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20:21
Cheetahs vs Hippos
» Rants, Raves & Reviews [myafricatoday.blogspot.com]
The Government of Kenya (or some idiots within it) were "insulted" when an article in The Economist referred to "new" Africans as Cheetahs vs the "old, corrupt, status-quo' Africans as Hippos.
So the IDIOTS canceled an important meeting/conference the Economist was going to hold in Nairobi in view of the Economist's article. It turns out it was an AFRICAN (George Ayittey) made a great speech on why he believes in Africa & referred to Cheetahs & Hippos!
He also argues that Capitalism was integral to ancient African communities. The marketplaces e.g. Timbuktu was a marketplace. What the "Hippos" introduced as "Socialism" (including African Socialism as attempted in Kenya or Tanzania) was a form of "Swiss-bank Socialism" for the Hippos.
Anyway, here is his definition paraphrased.
The Cheetah Generation - made up of the youth, specifically the TED Fellows present here, the saviors of Africa who are not going to wait for government and aid organizations to do things for them.
The Hippo Generation - the current political and business leaders who are happy to wallow in their water holes, complaining about colonialism and poverty, but doing nothing about it.
Here are some sources of information on George Ayittey's speech.
White African
TED
Where are the Hippos?
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17:30 Amanpour CNN - God's warriors
» Marian's Blog Quite possibly the reason NY Times reviewer Neil Genzlinger doesn't seem overly impressed with "God's Jewish Warriors" could be that perhaps sixty per cent of the people whom Christiane Amanpour interviewed in Israel are 'straight outta Brooklyn', from New York's...
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16:59
How to… backup your phone book
» Kikuyumoja's realm There’s this lady who was recently forced to buy a new mobile phone as her old one had decided to go into early retirement.
With the option of storing names + numbers on a SIM card, the transition between two phones should be relatively easy. Storing capacities for SIM cards depend on what the network provider estimates as being sufficient for it’s customers: whereas Vodafone Germany for some particular reason keeps on issuing SIM cards that can only store 200 names + numbers, Safaricom in Kenya (which is partly owned by the Vodafone empire) gave me one for storing up to 250 names and numbers.
Being able to store 100, 150, 200 or even 250 names+numbers on your phone, most ppl will argue, may be enough for the average user. On my phone, for instance, I used to have around 240 entries, whereby some contacts come with 2-3 different numbers and an e-mail address. Copying such a telephone book from the phone’s internal memory onto the SIM card results in having one entry for each number:
e.g. Kamau Njoroge ; +254720123456 ; +491701234567
would turn into something like
Kamau Njoroge1 ; +254720123456
Kamau Njoroge2 ; +491701234567Obviously, such a scenario (and the reality with most phone users!) isn’t very user-friendly. Another option is installing the synchronisation software that comes with most phones and creating a backup from the old phone, which is then copied onto the new one. And if you’re changing from brand A to brand B, compatibility issues may appear, as not all synchro programs are compatible. This actually is one of the reasons why many ppl out there are using MS Outlook - the common denominator for most Personal Information Manager (PIM) needs, as most mobile phone synchronisation programs are (at least) compatible with MS Outlook.
Another possible scenario is that your phone is lost or even stolen: while a phone is exchangeable, valuable contacts and important numbers often aren’t.So instead of being forced to live with a crooked telephone book on your phone that is vulnerable to a) strange storing options on an relatively old system of SIM cards (which just allow one number per name), b) the loss of important data in case of theft, loss of equipment and c) the dependency on a commercial PIM solution (~ MS Outlook is shipped with MS Office), there’s another beautiful workaround:
While not all phones are compatible with these services, what mobical.net and zyb.com actually offer as a basic + free service is that they allow you to completely backup your private data such as contacts, calendar entries, bookmarks, etc (no multimedia content) over the air with a synchronisation service.
