The Significance of Obama’s Election to Nigeria and its diaspora

INTRODUCTION

On November 4, 2008, a remarkable event occurred in the United States of America: a Kenyan-African-American named Barack Hussein Obama, aged 47, Federal Senator from the State of Illinois, was elected to be the 44th President of the USA in its 56th presidential election since George Washington was first elected in 1789. He is the first African-American so honored, and the second Illinois legislator ever to be elected president [after Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)].

This was a keenly-fought contest against white Senator John McCain from Arizona, war hero with a military family pedigree. Needing only 270 Electoral Votes to clinch the position, the result was a big national mandate for Obama: 64,975,682 million popular votes (or 53%) and 364 Electoral Votes for Obama to 57,118,380 million (46%) popular votes and 174 Electoral Votes for McCain. The Democratic candidate Obama won the highest votes EVER recorded by ANY president of the United States, winning in states like Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana, Colorado and Nevada that were considered too Republican for a generation now to attempt a win. He competed well in many other states even where he lost the popular vote, winning almost every demographic imaginable. To this writer, a Nigerian immigrant with five children all born in the United State, who has lived in the United States continuously since December 1978, who has now witnessed the last eight US presidential contests, who voted in last four of them, who actively participated in some little way in this year’s contest, and teaches in a historically black college (Howard University) right in the heart of the nation’s capital where one almost sees the Capitol and the White House on a daily basis, the outcome is of immense socio-cultural and political implications, both to Nigerian/African immigrants as well as to Nigeria/Africa.

OUR CHILDREN CAN ASPIRE WITHOUT NAME AMPUTATION OR ABANDONMENT...

Raised by his white mother and grandparents, and for a time living with an Asian step-father, Barack’s life trajectory is a remarkable one. His Black father may not have been with him all his life, but he (Obama Junior) knew where his father was from (Kenya), even his ethnic group (Luo) and visited with his extended family in Kenya. Yet he was American enough to love his country of birth, participate fully as a citizen and now attain its presidency WITHOUT changing his name to fit the majority White-Anglo-Saxon orthodoxy. Although he went by “Barry” for a while, a cultural epiphany made him to change back to his original “Barack” (for “thunder” in Hebrew but “blessed one” in Arabic/Swahili) – not “That One” as he recently joked in backhand reference to .

Obama joked throughout his campaign that whoever gave him his names obviously never thought that he should aspire to become the president of the United States of America. But we can all look at him now, and tell our children born in the US that provided you live a clean life, go to the best schools that you possibly can, do the best in school that you possibly can, even possibly become a mere community organizer somewhere before beginning your political career ANYWHERE in the United States – and along the way possibly marry a beautiful or handsome African(-America) spouse and loving partner - you too can become a legislator (state or federal), a governor of a state – or the President of the United States of America, WITHOUT amputating your family-given first and/or last name out of recognition.

OUR COUNTRY CAN LEARN (ONCE AGAIN) FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS OF FREE, FAIR AND CREDIBLE ELECTIONS…

Participatory democracy is a desideratum for any country that wishes to develop socially and politically, and free, fair and periodic elections are a grund-norm for such a democracy. Although the United States unilaterally declared its Independence from Great Britain in July 1776, it did not become an operational (con)federal government with a ratified Constitution until March/April 1789, whereupon it elected its first president in George Washington who took office on April 30, 1789.

There have been periodic four-year terms for the presidents ever since each begun with an election - exactly fifty-six of them including Barak Obama’s. Ever since, no military coups, nothing…..unlike Nigeria where we have had more than dozen successful and failed coup attempts since Independence in 1960. One sincerely hopes that one has seen the last of military coups in Nigeria – the last successful one against an elected government was against President Shehu Shagari by Mohammed Buhari in December 1983, and the last successful one against a military regime was against Buhari himself by Ibrahim Babangida in August 1985. [Abacha’s coup of sorts of November 1993 was against a transition civilian government of Shonekan following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election.] In Obama’s election, no election-related violence, nothing…in eighteen months of a tough primary contest within each of the two main parties (Democrats and Republicans), and about four months of the general contest between Obama and McCain, to the best of the knowledge of this author, no one was knifed or gunned to death specifically over the campaign. Even the hint of an assassination attempt against Obama by a deranged pair of Neo-Nazis was quickly squelched.

