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• September 17, 2007
• 23:42

  public vs police

   » ‎ stranded in me
  it breaks my heart everytime i open the newspaper and read about meaningless deaths in the hands of the police. they're at it again this time a 6 month pregnant woman who was being used as a shield!!! for @#$%s sake if the thug uses someone as a shield, cant you let him go and catch up with him sometime? havent they been known to trail 'suspects' for 2 years?? shouldnt these people be safeguarding human life? what in the name of all thats holy is done when they do something like this? NOTHING!! the police can continue killing innocent civilians as much as they want and guess what nothing absolutely @#$%ing nothing will be done!!
  I wonder how many of the young men felled by the bullet lying beside huge guns and hundreds of bullets are usually thieves? with the rising cases of cops running organised crime isnt it possible that they are eliminating competition if indeed these people are actually thugs?
  there are many cases of suspects were driving and my men got suspicious and asked them to stop, they didnt heed the command, my men accosted them and find 37 guns 217 rounds of ammunition. Give me a %$^&ing break! how can you tell that car a has thugs and b has a bunch of people all male going on with their biz? Remember the case of Jordan the USIU student? the police gunned him down yet he had his hands raised!! Do we have a government thats taking care of us? maybe i should use language the greedy lazy asses in parliament understand!! IF THE POLICE KILL MOST OF THE TAXPAYERS WHO WILL PAY FOR YOUR CAR? YOUR MISTRESSES FLAT? We must do something to stop this. hey watch out you see a cop take cover coz the next 'criminal' we watch in the news might just be you!!

• 23:14

  My Journey through African Heritage; Gallery Walk

   » ‎ Kenyanpoet
  My Journey through African Heritage; Gallery Walk

• 23:02

  Spinning Chapati Money

   » ‎ Kenya Imagine

  Tags:  fast Food industry  

  I've never given much thought to how the tortillas sold in US supermarkets are made, I had seen Mexican women in Californian restaurants making fresh ones, so my mind made up massive factories filled with labourers churning out tortilla loads on command.
  
  Christopher Ssembonge on a chapati making venture. Can Kenyans mass produce chapatis for sale?
  
  Read more here.
• 22:56

  Re-branding Kenya Music Festival!

   » ‎ Kenya Imagine

  Tags:  Culture  

  I recently happened across a KBC programme on past Kenya National Music Festival Competitions. Suddenly, it dawned on me that little had been done to market and showcase the diverse richness of Kenyan culture.
  
  Read Collins Mbalo proposal here.
• 22:40

  Reducing Poverty through Economic Freedom

   » ‎ Kenya Imagine

  Tags:  poverty reduction  

  The worldwide obsession with poverty eradication is a major threat to economic freedom in developing nations. Through central planning, governments and aid agencies are blocking poor people’s road to prosperity.
  
  [...]
  
  To reverse that trend, economic freedom needs to be seen as a development partner. Governments must understand that providing market-friendly environments will enable their societies to develop long-lasting solutions to economic problems and, as Friedman wrote in Capitalism and Freedom, "reduce the range of issue that must be resolved through [ineffective] political means."
  
  Read more here.
• 22:32

  ODM’s fatal flaw and Kibaki’s masterstroke

   » ‎ Kenya Imagine

  Tags:  election 2007  

  Even the neutral observer must have felt that the laid-back campaign style of the Kibaki team was denying us a true contest in the election year.
  
  While ODM went about the country winning converts in mass rallies, the forces around President Kibaki seemed destined for another performance like the 2005 referendum where they waged an incompetent campaign and doomed themselves to an easy defeat.
  
  Read more from Amir Ibrahim here.

• 21:36

  Rights Offers - How they work

   » ‎ Rants, Raves & Reviews

  Tags:  Review  

  Dexter , a reader, said...

  Sorry CT for being a pain. One more question, there's somewhere on OCHL website which says that, the 28th of Sept. '07 at 3.00pm is the last day and time for acceptance and payment of new shares. What does this mean? Dexter - not at all. I am happy to help. Others are asking similar questions since many brokers are clueless esp regarding Rights that were purchased. #s 10 & 11 are relevant to you.
  

  What the Rights process involves for investors
  
  1 - Board decides/agrees the Firm wants to raise cash. They could take on debt but that might not be possible or desirable so they choose to issue Rights which allows existing shareholders to apply for additional shares at a (normally) discount to the market price. Most Rights are exercised for cash or cash equivalents.
  Uchumi suppliers could apply their outstanding invoices to exercise the Rights instead of cash. This is a "cash equivalent".
  
  2 - An announcement that the Firm plans to issue Rights is made but details are not always released. Some firms may indicate how many Rights they plan to offer at this stage.
  