Earlier last week, my new N95 had developed a problem where I had to return it to a Nokia Service Center for an exchange of the display. Fortunately, I still had an old phone around - but with an empty telephone book. This used to be a problem in the past, as I had already given up on using the SIM card as an interim storing option due to the simple fact that the SIM card was way too small for my +370 entries on the phone. The last time I synchronised my N95 with the computer, I eventually merged the phone book with the e-mail address book on my computer, resulting in a huge directoy of entries on both my phone and the computer which isn’t compatible with any SIM card and it’s limited storing options.
Now, while using mobical.net (and zyb.com as a much more interesting alternative), I was able to restore MY address book (with numbers, email & postal addresses) within 2 minutes. No need to connect the different phones to my computer (whereas the N95 wasn’t working after all, so this option wasn’t available at all), no need to install the different software packages that came with the phones - all I did was surfing on the website, selecting my phone model, asking for the synchronisation settings which were sent to my phone over the air (ota) and hitting the “synchronise now” button. The beauty is that these services actually work!
In a world where we are witnessing an almost logarithmic increase of digital data every day (~ managing e-mails, documents, contacts, etc.), it makes sense to draw a clear line between your personal data and any used hardware.
That lady I mentioned earlier was completely grounded for a few days as her old phone (an old SE 610) had a faulty joystick (a typical SonyEricsson “disease”) which, on this particular model, is directly soldered to the printed circuit board and wasn’t exchangeable. She eventually managed to access her old phone book, though, using some strange shortcuts on the still-working keypad. It took her something like 2 to 3h writing down all important numbers and another 2 to 3h re-entering those on the new phone.
With the use of a service like zyb.com, this could have been done within 2 minutes.
——–
I am actually wondering why the two global players Google and Yahoo! still haven’t added this function to their web-based freemail services. Considering the mobile phone sector being such a fast growing market and the actual need to further develop more useful applications for this IT platform, such a service would really add value to the otherwise great services online and be a great help to the many, often already frustrated customers.
Me thinks that this is due to the “walled garden” policies we are witnessing online these days: he who controls the (user) data, also controls the market (e.g. facebook). A pity, actually, as the import and export interfaces of most applications still suck big times (im-/exporting bookmarks, im-/exporting feeds, im-/exporting contacts, etc).Usability vs. marketing strategies?
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13:21
Direction Of Luhya Vote Could Decide Elections
» You Missed This archive
The Luhya community have spoken in one voice and have sent a chilling message to Raila Odinga's ODM. Nominate Musalia Mudvadi as the ODM presidential candidate or the community will have to rethink where to pour their support.
Why such cockiness? And why now?
Unknown to most Kenyans, those who do tribal arithmetic regularly are now saying that the current sums minus the Luhya community put president Kibaki and Raila Odinga on a head to head level with no clear winner and it is in fact too close to call.
For all intents and purposes, it seems highly unlikely that ODM-Kenya, Kalonzo Musyoka and his Kamba community (the 5th largest community according to Moi's highly suspect census figures) will team up with the original ODM. In fact Mr Musyoka has really been warming up to Kanu in recent weeks. This is in fact a great loss to ODM, although there are those analysts who insist that it was obvious that Kalonzo was not going to remain in ODM and that it is equally obvious that Raila Odinga will be the ODM candidate for president short of which his own supporters could easily lynch him if he suggests anything less. One can't help wondering what will happen if Raila loses the presidential elections to President Kibaki or another candidate.
Read more
How To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains -
Heavy Loss For Government As 2 Media Bills Are Shelved
» You Missed This archive
It was announced late today that President Kibaki has officially declined to sign the media bill and has already written to the speaker of the house giving his reasons for refusing to sign it. He basically repeats what many MPs who voted for the bill already knew and what we have been saying here for weeks—that it contradicts key parts of the constitution.
At the same time Communication Minister Muahi Kagwe told newsmen today that the government has withdrawn the even-more-damaging-to-press-freedom CCK Amendment Act Bill. The minister says that the bill will be re-drafted.
