that old man, that old lady, that store, that game, that dance, that song, that laughter, that smile?
Does any of that have anything to do with Time?
Oh, I guess that boy, girl part does.
So let me ask you: Are you old? Or are you young? Are you a baby, a child?
We watch our bodies develop and as they develop we start basing our actions on Time, because that’s what our parents tell us, that’s what the institutions tell us, the teachers tell us, the family tells us, the media tells us, the best friend tells us, the spouse tells us, the sibling tells us.
Let it go.
Time don’t exist baby.
You want to change the world - get to it. Follow your heart, feel the energy and use your brain. Love and power are determined by the number of people you touch. Grow your networks and together you are one.
If you are afraid (to do what you wanna do), you’ll never be happy. If you are brave (and do what you wanna do), you’ll be a leader. It’s as simple as that.
Are you ready for the challenge? Or are you still afraid to change the/your world?
     
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| November 21, 2008 | 12:11 PM |
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what Time is it?
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So now that I’ve revealed my disbelief in Time, I should at least make some sense of the theory of relativity and science in regards to this matter.
I don’t believe in perfection, absolutes or even words being the best way to define Nature. Nature is nature. Can nature talk, write, pay your bills, or tell you what you need to do to get a good paying job? No, I don’t think Nature had a clue that that’s what humans cherished in life. Nature is God. I don’t care who you are or what you think. Nature is God. It’s simple, I’ll say it again: Nature is God. All together now: “NATURE IS GOD.”
Good.
So now that we have that straight, why are we trying to define Nature through Science and God through Religion? Science and Religion are systems designed by humans to break apart Nature and God and make them more complex. I don’t blame us though - we are Humans. It is Human Nature to be inquisitive and since we have Nature in Human Nature, we are naturally responsive to our Body and Mind. Our Senses are what keep us alive and guide us to happiness.
It is Time to:
- Follow your Senses through Body and Mind
- Accept Nature as God
- Experience the naturally inquisitive Human Nature respond to Nature
Assuming you could live a whole century and witness society develop decade by decade, at some point you’ll realize that you were always a child and no one listened to you, not even you. All you really wanted to do was play, and no one thought it was the right thing to do, especially the people who loved you dearly. So you didn’t even dare to, because it was Time that was holding you back. It was your fear of Time and everyone else’s proof of Time that stopped you. You started something, it didn’t go well, and you thought it wasn’t the right Time. So you beat yourself and cried inside. “No one gets what I’m trying to do!” You brushed it off and went back to being afraid.
It’s time to let go of Time and let it only be determined by the impact of what you have done. You take it out of you, put it out there, and see what sticks and what doesn’t. You enjoy the stickies — they can get you a little high. Sometimes they can get you too high and you might loose your head. The one’s that didn’t stick are your friends too, and they came to fight for their right. You love the stickies so much that you may forget what was in you in the first place and what you were trying to do. But that’s not Time! That’s learning by doing! It’s called research, art, poetry, design, activism, development, growth — it’s all of those things that are simply experienced. It’s not slow, or fast, it just gets determined by how much you do and how many people you tag on the way.
Play tag. It’s time to play tag!
You’re It!
     
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| November 21, 2008 | 10:11 AM |
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Original song: "MUNGU AKUBARIKI (ANGELS OF AFRICA)"
About this category: Learning & Education
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Listen online: http://ABC4All.net/poetry.htm
ABC4All Mentor Clarita Zarate (USA) graciously shares an original inspired song written and created with
Music by Barry Finnerty!
Clarita Zarate describes the evolution of "MUNGU AKUBARIKI (ANGELS OF AFRICA):
"I wrote and recorded this around 2004 along with another song, "Jambo." Mungu Akubariki means "God bless you in Swahili". I wrote it for Ben Omondi and the orphans in Kenya. I sent him a copy and one to Enoch, a TIG member. I also sent one to "To love children," I think his name is Dave, and he loved it.
"I found the lyrics for the song. Now what is happening is that we are taking the old music track and recording new vocals on top using the lyric sheet. Barry is now putting harmonies on to my vocals and next step is mixing."
MUNGU AKUBARIKI (ANGELS OF AFRICA)
I LAY IN BED AND CLOSED MY EYES
I THOUGHT THAT I WAS DREAMING
NOW I STAY AWAKE EACH NIGHT
TO HEAR THE ANGELS SINGING
MUNGU AKUBARIKI MUNGU AKUBARIKI
GOD BLESS THE ANGELS OF AFRICA
MUNGU AKUBARIKI MUNGU AKUBARIKI
GOLDEN ANGELS DRAPED IN WHITE
I ASKED THE MAN WHO MADE THIS LAND
TO SET MY PEOPLE FREE
YOUR PRAYERS THEY WILL BE ANSWERED SOON
THE ANGEL SANG TO ME
(CHORUS)
DON'T LET THIS WORLD BRING YOU DOWN
HOLD YOUR HEAD UP RISE ABOVE
THINK OF THEM AND SING THIS SONG
IT WILL FILL YOUR HEART WITH LOVE
(CHORUS)
Words by Clarita Zarate
Music by Barry Finnerty and Clarita Zarate (USA)
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| November 15, 2008 | 11:33 AM |
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WORLD BRIDGE FOR OBAMA: The Obama Song (World of Friends): Bridges for Obama
About this category: Learning & Education
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Thanks to Miss Mellie Rainbow (Melony McGant) for sharing this extraordinary internationally generated support for the current wave of HOPE http://abc4all.net/ftdth.htm being generated across the world!
