Where Else!

This Way Up

2010-03-07T23:04:00.003+03:00

I have been writing this post in my head for as far as I can remember (well at least since I last made a post). And, the only content I have is the previous line.

I went on a cross-country tour some weekends back and got some pictures. This one here was one of the more eyecatching. Very creative! Call me what you may I want to ride in that Kulula plane.

I have already Twitpic'd it. In hindsight I wish I'd poxed myself in it with something like this (maybe holding it in the palm of my hand) but, pray, be patient my chance will come.

Sunset

2009-12-28T16:08:00.002+03:00

My current home has the most beautiful sunsets I have ever witnessed. It is quite difficult to get good shots of the sunset because I stay towards the bottom of a hill and there are several obstacles blocking clear shots.

Recently, I took up jogging to keep fit. It’s not that easy to find the football game that I prefer. Running is less than fun and takes some real will power. Anyway the reward of a run is a clear shot of some glorious sunsets. Most times I have regretted not carrying the camera but never the view.

The Yak

2009-12-28T15:45:00.004+03:00

Three weeks ago I witnessed and listenned to the radio chatter during prior to a crash-landing. I took a couple of pictures as usual and the deficiency of my tools came out plainly. I was airborne once again. Solo. Why do these incidents always happen at these times? For a moment, I wondered whether I had made a mistake taking a break from the making of an Actuary out of myself to fly.

Anyway, I flying happily around an airfield working an perfecting my landings. On one of these circuits a distress call came on the radio. A Yak-52 (A Soviet-era aerobatics-trainer) had a mechanical problem. {Now this is one machine I wish I could get into, but that looks like it’s beyond the current realm of possibilities}. They could only fly straight & level and couldn’t pull-up or make the plane dive. The landing would be tricky. I did not want to believe what I heard but crying wolf is all but unheard of in aviation. One remarkable thing I noticed with the distress call was the calmness with which the pilot made it. He made it sound so routine, one could mistake it for a joke. But, this was serious stuff. You don’t get 16,000 Hours’ experience for nothing!

With the limited control he had the pilot managed to make a controlled crash and the two pilots made it out alive and safe despite the plane bouncing wildly on the runway three times and then crashing into a ball of fire by the runway.
Now that is a situation I would not like to find myself.

Big Mac

2009-11-28T16:15:00.004+03:00

One of the few things I really wanted to do when I was in my teens was to sink my teeth into a big mac. You can blame the american-centric television content and what not but I don't care whatthe reason is. I just had to have my Big Mac. In the end, I waited 22 years and the chance finally came. Today, I had my second and here's some evidence just in case you choose to entertain any doubt.

Photo Blog

2009-11-24T14:08:00.005+03:00

I have a passion for many things; beautiful photographs is one of those. I have been taking my own shots when I can but I will now share some of them on the blog begining withtoday.

Most of my shots will be raw and I will touch them up as I gain more experience.

The image is an aerial view of The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. More about it is here. I doubt they will allow any such low-level air-traffic over the area during the World Cup next year.

My Life According to U2

2009-11-06T21:22:00.002+03:00

I've been reading the '100 Things ...' kind of notes on Facebook but I have never brought myself to the point of writing them out. I guess I am not too big on such disclosures. This one got me being the self confessed audiophile that I am. I would also recommend searching the title with your selected artist. It brings up some interesting choices posted in the Blogosphere.

Using only song titles from ONE artist/band, cleverly answer the following questions. Pass it on and include me. You cannot use the artist/band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think. Repost as "My Life According to (band name)"

Pick your artist: U2

Are you male or female? Fortunate Son

Describe yourself: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

How do you feel? I Will Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight

Describe where you live: In God’s Country

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? City of Blinding Lights

Your favourite form of transportation? Fast Cars

Your best friend is? She's a Mystery to Me

What's the weather like? Electrical Storm

Favourite time of day? 11 O’clock Tick Tock

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called? A Day Without Me
If any explanation is required. It's that I wouldn't like/approve a TV show about my life.

What is life to you? Stories for Boys/Seconds/Running to Stand Still/ Another Day

You most fear: Electrical Storm/The Ocean

What is the best advice you have to give? With or Without You/Sometimes You Can’t make it on Your Own

Thought for the day: Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses

How would you like to die? (In) Seconds

Currently on your mind? Even Better than the Real Thing

Your motto is: Until the End of The World!