In Obama’s election, no rigging, nothing…..For the first time, as many as thirty-four states out of the fifty and the District of Columbia in the US permitted early voting (distinct from absentee voting) in this year’s presidential election, with 31.7 million people out of the total of 124 million people that voted. There were fifteen candidates by the way, not just Obama and McCain. The various states had various closing times since America has different time zones, with each STATE secretary being in charge of their elections – no central INEC, no Maurice Iwu. By 10 pm EST, on November 4 election day proper, the election had been called by the TV networks; within an hour, Senator John McCain had conceded and sent his congratulatory message; soon after Senator Barack Obama had given his victory speech; and to cap it off, President Bush also sent his congratulatory message and pledge to ensure a smooth transition between now and Inauguration Day January 20, 2009.

To be continued...

Author: Mobolaji E. Aluko, PhD

WE THOUGHT HE IS SLOW...

I was somewhat impressed when NTA aired a random opinion poll before President Yar’Adua’s speech on 29th May 2008 to mark this year’s “democracy day” General opinion about this former lecturer-turned-politician were majorly and impressively positive except for the fact that Nigerians are unanimously of the opinion that our embattled president is slow. Listening in-between the lines through his chat with the media I could see an intelligent and sly president. I take that for granted because afterall, he was a lecturer and not just a lecturer for that matter, a lecturer of analytical chemistry. It takes a smart head to hold that position and hold it well. I’m not surprised; he has done well so far in his new career.

That Yar’Adua is a “sme-sme” president is nothing but a delusion of the Nigerian populace fuelled and nurtured by the press. Babangida was a nice president until “Dele-Giwaism” and other atrocities started coming to light. That was a president that would put a knife at your neck and still hold the smile. He was indeed “nice”.

Recent revelations by Sahara Reporters reveal that our dear president may actually not be what/who he portrays himself to be afterall. It is tempting to speculate that the voice, though that of Jacob, the hands may be Esau’s considering the powers that enthroned Umaru in Aso-Rock but relationship with his predecessor and acclaimed god-father makes it crystal clear that Yar’Adua has attained political adulthood to be able to make up his mind contrary to speculations and fears before Obasanjo stepped down.

One characteristic of the president that tickled my fancy is his ability to stay cool and calm even when his roof is on fire. When rumours went round that he was dying in Germany and probably may not be able to address the nation on 29th May, Yar'adua’s demeanour when he eventually broke his silence did not show that of a man who was ruffled by public saying (Nothing less can be expected of a president anyway). He likes letting matters “cool off” before responding/reacting which I’d say is a virtue worthy of emulation because by then you’re in a better frame of mind to make “objective” decisions. Yar’Adua is off to Cairo to attend a meeting of the African union but one would wonder what thought would dominate his mind on his way to and during the meeting. Certainly, if he is not thinking of any of the plethora of controversies and issues calling for his neck at home, he would be thinking about Mugabe and his coronation as Zimbabwe’s new president and also about what to do concerning his “very close” friend, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, Nigeria’s Minister of Transport and recent allegation of her involvement in a N30billion scandal.

Investigations of the Obasanjo government took another turn when the National Assembly revealed massive withdrawals by Mrs Allsion-Madueke’s ministry late December 2007. Unsurprisingly, Mrs Madueke has been said to blame this revelation on an on-going plot to strip her of her current portfolio.

Behold some of Yar’Adua’s shady deals as uncovered by Sahara Reporters;

1. Obasanjo gave away import duties worth N1.6 trillion to political associates, businessmen, traditional and religious leaders as well as many female “friends”; there are revelations that Yar’Adua’s regime has given out concessions worth N85 billion to his business and political associates for the importation of cement and fertilizers in the last one year.

2. There’s a fresh PDP memo at the National Assembly calling for the extension of Yar’Adua tenure to 7 years – an official follow-up to senator Turaki’s campaign; a modified version of the third-term agenda you’d say.

3. Current minister o Agriculture, Alhaji Abba Ruma, is angling to become the next energy minister in a cabinet reshuffle due to be effected very soon. He is to re-invest “profits” from fertiliser concessions to play his role in the current PDP/Yar’Adua version of the third-term agenda.