  3 - An application is made to the CMA. The application also includes a pro-forma Information Memorandum. Many firms announce the number of shares they plan to issue/offer. Some may announce/set the price at this stage as well.
  
  4 - Firms announce the price for the Rights. This information is also submitted to the CMA. The price is often based on past trading of the shares. It may be 3-6 months' average price. The process is dynamic i.e. steps 2 & 3 may run concurrently. NIC has announced the price of 70/- but have not issued a timetable.
  
  5- If the CMA approves the Rights Offer, a timetable is published that informs the investing public of the crtitical dates.
  
  6 - An Information Memorandum is produced which has to be approved by the CMA. This is distributed to the shareholders who also receive their Provisional Letter of Allotment (PAL). The CMA does not "guarantee" the Rights Offer nor do they perform an in-depth due diligence.
  The CMA was unfairly blamed for Uchumi being allowed to raise cash from the public but unless there was fraud - the bulk of which happened before the Rights - it is the Buyers who need to be aware of what they are/were buying.
  
  7 - The shares officially trade Cum Rights. Buyers of these shares are entitled to the Rights issued through a PAL. DTBK & NIC are in this stage of the process.
  
  8 - The Rights start trading on the NSE for a pre-determined period. The shares trade Ex-Rights. The OCHL Rights traded for 2 weeks from 3-14 Sep 2007.
  
  9 - After the Rights cease trading there is a "break" to allow reconciliation of the Rights so the buyers are assigned the Rights from the sellers.
  
  10 - The Rights need to be exercised i.e. payment for the shares needs to be made. The Rights lose all value if not exercised. OCHL's rights "expire" at 3 PM on 28 Sep 2007 .
  
  11 - The payments are made through a broker or directly to the Receiving Bank using a Banker's cheque. The cheque should be for the exact amount (Rights' Exercise Price x Number of Rights) and the PALs usually have the amount payable filled in. Because of the time limit, do not delay & since most Offers close on Fridays, play safe and do it early.
  I prefer submitting the form directly to the Registrar or Receiving Bank who will check for errors on the form. They will only accept a Banker's cheque.
  An additional benefit accrues, there is no commission payable to the broker by the Firm. The Firm is YOUR Firm so any expenses paid by the Firm are paid by you, the investor.
  Always insist on a receipt from the Registrar, Bank or Broker. OCHL's Registrar is CRS located in Bruce House. KCB's shares office is located in Kencom House.
  If your broker does not know what they are doing, go see Faida, Standard or Tsavo who were involved in the Offer as advisers.
  
  12 - The Rights + Payments are "converted" into shares. The shares are credited to those who exercise the Rights. An announcement is made regarding the level of subscription. If over-subscribed then the allocation methodology is announced. Unlike an IPO or OFS, buyers are guaranteed as many shares as the Rights they exercised.
  
  13 - Refunds, if any, are dispatched. The CDS accounts are updated while others may receive certificates.
  
  14 - There is a pre-determined date when the "new" shares can begin trading. The original shares can continue trading throughout this process.
  

• 17:50

  Giffen Goods and Prison Break yaay!!!!!

   » ‎ KenyanMusings
  
  
  
  There are things guaranteed to effortlessly give me a nervous breakdown. One of them is the inability to find information when I need it.
  
  I traveled over the weekend……for peace, rest and relaxation, sand, sex, massage, cocktails and lots of laughter at my secret place which as you guessed, I’m not telling. **sighs** And I’m going back again in a month…its soooo addictive!!!…..I tried snorkeling again, this is the nth time, and even with someone holding my hand, I still hyperventilate at how ewwwww underwater is. Me I like pools, with cement floors. And I have these visions of jaws and green thingumajigs taking over my body, or those multicolored fish , mutants with arms and stuuuufffff, YUCK, will, erm, start speaking to me like “go tell my cousin Martin I forgive him”. Aiii, now who will spend the rest of her life looking for a Martin? “Martin unajua ule samaki anaishi huko kwa maji?” Alaaa!
  
  Well, I brought a book to read. …Ideally, I should have brought something fun, then again who is to say what fun is, to read, but, I, KM, brought an Economics book. Why I am reading an economics book? I don’t know why. I get these flashes of "I'm not sure if I can call it brilliance, but its most definitely an inquenchable thirst for general knowledge" where I feel I have no clue about a topic, or something will piqué my interest and I’ll pick up a book just to ‘know’.
  Plus, I’ll be lying….me, I love reading. The economics book, is not punishment.
  Like you know how sometimes you will see a documentary about rock formations and you really want to read about rocks and rivers and yes, despite the fact that you dropped Geography in 2nd form, primarily because you did not have notes on Rivers, only like 2 * 120page books of notes……you find a book on rocks formations and rivers and read it till you drop.
  Or you have a discussion on religion and you want to read more about it, or art, or music, or a certain animal, or my personal favorite….medicine. I read about illnesses, symptoms, how to treat them…..I really really wish I was a pediatrician. I love that. I love reading about random stuff like that. Its such fun!
  
