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20:47 The Running Tribe…
» Kenyanentrepreneur.com I’ve been scanning the sports sections of the Kenyan Dailies and have noticed just how thoroughly the Kalenjin runners are dominating world running competitions. It’s not even close; And every year, a new crop of world class runners emerges from the hills of Eldoret and Baringo. It’s actually quite amusing because every marathon year [...] -
20:38
[nt]
» Kenyanentrepreneur.com
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20:04
Little Boxes and the Winds of Change
» White African This blog serves as my opinion on technology, generally related to Africa, the web and mobile devices. I also throw in personal updates from time-to-time. This is one of those times.
After 2 good years at eppraisal.com I’ve decided to move on, though I will still stay on in an advisory role. It’s a good company, with people genuinely passionate about changing the way you access information about real estate on the web. I’ll miss working with the team on a daily basis.
Why?
Over the last year I’ve been struggling with two issues:First, “talking” vs “doing”. I hear a lot of people who talk about how things should be, or criticize the way things are but never do anything about it. I’ve always been a doer, and this is a way for me to gain some much needed time to work on projects that have need much more attention. (more on these projects at a later date, though one is AfriGadget).
Second, rejecting the big business theory of work, life and associated expectations. Malvina Reynolds sums this up brilliantly in her song Little Boxes. Success in life is not just about money, though that is needed (and believe me, I’m a capitalist). However, I don’t think that money is the only thing there is in life and that balance, life goals and family should be taken into consideration.
So what is it I’ll be doing?
I’m going to work independently as a web strategy and new media consultant (my company site). In the time that I am not focused on client needs, I will be pouring my time into AfriGadget and other independent projects related to Africa where my skills and experience can make a difference.One of the perks is that I’m looking forward to spending more daytime hours in my home office, allowing for more time with my girls:
I’m really excited about the future!
Your normal White African articles will soon continue, thanks for weathering this brief intermission…
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19:14
Happy Birthday Baby
» KenyanMusings 
To one still older and better,
To one whom I have known long, and accompanied far,
Whom I have found wakeful over my sickness and kind in my sorrow,
Glad in my prosperity and firm in my adversity,
True in counsel and trusty in peril,
To a friend often tried and never found wanting.....
I love you, so much, too much, a little more each day my baby
Craig David- Unbelievable
I hope your 34th birthday brings you the best still,
That you will be so much more blessed
Paaaartttty timmmeeeeee!!!!
No, I will not get you a handbag for your birthday so i can say 'dude, you don't want it? Ok, I'll take it"....
I hope you have a great time,
Happy birthday my sweet.
Green Day- Time of your life
Love, Much Love and More,
KM
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12:13
Bad News For Kenyans: Why The Kroll Report Will Never Be Discussed In Parliament
» You Missed This archive
One of the saddest things about the leaked Kroll Associates report that sheds light on a lot of details of how corruption money was handled, laundered and transferred out of the country during the Moi era and after, is that it is highly unlikely to be discussed in parliament.
The reason is simple, a casual look at the names mention in the report shows that the names cut across both members of the current opposition and the government.
Just imagine a situation where we are all thieves. How can any of us point a finger at the other? Doing so would simply provoke the accused to expose all the evils they know that are connected to their accuser.
I feel pity for many supporters of both the ODM parties who are sure that their preferred presidential candidates are clean and...
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How To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains -
Names Mention In The Leaked Kroll Report On Kenyan Corruption
» You Missed This archive
Focus on Kroll Associates Report
There are a number of Kenyans who have been looking for a list of the names (individuals and companies) mention in the Kroll report. So today I've decided to produce it as I continue to help Kenyans and those interested to digest this report on corruption in high places. I have listed hem in order of appearance so that somebody reading through the report will be able to find more details on the names they are interested in quickly (some of the names will surprise you);
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How To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains -
The Very Strange Death Of Akasha Grandchild
» You Missed This archive
Remember the famous Kenyan drug lord, Ibrahim Akasha? The guy who was assassinated by a guy in a bicycle who sprayed bullets into him and disappeared in the busy Amsterdam streets?
About a week ago a curious incident took place in his family residence in the plush Nyali estate in Mombasa. Kenyan police raided the Akasha home and searched the place thoroughly looking for evidence of drug trafficking. They found none. However in the confusion, the late Akasha's grand child (under 2 years old) crawled into the swimming pool and drowned without anybody noticing.
Read more
How To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains -
Why Your Web Page Content No Longer Works With Google
» You Missed This Article Directory Topic: Search engine optimization
For your site to enjoy high traffic, you have to be able to attract traffic from leading search engines like Google. So you can imagine the panic that has been spreading amongst the ranks of site owners who have noticed in recent weeks that traffic from search engines has been literally drying up.