4. Mrs Mdueke’s recent fashion transformation (to dress more like a Muslim woman) may not be unlinked with her “very close” relationship with the president.

5. In a sharp contrast to the case of former Minister of Health, Adenike Grange, and Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, Yar’Adua is not keen to call in the EFCC to investigate the N30 billion scandal that has rocked the ministry of transport although reports say he is troubled by security reports that Mrs Madueke had purchased a multi-million naira house in Abuja in the name of her youngest son

6. Yar’Adua went against his transparency policy when according to Sahara reporters members of Adamawa state’s State Assembly were offered a mouth-watering N25m bribe each to drop their impeachment motion against the governor Mr Murtala Nyako.

7. A House of Representatives source also recently revealed that, contrary to his public posturing, Yar’adua did intervene in a failed effort to stop the impeachment of former Speaker, Patricia Etteh. His front was Dr. Aminu Shuaibu Safana, Yar’Adua’s former secretary when he was Katsina Sate governor, who slumped and died supporting Etteh during a rowdy legislative session. His death paved the way for Etteh’s eventual removal.

He may appear slow there is certainly more about this regime than meets the eyes.

These present revelations just leaves one wondering when the era of self-aggrandisement will end among African leaders.

Many opine that political office holders’ greed and selfishness which has been the bane of growth in Africa is actually an “African thing” but thank goodness for the likes of Nelson Mandela. The grandeur at his 90th birthday aired live by AIT is indescribable; it leaves me with the consolation that all hope is not lost in Africa.

Robert Mugabe and Nelson Mandela belong to the same generation (Mugabe is 84, Mandela is 90) It is actually a mater of choice whether this generation would choose to be agents of positive change or vice versa. I refuse to be heart-broken by our leaders’ lack of direction for Africa and Nigeria in particular. Rather, I will position myself to be that agent of change which the world has been waiting for.

What about you?

To serve Nigeria is not by force

I pledge to Nigeria MY country
To be faithful Loyal and Honest
To serve Nigeria with ALL my strength
To defend her unity
And uphold her honour and glory
So help me God

As a little boy, I heard that when every American wakes up in the morning, the first thing they say is “God bless America” Because of this I always wondered how much they must love their country. I even attributed that to the success of the nation as world leader and police.

I have never been to America and recent happenings that we read in the tabloids and see in the news may tempt one to assume that there may be a bit of exaggeration in the above truism. Nevertheless, the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, the obsession to de-arm Iran, the fight for “the right candidate” to succeed President Bush all point to one common interest in America – Americans will always put the interest of America first in anything they do. Although American presidents would argue that they are trying to protect the world against these tyrants, Iran, Iraq or the Taliban will remain priority on any American president’s agenda as long as they pose themselves as threat to America.

Considering the foregoing, it saddened my heart when one of our “celebrities” in Nigeria released an “anthem” a few years ago - “Nigeria jagajaga”. Unfortunately for the rascal, he released the song during Obasanjo’s regime and I love Obasanjo’s response to the song. Charity they say begins at home, it therefore did not come to me as a surprise when a few months ago, I met a young man who had no single positive thing to say about his fatherland. I visited one of the electricity generating stations in the UK with some undergraduates from my place of work. The undergraduate who received us at that station turned out to be another undergraduate, a Nigerian whose father works at NEPA (Now Power Holding Company of Nigeria). I’m not sure what Mr Akande’s motive was that day, whether he was trying to gain the approval of the white folks in my company or he was trying to prove his level of intelligence (he strikes me as a pompous empty barrel), I am not really sure to be honest. He went on to boast about how he received a delegate of “top NEPA officials” the previous week. His father was among the delegates.

Mr. Akande was supposed to make a presentation, giving us information about their station’s mode operation and the reasons for its uniqueness (Combined Heat and gas). Instead of going to the business of the day, he went on telling us how horrible Nigeria and the Nigerian system are. At some point, I had to speak up to correct some of his misconceptions and misinformation which he was dishing out to the audience of which two of us were Nigerians. After arguing with him for a few minutes, I realised his level of reasoning and intellect and immediately let sleeping dogs lie. But I made my point. Nigeria is bad. We all made it what it is today (you may say you’re not one of them but trust me, we all are responsible). At the end of his presentation (eventually), one of the delegates that went with me remarked; “that was the most unprofessional presentation I have listened to” The Nigerian argument apart, it was a shoddy presentation, I felt ashamed. My team unanimously agreed that the time spent at Connah’s Quay that day was a wasted time.

