The Inbetweeners

When you think of space travel you don't think of Africa. But you should. In the 1960s, the Soviets and Americans weren’t the only ones trying to get to space. The Zambians were right alongside them, led by a man named Edward Mukuka Nkoloso. Nkoloso was a grade-school science teacher and director of Zambia’s National Academy of Space Research and Philosophy whose goals were very simple: to send a man, woman and, eventually cat, into space. There was one problem with his plan, however; there was no way it would work. In fact, the plan was so patently absurd, that many have wondered if the Zambian Space Agency was an exercise in satire, at best, or a demonstration of unbridled optimism untethered to reality, at worst.  The Programme: A clear example of the absurdity of the plan is the event that inspired Nkoloso to accept the directorship of Zambia’s Space Agency. Nkoloso was inspired by this first aeroplane flight. Whilst soaring through the air, Nkoloso desired to walk amongst the ...

In an effort to be more deliberate with this platform, I scheduled writing sessions for myself. There is just one problem with this. I have no idea what to write about. Sure, I could talk about the ongoing Ruso-Ukrainian war, the passage of the Child Bill in Kenya or the Presidential debate. I could pontificate on the practical application of contractualism (aka a school of moral philosophy that holds that we ought to treat each other in recognition of their value as human beings), or the extent to which man craves  subjugation. But none of these inspire me to reflect or engage in basic commentary. Perhaps it might be more accurate to say that I can think of no topic that would inspire me to engage in the necessary research needed to allow me to speak confidently of my opinion. So I find myself writing without purpose, in direct contravention of the purpose of this blog. Is this the first time this has happened? Not at all. Will it be the last? No, it will not be. But is this a bad...

... and I am exhausted. Not of life, or of the tedium of growing another year older and feeling like you've not done enough. I'm just tired; life is tiring and I could like to take a nap.  This year, for my birthday, I'd like to work because I want to, not because I have to. Hopefully, by 50, this will become a reality. 

I love Love Island! For the uninitiated, Love Island is a British reality TV shows that places, at any given time, 12 sexy singles in a Spanish holiday villa for 8 weeks. These bikini-clad singles are coupled up from day one - expected to share a bed and secrets - and are denied anything that might be entertaining (gaming systems, games, books and even pen and paper). As a result, couples are forced to chat with each other 24-7; getting to know each other and making and deepening connections. The objective is to remain in a couple (single Islanders are frequently purged from the Island), find love and win £50,000 (not to mention a slue of brand deals, sponsorships and a career as a verified influencer). And I love every minute of this vapid show. I know I shouldn't, I know it's not good for the contestants or me, but I do. The intellectual in me loves how the show functions as a microcosm of shifting expectations in relationships and dating in the UK. While the trash person ins...

Eating your cake and having it too. Perhaps hypocrisy is wilful stupidity and blindness. Or, perhaps, hypocrisy abounds in a dearth of accountability; when not a single soul can hold you to the promises you made and the words you said. Sometimes, they do not wish to. I raise these, ultimately, similar interpretations of hypocrisy to respond to the ongoing crisis of teen pregnancies in Kenya.  Recent data suggests that nearly 1 out of every 5 girls in Kenya, between the ages of 15-19, is pregnant. According to UNESCO, "the rate increases rapidly with age from 3% among girls aged 15, to 40% among girls aged 19." The COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on economic livelihood, social stability and educational outcomes, merely exacerbated this crisis. As people stayed home to keep themselves safe from COVID, many sacrificed access to sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS). These services go beyond the provision of contraceptive services and, directly worsened access to HI...

We all know that there are three responses to a perceived threat: fight, flight and freeze.   Two of the three, are widely studied and legitimised - flight and fight. The last of these - freeze - is subjected to intense scrutiny. Many cannot understand what would compel you to freeze and allow your attacker another opportunity to attack when you are confronted with a threat. To be honest, I don't either. This is why we struggle to empathise with the proverbial deer caught in headlights and often use that anecdote as a soft insult to those who freeze in the face of danger. And yet, there is a reason why deers freeze; a lesson for us to all learn. Deers freeze in headlights because they cannot see at all. Its' eyes are not calibrated to take in the sheer brilliance of a car's lights. As a result, deers need to freeze in order to assess the threat before them. We do this too. How do you react when lights are turned on, abruptly, in a dark room? We freeze while our eyes adjust,...