Articles on your web page that used to bring you traffic from search engines no longer do so because they have disappeared from the top rankings is search engine result for certain keywords.
Most probably you've so far been unable to solve this disturbing mystery. Maybe you have even got so alarmed that you checked whether your site or page had been banned by Google. To your relief you found that this was not the case. So the big question is what exactly is happening here?
The answer to this mystery is something called latent semantic indexing (LSI). Plenty of evidence suggests that Google has implemented this technology. LSI has previously been used with great success to help determine the relevance of Adsense ads in partner affiliate sites. Now I is proving just as effective with the main Google search engine.
LSI in the Google algorithm means that the Google search engine tries to associate certain terms and words when indexing web pages. The result is a much more intelligent analysis of the content. For instance the word "Phone" will return results that rank Nokia very high, even if that site does not use the words cell phone or do other SEO things to rank highly.
It is now clear that keyword stuffing or spamming is out and more natural writing is in. I have seen evidence of my own pages that used a single keyword a little too often being penalized. I have also seen pages that have ranked highly for ages, but had text links from article directories that were too similar, suddenly disappear from page one to oblivion.
The giant search engine's motivation is to improve the quality of search results and this is one move that has helped do that tremendously.
The big winners will be sites with well-written articles using various related keywords in the same article. One of the largest beneficiary of this new change is the blogosphere where with the larger traffic that will result, blogs will make more money for their owners.
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11:24
Implementierungskapazität!
» Kikuyumoja's realm For those of you who are active in the field of development aid, here’s a fresh random list of German and English keywords as collected during a meeting today.
You may want to use these words for your next round of Bullshit Buzzword Bingo
(at least that’s what we are using them for… :-) :“Mittelabfluss, offenkundig, capacity development, draft, TORs, group, literature, seemingly, trade-off, multidisziplinär, policy, PSIA, poverty, social, risks, feedback, Wirkungskette, Modul, Institutionen, Politik, process, international, consultants, indicators, benefits, potent, strategy, management, implementation, establishment, ministry, resources, kompensatorischer Kapitaltransfer, Transmissionskanäle, community self regulation, Implementierungskapazität, elite capture, Organisationsstruktur, best practise, community engagement, insights, follow-up, institutional constraints, bilateral, multilateral, sustainable, Direktleistung, lead donor, soft-issues, scaling up.”
AOB:
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8:06
The High Cost Of Being Poor
» For Love and Money The High Cost Of Being Poor
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7:13
Kindergarten Lesson
» Cock And Bull This morning, I visited a Kindergarten and while I sat at the reception, I learnt a mathematical lesson that was posted on a billboard on the wall. Here it is:
What it Means to Giving 101%
From a strictly mathematical viewpoint: What Equals 100%?
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 101%?
What equals 100% in life?
Here’s a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:
If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZIs represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%and
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+ 20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%AND, look how far the love of God will take you
L- O- V- E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%
Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that: While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it’s the Love of God that will put you over the top!
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7:05
Jimnah Mbaru: Fighting Insider Trading Allegations
» KA-INVESTOR 
The NSE chairman, Jimnah, has come out fighting the allegations on Monday’s Business Daily that there was insider trading regarding the recently bonus announcements by Mumias Sugar Co. Ltd and EABL. I like the way he dismisses BD at the end of the notice. But I still don’t think that the NSE can completely steer clear from insider trading as he claims {just a lot of mumbo jumbo}. Even much more efficient bourses like the NYSE still suffer such allegations.
The kroll report was released last week and I’m still reading it because I can’t believe such plunder of public property can take place and nothing is done to the perpetrators. Kenyanomics has an extensive summary on this.
In other business Tesco has decided to ditch Uchumi franchises deal and it’s now rebranding all the branches it had franchised. This is going to create even more competition for the ailing Uchumi.
And lastly CONGRATS to all Kenyans athletes that did us proud in Osaka, Japan. That was just exemplary.
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4:09
Vote Now: Juacali or Eric Wainaina
» My Life is...Mochalicious! Juacali Eric Wainaina The above two Kenyan artists have been nominated for a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award in the Best African Act with the following artists: 2 Face Idibia (Nigeria) D’Banj (Nigeria) Wambali Mkandawire (Malawi) Bebe Cool (Uganda) Kabelo (SA) Online votes this year will count. So, what are you waiting for? Click here to cast your vote! Picture credits: Juacali - His [...]
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3:07
Don’t Water Your Weeds
» Cock And Bull A person will say to another, “You are a bad person, how dare you write about goodness!” And I say that people write about goodness not because they are good, but because they are inspired by goodness.
Another person will question, “You are a sinner, how can you talk about God?” And I say that there in not a single preacher who stands in the pulpit who is not a sinner. People talk about Jesus Christ because they are inspired by His life and look forward to live like Him.
