Dear friend, good morning because I know it is coming to 5 a.m. on Monday there; it's 6 p.m. at Talk of Entebbe here California on Sunday. How are you and family, and friends? I know you have been in my situation before. I woke up at 5 a.m. this Sunday, went to church and prepared to write this news. Things did not work out as planned...got caught up in running around, doing this doing that, doing the other. But I hope you will understand my situation.

Superstorm Sandy

By now you have seen it on TV, read it in the papers and heard it on radio. Superstorm Sandy has ravaged for at least a week many parts of eastern USA, mainly states of New Jersey and New York. By the time of this writing, more than 70 persons are dead, more  than 1 million  have no electricity. Petrol stations have lines wrapped around buildings by motorists lacking fuel for days --without electricity, no petrol can be pumped. There is organized effort by emergency crews, from different areas of the country, to bring life back to normal, but some residents have been warned that normal life  may be as far off as the middle of the month.

San Diego Students Well

Here in San Diego, weather has been good lately. Students are going on with their required duty of studying. This Sunday morning at 2 a.m. they all had an extra hour of sleep which they will enjoy everyday until about March or April next year. The extra  hour is a result of a unique USA annual time change called "DayLight Savings Time". What happens is that every beginning of Fall season, the clock is turned back 1 hour; and every Spring season [around March-April-May], the clock is moved ahead 1 hour. It's fall now, so we all get an extra hour of sleep.

Pray for Elections

At my church today, we continued the prayer we have done for the past month or so: Praying for free and fair elections. We also prayed for good health care for all, security and safety for all. The presidential election is only 2 days away -- next Tuesday, November 6. President Barack Obama of the Democrat Pary is facing Republican Party candidate Mr. Mitt Romney, former governor of the state of Massachusetts.

Changing Address

Beginning sometime next year, we plan on moving this newsblog to a new address: talkofentebbe.wordpress.com. We shall explan more as the time approaches; and we hope you will enjoy our new home as we hope to continue to enjoy your company.

Thank You Indeed

Yes, thank you for being here on Talk of Entebbe. We thank you for reading this news.

Until next Sunday, may God bless you, your family, friends. God bless Uganda. God bless USA.

Sincerely, K.Lwanga, Principal & Writer

Wel, well,  this time I'm more late than usual...it's coming to 9 Sunday night here at Talk of Entebbe  in San Diego, which is about 7 a.m over there at Entebbe. Well, greetings...and apologies for the late time. All is well, but a busy week it was and a busy week it seems coming. How're you friend? How's your family and friends?

Bed Bugs

The news this week included a big problem with bed bugs [ebiku]. Students, from kindergarten to "A" level are bringing them to school from home. School nurses are obliged to send home any student with bed bugs and instruct parents to keep student for 3 days. Reports have said that one in five American homes has had biku problems, and although non-life threatening, the painful rashes affect student attention. Spraying, experts say, is the best remedy.

Pictures

This past week, kindergarten to "A" level students finalized paying for pictures taken for their yearbook. The yearbook is a traditional book published by every school, usually for kindergarten two, grade four, P.7, "O" and "A" level as students graduate to higher grades. Companies visit schools and take various pauses of students. Parents pay only for the snaps they intend to take, and the schools publish at least one photo of each student. Cost: Approximately Shs.90,000.00.

Weather News

Weather here in San Diego is beginning to get cold by evenings. Although forecasts still say warm temperatures ahead, but we can already feel the change. Nationwide, many states are already preparing for snow, or worse, avalanhes and tornadoes.

Election Night Tuesday

Two Tuesdays from today, November 6, America will elect a new president republican party Governor Mitt Romney, or re-elect the current democrat party President Barrack Obama. The process this time around has been so foggy due to the big-media siding with the president that it is difficult to get accurate news from TV or radio.

Best Wishes

Well, since I'm late, let me not say too much. Till next Sunday, wish you, family and friiends well. May God bless Uganda; God bless The USA.

