What really is s/he up to?

I was an ace salesman of high-end commercial technology products and services at one time. Then I couldn’t sell a thing. What went wrong? I asked myself.

“Call me in six months,” was some of the choruses that I used to hear. I would record it religiously in my book to make sure I did call. Six months down the line the prospect has either gone with another or is still not ready. What was happening? I groomed well. I prepared myself thoroughly. I was backed up by a Fortune 100 company.

Then I chanced to read something on nonverbal body language, and worked to understand it. It is a fascinating area, that one can not know to one’s own peril—be it in love, business or other social interactions.

Nonverbal language is based on the premise cultivated over millions of years for mammalian survival—freeze, flight or fight—in that order. And it is unbelievably scientifically accurate measure of the true state of the man or woman. Its origin is centered deeply in the recesses of the brain beyond the thinking calculating part. So, whatever the thinking calculating human is saying, if it is different in reality, the tell tale signs will show up in the feet, leg, arms, hands and eyes as a consequence of stress/lack of stress or discomfort/comfort. If you can read a tell sign—in context, of course—, it gives you a leg up in probing and responding accordingly in real time and avoiding being blindsided.

When we are stressed (or happy) about a question, person, thing or situation we automatically do things to relieve the discomfort (or show joy) , and we generally have no control over it. Check these out:
Covering the neck dimple
Rubbing the forehead
Neck touching
Cheek or face touching
Exhaling with puffed out cheeks
Adjusting ties
Massaging and stroking the neck
Covering the neck
Brief touch of the neck
Excessive yawning
Cleansing pants in the knee areas with hands
Ventilating the neck at the collar
Wiggling feet
One foot pointing to the exit while the rest of the body may be facing you
Clasping the knee while on a chair
Walking with a bit of bounce
Toes pointing to the air and rocking the feet on the back ball
Crossing legs while standing
Foot freeze
Foot Lock
Torso bow—Museveni never does except to the Queen of England
Shoulder Shrug
Weak Shoulder Display
Squinting
The Sneer
Eye Blocking
Looking askance
Lips disappearing



Sen. Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn. arrives at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minneapolis, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2008 for the Republican National Convention.

Look--the guy's lips have disapeared. He has down-cast eyes and, dispite the clenched fist response to a supporter nearby, the jaws are tightly knit. Despite being a friend of McCain and a prospective VP who was under consideration, he was passed over for Sarah Palin. Is this a happy man going to his friend's nomination? The tell tale signs say otherwise.

Obama's Acceptance Speech

Click See & Hear Obama’s Acceptance Speech

The Clamor to be an "Ordinary Person"

The refrain you hear from American talking-heads is that Obama needs to connect to the “ordinary person.” “He needs to portray ‘he is one of us’” so goes the song. What does all this really mean?

By virtue of being the Democrats’ prospective flag bearer already says Obama is no ordinary person. The same applies to McCain on the other side. Which electorate in the world would elect an ordinary person?

The extra-ordinariness of the two has nothing to do with the Ivy League school of one Obama or the coming from a military family and being a prisoner of war of McCain, or having a millionaire wife. Although these may have been contributory factors, they are not decisive on where these men have reached. If some examinations were done, we would find that the genies were planted in these two characters’ minds years ago. The seeds germinated and were nursed over the years culminating into what the two are today.

What we are hearing about Obama is more a code phrase for race. Obama can stand on his head or do some contortionist dance and will never be “one of us” for many Americans. Obama just needs to relax, be himself, give a clear message of what he will do for the people, and let the chips fall where they may.

Crossing the Rubicon River

The story of a young damsel running away with her grand amour—the love of her life—is one of many a folklore. No matter what the parents say and do there is no going back—our sweet thing has crossed the Rubicon.

The Rubicon was a small stream in the Italian Alps on the banks of which Caesar posed as he considered what would become the pivotal decision for him, Europe and the world. Crossing the Rubicon River with a standing army was a treasonous act and a symbolic declaration of war on Rome. Caesar crossed from Gaul, went on to defeat Pompey and lay the foundation for the Great Roman Empire.

Fast forward to little insignificant Uganda. When Museveni and his gang decided to head to the bush, they crossed the Rubicon of sorts. The rest is history.

Mao and Kamya should take note that there is nothing magical about Museveni’s feat. It is all mental and grit to give all you got without reservations and self-doubts. Those are the only requirements—and, of course, luck, which goes to the courageous and those who dare—for spectacular success.

The caricature of Mao in military fatigue is a sign of a confused man with a lot of time in his hands. Talking of the ectasy of being saluted is infantile, laughable and bespeaks of the lack of purpose in the man.

It was disheartening to hear of Beti Kamya toying with hoping for a ministerial job in Museveni’s government lest time to influence democracy passes her by. Here is one of the women in present Uganda that I admired through her tough and courageous stands. I even communicated with her at one time to congratulate her. What a let-down. Her blatant uncompromising game with the tribal card further spoiled it for me.

So these jokers should stop fooling around if they don’t have what it takes to cross the river and defeat Pompey.

NRM Cadre Mao in Camera

It would be easy to say: I told you so. Last time I talked about Mao's treacherous character. Read for yourself the dog vomit he is retching about his latest act. NRM Cadre Mao . When it quacks like a duck it is a duck.