Meeting my Hero ...

2009-10-07T21:57:00.000+03:00

They say you should never meet with your heroes or stay too long with them. Soon enough, they begin to lose the air of whatever thingamajig that sets them apart from mere mortals. The very pillars that build our perceptions of their personalities tend to pass with the passing of time spent in close proximity.

So, recently I got a chance to pursue my childhood dream of being a pilot. This is like my own version of a The Hero. I doubt I have any personal heroes I aim to live after (this is a tale for tomorrow); I know I want to leave a mark on this world but in my own way and at my own terms. It was always beyond me, whether by an arm’s length or an ocean’s breadth. With age, I didn’t view the profession with the same perspective of the young boy who devoured any available material on flight and spent much of his free time designing, building and thinking up airplanes. The romanticism of the profession had somewhat faded. In fact it was one of the most difficult decisions I had to make in this short life of mine. Three years ago I would have snapped up the opportunity without affording it the merest suggestion of a second thought. See, I had a year left in university. And, I was quite comfortable and established in that career path even though the plan was to get my pilot’s licence and fly in the bush during the weekends.

This was a surreal moment in my life and my parents being atypical of the standard Kenyan family pretty much gave me a free hand when I needed a strong hand to guide my divided mind. I have had to make many such choices while some of my peers have had their path through life pretty much charted out. I guess I have no outlet for blame should I end up unhappy; all I will need to do is look inward.

Anyway, I chose to fly (keeping my university option wide open) and today I find myself thousands of Kilometres away from home in a foreign land. I am still conflicted wondering whether I made the right decision. Nevertheless, I am enjoying my hours in the class and in the air. You see my office has the best view in the planet.

If Today Was Your Last Day

2009-08-15T17:17:00.003+03:00

It has been almost three days since I was involved in my first ever road accident. Wednesday, 12th August, 2009 at 8.30pm or thereabouts on a fairly lonely highway. I was cruising along the road at a leisurely (Read: not as fast as I would have preferred) pace; the old man in the passenger seat would have made sure of that working in partnership with the cursed Toyota bell that kicks in at 100 KPH. Anyway, I was in no need for speed at that particular time. Earlier in the day, I had been set free from the shackles of speed limits in the interests of beating a deadline on behalf of the Ol’ Man. That had cured the need for speed for that particular day. Regardless, I still detest the cyclists who insist on balancing on the edge of the narrowest of highways which incidentally has an ample ‘sidewalk’. Together with the cane-carrying tractors trundling on at walking-pace that insist on carrying a load of freshly-cut cane that is as wide as the entire road, they form the most undeserving of road-users. It beats all logic why the said tractors would even bother travelling at night. At night, the tractor’s lights resemble those of a Superbike and worse still, their trailers have no reflectors or any sort of marking. I pity any driver who approaches those Behemoths thinking them to be motorcycles.

So, as I approached Eldoret on the highway at around 100 KPH, a form of a man materialised in the middle of my lane. I use the word materialised because the man literally leaped into the road from the side. I cannot guess the motives of his actions: confusion from the fast approaching headlines, suicide ... I just don’t know, given that the next vehicle was about 100 Metres ahead. I did the sensible thing and tried to swerve past the man with minimal application of the brakes. This was not enough, because by some obscure explanation best left to Physicists, I found myself hanging upside down on the seat courtesy of the safety belt. The man? Well, I don’t know what happened to him, he must have dissolved into the night. My first concern was my two passengers, who by the grace of the Almighty had no injury. I don’t know why he never bothered to enquire on the condition of those who had definitely extended his a lease on life. Perhaps it was an admission of the liability on his side. I just do not know.

The first minutes were pretty scary but after overcoming the shock and with the discovery that there was no injury to the passengers I cooled down and engaged on some introspection. It this could be classified as a near-death-experience, I did not see any white light, choirs dressed in white or any gate of any kind. It was a less-than-surreal experience, not much different from the view I had observed from the in-car cameras covering WRC races during a crash. The physics and reaction of the car during the experience weren’t much different from what one would get in say, Gran Turismo or Need for Speed. So I can attest to the fact that those developers certainly do their homework.

