In the last weeks, we have had to close and move a small business, to be reopened at some unknown date, leaving 6 people unemployed. We've also had to relocate several family members. The areas that they were in, east of Nairobi, are being purged of non-Kikuyu by armed gangs.

There are about half a million internally displaced people in Kenya now, and more every day. To explain why I'll follow a timeline through Kenya's history. It is not—cannot be—the entire complex story, but no news program I have seen has even tried this much; I will follow one particular thread.

The ODM (Orange Democratic Movement) member, Hon. Kimutai David Too was shot in Eldoret by a policeman. Some reports (e.g. London Times) say he was shot at a roadblock. The official police spokesman has been saying that it was a love triangle, that he was having an affair with the policeman's wife. (The story seems to be changing, but note that is not atypical of a newly breaking story.)

On Tuesday, Hon. Melitus Mugabe Were was murdered outside his home. The Mungiki, a criminal gang composed of members of the Kikuyu tribe, claimed credit, and promised that there would be more.

ODM has stated that they consider it to be an assassination.

I spent the morning listening to gunfire.

ODM and Raila wanted to hold a demonstration in Uhuru Park. They were blocked by a massive police force. They will try again tomorrow.

The guns were apparently fired in the air, and no one killed directly; there was a man electrocuted on Thika Road by a falling cable. It was attributed to a police bullet severing the cable, as no other explanation seemed as likely.

All the news and government statements are calling for "peace" and "negotiation". (Don't get me started on Rice's "spirit of compromise".) Kibaki has had himself sworn in. Meanwhile, the chairman of the Electoral Commission (ECK) has publicly admitted that he does not know who won.

So how about counting the votes?

(sent to my sister in the United States, a bit redacted here)

background: Kenya has elections every 5 years for President, Parliament, and some local offices. In 2002, Mwai Kibaki ran on a coalition ticket against the entrenched party, and won, and there was much celebration. The Kibaki administration didn't live up to its promise (who does?) but the last 5 years have been very good.

This year, Raila Odinga, and the Orange Democratic Movement (Kossacks should appreciate that), ran against the Kibaki administration.

Everything was going well; it was generally accepted that either outcome would be fine if it was legitimate; voters were enthusiastic. But then Raila took a lead in the counting ...

It isn't just the phone numbers they are recording.

Suppose you were to record the phone calls to and from all people in the USA.

Each record is about 24 bytes. 10 + 10 + 4 for the time.

330 million people, an average of (say) thirty a day? (remember I'm counting 2 year olds in this). Think about how many calls are on your monthly statement if you get call detail.

10 billion calls a day? By 24 bytes.

240 billion bytes a day.

I HAVE 1/20 OF THAT ON THE LAPTOP I'M TYPING THIS COMMENT ON

20 hard drives a day... is that a bleeding edge database?

They aren't recording the numbers.

They are recording the calls.

And from other sources that Goss also went to the parties, presumably also just to play poker.

The parties were at the Watergate.

The Watergate is in the District of Columbia.

According to the DC Code, section 22-1501 et seq (sorry I don't have an on-line link, maybe someone can find one for us):

Gambling is illegal in the District of Columbia

When can we expect the arrests?

Arafat worked tirelessly for decades to help the Palestinian people fight the Israeli Crusade which is stealing the land and systematically exterminating the people in a slow, steady genocide.

Like all other attempts by the British Empire at colonization, it will fail. We (Massachusetts) beat them in 1776, the Irish fought them for 900 years. The Palestinians will prevail over the crime named "Israel" and live on their own land again someday.

Your comments on Yasser Arafat?

(and the flip headline is respect)

What we haven't known is that "challengers" must sign a sworn oath. I'll bet that the $100/day Republican thugs don't know that they will go to prison for just ONE false "declaration of personal knowledge" ....?

Maybe we should TELL them? eh?

[there are a number of related dairies that have floated by w/o reco's, I've taken the liberty of excerpting the MyDD entry into the extended entry]

RED SOX ROCK!!

[ahem, pardon the interruption ...]

I want to do what else I can to get Kerry and the Dems in, and having a bit of trouble deciding who to contribute to right at this late stage, SO ....

The $1000 works like this: (yes, you have to read the extended copy, rules, ya know? ;-)

Draft Bush ... he should have been drafted when he failed to report for duty in 1972 ...

Indeed. What more is there to say? The Bush administration has authorized itself to do everything Saddam did. And done it. From pre-emptive war to hostage taking to rape rooms.(Well, no poison gas yet, that we know of. But Reagan looked the other way when Saddam did it.)

And it presents a real problem: the IRC has pointed out that Saddam is, quite properly, being treated as a POW. But on June 30th, the occupation ends, legal fiction or not. That means all POWs without pending "penal charges" must be released.

So. What are they going to charge Saddam with?