Still on the issue of loyalty and patriotism, I stumbled on a TV program tonight (18 June). It was an AIT show. Unfortunately, the program for on schedule was different from what AIT broadcasted, so I didn’t get the exact title of the program on screen. But the segment of the program which I stumbled on was when the presenter conducted a random interview of some Nigerian Hip Hop “stars”, asking them to recite the national pledge. Out of about thirteen “stars”, only three could recite the national pledge correctly. To tell how bad the situation is, out of the three successes, the second success (Slam) missed “honour” in the 2nd to the last line. The most pathetic part of the story is that they ALL laughed about it and some of them shamelessly said “don’t blame me”. For crying out loud, if they went to school, we all recited the national pledge for at least 11 years of our growing up life! Perhaps stardom has eaten that bit of their memories.

Commitment to Nigeria and its growth starts from little things as knowing your national anthem and pledge correctly. It is like your religious mantras which you recite every morning or night. This reinforces your faith in whatever you believe in.

I have been in company of people in the past who sarcastically recite a portion of the national pledge as “to serve Nigeria is not by force” if you ask me, it is the same attitude with which such persons would handle any national issue if committed into their hands. I used to do the same in ignorance. But that was then. Now I know better. I know that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth thus speaks and as a man thinks in his heart so is he. The things which we utter out of our mouths or wish for are those things which we see manifest in our day to day life. Yet in ignorance, we blame it on our leaders. A nation that is great is made of patriotic citizens. It is patriotism that will drive out the canker worm of selfishness which is the bedrock of corruption and all its consequences in today’s Nigeria.

I pledge to Nigeria MY country
To be faithful Loyal and Honest
To serve Nigeria with ALL my strength
To defend her unity
And uphold her honour and glory
So help me God

So help me God

God bless Nigeria

NIGERIANS ARE THE MOST EDUCATED IMMIGRANTS IN THE US!

IN AMERICA, DATA SHOW NIGERIANS ARE THE MOST EDUCATED IMMIGRANTS
By Leslie Casimir

• In America, Nigerians' education pursuit is above the rest
• Whether driven by immigration or family, data show more earn degrees

For Woodlands resident David Olowokere, one of Nigeria's sons, having a Master's degree in engineering just wasn't enough for his people back home. So he got a doctorate.
Nigerian David Olowokere, chairman of TSU's engineering technologies department, says the goal for his children is to do "as good as us — if not better."

ERIC KAYNE: CHRONICLE
His wife, Shalewa Olowokere, a civil engineer, didn't stop at a bachelor's, either. She went for her master's.
The same obsession with education runs in the Udeh household in Sugar Land. Foluke Udeh and her husband, Nduka, both have master's degrees. Anything less, she reckons, would have amounted to failure.
"If you see an average Nigerian family, everybody has a college degree these days," said Udeh, 32, a physical therapist at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. "But a post-graduate degree, that's like pride for the family."
Nigerian immigrants have the highest levels of education in this city and the nation, surpassing whites and Asians, according to Census data bolstered by an analysis of 13 annual Houston-area surveys conducted by Rice University.
Although they make up a tiny portion of the U.S. population, a whopping 17 percent of all Nigerians in this country held master's degrees while 4 percent had a doctorate, according to the 2006 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, 37 percent had bachelor's degrees.

