Kathy Lagoli and my blog stats..

A few days ago I posted on this blog a warning about spam emails that some person named Kathy Lagoli had sent out, apparently to anyone whose email address she/he could get hold of. Unbeknown to me at time of posting, the Lagoli person was sending the same emails that I'd received to many others and as is to be expected, many of these people went searching on Google for the name 'Kathy Lagoli', just as I had done. However, by this time my post was already on Google and many of those who went searching for Kathy Lagoli wound up on my blog. This blog's sitemeter statistics for today tell the story:

Things I feel strongly about Site Summary
VISITS
	Total	29,866
	Average Per Day	66
	Average Visit Length	4:29
	Last Hour	68
	Today	1,476
	This Week	460
PAGE VIEWS
	Total	84,283
	Average Per Day	153
	Average Per Visit	2.3
	Last Hour	80
	Today	1,906
	This Week	1,073

As is clear from the above, the average number of visitors that I would receive on this blog per day is 66. Yet as I typed this blog post, there had already been a record breaking 1,476 visitors to the blog today, a number that normally would amount to something like my monthly total. There was even one hour during the afternoon when 110 visitors visited the blog within the hour. And not surprisingly, 99.8 percent of all these visitors came looking for more information about Kathy Lagoli. The 55 comments that they left behind are testimony to the extent to which Kathy Lagoli's spam emails were circulated..

African Bloggers Statement on David Kato and Uganda

"We the undersigned wish to express our deep sadness at the murder of Ugandan human rights defender David Kato on 26 January 2011. David's activism began in the 1980s as an Anti-Apartheid campaigner where he first expressed a strong passion and conviction for freedom and justice which continued throughout his life. David was a founding member of Sexual Minorities Uganda where he first served as Board member and until his death as Litigation and Advocacy Officer and he was also a member of Integrity Uganda, a faith-based advocacy organisation.

David was a man of vision and courage. One of his major concerns was the growth of religious fundamentalism in Uganda and across the continent and how this would impact on the rights of ordinary citizens including lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered / Gender Non-Comforming and Intersex [LGBTIQ] persons. Years later his concerns were justified when the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill backed by religious fundamentalists was outlined in 2009. David was also an extremely brave man who had been imprisoned and beaten severely because of his sexual orientation and for speaking publicly against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

Many African political and religious leaders in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zambia, Gambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Malawi and Botswana, have publicly maligned LGBTIQ people and in some cases directly incited violence against them whilst labeling sexual minorities as “unAfrican”.

In October 2010, the Ugandan tabloid, Rolling Stone published the names and photographs of "100 Top homos" including David Kato. David along with two other LGBTIQ activists successfully sued the magazine on the grounds of "invasion of privacy" and most importantly, the judge ruled that the publication would threaten and endanger the lives of LGBTIQ persons.

The court did not only rule that the publication would threaten and endanger the lives of LGBTIQ persons but it issued a permanent injunction against Rolling Stone newspaper never to publish photos of gays in Uganda, and also never to again publish their home addresses.

Justice Kibuuka Musoke ruled that,

"Gays are also entitled to their rights. This court has found that there was infringement of some people’s confidential rights. The court hereby issues an injunction restraining Rolling Stone newspaper from future publishing of identifications of homosexuals."

Every human being is protected under the African Charter of Peoples and Human Rights and this includes the rights of LGBTIQ persons. We ask the governments of Uganda and other African countries to stop criminalizing people on the grounds of sexual orientation and afford LGBTIQ people the same protections, freedoms and dignity, as other citizens on the continent."

Molisa Nyakale, Molisa Nyakale
Anengiyefa Alagoa, Things I Feel Strongly About
Anthony Hebblethwaite African Activist
Barbra Jolie, Me I Think
Ben Amunwa, Remember Ken Saro-Wiwa
Bunmi Oloruntoba, A Bombastic Element
Chris Ogunlowo, Aloofaa
Eccentric Yoruba, Eccentric Yoruba
Exiled Soul ExiledSoul
Francisca Bagulho and Marta Lança, Buala
Funmilayo Akinosi, Finding My Path
Funmi Feyide, Nigerian Curiosity
Gay Uganda Gay Uganda
Glenna Gordon, Scarlett Lion
Godwyns Onwuchekwa, My Person
Jeremy Weate, Naija Blog
Kayode Ogundamisi Canary Bird
Kadija Patel Thoughtleader
Keguro Macharia, Gukira
Kenne Mwikya, Kenne’s Blog
Kinsi Abdullah Kudu Arts
Laura Seay, Texas in Africa
Llanor Alleyne Llanor Alleyne
Mark Jordahl, Wild Thoughts from Uganda
Matt Temple Matsuli Music
Mia Nikasimo, MiaScript
Minna Salami, MsAfropolitan
Mshairi, Mshairi
Ndesanjo Macha Global Voices
Nyokabi Musila, Sci-Cultura.
Nzesylva, Nzesylva’s Blog
Olumide Abimbola, Loomnie
Ory Okolloh, Kenyan Pundit
Pamela Braide, pdbraide
Peter Alegi, Football is Coming Home
Rethabile Masilo, Poefrika
Saratu Abiola, Method to Madness
Sean Jacobs, Africa is a Country
Sokari Ekine, Black Looks
Sonja Uwimana, Africa is a Country
Spectra Speaks, Spectra Speaks
TMS Ruge, Project Diaspora
Toyin Ajao StandTall
Tosin Otitoju, Lifelib
Val Kalende, Val Kalende
Zackie Achmat, Writing Rights
Zion Moyo, Sky, Soil and Everything in Between

Wow, it's one year already

On 27 February 2009, I set out on a journey. I sat in front of this computer and wrote this post. It was the first post on this blog titled "Greetings Everyone" and for those who do not wish to click on the link, I have reproduced the post here..

Hi, welcome. For years, I have dragged my feet about starting a blog of my own. This has been because I wasn't able to make up my mind what the theme of my blog should be. My interests are varied and my mind wanders all the time like a butterfly. I haven't found it easy to decide on what exactly I should be blogging about. But suddenly, today, I have had a brain wave. Surely, I do not have to blog about anything in particular. I can blog about me and my wandering mind. I can talk about the things that bother me, the things that annoy me, the things that make me smile, the things that make me squeal with uncontrollable laughter. Oh my, there is a world out there waiting to be written about. So yes, I have taken up the challenge. Here we go.

Now, one year later, having had the blog running for all of 365 days, I'm still exactly in the same place in my mind. Except, of course, that since I started the blog, I've met some amazing people in the blogosphere, people I would not have met if the circumstances were different. And you know what, I still have not run out of things to say. And I'm pinching myself, wondering if this is real, but hoping and praying that it is.

I've been somewhat incapacitated for much of the last two weeks. For the first time in about ten years I couldn't get online, and it was as if there was a hollow inside of me, as if something was missing from my life. It's great to be back, it's wonderful to be here, to be a part of a community spread across the world. It's fantastic to be alive in 2010! Thanks to every person who has participated in this journey with me, a journey that God willing has only just begun. Thanks too to those who have allowed me to be a part of their online experience.

Gosh, it appears that the rankings of this blog have slipped considerably over the last few weeks, but I can only look on this as a challenge. I must vigorously strive to regain the position that the blog once held. As you probably can tell, it's late Friday night/early Saturday morning, but there are no corks popping. It's just been a quiet, solemn sober evening, sitting in front of the computer with soft music in the background.