The following events shocked me as much as they surprised. A proverbial good Samaritan parked on the roadside after noticing our up-turned vehicle and he went on to help return the car upright with help from a Matatu crew that also came to the rescue. I will admit this, had I been driving the ‘Samaritan’s’ car, I would just have slowed down for a better vantage point and zoomed off. Having lost two tyres, we had to wait for an extra one from a friend from Eldoret after being towed to safety by the said Samaritan. In the end, the Toyota was OK enough to be driven back home. I don’t know what to think of the watchmen who had to ask for protection fees from us despite the circumstances of our meeting.

This event inspired a period of introspection on my part, the fickleness of life. I don’t think I would do anything different in my life before this point if this was to be my last moment. See, I am different from most people. I do not have that inherent human fear of death. I am ready to go at any time. However, I have acquired some inspiration on how I can live better. I am a hopeless procrastinator. I think that is THE one thing I need to work on. I need to work harder at making lasting friendships and generally being a better person. If that would be the outcome of the crash, then I am glad that the experience has added an aspect to my almost 22-year journey in this so called life.

A friend of mine publishes a blog based mostly on the music he listens to and this post is written in mimicking that style. Nickelback’s If Today Was Your Last Day comes to mind. I want to leave my fears behind, take the path less travelled by, make against the grain my way of life (of course with reason). Much as I would like that, I don’t want to fall into the trap of trying to make every second count as if there’s no second try. I want the freedom to still make mistakes and learn from them.

Wiped Slate

2009-06-21T13:09:00.000+03:00

As I post this, I'm navigating a highway on Kenya's Highlands. The seat is comfortable unlike the night before when I was travelling in the opposite direction. However, the wash-forsaken curtain shielding me from the direct sun is emitting a less than pleasant smell. MUCH less than pleasant! The choice is between the frying pan and the fire. I feel I have been chucked into both. I chose the curtain. The sun seems to be shining that little extra and the effect of this is to enhance the anti-aroma. After all, smell is my weakest sense. But, the fact that I can smell it... Thank God for the wonders of technology, especially T9, because I can write and use my brain to process words rather than smells.

About a week ago. I received some life-changing news. I landed an opportunity to pursue a Childhood Dream. See, I grew up with only one thing in mind - flight. It is one subject I have a keen passion on. Even if I wasn't going to pursue it as a career, it would be a principle hobby.

It seems like one of those automatic choices. Something I could never say No to. But no, making the decision of to GO OR NOT, is still a nagging feature in the background of my thought process.

I will sure miss the life I have been living. Even the things I hate about it, serve to make up a sum of what I cherish the most in the life I have come to love. I read this in one of the blogs(http://batlogic.blogspot.com/2009/06/life-in-marvelous-times.html) I follow: ...if you are always bright and bubbly, good things come your way. If, on the other hand, you are downcast and pessimistic, then it will make sure you never run out of things to complain about...

So far I have tried to live to approach life with a cheery disposition and sanguine attitude. I hope I can keep up the joy of living and make something out of it. I hope And pray I keep humble and grounded to my roots and origins. WISE WORDS: Humility is a paradox; the moment you think you have finally gotten it, you have lost it. I hope to keep improving as a person.

The Joy of Living

2009-06-04T22:24:00.002+03:00

I did not want the first sentence I write after a long while to be something about not writing for a while but here I have.
Swiftly along, today I will write about the joy of living which I am slowly but surely losing grip of. I don’t know where that childish enthusiasm for living or the sense of adventure has gone. These days, it’s more cause and effect, no more going there by the most adventurous way.
The thing that got me thinking in this direction is a friend of mine who is turning 19 tomorrow. I don’t believe I can conjure up words that will do justice to what I saw was a pure joy of living.
He was taking many photos to remember the last day of him being 18. He is always getting into fights and losing them. He is sure 19 is the magic number that will get him to winning ways. He is sure he is going to reform all his ways, telling everyone who cares to hear how he will be a new person tomorrow.
I could go on…
I believe everything we see in this World is for a reason. You see that guy who is very low because you are meant to lift their spirits just before they go lock themselves in their room and take one last, long and hard look at that rope and the sturdy wall fixture…
I don’t know why this passage from the good book came back to me. I guess it is because someone really needs to read it:

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill, but time and chance happen to them all.