Sincerely, K.Lwanga, Principal & Writer

Good morning...although it is 6:30 pm here at Talk of Entebbe in San Diego, California, it is 4:30 am over there in our beloved country. Glad to be talking with you during your early morning.

All is well. Mostly political talk joined with hope and mis-hope for the economy. Hope things are getting a little less hectic where you are.

At my church, the theme was about praying that persons working with students and the youth have the wisdom to do the job well so the world would have a brighter future.

Emergency Workers

Another group that came into our talk was persons who give care to those who are unable, and emergency workers who include police, security, medical staff. We have also prayed that compassion  be from all of us in general. The point is to help, and help, and help...the world needs more help today than ever before.

Moving On

I finished one assignment last Friday and now move on to a different educational area. I enjoyed my last job and hope for the same wherever I may be. As an update, while I am on students, many of them have been approved for free or reduced meals. That's good for parents many of whom are looking here, there and everywhere for  money to manage routine everyday life.

Final Presidential Debate

Tomorrow Monday [which is already your Monday] America will watch the final of three debates this presidential election year. President Obama and Republican Party challenger Mr. Romney will debate foreign policy. The first debate was about domestic policy which included questions on who of the two men had better ideas to get people back to work. The second was a "town hall meeting". Here people picked from different views of society questioned Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney on a mix of topics [economy, security, immigration, retirement, and other issues]. With every succeeding debate, many viewers have been glued to their TVs. This Monday is expected to do the same: draw record numbers as Americans  look to hear different approaches to having effective relations with other countries, near and far. And being the last debate, you can see the enthusiasm.

Thank You

Thank you for being here to read Talk of Entebbe every Sunday. Hope to see you again next Sunday the 28th. If you are in school, study well, If you are a candidate, good luck. Best wishes for God's love on Uganda, may God bless America.

Sincerely, K. Lwanga, Principal & Writer

Good morning there in Uganda from here in California. I am glad that I writing this a little earlier than last week, I think.

Much as I would like to, I can't ignore politics...it has taken center stage. Last Tuesday America witnessed the vice presidential debate [only one of its kind this election year]. Republican vice-presidential candidate Representative [MP] Paul Ryan went nose-to-nose with [Democrat Party] incumbent Vice-President Joseph [better known as Joe] Biden. Some viewers said Mr. Biden for the most part acted like he did not take the debate seriously, many times interrupting Mr. Ryan, other times shouting over him. To this day, I have not yet watched a re-run so I can't comment either way. Election is November 6th. This Tuesday, the 16th brings the 2nd of three debates between President Barack Obama and Republican Party presidential nominee former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney.

Concern for One Another

At my church today, we continued prayer for one another realizing that "you can't take it with you..." There was also prayer which sounded like an appeal to us to vote for President Obama. It included wording from the Democrat Party "manifesto" [here called platform] of: Dream Act [designed to pardon youngsters in the US who have no permission to stay], and  Affordable health care [exact term in the platform, also called "ObamaCare". This, according to multiple surveys, is not supported by at least 60% of Americans]. I can't tell how those who support the Republican Party felt, so I leave that to you.

Students Happily Eating for Free

That's right, many students of San Diego Unified School District have now been approved not to pay for meals, including breakfast and lunch. Many others are approved for reduced payment which is also a great help because it cuts a lunch of approximately Shs.6,250.00 to about Shs.2,500.00 helping the parent greatly in this tight economy.

What's Up?

Well my best wishes from Talk of Entebbe to you , your family and friends. Next week we shall see what's up. Hopefully news on education and wellbeing of students. Until then, may God bless Uganda and the USA.

Sincerely, K.Lwanga, Principal & Writer

Good morning this sunday morning from Talk of Entebbe in San Diego California.