  ***shivers with excitement** Are you with me? Are you feeling me? Don’t you ever get that feeling like, you are running out of time and you haven’t read all the books in the universe?
  Oh, and I got this huge asss book on law cases. Its soooo interesting. I had a uhhhhh, a Legal aspects of "insert profession" classes, and the cases were fiun, so I got this book with stories and stories of law precedents.....Oh, Bliss. We all know "Wambui Otieno vs Umira Kager clan", Balfour Vs Balfour", "Carlill Vs Carbolic smoke ball company" but good lord, this is like the real ish, "Eccles Vs Bryant" Non- es -factum, caveat emptor, Res sua...coool! dude man! I shoulda been a lawyer!
  
  So, we are chilling right, I’m reading my big ass Econ book full of knowledge, which will all go to my head, double cool, then boom, right there, in my face is the word….wait for it “Giffen good”. Shoooot! 2 things crossed my mind “Dear lord, I will cry because I can’t quite remember what this word is!!”. Who the hell just throws in the word ‘giffen’ in there without a glossary, a footnote, an explanation, anything…nothing!!!!Daaamn!!
  
  I have a photographic memory. I remember my first economics text book. I remember how the first pages looked like, I remember my Economics Lecturer writing “the snob effect” on the board, before Kevin, (Kevin where are you? stand up and say hi to the people please…..) the guy in the second row shot me a glance a la “the KM effect”, which is totally not fair because, I’m a not a lot of things, but …okay, wth, lets move on……. To the lecturer... his handwriting, I remember words like “veblen” and giffen” were in italics….and I remember damn well what Veblen goods were because at that time a ‘mercedes’ according to my lecturer was a veblen good. Well, each to their own. I also remember “ostentatious goods” was another word for veblen goods.
  I loved economics then…..only for the next 10 pages until everything shot to shit, and the pleasure of demand and supply was replaced by crazy ass looking graphs and functions….ughhhhh! One minute I was happy, at opportunity cost (that was on page 2 of the book) dd curves, ss curves, elasticity, equilibrium,and right after we got into utility, Marginal Propensities..to save, to consume.
  Then there came, too much for my fun-loving brain..... something called IS/LM Models……Hell! I switched off. I was down for all that exciting stuff, and you have to agree, basic Economics is a lot of fun!!! Soon after, I was not attending classes, I was selling juice and going clubbing, and all I knew is Macroecon sucks ass! Infalation…the leading culprit in suckage….**shivers**.
  
  Unfortunately, and my heart was breaking at this, I could not remember what the hell a giffen good was. What made it a giffen good…… I know, bread was a giffen good, but there was something I was looking for , an explanation that I could not remember and I was dying inside.
  
  So I started panicking, needing a dictionary, needing to google it, Oh god I was in hell. So I ask the chap…..”how do you define a giffen good?” He looked at me, said he does not know, he is not an economist... Oh god I'm marrying an idiot!
  And tricked me into digressing into something else with him, again, after saying “how come you get to study and I’m not allowed to?” Well maybe you should study Mr. dunno what a giffen good is!!!
  I am not studying, I’m reading a book!
  
  The general agreement with the chap is that no one should bring lap tops, gadgets etc to the R&R because, its 2 days, for two days, the world can wait, and I hate it when sometimes in the middle of a break he will wait until I’m asleep then start working!!! While me I want him to stay in bed we cuddle, catch strokes and he beats me storos and we order room service, and I jump jump on the bed, and then we shag, we sleep, we go walk, have masssages, we go eat, maaannn!!! Usually, he drugs me (makes me drink too much) pretends to listen as I prattle on, I sleep, he starts working. So, no gadgets. I could therefore not google it!!! Later, I tried going online on phone…no luck.
  
  I called asking for a dictionary…..mwehheh “A what Miss KM?” “An English Dictionary”. Why don’t they keep dictionaries with the towels, which I did not have the strength to steal this time. I have too many towels now. Nice huuge, soft spanking cuddly white and maroon ones, some with bold logos.
  Them and their little babies. I steal them in sets, 2 big ones and two hand towels. Mwehehhee, you'd think I feel any remorse......Instead, I’m thinking of starting to steal other things now…..like the feather pillows…..***luuuusshhhh*** What the heck, kick kleptomaniacy up a notch. Maybe, and I'm just mulling this over, not decideed yet.....Maybe. I'll see about the logistics. Yaani its soo bad, and the chap is in on it, cos when we are leaving he goes "are you taking the towels?" Then I'll go like, "ah, no, these ones are not new".
  