Well, to some more than others. In fact as I am writing this before studying a certain Chapter 19 for the forthcoming exams, the message comes through that there will be nothing remotely similar to Chapter 19 in the exam … nor good grades to the most diligent.

In need of some inspiration? Have a look at this video.

Pain

2009-02-03T15:31:00.002+03:00

The day started of really slow. The previous night had been a late one. More in the vain of ears-engorged-in-headphones-staring-at-a-computer-screen than what you'd expect on a Friday night.
The signals from my body were all there. This was one of those mornings designed specifically for doing absolutely nothing. I have to wake up because the rumbling stomach is something I have to remedy despite the theme of the morning, After breakfast, it's straight to bed and some rocking music in the background.
Then, the shrill ringtone awakens me from my half-an-eye-shut sleep. The caller is almost in a hysterical fit. It is easy to see why when I get the message and I am immediately infected by the same malady as the caller. There was no way I was going to continue sleeping. It had been written in the stars.
"He hasn't been heard of since the great big fire."
SHOCK-HORROR!
"How long has it been?" I ask myself.
Too long.
There is no point bothering with his phone since it had gone for a swim some time back. As far as I know, there had been no replacement. This fact gains a significance of grim proportions when I call to confirm the facts I already have. The atmosphere has suddenly been charged and is so combustible you could smell some inflammable substance in the air.
I can't leave the bed. I know it is not the groggy inertia. It is the drop of hope against all hope telling me not to worry in the flood of emotion while fearing for the worst. Another call. What progress have I made in the search?
"I am leaving to start the search."
At his place, no one has seen him recently. I am lucky to bump into a colleague who tells me he was seen just before the inferno. Oh yeah! And he moved houses. Some renewed hope but it is just as volatile as and I have the calmness of the man who 'speculates to accumulate'.
At the new place. Yes, he was seen yesterday in the evening. Regardless of what my soul thinks, I have to confirm this. Someone else confirms.
No! I still have to see him with the so-called naked-eye.
A knock on his door. No answer!
A second. Pause...
A third.
We have to leave. As we do so, the door clicks and swings open and we are greeted by the sight of the man, groggy as hell, but still alive,
Finally!
I learnt that pain is so much more severe when it is personal. That tragedy and it's casualties are just statistics until you know somebody or something involved.

The Reawakenning

2008-10-28T00:05:00.002+03:00

Over the past few days I have come to understand why many dream of one big break and retiring to a private island. Yeah, the dream is almost always along the same line but the details make the difference. It seems there are as many versions of this story as there are lives on this good earth. Life is stressful and it has all to do with what I call the Curse of Adam. It shouldn't have to be this way but to live (in the ways we like), one has to work. Work is stress.

My life, so far, has been about standards. See, I am a bit of a perfectionist and I am obsessed with simplicity. If something has to be done, what is the point of not doing it in the best way possible while making it look easy?
However, I am getting the nagging feeling that I am falling short of the standard. I don’t seem to be giving 100% any more. I seem to have fallen into the crowd that is content with doing just enough to meet the cut-off; the 40%ers who survive through campus, the team that celebrates when they survive relegation mathematically… and so on.

It seems, all this stems from getting a bit too comfortable (and I finally got to finding out what ‘resting on one’s laurels’ means). I have got to stop living off reputation (the laurels of past victories have a way of wilting). True greatness is sweating to keep on building greater stages for future victories.

I am supremely blessed to have an internal locus of inspiration. This is like one of the sunsets when the Gargoyle sheds off the stony shell and breaks out into an embarassment of opportunity.

Provehito im Altum

2008-09-03T17:42:00.007+03:00

The title is not meant to make sense. I noticed it in an album cover and in all the Googling I came up with the following explanation. It is Latin for 'Launch forth into the deep', 'reach for the sky' and some more. I have an idea of what that means but I feel it is not yet fully formed. In my world its 0 or 100 as you'll see later. As with anything, there are exceptions to the 0-100 rule. The phrase is a kind of marker for me. I feel I have reached one of those moments you note in your (auto)biography; it seems to carry a great significance to what happens in the future.

