VII. Note to Self

Advice to myself that I really ought to heed more often:

Instead of worrying, why not just DO something?

VI. The Gift that Keeps on Giving?

The Nigerian state of Bauchi has created a department to collect tithes for the poor, mandated by the Sharia law under which the state is governed.

Sharia wealth tax in Nigerian state

The Sharia Commission says it received just over $23,000 (£12,000) from top civil servants and traditional leaders.

Now the commission has started drawing up a list of individuals they believe should be paying Zakat.

They have sent out letters to more than 3,000 people warning if they don't pay the tax to the government this year they could be arrested and jailed for three months, fined, or given 20 lashes.

So, using resources that are already extremely tight to establish another bureaucracy is supposed to put more of those resources in the hands of the poor?

No, it's more likely that the generals will move into nicer digs, and the poor will be even worse off as the better-off have less to share.

But, hey--it's all in the name of religious duty, right? It's all good.

V. Dread

Right now, in what are almost certainly my final weeks as a student, I can say that i am thoroughly spent. I am entirely not ready to enter the real world.

Ugh.

What kinds of jobs are there for cynical, introverted, disaffected young people who can't stand human contact?

IV. King

Perilously stretching the meaning of "few" days, I figure that this is as good a time as any to post. Of course, today is the observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States. Two-thousand-eight, the fortieth anniversary of his death, has seen America make great strides in the direction of Dr. King's dream of a harmonious, integrated society. As I write this there is a good chance that, for the first time, a major political party might choose a black candidate to run under its presidential banner. Sadly, the recent negative discourse surrounding this very subject shows that there is still a long way to go. Regardless of one's skin color, beliefs or culture, the crux of Dr. King's philosophy is that what unifies humanity runs much more deeply than what divides it. The important thing to remember is that we're all in the struggle of life together.

III. Happy New Year!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.