In comparison
To put those numbers in perspective, 8 percent of the white population in the U.S. had master's degrees, according to the Census survey. And 1 percent held doctorates. About 19 percent of white residents had bachelor's degrees. Asians come closer to the Nigerians with 12 percent holding master's degrees and 3 percent having doctorates.
The Nigerian numbers are "strikingly high," said Roderick Harrison, demographer at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank that specializes in researching black issues. "There is no doubt that these are highly educated professionals who are probably working in the petrochemical, medical and business sectors in Houston."
Harrison analyzed the census data for the Houston Chronicle.
Stephen Klineberg, a sociologist at Rice University who conducts the annual Houston Area Survey, suspects the percentage of Nigerian immigrants with post-graduate degrees is higher than Census data shows.
Of all the Nigerian immigrants he reached in his random phone surveys 1994 through 2007 — 45 households total — Klineberg said 40 percent of the Nigerians said they had post-graduate degrees.
"These are higher levels of educational attainment than were found in any other ... community," Klineberg said.
There are more than 12,000 Nigerians in Houston, according to the latest Census data, a figure sociologists and Nigerian community leaders say is a gross undercount. They believe the number to be closer to 100,000.
Staying in school
The reasons Nigerians have more post-graduate degrees than any other racial or ethnic group are largely due to Nigerian society's emphasis on mandatory and free education. Once immigrating to this country, practical matters of immigration laws get in the way.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 made it easier for Africans to enter the U.S., but mostly as students or highly skilled professionals — not through family sponsorships, Klineberg said.
So many Africans pursue higher levels of education as an unintended consequence of navigating the tricky minefield of immigration, said Amadu Jacky Kaba, an associate professor at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., who has done research on African immigrants in the U.S.
"In a way, it's a Catch-22 — because of immigration laws you are forced to remain in school, but then the funny thing is you end up getting your doctorate at the age of 29," Kaba said. "If you stay in school, immigration will leave you alone."
Although Kaba, who teaches Africana Studies, is not from Nigeria (he is Liberian), he said he, too, found himself pursuing a master's and then a doctorate to remain in this country legally.
But not all Africans have to go this route. Some say their motivation is driven by their desire to overcome being a double minority: black and African.
Take Oluyinka Olutoye, 41, associate professor of pediatric surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. He came to this country already as a medical doctor but decided to pursue his doctorate in anatomy to help set himself apart.
"Being black, you are already at a disadvantage," said Olutoye, whose wife, Toyin Olutoye, is an anesthesiologist at Baylor. "You really need to excel far above if you want to be considered for anything in this country."

Family expectations
All this talk of education creates high expectations for children of Nigerian immigrants. The eldest child of David Olowokere, chairman of the engineering technologies department at Texas Southern University, for example, is already working on her master's degree in public health in Atlanta; the middle child is pursuing a bachelor's in pre-medicine. His youngest, a son, attends The Woodlands High School. He already has aspirations to go into engineering, just like his parents, Olowokere beams.
"The goal is for them to do as good as us — if not better," he said.
Oluyinka Olutoye put it another way, "The typical saying in a Nigerian household is that the best inheritance that a parent can give you is not jewelry or cash or material things, it is a good education," he said. "It is expected."

© 2008 Houston Chronicle

The Direction Sign

Call it a Sign Post, Sign Board or Signage, I'm sure we're attempting to describe the same thing/concept.

Have you ever found yourself looking for direction under any circumstance? The Direction Sign is one of the greatest inventions of mankind and has proved tremendously helpful saving time energy and stress to the "lost" or anyone hoping to find their way to a location. Recently, I went for a meeting at Teeside. Later in the day after the meeting, about 60 miles to the end of my 3 hours 45 minutes drive back home, the weather got so bad, and my Sat-Nav lost reception. Here was I in the middle of nowhere hoping to pass the "no signal" region and the Sat Nav would pick up again. No it didn't. I was so reliant on my Nav, I just kept driving on and waiting on this piece of normally intelligent piece of equipment. I wasn't checking the signs, I just carried on. After wandering about for about 15 minutes without any hope that this thing would take me home, I decided to go back to the old way... I followed the direction signs and although I eventually went through the long route, I got home and in one piece!

Sometime in 2007, I had just finished an evening paper. Outside the exam hall and towards the Bus-Stop filled with "examinees" with mixed reactions. It was time for post-examination evaluations and self re-assessment. Voices with different pitches and tones rented the air. It was a bit of a task and struggle trying to hear myself at the top of the myriad of voices competing for space in the air as we waited at the bus-stop by the open field just in front of the sports centre where we all just got 'examined'...It was reminiscent of popular market places in the part of the world where I come from.

"Oh, the time was too short"..."I wrote so much my wrist aches!"...these were some of the common comments that filled my ears. Obviously, it was a good one for some people. Generally the comments reflected optimism and self-satisfaction from majority around except for some few who claimed they went "blank" in the hall.