You see I have always wanted to define myself as I see myself as experienced by my five senses, with a little help from the outside. I even added the Honesty Box application on Facebook.

One thing I am sure is that I am not deep; I simply do not appreciate 'earth-shaking' epiphanies in the way they knock others out. It takes time. Call me slow or whatever. It really doesn't matter since I prefer my life as simple as can be.

Others call it laziness but I prefer the correct term for the condition. I am good at conserving energy. If something does not intrigue me or come with come without enough of a threat, I simply won't put in 100%. NOTE:I am a firm believer in all or nothing.

For the untrained eye, I have always had life easy. I don't think mine has been any different from any citizen of this world. It is just that I have had better success staying on the safe side of fate's mood swings and stepping on the cracks on the pavement that rules are.

I will keep on this journey and along the way I will write more to keep this going. It is a meant to be a record for a journey in self discovery.

The Pain of Defect

2008-07-22T19:00:00.002+03:00

That metallic taste in the mouth just won't fade away.
Tears are welling within eyes with the singular expression of disbelief
Lost; they can't choose their destiny,
Between the warm, salty free flow down the cheeks,
And the pain of the effort it takes to keep them locked in.

My knees are fluid
Miraculously they hold up my weight
Together with the additional grindstone weighing on my neck
With the Pain of Defeat

Suspended
I can't feel deliberate control,
Thank providence
The autonomic system has taken over,
I shudder wondering what happens when it too shuts down.
Mind like a broken mirror,
Each fragment trying to outdo the other
None standing out from the montage of light.
Bobbing like a cork on a stormy.
With each step...
Not knowing how it happened
But knowing I missed, just!
I couldn't reach the mark,
Not this time.

'NO!'
'Yes! It did happen', the truth retorts
My lot landed on the wrong side of the draw.
Oh! The cruelty of the draw.
I must come down to reality,
Must press on,
Dwelling on this,
I lose the initiative
And run the risk of being off the mark
Further than I think my mortal soul can bear.

...TBC

The Pain of Defect

2008-07-22T19:00:00.001+03:00

Internet Content in Kenya

2008-06-18T17:31:00.001+03:00

Internet use in Kenya is a joke; not the kind that leaves me in stitches with tears in my eyes. A good example is the news media in Kenya. I may be wrong, but I am not aware of a Kenyan news organisation that keeps a regularly updated website. They all contain yesterday’s news.

This leads to a reliance on foreign news media houses which have a free hand to spin opinionated tales about Kenya with abandon to suite their paymasters. The blogosphere is doing its part to generate timely news updates from all over the country. I have issues with the objectivity of this avenue of journalism. Blogs also tend to serve particular interests and they generally do not hide that fact in their publications. All I want is timely news from a credible source.

With the landing of the fibre-optic cable in Kenya in 2009, the only challenge to Internet penetration will be in the content generation. We are currently too dependent of foreign content. Our best brains are hard at work generating content for the foreigners to exploit through us. All the profits that we could have started making are being covertly and overtly being repatriated in one form or other instead of working for us and building a better Kenya.

Who will stand up to the challenge? At least I started the rallying call

NOTHING LIKE A FREE LUNCH; THE SAFARICOM WAY

2008-06-18T17:15:00.003+03:00

Safaricom launched a ‘noble’ project to award their subscribers free call-time during the night. That is what will be most prominent on the billboards. Ingenious! Absolutely Ingenious I say.

Just in case, you didn’t read the fine print of the offer. Please take your time and read it carefully before becoming a disciple evangelising the benevolence of the Big Brother in Green.