It is unlikely that either bill will make it back to parliament before the elecetions.
That is 3 losses for the government of national unity in a space of about a week. I have included the ill fated bill meant to create new constituencies but sugar-coated with 50 extra seats for women. Going into an election this is very serious. In fact a crisis of sorts.
Just consider the man-hours and resources expended pushing and sponsoring 3 bills that were clearly not a good idea considering the corner the government has worked itself into.
Read more
How To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains -
Linah Chebii Kilimo Abandons Raila To Support Kibaki's Re-election Bid
» You Missed This archive
The defection of Marakwet East MP and former Migration cabinet minister Linah Chebii Kilimo from ODM-Kenya to the Mwai Kibaki re-election camp today is significant in that it gives us a peek into the thinking that has been going on in the numerous meetings the Kalenjin community have been having over the last few days.
The meetings are part of the tribal groupings that have been coming together to map out strategy for the forthcoming polls and mainly to position communities to reap maximum. Until now the attractive Mrs Kilimo who "escaped the circumcision knife" by a whisker, has been a staunch supporter of Kalonzo Musyoka's ODM. She was even at the forefront of the demonstration to Sheria House that sent shivers down the spine of government and caused them to release the registration certificate pronto. But alas the sacrifice in the end did not amount to much because that is the registration certificate that Kalonzo Musyoka took off with together with his "Mtu wa mkono" Daniel Maanzo. In fact Mrs Kilimo sacrificed much more than risking police brutality in a demonstration because she sacrificed her plum cabinet post by supporting Raila Odinga and LDP in the bitter struggle over another paper called a memorandum of understanding that President Kibaki is said to have agreed to and signed. So when all the renegade cabinet members were being dismissed, Mrs Kilimo was on the list of those shown the door. But I digress.
Read more
How To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains -
Kenyan Presidency Was Not Supposed To Cross River Chania, But God Had Different Plans
» You Missed This archive
"I can already see myself inspecting a guard of honor."
Those were the words of a man who never became president but deeply desired to become the occupant of State House. They were confidently spoken in the mid seventies as President Kenyatta's health detiorated as he drifted in and out of frequent comas. The man who spoke those words is still alive today and his name is Njoroge Mungai. The medical doctor who was so ambitious that legend has it that he one day asked the aging president to declare him heir apparent, was also a nephew to founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
In any event by the time Kenyatta died in 1978, peacefully in his sleep, it looked like nothing could stop another Kiambu Kikuyu ascending to the presidency and that is exactly how the authoritative Time magazine analyzed it. Even when Moi took over in an acting capacity, most analysts agreed he was simply a passing cloud.
Read more
How To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains
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10:18
Mid week mix
» bankelele Fractions of Kenya Re
It appears retail investors will get about 12% of the share that they applied for – leaving a minimum refund of about almost Kshs 17,000 (of the Kshs 19,000) that they applied for. So on to step two of my plan my plan and wait for the shares to open within a reasonable mark up of their IPO price. This is also a reminder to do the same in case of a Safaricom IPO unless they offer a trillion shares
Salvation for investors
So customers of Francis Thuo will get paid from the windfall ($3.5 million) payment by new stockbroker Renaissance Capital. But this should in no way let other brokers and authorities off the hook as they had promised a comprehensive report on what went wrong at the company. And if no NSE investor has lost money since 1954, where are my Uchumi shares?
KCB elite
KCB launches Advantage banking, joining Barclays (with Prestige) and Standard Chartered (with Diva) as offering exclusive banking services for their high net worth customers.
Safaricom is not elite, but...
(i) It’s new in a million shilling promotion cuts of buyers of their low denomination Bamba 50 (50 shilling) airtime cards
(ii) Its EDGE service (internet access) has not been working for moist of this month.
