[Seizethecarp]

Cross-posting from the Mal-Val thread comment #1706:

For the record Mark Ndesandjo has put up a pre-launch speech for his new book release

http://www.markobamandesandjo.com/article1.asp?a_id=13

There are two items that I noticed immediately:

1. A less-cropped version of picture of his family circa 1970 showing Mark’s long legs below the knee (white socks) conclusively demonstrating the approximate 3-year age difference between himself and his brother, David, in his mother’s arms (as ever resembling baby Barry, but with much more hair at age two).

2. A special segment of the book will be dedicated to the relationship between his brother David and David’s four brothers and one sister:

“What is the relationship between the 4 brothers and 1 sister and my late brother David.”

Note that one section of the book will explain:

“How Barack and I met for the first time in 1988 and why he denied it in an interview two years ago”

Speaking obviously allegorically, Mark likens the two brothers at that 1988 meeting to “babies” who were then separated for 25 years and met again as adults:

“I have seen babies torn apart by violence and neglect. As babies, Barack’s eyes were full of life and hope, and mine were tinged with a bittersweet innocence. Then we were separated and we followed two different destinies. No longer babies, Barack and I are still recovering from that. He from the absence of a good father, and I from the presence of a bad one. For me the recovery started, twelve years ago, when the little orphan in Shenzhen with the big black eyes looked up at me, grasped my finger and would not let go.”

[Seizethecarp]

Live link to Mal-Val thread comment on Marks book:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/2913366/posts?page=1706#1706

Mark’s book pre-launch speech link:

http://www.markobamandesandjo.com/article1.asp?a_id=13

[Fred Nerks]

"Obama during his first visit to Kogelo in 1983"

"The first time I came to Kenya was in 1987"

Sleepy Little Village...AllAfrica article

A Sunday Nation team that set out to trace Obama's roots was surprised to find that, unknown to many, Obama has actually been to this village twice. First in 1983, when he had come to mourn his late father, Barack Hussein Obama, who had died in Nairobi in 1982; and again in 1995 when he brought home his young bride to show her his roots.

[Fred Nerks]

“I have seen babies torn apart by violence and neglect. As babies, Barack’s eyes were full of life and hope, and mine were tinged with a bittersweet innocence. Then we were separated and we followed two different destinies. No longer babies, Barack and I are still recovering from that. He from the absence of a good father, and I from the presence of a bad one.

Seems that this could be the photograph upon which that statement is based. Only problem now, is that we have little zero on the left, but the boy on the right isn't Mark.