American supporters of Sen. Barack Obama have been staging rallies abroad at world-famous bridges to show support for the Democratic presidential candidate and his pledge to span old political divisions.
The Obama Song (World of Friends): Japan-based American musical artists created and performed this song to celebrate Sen. Obama's historic candidacy and to inspire us all to change the world.
The Obama Song (World of Friends): Bridges for Obama CLICK! to watch this extraordinary work!
NOTE: Melony's video appears, along with a special YUBUPA video as well, on this Creativity Page at ABC4All: http://ABC4All.net/poetry.htm
Thus the contributions of both Miss Mellie Rainbow and Pat / YUBUPA are greatly appreciated, and now we have this additional video as well!
Burt / ABC4All
--
Where is ABC4All headed? Answer: A Knol has been created!
http://knol.google.com/k/abc4all-team/poised-for-global-relief/yz1gm8gg234a/2
***************
A Better Community for All (ABC4All), a virtual entity, encourages voluntary community empowerment through sharing of information.
Participants create their own activity/role and eventually discover an appropriate self-designation, all the while supporting Global Humanitarian Relief!
Preamble: http://ABC4All.net
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| November 10, 2008 | 8:18 PM |
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So many messages from all sides: A Video by YUBUPA and a Poem by Miss Mellie Rainbow sum it all up!
About this category: Learning & Education
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From: kayiwa fred (Uganda)
TIG: http://profiles.takingitglobal.org/nockia
MOTW: http://abc4all.net/mentorkayiwafrednockia.htm
Date: Wed, Nov 5, 2008 at 12:06 AM
Subject: OBAMA!
Today is a Public holiday for Kenyans!
Just because Obama has won
Here in Uganda many people are celebrating
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081105/ap_on_re_af/af_kenya_obama
From: pat peace (YUBUPA)
TIG: http://profiles.takingitglobal.org/YUBUPA
Date: Nov 5, 2008 12:41 AM
Subject: A Change for the world
Namaste Everyone...
Normally am not for Politics but this time ... i go beyond my limits cuz this is needed and for those who would like to see more about the CHANGE for AMERICA...i have prepared a video short after the elections Congratulation to those who are living in this Continent And Congratulations to the world As this change will make a big change around the world
Obama:Americans... still believe in an America where anything's possible - they just don't think their leaders do.
Obama: Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions
Obama: He will not always succeed but he may be in a position now to demonstrate to all the nay sayers what is possible in the world when we have dignity, self-respect, true caring for others.
For the Video and a Special Poem by Miss Mellie Rainbow:
CLICK HERE!
love,light, trust, hope and peace
pat
Founder
http://www.theonenesslovefoundation.org
http://theonenesslovefoundation.ning.com
http://abc4all.net/hor.htm
http://abc4all.net/mentoryubupa.htm
http://abc4all.net/yubupaindex.htm
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Walk beside me and be my friend.
The Heart Creates Oneness
The mind creates division
The Spirit RETURNS us to Wholeness
"When you return to your Self, this is called awakening, liberation, freedom. Having known your Self you know everything
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| November 5, 2008 | 2:44 PM |
| November 4, 2008 | 2:23 PM |
| October 22, 2008 | 7:50 PM |
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Short List
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| Item | Status |
| Paintball | Rocked socks | | Unnamed JOURNAL won't add my supplemental that took ~2 months to build | Awesome (sarcasm) |
| Shower | Fixed | | Fortnightly cooking | Complete | | Tidy room | Complete | | Bills/budget | Pending | | Iron clothes, new load | Pending |
| Half-marathon | Pending | | Marking | Complete | | Data analysis | Almost | | Reading | Never ends |
You know what I miss? Going hard at a game, like tag. At school (pre-7th form stress), we used to play tag and dutch (and other games whose names I cannot remember) and try as hard as we could. It didn't matter we got exhausted. Everything else left in the day was relatively unimportant and/or easily completed without 100% focus. I want to chase my friends until I'm exhausted, skin-burnt, dehydrated and hungry... maybe not skin-burnt. In a week, it'll be SIX MONTHS!!! SIX MONTHS!!!! Technorati Tags : Cherrieland, Life, Paintball, PhD
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| October 21, 2008 | 5:10 AM |
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Let's Start At The Very Beginning...
