Imagine a gathering of leaders from some of the world’s most promising nations, rich in potential but sadly lacking in infrastructure and burdened with the world’s highest rate of HIV infection.

Imagine amongst this group is one man who has single-handedly driven his country into the ground, turning the average life expectancy in his country from 65 to 35 in 20 years. Imagine this country, once one of the world’s most promising, now was burdened with the world’s highest inflation rate, estimated at 1700% and estimated to reach 4000% by year’s end. This man’s country now exports one thing - its people - who live in surrounding countries and work as laborers or domestic help because there is no work in their own country. They’ve known misery - these people - but perhaps they had hope that this gathering of regional leaders would be able to convince the source of their misery to step down after serving as President of his country for 25 years. Perhaps they hoped for this, or maybe just that something would change for the better for them because all these people have known is hopelessness.

The country is Zimbabwe, the man is Mugabe and the regional grouping is the Southern Africa Development Community and if the Zimbabwean people hoped Mugabe would come back from the meting a changed man their hopes were dashed. because instead of convincing Mugabe to stop destroying Zimbabwe the SADC actually issued a statement backing him 100% and decrying the effects sanctions have had on Zimbabwe, as if sanctions were responsible for Mugabe’s brutality and authoritarian rule.

I feel totally hopeless about this situation, which I saw unfold when I was in South Africa the same time Mugabe began his campaign of violently seizing white-owned farm land. Mugabe is going to run again for President and he will be elected because he’ll ensure it through the use of intimidation and fraud. But most upsetting is the fact that when it came time for Southern Africa’s leaders to stand up for the people of Zimbabwe they instead stood up for tyranny and oppression. If I feel this hopeless imagine how the long-suffering people of Zimbabwe feel.

“California has no culture.”

We’re already talking about finals at school and that means I’m already thinking about leaving my apartment for the summer and returning to San Francisco for 1.5 months before I head to Prague until the end of July.

I’m quite excited about our glorious mayor Gavin Newsom’s plans to turn the wretched Hunters Point into a new stadium and housing development. I know that in San Francisco the Socialist Left on the Board is going to be screaming bloody murder about “affordable housing” and the usual “what-about-the-poor” jibber-jabber but that area is a dump, a decaying, decrepit former naval base with the lowest property values in the city.

Right now no one is doing anything to help Bayview/Hunters Point and this plan kills two birds with one stone - it keeps the 49′rs in San Francisco and it redevelops a blighted area at the same time. I don’t understand how anyone could be against it but I’m sure the Ammiano/Daly/Mirkarimi junta on the board will find a way how.

My sweet boyfriend was here for four days and we had such a nice (but exhausting) time.

We went to the new Gordon Ramsey restaurant, had my East Coast birthday party at Cain, stayed at the Gramercy Park Hotel, ate at Babbo, visisted the Jewish Museum, walked across Central Park and generally had a great time. He got to meet all my friends, who loved him, and experience a bit of my life in New York.

I’m kicking ass in school, I think I may get straight ‘A’s this semester. All the better to get into a good law school.

South Africa has proven itself completely inept and unable to handle the responsibilities of international diplomacy with its actions in halting UN Security Council progress on the issue of Zimbabwe.

What exactly has South Africa done to help the people of Zimbabwe, who suffer terribly under the regime of Robert Mugabe?

(crickets chirping)

Nothing.

That’s right - not a single goddamned thing. South Africa has stood by as Mugabe has destroyed Zimbabwe and then out of some strange “allegiance” to the loyalty of Mugabe to the African National Congress (ANC) has refused to condemn him for raping and pillaging Zimbabwe. Even when Zimbabwe has attacked and destroyed South African businesses operating in Zimbabwe the SA government has stood by and wrung its hands while doing NOTHING..

This, on top of South Africa’s refusal to vote top allow the full Security Council to review the horrific human rights record of Burma is just too much. There will be NO PERMANENT OR VETO WIELDING AFRICAN SEAT ON THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL. I’ve yet to see a single goddamned African country that can prioritize the needs of its people and interests above those of its loyalty to those that supported it during some long-ago “liberation struggle.” No to South Africa. No to Nigeria and NO to Egypt. NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s me, it’s me.

Once again I’ve been recommended by Daily Kos for writing a diary on Africa. Every single diary I’ve written on Africa has been recommended and viewed by Kos’s 1,000,000+ daily readers.

This one is on Zimbabwe and the corrupt, racist regime of Robert Mugabe. The end is coming soon for Mugabe - and hopefully his wife Grace. We should all hope and pray that things turn out well and that the satanic Mugabe doesn’t kill everyone who is demonstrating against him, which he has threatened to do.

You can read it here.

After my digital phone service was installed today my wireless network and printer crashed, hard. It took me five hours on the phone with two different technicians, one in India, to solve the problem which involved resetting and renaming the network and then reinstalling and renaming the wireless print router.

Please G-d don’t let this ever happen to me again.

Unlike most people my age I am actually reversing direction and having a land-line installed in my apartment. The reason?

Faxing.

I send a lot of faxes and using an on-line fax system is a major pain. So I’m sitting here waiting for the cable guy to show up, which could be at anytime during a 4-hour window (10-2) but most likely will be at approximately 1:59 PM. My experience with these “windows” has been that the installer ALWAYS shows up at the very end.

There are a million things I would prefer to be doing right now other than sitting on my couch. Like… working out or shopping for frozen blueberries but instead I’m sitting and waiting…

Another thing: My Internet service has been poor quality since I arrived back in NY so I called Time-Warner for a little “customer support.” I used to be a customer service trainer and I know that CS reps always look for a reason to tell you that the problem you’re experiencing isn’t with their service or product - it’s with the operating system or wireless modem you’re using. It was the same with Time-Warner, as soon as I said I had a wireless network the guy nearly pissed himself with excitement: “We don’t offer support on wireless networks sir” he intoned, glee in his voice at being able to pinpoint the problem and get me off the phone so quickly.

Ah hah. Not so fast with me. “The problem isn’t with the wireless modem it’s with your service” I said but then I remembered that I should have just employed my usual tactic with the cable/Internet/Phone company… Lie.

That’s right, lie. Never inform them you’re using a wireless modem because they’ll blame that as the problem. Always say you’re connected directly to the modem THEY provide. Never say you’re using a cordless phone because inevitably they’ll say THAT is the problem. Lieing may be unethical but it’s certainly MOST helpful when trying to solve problems of a technical nature.

Arrived late last night. Class cancelled today so I could have stayed one extra day. Around 1.5 months of school left, semesters seem to go by so quickly now.

My boyfriend is taking me to the Auberge de Soleil Calistoga Ranch tomorrow for two days. Meaning I’ll arrive back in San Francisco rested and relaxed and detoxed in time to retoxify Saturday night for my birthday party at Pink.

He’s a good BF - SOMETIMES.