The difference between Safaricom and the rest is evident. When Safaricom does something, they cover all the stops.
1. You have to top up with at least Ksh. 100 worth of airtime on the day (and this has to be between 6am and 6pm) to earn the right to make free calls at night. That is how you create revenue from nowhere. Those who own shares from the Safaricom IPO should be quite happy with the gimmick. I want to believe that Safaricom’s objective was not to capture those who fail to follow the instructions given their complexity.
2. You have to register for the promotion. I know a good number of people who used up their own airtime top-ups thinking they were making free calls.
3. The promotion is subject to a ‘fair-use’ clause meaning that Safaricom has the discretion to deny you the privilege of using the service so as to ostensibly preserve the integrity of the network.
4. The times for making the free calls (amended to 11pm to 6am) are usually characterised by low volumes of calls. Calling at this time could not only be inconvenient but outright rude.
5. The network congestion occasioned by the promotion means that only a few subscribers will utilise the facilities. These are those with the patience to keep redialling after failed attempts to make calls.
6. The competition is backed by an information campaign that is simply irresistible. The hearts and minds of Kenyans have been captured by the gospel according to Safaricom. Of course it does not feature the minefield of details that one has to fulfil to enjoy the promotion.

That is my kind of business! Massive respect for whoever came up with the idea. For those keen on learning, that is how you become the most profitable company in the region.

The main objective of all this is to capture the imagination of the public and show the compassion and benevolence of the most profitable company in Kenya. This locks in their customer’s, just like the revolutionary M-Pesa money transfer service. Safaricom are building an unstoppable juggernaut that will be impossible to compete against. With their new offering of upgrading to 3G and such other value-added services they are shifting to the next gear while their competitors, Celtel, seem out of breath and running out of time and ideas. Such innovative development has made Safaricom emerge as not only the better option, but THE ONLY OPTION in some instances.

I expect the matters to remain as they are. The competition controls in third-world countries such as ours are simply not competent enough to deal with companies like Safaricom in the way Microsoft was dealt with in America and Europe. I however stress that Safaricom has done nothing wrong; it’s just good business. I do not foresee the entry of Econet and Orange in the market precipitating benefits to the consumer’s. This is because they will simply have to charge the consumers to recover the not-so-insignificant cost of deploying a mobile network. The envisaged price war will not materialise. We had been predicting a price war between Safaricom and Celtel before vague manifestation of one started being played out.

Champions of Europe

2008-05-24T13:55:00.002+03:00

The 21st of May, 2008 was one of the most hyped days I have ever known. For me the experience was kept on top of my agenda from within and without. For those who do not understand how much this means, I also can’t comprehend how you can’t look forward to the showpiece event of the best football competition in the world.

In the build-up I detected a gulf of sentiment from the opposing camps. Majority football fans had a side but some commendably maintained their neutrality. I had the unenviable duty of supporting Manchester United, an object of derision, whose downfall was what they wanted even more than the success of the other team. Pure Malice!!! A colleague of mine admitted his motivation for supporting this school of thought. Oh, how it drove me to Reds from Manchester onward to victory.

The match was an extremely tense affair. I lost my legendary cool in a bundle of nerves. I could not take the half-time break staring at the TV screen together with the taunts that accompanied the Chelsea equaliser against the run of play just before the break. I had to leave and lie down. That goal galvanised Chelsea and I was even ready to accept defeat in the second half; they played the game of their lives and ALMOST played Man U out of the park.

As fate would have it, the game would be decided by the cruel lottery of post-match penalty-kicks. The biggest cheer came when Cristiano Ronaldo missed his penalty kick. The haters’ tongues went wagging. But at the end of the game the outnumbered Reds’ fans let out an even bigger cheer. He laughs best he who laughs last; that has never been clearer to me.

The penalties were an emotional rollercoaster whose ebb and flow took of on a tangent that favoured me. The flood of euphoria and emotions is beyond description. I believe I had enough happiness to last me a whole lifetime. 9 years I had waited for a moment like this despite all the pundits waxing lyrical about that glorious night in ’99. I finally discovered those emotions boys simulate to rope in the girls. I doubt that the celebrations will die down any time soon. I plan to celebrate the win over the next few weeks.

