WHO ELSE???

You are about to begin reading my new post, WHO ELSE!  Chances are you have mentioned "mars" not once not twice but many atime. You even know that Neil Armstrong was the first man to step foot on the Moon's surface. Not long ago, you were taught that Venus is in position two of the solar system from the Sun and that it's the second brightest object in the night sky after the Moon. Is that all?


It is common place to think and talk about the universe as a great deal of planets among other lifeless objects. Are these merely empty lonely worlds with no one but rock, sand and dust except the handful humans on earth? Does anyone walk out there too?
Astro-scientists tell of high prospects of a tremendous diversity of life in this universe somewhere far beyond this earth. They contemplate a range of simple micro-organisms to highly complex, extra-ordinarily intelligent and civilised creatures that are more superior to the earthly human species. Ever imagined that?

In october 2015, Jason Wright and his colleague Andrew siemeon, astronomers from Penn state university reported that KIC 8462852, a peculiar star just above the Milky Way may be harbouring solar panel-like "megastructures" that could point to an advanced technological civilisation.
 "Aliens should always be the very last hypothesis you consider but this looked like something you expect an alien civilisation to build...," said Mr Wright speaking to The Atlantic. Could this draw us closer to ansewring the question, Who Else?

In H.G wells's fictional novel, War of the Worlds published in 1898, he wrote, "...Seen nearer, the Thing was incredibly strange, with a ringing metallic pace, and long, flexible, glittering tentacles swinging and rattling about its strange body..." He was imagining green Martians (fictional natives of Mars) attacking, shelling and destroying our earth. In 1938, forty years later as an adaptation from that scene, a play aired on a local radio station that New Jersey had come under attack done in style of a live news broadcast.

Orson Welles (arms raised) rehearses his radio depiction of H.G.Wells' classic, The War of the Worlds.

The panic and confusion this broadcast caused around the US is gesture that we deny that we are a lonely people. Somewhere out there, there could be a brother and sister. Sad is how we often think of them as enemies of man. surely am yet to come across a piece that talks of aliens attacking and killing lizards or mosquitoes. we seem to hate and fear who we don't know yet. Whether they see and watch over our backs or are as green abouts us as we are about them remains a serious point of contention.

Again, that Wright and Siemeon might have observed giant solar panels no known man from earth sent close to KIC 8462852 adds more light to the mission. If its anything to go by, then it's hightime you polished your visiting boots. You just got yourself a relative or two out there to check on. Till then, SAFE JOURNEY!


  

THE TEACHER WE UNDERLOOK

"...one is only poor only if they choose to be," goes a line in Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colours. Similarly, one is green about their roots only if they choose not to know. Like Dolly's rainbow coat, our societies are a true description of rich. Rich in cultural heritages. Heritages that at some point agree to promote peace, harmony and morality. One wonders why war never ends!

It is from these that the dos and don't s of a community are drawn though upholding their values is more of a choice than an obligation today. Modernization!

With keen interest, I cultivate into this seemingly outdated but in reality, BIG piece in normalizing society from an African point of view. Thanks to my observational prowess.

One teacher in my primary school used to say, "If you find a bird that quacks like a duck,walks like a duck and eats like a duck, then that's a duck." This maps identity to behavior.

A Muganda lady in traditional wear

Most cultures emphasize the close linkage among physical appearance, clothing, body adornment, language usage and mannerism. Today many especially the young generation prefer to quack like a duck, walk like a crested crane and eat like a pigeon. What a mess!

Acholi girls

A Kiganda traditional dance

Thus there is reason to believe that those who are not sufficiently exposed to their cultural norms either by sheer choice or ignorance miss a thing or two about mannerism and morality in general.

Indecent posture a sign of moral decay. This is a result of not observing cultural norms

In Masabaland, for instance, cultural circumcision was originally an avenue for teaching good to the localities. It came with a series of ceremonies pointing towards uniting families, enriching morals and language, remembering fallen heroes, settling disputes and preparing the candidate (umusinde) to face and overcome the challenges of being a man, a husband and father. Not forgetting that one was only pronounced ready for initiation after they exhibited a high sense of maturity and responsibility. Otherwise, they were told to wait.

A cultural leader gives words of wisdom to imbalu candidates

This Asian man could not help doing it the Bamasaba way

Thus to be a family man in this part of the world, tradition ensured that one was prepared both prior to and post initiation to take on the challenges. It is sad to note that much as the "cutting" continues, many core values of its original setup are often bypassed. Its evident that we are ignoring the norms that have from time memorial been pillars to survival of our societies.

Candidates (basinde) in drills prior to initiation

Recently, I attended a party for a tribal association around my campus and to my surprise, English was used for the public address. Much as I understood the concern that it was for our (who never understood their language) good, I never shared it. My argument like anyone else's would be was that identity must been given first priority. It was not long before another guest pointed out that their language was on the verge of dying out as its own people avoided it many a time.

At that rate, we can predict loss of a whole heritage in that language "K". So what will their descendants speak?

Of course we can not deny the fact that some practices are far below standard from a human perspective. The unpopular Female Genital Mutilation and human sacrifice are barbaric injustices that surely need not have room under the sun. Some have far-fetching benefits but with inclusions that don't meet the social, economic and health status demands of modern society.

However these should and must not be an excuse to run away from the very norms that have for long streamlined survival of society rather act as boundaries to which we should not touch as we modify our cultures.

It is true that a good community is defined by history, culture and tradition.  Therefore if only we, our friends plus their friends embraced the good in our cultures, I believe the clergies and imams would have a reason to cut their summons short.

LONG LIVE THE LAND OF MY CULTURE!!!   LONG LIVE THE CULTURE OF MY LAND!!!

Acholi youth dance Larakaraka

             A Muganda man enjoys playing a traditional instrument. Through such events, mannerism is taught to society

Basinde preparing for circumcision. Lots of advice is meant to be given during these drills.