The US received some welcome news this past week: More students finishing "A" level (high school) are choosing to enter university (commonly called "college" here). The only downside is that to afford the college education, students are borrowing more through the Federal Student Loan Program driving the average individual student debt to Shs.62,500,000 ($25,000.00). Complicating the picture further is the fact that many graduates cannot find jobs in this tight economy.

Pigs Get Expensive Soon

While San Diego schools do not serve pork for meals because of its fat content, there is little debate that students eat pork products, for instance bacon and beef, at home. Reports received here in San Diego from Britain's National Pig Association warn that pork products -- especially bacon -- will be in short supply worldwide come 2013. In the US, the drier season in the past few months has affected crops like corn and soy, pig's favorite food. Prices for pork products expected to rise 3.5 per cent in the US, which means in Uganda about Shs.5,000.00 more than today.

Sleepless America

San Diego is home to more than 30,000 homeless families, thousands of whom sleep out on the cold or hot streets. Many are victims of a sour economy since 2008.

Thousands of children attend school coming from homeless shelters. This past weekend was "Sleepless America" here giving the community an opportunity to donate a minimum of Shs.62,000.00 ($25.00) toward the homeless. Some community members spent the night out on the streets with homeless families to drive the point home.

Church Prays for Jobs

Several preachers, pastors, priests and community members in the state of New Hampshire got together this past weekend and prayed for jobs for America. While some Americans claim to be non-believers and in the past praying for jobs would have recieved laughter, the economic slowdown has gotten so dire for many that prayer is welcome today.

Uganda's Teacher Read This Carefully

A female school teacher here in San Diego has been ordered to stand trial for having sex with her 17-year-old male student. Unfortunately, lately there has been several cases of similar nature involving male with female students, male with male student -- cases of abuse of authority.

What Was This Commander Thinking?

A commander in the US Army's 62nd Airborne is facing courtmartial for having "improper relationship" (meaning sex) with an officer. Deputy Commander James St. Claire was reported to be married...he risks losing all he has achieved in the armed forces if convicted.

Police Finished with Economic Meltdown

A police department in the State of New Mexico, USA, has closed for good leaving only the dog to carry out any appropriate duties. With 0 money in the treasury, the police chief was let go last week permanently closing the business of police work in the community.

An Earful for Today?

I think I have given you a full plate for this Sunday. Let's plan to meet again next Sunday. Meantime, take care of yourself. May God Bless you, your family and Uganda. May God bless the USA.

Sincerely, K.Lwanga, Principal & Writer

It is very comfortable weather here at Talk of Entebbe in San Diego, California.

How are you? Hope all  is well with you and family.

Let me start with what my church said today. Emphasis has been on treating one another with respect and putting trust in God. The priest, an older man, spent a lot of time on the homily. Actually this was not unusual because, perhaps due to his enormous experience in life, he always takes time -- and does a super job.

Students of voting age -- even those of non-voting age could learn from this -- (and their parents) took home the church bulletin full of suggestions and ideas about "how to vote wisely..." The ideas range all the way from voting for a person who respects the right-to-life of the unborn, to being senstive to immigrants (even those "without proper documents"), to caring for those who need help most at any given time. Reading through the 3 pages, I have been touched and will re-read to decide which way I should vote. Our presidential election is November 6.

Corruption in Schools?

Ah, consider this an election-based blog today.  Make your determination: In Florida State, a (female) teacher at a community college ( two-year post-secondary) ordered students in her class to fill in and sign a "pledge to vote for President Obama and democrats only..."  in the coming election November 6. This has triggered uneasiness among parents and one mother called the college administration. The teacher was put on "leave without pay" while investigations are done.

Update on student free meals

Students are eating well, eating free. Last Friday I checked and only about 8,000 applications were pending review. Based on history, perhaps fewer than 100 will end up being disqualified, meaning will have to pay for the meals at about Shs. 5,000.00 a lunch ($2.50), Shs.1,000.00 for breakfast. The majority will, for sure, eat for free. If you can believe this, some parents fill in the free meal application and note "not qualified for free meal", "Not interested", "Make too much money", or some statement like that!