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 What I can't grasp is how come doing this PhD makes me feel helpless and unsteady. Am I not supposed to feel empowered through the very possibility of growth? Instead, I feel as if the journey thus far has simply been learning about my weaknesses and accepting that I can never be as smart or as creative or as practical or as good a communicator or xyz. It is stressful and tiring, considering I am most comfortable (and happy) when productive and efficient and I think it is pretty safe to say that my output underweighs my input significantly. People often tell me that PhD students may fall into trouble if they don't have a good relationship with their supervisor(s) and/or they lack self-discipline/motivation. I think my self-discipline is ok. But all this work getting nowhere just means I'm trying and failing. Of course, I can simply try another way, but I'm not sure that I know how to do that - engage in different modes of thought, where appropriate. I think my supervision is pretty good, too, despite what other people say - but regardless, am I not supposed to develop into an independent researcher? Should I not be able to problem-solve and answer questions in a scientific manner but also identify them as well? And know which questions can be formulated into viable hypotheses? Am I not supposed to be able to teach and enthuse others on ideas and processes of science? I am unsure whether these concerns are part of a Fid so that I should just suck it in and keep going. There's an element of faith in it - that trying in whatever way you know how will lead you to become the person you want to be. That's actually a pretty big gamble if you think about it. But that's what I've been trying to do (what are our other choices?). Nevertheless, I should find out whether crying 1-2 a week on average is part of it or whether I should seek further advice. I don't want to be f*king depressed, ok. It'd be like having a broken shower or microwave, just inconvenient. (Oh, the microwave actually fixed itself, thank you and I temporarily fixed the shower) I don't know if any of this is real or just a clever way to procrastinate from really truly thinking about my project. I feel as if I should be more forthcoming with ideas in topics, problem-solving and teaching, but my performance has been below the bar. But the elephant in the room is I never want to do anything anymore, apart from think about my project and my development. In the short-term, I never want to go out to dinner, the movies, or any other event with my friends. But I do it anyway because I know that's normal and they seem to go well. I am grateful for their patience (and their existence - because people matter most). But I always feel like there is the me sitting in my body, being unnoticeably different (unless you know me very well) and the essence of me is floating somewhere above, keeping an eye on my body, but really, thinking about my project and my development... and on occasion, the US election, the NZ election, the financial crisis and other news tidbits.
In the long-term, I have lost interest in developing romantic/meaningful relationships and other life skills. Nevertheless, I make myself learn/try new things and have goals separate to my project, like running and rockclimbing, but any achievements there feel like nothing. Just like how I enjoy spending time with people, but it feels hollow unless I consciously force all thoughts of work out of my head. I want to work and work until I get somewhere. But I just get tired.
I can't help but think that in thinking that I had "the meaning of life" sussed early on, I really missed solving a big problem that obstructs our happiness - that is, the fulfilment of meaning. If defining the meaning of life defines its perimeters, the how of life fills its middle. I am having trouble reconciling all my wants into a cohesive life. Why can't I be better? I wasn't lying when I said I was completely sold on this academic path. I want it so badly, I just wish I was better at it. And for f*k's sake, I don't want people to worry - that's why I stopped writing here. These are only thoughts and feelings. I just want to understand them and know what they mean... but I just don't know who to talk to about it. Just yet another thing unknown to me. That's wonderful in a way. One thing I can never fear is knowing everything - which would be fearsome indeed. The Sound Of Music - Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rogers
My day in the hills has come to an end, I know
A star has come out, to tell me it's time to go
But deep in the dark green shadows
Are voices that urge me to stay
So I stop and I wait and I listen
For one more sound, for one more lovely thing
that the hills might say
The hills are alive with the sound of music
The songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears
My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds
That rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like the chimes
That flies from a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips
And falls over stone on its way
To sing through the night
Like a lark who is learning to pray
I'll go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more 
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| October 17, 2008 | 7:10 AM |
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Silence
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On silence: "Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could" Maria - The Sound Of MusicShe climbs a tree and scrapes her knee Her dress has got a tear She waltzes on her way to Mass And whistles on the stair And underneath her wimple She has curlers in her hair I've even heard her singing in the abbey She's always late for chapel But her penitence is real She's always late for everything Except for every meal I hate to have to say it But I very firmly feel Maria's not an asset to the abbey I'd like to say a word in her behalf Maria makes me laugh How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? How do you find a word that means Maria? A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown! Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her Many a thing she ought to understand But how do you make her stay And listen to all you say How do you keep a wave upon the sand Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand? When I'm with her I'm confused Out of focus and bemused And I never know exactly where I am Unpredictable as weather She's as flighty as a feather She's a darling! She's a demon! She's a lamb! She'd outpester any pest Drive a hornet from its nest She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl She is gentle! She is wild! She's a riddle! She's a child! She's a headache! She's an angel! She's a girl! How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? How do you find a word that means Maria? A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown! Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her Many a thing she ought to understand But how do you make her stay And listen to all you say How do you keep a wave upon the sand Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?
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| October 16, 2008 | 2:10 AM |
| October 14, 2008 | 3:09 PM |
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