It does not mean that a person writing about goodness is any better than other people, just as it does not mean that a preacher talking about God is godlier than all the other people. We are able to talk about these things and even have the privilege of sharing them with others simply because of the grace of God!
Seek happiness!
Come on, you all and speak of love! -
3:05
The Parable of the Pencil
» Cock And Bull One of the most profound messages given about purpose comes through the Parable of the Pencil. The story talks about the conversation that the Pencil Maker had with a pencil just before putting him into a box and sending him into the world. The Pencil Maker told the pencil 5 things that he needed to know. If the pencil remembered these things and never forgot them, the Pencil Maker promised him that he would become the greatest pencil he can be. Here are the 5 things as outlined by the Pencil Maker:
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.
Three: You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.
And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
What do we need to remember in order to become the best that we can be?
One: We will be able to do many great things, but only if we allow ourselves to be held in God’s hand, and allow other human beings to access us for the many gifts that we possess.
Two: We will experience painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems. We will need it to become stronger people.
Three: We will be able to correct mistakes we might make or grow through them.
Four: The most important part of us will always be what’s on the inside.
And Five: On every surface we walk, we must leave our mark. No matter what the situation, we must continue to serve God in everything.
By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart and a relationship with God daily.
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3:04
The Rope Under The Tail
» Cock And Bull Imagine yourself sitting on a donkey cart. You a holding a long stick with a string tied at its end. There is a carrot attached to the string, and you dangle the carrot just a few feet from the donkey’s nose. The donkey will get enticed by the carrot and move towards it. As that happens, the often stubborn donkey will happily pull its burden along with the carrot as its motivation. Never mind that the carrot is out of reach!
Of course you know that the other method of making a stubborn donkey carry its burden efficiently is by beating it with a stick.
There is one more method of motivating a donkey that I saw being used in Ethiopia. In this method, the burden is put on a donkey’s back with a rope tied to it in such a way that it loops under the donkey’s tail, just above its anus. This ensures that the sisal rope is in direct physical contact with the tender hairless spot where the tail is attached to the rest of the donkey’s body. When the donkey makes a forward movement, the load slightly shifts forward, jerking the rope and causing pain to the donkey. The sharp pain will make the donkey react by running forward, thus jerking the rope again, causing even more pain. This excruciating pain…move forward… excruciating pain…move forward… excruciating pain…move forward cycle ensured that the donkey operates like a well oiled machine. The heavier the burden, the sharper the pain and hence, the more reason the donkey finds to move faster.
Isn’t this almost similar to the way that various people motivate themselves? Take for example the carrot motivation; this is similar to a person looking at future rewards to motivate themselves to work harder. What about the beating with a stick? I suppose this is similar to the way that a person fails to act on a situation until the harsh realities of life make him or her move whether they like it or not. I would imagine that the rope under that tail treatment can be compared to the unnecessary pain that people often cause themselves. Take for instance a person who is haunted by the past, moving forward at great pace in reaction to the pain that it causes.
Nobody deserves to feel pain from the past. And yet everyone knows exactly what it feels like and understands from experience that it is one of the most difficult things to leave behind. Unfortunately, it only gets worse since it cuts ever so deeply, leaving bruises similarly painful to the ones that that rope leaves under a donkey’s tail.
Whatever form it takes, only a person can deal with his or her own pain. Running away only makes it hurt even more. So, what can a person do about it? Many experts advice that if a person can embrace whatever he or she is struggling against, the struggle will disappear. Neale Donald Walsch once wrote; “What you resist persists. And only what you look at, and own, can disappear. You make it disappear by simply changing your mind about it.”
God alone knows all our struggles. So, even as we seek to understand what the experts talk about, let us ask God for the strength, will, and courage to do what we need to do.
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3:04
Avail Yourself
» Cock And Bull One of the most discouraging things about developing a talent is the nagging feeling that a person is not good enough. For example, a person who aspires to sing might feel quite incapable when he or she compares themselves with contemporary music greats. Unless a person focuses on themselves rather than others, he or she will be doomed to fail.
The expression of talent is not about how good a person is while compared to others, but rather how confident a person is with their own abilities. If you have ever watched a stage performance of any kind, then you probably know that its magnetism is based more on the energy, vigor and vitality that the artist projects rather than the finesse of the whole show. The reason is because we capture the excitement that the person brings forth and that is what sets our hearts racing, creates feeling, captivates us and created an experience that is remembered for a long time to come.
Most people who excelled in expressing various forms of talents have confided that in almost all cases, creation happens almost by itself. They say that the art knows what it wants to say, when it wants to say it, and to whom it wants to say it to. The only role that the artist plays is to be present, and allow himself or herself to be used as a channel for creativity. It is all about availing yourself.