Ready for Politics?

Starting next week, I will try to dive into some politicalspeak. With the election about 7 weeks away, we will see how it is going.

In the meantime, thanks for being there. Talk of Entebbe enjoys hearing from you. Please keep in touch. May God bless you, your family and friends. May Gos bless our community.

Best regards.  K. Lwanga, Principal & Writer. By the way, God bless the USA, God bless Uganda.

Very warm greetings from Talk of Entebbe.

The week has been crazy in its own way. Am sure you know the terrible events around the world last week. Here in San Diego, such events affect us even more because we are a military town. So, we are keeping our fingers crossed...please pray for us, we are praying for you.

Students are eating well in public schools in San Diego. As of last week, I believe that perhaps more than 25,000 applications for free meals [breakfast, lunch] had been cleared. Parents are happy, the community is happy, we are all happy. Tens of thousands more application reviews will be completed in coming weeks, with goal to have all qualifying students eat free before November.

What Else?

Well, we got invaded by heat again. By Friday around 1 p.m. it was scorching hot. I turned on and left on my portable fan near the bed from the time I got home around 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. when I woke up. Imagine how my [UMEME] bill will be! Right now it is 4:25 p.m. Sunday and the temperature went down from a high of over 100 degrees to about 70. Relief.

Do You Know?

Do you know what the future holds? That's the common question around San Diego and the schools. People are puzzled as to what is in store. I think we all need to do one thing: Put our lives into God's hands, if we had not yet.

Be Safe

Yes, stay safe. Trust your inner voice. Stay home if you don't really need to be somewhere.

Take care, and God Bless you. God Bless Uganda. May Almighty God Bless America.

Sincerely, C.K. Lwanga, Principal & Editor

How are you my friend? Weather here at Talk of Entebbe in San Diego is comfortably cool. Just returned from church, listening to a very gifted priest, a new priest for our parish. I can't recall his name (embarrassing!), but will try to remember next Sunday. He talked about forgiveness, trusting in God, and helping one another regardless of tribal or economic status. Can you but not appreciate that?

Well, San Diego students in primary to "A" level are appreciating free meals. This past week when they returned, and for the next 60 or so days, the Food Services Department of the San Diego Unified School District is processing thousands of applications for free meals. The application is filed by the parent stating how much income they make, and if they fall below established guidelines their daughter or son is entitled to a free breakfast and lunch.

How do you prove how much I make? You may ask. Good question. Every person in America has to have a social security number. For a few without, you still need an address that is verifiable. That, plus the paystub showing how much you make are used to qualify or disqualify your children for the free katogo or chapusi and porridge. As an example, Musoke's family has three children (Aisha, Andrew and Lawrence) listed on the application for free meals. He and wife make Shs.1,200,000.00 a month before PAYE taxes. The Food Services Computer calculates and determines whether such income is sufficient for the parents to afford buying their children daily meals.

Every parent receives a letter either approving of free meals, or reduced payment for meals, or informing them that they make "too much" and have to pay for Aisha, Lawrence and Andrew. Last week letters started going out and will continue for a long time to come. Meantime, every student may eat for at least one week without question. By the middle of this month the picture becomes clearer and  school cafeteria personnel will start advising some students to pay for their meals.

Democrat Convention

Democrat Party members held their convention in Charlotte, State of North Calorina. They re-nominated President Barack H. Obama to contest for the presidency a second term, facing Republican nominee Mr. Mitt Romney. After this convention, the arena is wide open for campaigning until election time. As of this writing, both men are neck and neck - polls suggest.

Election day is Tuesday, November 6. (The 2nd Tuesday of November is the official election day for every election year).

I hope you are doing well and that family is good. Talk of Entebbe will be back next Sunday.

In the meantime, take care. May God bless with peace our countries Uganda and the USA.

Sincerely, K. Lwanga, Principal & Writer.