This story would not be complete without me playing out a sideshow that overshadows the beautiful game. Sometimes when sentiment is squarely skewed against you, it seems providence just throws you a fairer hand. Look at the big corporations we all love to hate. A good majority still manage to make supernormal profit. Cristiano Ronaldo. He inherited the No. 7 shirt which has legendary status in the club and has matured to a level worthy of the number and the shirt. This has attracted wide adoration and even more envy from those in teams without such talent at their disposal. The previous link is just but a drop of the ocean of envy inspired by Ronaldo. However, his critics are always on the search for something wrong with him despite the plain fact that he is on another level compared to the mortals that play the game. However, he keeps churning out emphatic answers that always exceed the requirement of the doubters’ club. What a frustrated lot they must be still insisting minor detail that he had a penalty saved and conveniently blind to the virtuoso display worth a Man-of-the-Match for a mere mortal. It is not surprising any more that he is getting more stick than John Terry who also missed a spot kick that would have painted the trophy in the blue of Chelsea.

What is so difficult about being gracious in defeat? I am on record as saying that I would have applauded the Chelsea brigade had they won the game. I was heartened by their brigade of fans clapping Man U and Chelsea too after the trophy was awarded. It is the ingrates who defy the principle of losing honourably that tarnish the name of the game. They are determined to justify the notion that Football is a game played by gentlemen and watched by hooligans. Washindwe!

What is wrong with being a hooligan? That’s for another day.

Almighty June

2008-04-17T15:48:00.003+03:00

June is a dreaded time for some university students. It is the time when they sit for their end of year examinations.

At a certain university, the exams were so tough that there were ambulances waiting outside the examination rooms. I know you are wondering what sort of injuries that one would expect to encounter in an examination room. It is said that the students exercised their intellectual muscles to such an extent that some 'lost their marbles' during the examinations. The university was well prepared for this eventuality.

One brother had spent the better part of the night studying away the course-work he had covered during that semester. He did not utter a single word to his comrades as he marched from his room in the halls of residence. This was based on the fear that any contact with others would increase the chances that he would forget the facts crammed in his head. Not even a casual glance or nodded greeting to the girl he had finally gathered the courage to approach all semester as they crossed paths. He dreaded to think what she thought of that incident since she had been warming up to him over the previous fortnight.

Also, there were those students who specialised in exploiting the vulnerabilities of weaker scholars like him. They would, in a true demonstration of gamesmanship ask an unrelated question or some insignificant trick question to inspire fear and self-doubt in weaker mortals like our subject. this was for the sole benefit of improving their own performance by reducing that of their competitors.

He was visibly tense as he entered the examination room. His hands were wet and trembling he could barely hold his pen steadily. His forehead was coated with a thin coat of sweat that he did not dare wipe off for fear of 'discharging' the knowledge he had forced into his system.

He said a final prayer despite missing all but the last two Sunday services in the local church all-semester. Exams had a way of awakening his religious devotion.

When he finally gathered the courage to overturn the dreaded paper, a rush of emotions enveloped him as he realised he would not fail this one, let alone pass well. Passing did not matter to him. He had conquered. The last minute study had saved his life.

"YES !!!"
He could not contain his relief nor his voice as he let out a triumphant cheer punching the air in the process.

The invigilators did not hesitate in signalling the staff in the ambulances. They were convinced they had just seen the classic case of 'Almighty-June' syndrome.

Lets just say that our brother had a difficult time convincing them otherwise about his sanity at the hospital. Until the next Almighty June.

Food Fights

2008-04-10T14:50:00.000+03:00

I have noticed the increasing frequency of riots and demonstrations over the price of food with increasing apprehension. The price food is witnessing a relentless surge. However, this is largely going unnoticed as it affects developing countries. Significant proportions of their populations live on very little income. Any slight increases in the price of food for them, causes doubly-significant decreases in the real incomes of the unfortunate citizens. Inflation is like additional tax. Unfortunately, it cannot be controlled by fiscal policy. The reality is that it is escalating on an unprecedented scale.

Food security is as important an issue as Defence or Foreign Affairs. A hungry populace presents a daunting challenge to any sitting government and is perfect ammunition for wily power-hungry politicians. The poor who bear the heavy end of this load are unlikely to tolerate arguments that the price hikes originate from global phenomena.

Fragile and emerging democracies are most likely to feel the strongest pressure of food insecurity. Haiti, Yemen, Argentina, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Zimbabwe and many more are yet to come.

According to the head of the World Food Programme has warned that the rising food prices are the perfect storm. I add that it is quietly brewing under the surface masked by the booming economies of the developing countries. They are the most efficient catalyst to civil unrest and anarchy visiting a society.