The crowd was massive. All waiting and hoping to get on the next bus to the Business School campus from where we could all find our ways to our different final destinations. I looked around and it occurred to me that actually, just one bus would be coming and the bus would have been three quarter filled if not totally filled by the time it gets to this stop. That means we may have to struggle for space when the bus arrives which implies that some of us waiting may not get on the bus. While I was doing the calculations in my head, I also realised that out of the people who'd be lucky to get on the bus, some may have to stand. I took a look at my side and saw my friend. She was my classmate but her new status conferred my friend's surname on her. She was heavily pregnant. You could tell that she had had a day and the only ray of joy lining her dark face came from the satisfaction from within based on how well she thought she performed in the examination. She was fagged out! I offered her a space to sit on my Indian friends back!...expectedly she slapped me on the shoulder and reminded me she is somebody's wife...I laughed and told her and my other friends around that if we hope to get on the bus when it arrives then we have to position ourselves strategically to enable us get what I called "first movers advantage" (we had been waiting for nearly 20 minutes). Trust me, that is one of the advantages of being a Nigerian. You're able to calculate and adapt yourself to any situation FAST! I pointed at a spot where I felt the bus would stop and would be a vantage position for US to get on - most likely the door would open at that spot. My friends saw wisdom in my words and strategy. They obeyed without attracting any attention. The bunch of Smarties that we are, we continued our discussions in our smaller group within this group watching and waiting for the bus.

At last the bus came and we started boarding one after the other. As I predicted, there was just few spaces left on the bus and the driver could only take a certain number of people in addition to those already on board for "health and safety" reasons. He motioned them in one after the other. ALL my friends got on board. It got to my turn and the guy said, "Sorry mate, the bus is full!". Pity and unbelief gripped my pregnant friend. She didn't get a seat. She was one of the standees but at least she was on board. She gestured at me for a space on her back. I waved at them as the bus moved off. Then I realised that I wasn't supposed to be standing at that stop in the first instance. There is a shorter route to where I lived. If I went with the school bus, I would change bus twice before arriving at my destination. Whereas, if I just walked out of the gate which was less than 5 minutes walk away, I could get a bus to the city centre where I could take another bus home. I could actually walk home from the city centre. My best route would require just one bus change and bingo, I'm home! Faster, shorter...Very funny.

Immediately, the lesson hit me. Romans 8..."And we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God...." But as I reflected on this God took me through another lesson. I remembered one of my popular lines as an evangelist on campus during my undergrad days. When I preach to believers, I try to remind us all that we should try not to be like the Direction Sign who directs people to their right destinations but never leaves the same spot itself!

I realised that I could be like that; show people the way of salvation and never get on the bus myself! It was one of the scariest realities that'd ever dawn on me.

It became clear to me that the kingdom of God had just played itself in a drama to me and I was one of the actors. ALL of us at that Bus Stop had just finished taking an examination. By virtue of our studentship at the university, each person believed they "qualified" to get on the bus and so waited for it. Few amongst us knew that waiting at the bus stop was not enough. You need to be strategically positioned to get on the bus because there was limited space. Some of those few of us were not selfish about our inklings, we shared with other people and showed them the opportunity but at the end, it wasn't God's best.

The analytical mind can draw a world of lessons out of this seemingly simple scenario and I can go on and on. But the Spirit of God specifically taught me two lessons from that experience. (a) The race is not to the swift. Fight the good fight, so that at the end, you yourself do not become an outcast in God's kingdom. (b) God always gives you a way out even when you have missed your chance. A lot of things cloud our thoughts that we fail to see God's plans for us and how they better our own plans. If I went straight to the stop by the gate, I would have got home a lot earlier than I did. But I got carried away with the excitement of the moment talking with friends; I forgot that wasn't necessarily the best position for me to get to my destination.

In all, I was glad that I still did what I did because if I had left for my correct Bus Stop immediately after the exams, I'd get home early but my pregnant friend may have waited for no les than 40 minutes at that stop for her bus without a guarantee that she'd still get on the bus considering the crowd and her indisposition.

Another lengthy one you'd say but it's worth sharing.

Catch y'all nex time and see you right there at the top! Drop a comment if this impacts you in any way...

Peace!