Micheal Jackson is Dead

What!?!?! Michael can't die. He made Thriller. It just seems weird that a someone like Michael Jackson, who honestly doesn't really seem like a real person just something to scare children - don't mouth off or we'll send you to Neverland, could die. It's like when Anna Nicole Smith died or like if Mickey Mouse could die.

The whole thing is just really sad. Not that I'm going to be sobbing in mourning or experience a sense of loss. I just feel bad for the guy. I'm mean there are a lot of jokes that I could about the statutory rape with the little boys and the freaky amount of plastic surgery changing him from a black boy to a white women and all that, but now that he's dead it almost seems cruel.

The guy had a really crappy life. The dad of all the family was a real abusive, miserable prick. Michael has been forced into show business since he was like 9. It's not good when so much of your sense of selfworth is based so heavily on the applause and approval of a crowd. It's just way too much pressure. If you watch some of the dance steps his brothers and he had to get down, it is just unfathomable how hard they must have work. All that pressure ontop of all that influx of celebrity and money with no one he could trust or seek guidance from. Of course he got screwed up.

Also I hope Bubbles is okay.

The Official Youtube Jackson Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/michaeljackson?blend=1&ob=4

SC Governor

This South Carolina Governor, Sanford, is just wild, man. First he goes and tells his staff that he's headed off on a hiking trip to the Appalachian Trail. Which is understandable he'd been under a lot of stress. He just had a veto overturned and the court ruled it against him in a matter of $700 million. Guy could use a break. So on the 18th he takes off.

But then he totally goes off the radar. Zero contact. People in the state are freakin' out that he's been in a hiking accident. Until Wednesday when he returns from the airport to report that he had been in Argentia on like a booty call. I mean honestly dude. As a public official you can tone down the crazy eccentricity a little bit.

This whole thing is coming out with in a week or less of Nevada Senator John Ensign admitting to an affair a campaign staffer who is married to one of his former legislative aides. The heck man.

Crazy Signs from Africa

I just got a hoot out of some of the signs we saw down there.





This one, okay, we were moving quickly when we passed and unfortunately this is the best shot I could get, but if you look out the window at the blue sign on the left just above the chair you will see a condom characture doing a little dance. HAHAHA. Its part of fight against AIDs effort which is a serious issue, but that little fellow just cracks me up.

Red Chilli's Critters

Okay you know how I was talking about what a wonderfully bizarre place the Red Chilli hostel was.

First off check this out.



Those are chickens roosting in a tree at night. Now maybe the chicken farmers out there will tell me that's pretty standard but if that's true they've been keeping that a secret because I've never seen or heard of it.

This is one of the goats I mentioned, and if this were video you would see me quickly moving away from the fellow as he tries to head butt me.



These little guys where just basically everywhere.



Freaked out some of the people really bad at first, but at least they weren't as freaky as the 7 ft snake the KingFisher Resort in Jinja. I didn't get a picture of that unfortunately. The killed it that morning they found it while I was sleeping.

There were also this family of monkeys that jumped around in the trees and climbed up on all the villas



Aww I wish I had gotten a picture of this cat. There was this 3 legged cat that hubbled around the place.

Travel Workouts II

Okay this one is a little more advanced one. I got it from Wrestling coach back in highschool and I got to admit it's pretty hardcore even for me. It's called the 250 pushup workout and I've only ever been able to complete 225. It's the first 100 that kills me.

250 Pushup Workout
100 Hindu Pushup
10 Fingertip Pushup
10 Reverse Pushup
30 Hindu Pushup
20 Fingertip Pushup
30 Hindu Pushup
20 One Leg in the Air Pushup
10 Fingertip Pushup
20 Hindu Pushup

When you're doing the hindu pushups you're going to reach a point where you feel like you just can't do anymore I always do a few couple times. Post up and hold in the starting position to take a short breather. Keep at it though. It will build up your physical and mental stamina.

Now I understand most of you like I had haven't heard of some of these. So I hope the videos are a good demonstration

Hindu Pushup

Reverse Pushup

Rugby Match

On the 23rd we went to a 7s Rugby Tournament (the matches were seven minutes long). It was really great. I never played it before but my Uncle did at KU. He broke something like his collar bone, his nose twice, and his leg. Absolutely loved it.

During what looks like a throw in one guy from each team is lifted in the air to catch the ball. It's all pretty wild stuff.

Weird Eats

One part of new cultures are the new dishes you come across. A big part of the Ugandan diet is matoki which is a type of banana about half the size of the ones we're familiar with and are picked while green. It is pounded into a starch like a yellow version of mashed potatoes.

Crickets are actually eaten there as a kind of snack and served by vendors at sporting events like cracker jacks. Here is me about to eat one.

Here is "enjoying" it.

It's not awful. It just leaves a bunch of crispy bug flanks in your mouth the takes a while for your tongue to get out.

The primary fish there is the tilapia. I'm sure some of you have had it before in the US but probably paid around I'm told $30, where as in Uganda it's like $7. Anyway when they serve the serve the whole thing. Here's before.

And after.


Then there was this stuff call Jack Fruit. Big old thing as you can see. You cut it open with a machete and then you eat the strips the wrap around the seeds. Not bad really.

And then Frank got really excited to find America cheese puffs and just couldn't help endulging a little

Back in the US

I am so glad to be back. Africa was really beautiful and there will be things I miss but you just can't beat being able to turn on a faucet and feeling safe to drink the water.

I got to tell traveling for that long will really take it out of you. We were in transit for about 27 hours. And the thing is when your traveling through air your in this kind of fluid limbo. You know while in the terminal or plane your literally separated from the rest of the world by a intense security divide. Say like with us you have a layover in Amsterdam, you in Amsterdam but you've never really been to Amsterdam. Then with all the changes of time zones time becomes complete relative and almost nonexistent, so sleep becomes a difficult issue.

I am really happy to be back though. Came back and Nanny (my grandma) had all the family come to her house for a real Kansas meal. Briscut, fried chicken, fresh fruits. Aww so good.

I love gangster films and I really, really want to see this. Its all about the hay day of American gangsters when all the criminals had the upper hand and just ransacked banks. It's got all the greats - John Dillenger (who's got a freakin' gun named after him), Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd. Johnny Depp (Dillenger) and Christian Bale (the top FBI guy), two the best living character actors, get to battle it out. It's going to be epic.