I have compiled a list of factors that I believe have contributed to the escalation of food prices globally.
- commodity markets(food, wheat, soybean) to avoid dollar denominated holdings
- increasing levels of income(higher quality food - protein) less production of more basic food
- Increasing population
- Diversion to non-food end products – Bio-Diesel
- The increasing price of oil that affects the cost of production and transportation
- The growing economies of Asia and South America
- Inefficient production methods
- Erratic climate

We are certainly not all down to one meal next to starvation. The situation can be solved. The following are some of the ways in which I believe the problem can be tackled:
- Urban Agriculture
- Controlled Nationalisation of bulk food production

Only in Zimbabwe!

2008-03-31T15:17:00.002+03:00

Zimbabwe went to the polls on the 29^th of March, 2008. The poll is Robbert Mugabe’s to lose. That is without any hint of a doubt despite what the international media would like to make us believe. As I post this at 1530 East African time(1230 GMT) the provisional results are showing Robert Mugabe's tying closely with his main opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai. However, the argument of the why’s, how’s … of the situation is best left to, other and more competent fora.

Today’s tale comes from the super-inflation occasioned by Robert Mugabe’s policy of redistributing land to black peasant farmers at the expense of the white descendants of Zimbabwe’s former colonial masters.

Some muggers got wind of a man who was going to withdraw a huge amount of money from a Zimbabwean bank. They carefully planned their mission and executed it with similar diligence. They accosted the unfortunate victim in a relatively deserted street and were so good at their operation that a casual observer would have been none the wiser about what was happening. Within seconds they had dispossessed the smartly dressed man of his expensive briefcase carefully packed with Zimbabwe dollars and relieved him of other valuables he had on him. The man was still confounded by the ‘shock and awe’ of the ordeal had barely recovered when he spotted his assailants rush to a nearby dustbin. They promptly dumped the notes and took of to wherever they went with the briefcase.

Only in Zimbabwe!

The Dawn

2008-03-09T13:28:00.005+03:00

The past few months have led to a bright new dawn. Together with a group of friends, we have finally launched an investment club. The main aim is to grow our capital and compete with the likes of TransCentury and other successful investment groups that are not as well known but equally or more successful.

The main advantage we have in the field is our youthfulness. To say that we are adopting a 'safe' investment strategy would be an understatement the size of the Indian Ocean. The objective is to maximise on the short-term gains of stocks trading on a day-by-day basis. It was realised that holding stocks of for the long term would not be beneficial to the group. We would prefer a riskier trading strategy making many small gains based on the market fundamentals. We have delegated the market segments among ourselves and each person has the responsibility of keeping up to date with market movements and any vital information we could use to our collective benefit.

The money for the fund has been set up to gamble mainly with the Nairobi Stock Exchange (N.S.E) with a view to entering identifying other markets and investment opportunities as the capital expands.

The advantage of belonging to such a group is pooling of investment resources that would enable us get full benefits and greater margins on deals. Also, it will encourage the culture of saving among the members. This has been particularly difficult for me; but in my defence, the temptation to spend is particularly strong. Of the group, I am the least informed on the inner working of the stock exchange and trading strategies. However, I have at my disposal a wealth of information and the added experience of my peers. We are looking to find members with experience in Law, Finance, Accounting and Investment to guide the club's strategy. The synergies of such knowledge will be vital and the envisaged free advice will be invaluable to our organisation which has a low capital base.

I must say I have my reservations about the grouping. I am apprehensive about putting my money in an informal arrangement. I will be posting the information regarding formalising an investment club in the Kenyan context. Hopefully, this will be useful to others with similar ambitions. A good example is: Investment Club Registration.

Marketing Excellence

2008-03-03T15:46:00.000+03:00

Many in Nairoi, including me, are irritated by the menace of the hawkers occupying the walkways within the city. However, I hear a great story of the marketing prowess displayed by the traders. Here is the pitch of an apple seller which was ably renditioned as a kindergarten song.
"A for Apple
"B for Buy
"C for Customer
"D for Don't Go to the Doctor"

A casual survey of the customer's yielded the fact that they bought the apples more for the marketing gimmick rather than for their need for the apples.