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8:08
Parents Night Out
» For Love and Money Parents Night Out
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7:14
Coldplay, Trouble…overdose…
» Me, Life & Everything Mazee ii wiki ni Coldplay kwa wingi jo! Chrome, enyewe hawa wasanii wako orrda kwa malyric na instumental kali kaliii. Leo niko mashakani yaani trouble. Coldplay - Trouble Oh no, I see The spider web is tangled up with me And I lost my head And thought of all [...]
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6:20
Still here…
» My Life is...Mochalicious! Click here for today’s picture! Fear not, the ‘Licious One is still around……wera ndio mingi and the shyte weather aint helping either. Anyway, as you have read at Farmgal’s…….her visiting was off the hook. Downside, British weather. So, after a clubbing stint on Friday…..we decided to stay in Saturday and we were entertained by the beginning of [...]
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What The Transparency International Corruption Index Did NOT Say
» You Missed This Corruption Special Report
The latest corruption figures released by Transparency International portray a country deep in the throes of desperation and hopelessness. According to the report there is a spike in the number of Kenyans bribing to get the scarce jobs that are available in the country occasionally.
Where does a desperate hopeless person get cash to pay somebody so secure a job for them?
Sadly there is another kind of bribery, which has to also be sharply on the rise when it comes to seeking jobs. And this is women extending sexual favors to land jobs. And men doing the same where homosexuals are in positions of power to employ. This is an extremely sensitive subject because the numbers are staggering and there are in fact many reading this from an office doing a job they secured by handing out sexual favors. Quite often, it is something they do not want to be reminded of.
But it gets worse. The TI report also showed that many Kenyans are bribing to get access to school fees funds meant for the poor, mainly administered through their local area member of parliament. Here the assumption is that the legislator's staffs are the ones who ask for the bribe. This means that more often than not the money ends up in the wrong hands while deserving cases who were unable to bribe are left in the cold.
The Kenya Police remains the most corrupt institution in the country. One wonders what the rider used during the delivery of the report about "big improvement" was all about. Is it something to do with the upcoming elections? Did somebody want to ensure that the public are duped that this government has achieved some measure of success in curbing corruption in the police force? If this was the idea then they should know that this one will be a very hard sell to the ordinary Kenyans who are extremely familiar with the corrupt operations of our law enforcement officers.
As you read this there are many areas of Kenya where prostitutes are only allowed to operate after extending "free services" to the policemen on patrol. Not to mention the fact that the demand for bribes amongst traffic policemen gets so serious frequently that Matatu drivers and touts frequently go on strike to protest the vice. There is currently a strike of Ngong matatus that started yesterday, protesting harassment for bribes by traffic policemen in the area.
There are millions of potential customers looking for your Kenyan products and services in search engines but they can't find you. -
Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site
» You Missed This Let me save you precious time. The people who will benefit from reading this article are ONLY those seeking to do the following 2 things;
1) You are looking to make money online using the World Wide Web (The writer of this article regularly receives cheques in the mail generated from his blog).
2) Your web site hardly gets visitors and you would love to find a way to generate a constant flow of targeted visitors to your site. (The writer of this article has several sites that attract an average of over 1,000 unique visitors daily)
If you do not fall into these two categories save yourself time and move on. If you can identify yourself with at least one of the two problems, read on, today is your lucky day. By the way you can also do both the 2 things with one single blog (hit two birds with one stone, so to speak).
This a genuine golden opportunity for Kenyans and many people from other African countries to cash in using the World Wide Web and it does not matter what remote part of the country they are living in. Allow me to explain.
If you are looking for some information to solve a certain problem you are facing, where do you usually go? Say you wanted to purchase a new mobile phone and you wanted to first see what kind of prices shops are charging for your favorite Nokia models? Increasingly people in Africa are joining the trend in the rest of the world and are using the Internet. To be more specific, the Google search engine. You go to Google and type the words "mobile phone prices in Nairobi" or "cell phone prices Kenya." These days you may not need to type in Kenya, you just go to the Kenyan Google at www.google.co.ke
You will get some results and you will then go to specific sites to seek answers to your questions or solutions to your problems.