On the face of it Mao says he is in the NRM Cadre training to learn the secret of how Museveni has ruled for 22 years and counting.

First, Mao went to Princeton supposedly to learn how to be a President—so we were told. Now, when will this learning stop so that he can carry on with the practice of wresting power?

Secondly, Mao is supposedly a big honcho in the Democratic Party (DP), one of the opposition political parties in Uganda. Historically, cadre training is an NRM brainchild and, to my knowledge, it has never been reconstituted into a neutral institution. For all intents and purposes it is an NRM body in the eyes of the population. Now, to see a Mao in such a body what symbolic message does it send to the majority peasant population?
This is simply a cop-out for lack of creativity in the art of political competition.

Some have given examples of Switzerland and Germany which have national military training. I have no problem with a neutral institution that serves every citizen without a leaning to one political party. As to Obote’s National Service in his Common Man’s Charter and Move to the Left which were still born, the country was already a one-party state, and the only problem I would have had with it was being forced to do the service.

Hillary will, after all, undergo a nomination charade

She got her way as Obama blinked with the promise that the she-Machiavelli will then hand over her delegates to him after she undergoes a supposedly symbolic nomination exercise! What a lot of crock! May be the notion that Obama is not ready to lead carries some weight. Again he has allowed her in the driver’s seat, and many are holding their breaths on what might transpire at the Convention.

While countries like Iran are just talk, the Russians and the Chinese carry real power behind their intentions which might be contrary to that of the US. My question is: if he can buckle to Hillary’s needs, is Obama tough enough for the Russians and the Chinese when they flex their muscles?

Heavy Breathing and Petting Amuru Chiefs

One of the consequences of the fall-out with Buganda will increasingly be shameless courting of the North. On Tuesday lesser chiefs of Amuru in Acoliland trouped to pay homage to the Chief of all Chiefs, the Ssebagabe. Museveni, the Ssebagabe was all effusive with praises for the chiefs for embracing development. Museveni hails Amuru Chiefs. Of course, this “development” is about Madhivani’s need for land for sugar production. This is killing two birds with one stone.

The first bird is, of course, satisfying his major financial backer—the Madhivani Group and associated NRM insiders on the take in the sugar deal.

The second bird is winning some hearts in Acoliland on dubious development that has no long-term benefit to the greater population of Amuru and Acoli at large when the large size of land turned into sugar-cane plantation is considered relative to other alternative usage.

Tribute to ISSAC HAYES: 1942-2008

His voice was mersmerizing. He was the King of Kool and Funk in the traditions of the Afrikan Manu Dibango and the legendary Barry White. Back when, my friend Onyango, a fellow teacher at Lugulu Girls' High School--Kenya, introduced me to Issac Hayes' music. Using his hand as a make-believe microphone, Onyango would, as we partied, sing (karokied--when karokie wasn't even a word in the West) to: A few more kisses to go. Isaac Hayes Compare and contrast with Barry White's Can't Get Enough of Your Love Babe. Barry White

Thank you Issac Hayes for the good times and memories. You made the world a little better. You came, you created, and you bowed out a god!

A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

As relationship with Mengo is seen, by recent events, to be heading to the dumps, the Gunman is courting Mengo’s historical rival, the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom. Bunyoro Kingdom. With Buganda Kingdom being obstinately stubborn and the characteristic monolithic Baganda electorate that follows, the numbers to win the 2011 may be problematical for the Museveni man who wants to rule Uganda for life.

Incidentally, the life presidency is not a new quest in Uganda. Idi Amin Dada, DSO, CSO, The Conquerer of the British Empire & What Have You, just declared himself one. One Museveni is more subtle about it. He bribed MPs with less than $3,000 each to strike down the law on term limits. And strike it they did assuring him of standing for the presidency as long as he wishes. In the African context, in which the incumbent never loses, that means life presidency. However, there is a problem; in the last election he, Museveni garnered only 59% of the popular vote. Usually this is a threshold when an election begins to become competitive. If he loses in Buganda, then he has to make it up substantially in other regions besides his assured Western Uganda—hence, the love affair with the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara. And a friend in need is friend indeed—may be. Bunyoro is also on a quest for a lost glory in which the British, with the connivance of Buganda, humiliated Omukama Iguru's grandfather, King Kabalega. There is, therefore, a congruence of needs--a kind of: you scratch by back and I will scratch yours. But will Bunyoro be enough? The North, once on the fringes, may come into play and should expect some heavy breathing and petting!

Obama Campaign Marches On

It has been some time since I last talked about my man, Obama. Obama has since taken his light to the middle East and Europe. What was that all about? Apparently it was to show doubting Thomases here at home that he can mingle with the politicos of the world with ease and collaboratively. That sent McCain, like a jealous wife, on a mockerry campaign ad of associating Obama man with celebrity melt-down queens Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

I spent Saturday afternoon walking and knocking on doors and talking to my neighborhood folks about Obama. With the sun up and the weather that couldn't be any better, not many where home. The people who were home were a joy to talk to. The last time in the primary, with other volunteers, we helped Obama beat Hillary by 57% in this state. All things being equal, Obama will win with a landslide in the state. Note that the state is probably the whitest in the US of A. A little interesting titbit--a Republican senate candidate in the state is associating with Obama in his campaign ad. Whow!