Now here is the big opportunity you should cash in on. Most times people who search for information on Kenya online end up disappointed or dissatisfied and these are people looking to spend money. Recently I have been helping out a client who has set up a Kenyan Online directory and we constructed a simple page on budget accommodation in Kenya. We have been receiving a huge number of direct email enquiries from mostly the United Kingdom of tourists planning to visit Kenya looking for budget hotels. Most of these budget hotels do not even have sites and where they do, they are impossible to find on Google because in the first place their sites are not even indexed by Google. (indexed means that Google has not recognized their existence). Emails to them take days and even weeks to be answered. People are really asleep, these are customers looking to spend money!!
This is sad because there is a very easy way to correct the problem. You do not need a lot of money to get an online presence. You can easily launch a blog and include everything you ever wanted anybody to know about your business including photographs of your product.
You can use the same blogs to write about any subject of your choice and make money (more on that later).
The bottom line is that these days you really can't make money online without blogs. It is no longer a secret that blogs are by far the highest traffic generating mediums ever created on the World Wide Web. Numerous folks are also using blogs to directly make a bundle from a few selected affiliate programs.
Check out any high traffic, well-known site you know of and they are bound to have a blog. Blogs, because of their characteristics, thrive on lots of content and their ability to generate links in the blogosphere almost effortlessly and will usually be easily indexed and will rank a lot higher in search engine results than ordinary sites. This means that they will almost always generate a lot more traffic than web sites from people making searches at Google.
Maybe you do not know this, but the highest earning cash generating affiliate programs which are also the easiest to earn revenue from online, like Adsense from Google and Kontera only work where there is lots of content, like is usually the case with blogs.
It is not too difficult to set up a cash generating blog of your own or one to generate traffic for your business product or to refer to your existing web site. But even better, you can get an expert to set up your blog for you so that it is indexed and optimized with search engines. Meaning that somebody searching for your service using a search engine will easily find you.
The search engine statistics cannot be ignored. Sample this, the search industry market leader Google reports that a staggering 64 million people use Google search daily to seek for information (2005 figures, meaning that today it is even higher).
This is truly a golden opportunity for you. There are customers out there right now looking for your products and services and cheques are waiting to be signed and sent to your post office box regularly.
Find some help in setting up your blog NOW
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0:16
GIRL vs GROWN WOMAN - SERIOUS STUFF THIS ONE!
» assidous Girls leave their schedule wide-open and wait for a guy to call and
make
plans.
Grown women make their own plans and nicely tell the guy to get in
where
he fits.
Girls want to control the man in their life.
Grown women know that if he's truly hers, he doesn't need controlling.
Girls check you for not calling them.
Grown women are too busy to realize you hadn't.
Girls are afraid to be alone.
Grown women revel in it-using it as a time for personal growth.
Girls ignore the good guys.
Grown women ignore the bad guys.
Girls make you come home.
Grown women make you want to come home.
Girls worry about not being pretty and/or good enough for their man.
Grown women know that they are pretty and/or good enough for any man.
Girls try to monopolize all their man's time (i.e., don't want him
hanging with his friends).
Grown women realize that a lil' bit of space makes the 'together time'
even more special-and goes to kick it with her own friends.
Girls think a guy crying is weak.
Grown women offer their shoulder and a tissue.
Girls want to be spoiled and 'tell' their man so.
Grown women 'show' him and make him comfortable enough to reciprocate
without fear of losing his 'manhood'.
Girls get hurt by one man and make all men pay for it.
Grown women know that that was just one man.
Girls fall in love and chase aimlessly after the object of their
affection, ignoring all 'signs'.
Grown women know that sometimes the one you love, don't always love you
back-and move on, without bitterness.
Girls will read this and get an attitude.
Grown women will read this and pass it on to other Grown women and
their
male friends.