  Shoot! Thats how Matheri et friends converse, seriously, like the other day I got this weird caller going "leta zile bunduki kawangware twende job" (Brings the guns!!) I promise to you, he said that!!!
  Sheesh, who even uses the word 'Bunduki' now? Shouldn't thugs have like a cool cryptic word like "Mtoo' or "cargo" for that?! Its like saying Vagina.....Punani, hello?! Vagina is soooo.. "body organ" not source of pleasure!
  I was so spooked! especially, because they (the thugs) will trace me so I dont sell 'em out, or when it shoots to shit, Safaricom might trace the call to me, and then I was worried that someone was going to maybe be robbed!! yikes!
  
  So, me, and my “O god what is a giffen good now?!”I was traumatized! I went clubbing later, and I was still, get that, thinking about it. Daaammmmnnnn, giffen good!!!
  So, I got home last evening, and went straight to google. Ohhhh the wealth of information there is. …..So, finally;
  
  “Definition: A Giffen Good is a good that experiences increased demand for when the price rises and decreased demand for when the price falls”.
  
  I mean, duuude, I was here and I was clicking and clicking on those links and reading about all that random stuff. It fels sooo damn good! And the thing I was trying to remember, how bread is a Giffen good, because it violates the basic laws of demand and supply……As Mr. Giffen has pointed out, a rise in the price of bread makes so large a drain on the resources of the poorer labouring families and raises so much the marginal utility of money to them, that they are forced to curtail their consumption of meat and the more expensive farinaceous foods: and, bread being still the cheapest food which they can get and will take, they consume more, and not less of it”
  
  ***breathes a sigh of relief*** Ah! There it is!Just like Mr ‘dunnowhatwashisnameheflunkedmeanyway said it.
  
  Theeen, si season 3 of prison break! I watched the preview last night...what the hell is with that SONA place? I don't think I'll keep up with such violence me.
  Dude, I hated Bellick but, woiyeeeeee. .

• 13:27

  Call your U.S. senators today in favor of S. 1257 - DC Voting Rights!

   » ‎ Marian's Blog
  According to DC Vote, today is the second annual National Call-In Day for U.S. voters to ask their U.S. Senators to vote YES on S. 1257 - the DC Voting Rights Act. DC Vote says Senate Majority leader Harry Reid...

• 12:23

  Random-ness

   » ‎ Farmgal
  Just how do people/fraudsters sleep at night? I have this mate of mine who moved to Texas afew months ago. She is now living in a ‘town’ (whatever they’re called over there) where you have to have a car to get to work. Since she couldn’t get any credit she was introduced to someone who [...]

• 12:14

  Why Uhuru Announcement Was A Big Blunder For The Kibaki Camp

   » ‎ You Missed This
  archive
  
  Uhuru’s announcement has cost the president a lot of votes. Here’s why…
  
  How many mistakes can a presidential candidate make and still get away with it, without being punished for them, even when they are the incumbent? That is a question whose answer Kenyans will soon find out.
  
  However in keeping to my contract with my dear readers (which I take very seriously) I have done a little research on possible voting patterns countrywide and the results have surprised even me. But more on that in my next post.
  
  In the grassroots (where I need not remind you all good folks, is where the majority of votes are) the move by official leader of the opposition, Uhuru Kenyatta to support President’s Kibaki’s re-election bid has cost the president a number of votes.
  
  What is now emerging is a clear anti-kikuyu sentiment that is creeping into some of the president’s long time strongholds. Uhuru’s announcement is being viewed by many ordinary Kenyans as a clear sign of the tribalism that many have suspected runs very deeply through the current administration.
  
  The big danger here is that it hardly matters whether this is true or not. What matters at this juncture and matters terribly, is the public perception of things.
  
  What would I have done if I was running the Kibaki campaign?
  
  I would have made every effort to ensure that the President...
  
  Read more
  
  WHY BUY 10, 20 or 30 COMPUTERS WHEN 1,2OR3 WILL DO? DO MORE WITH LESS!!! NO NEED OF CLONES, GENERICS OR REFURBISHED COMPUTERS ANY MORE
  Expand on your existing Office or Home PC by simply adding the NComputing terminals for every user (up to 30 users per PC). This amazing and cost effective technology will save up to 70% on PC procurement and 95% of power consumption. Share applications with all connected users simultaneously. Install out of the box in minutes!!! Visit our website: www.pneumaticskenya.com
  
  All you need To Make Big Money Online while still in Kenya is an email address and a mobile phone
  
  How To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains
• 12:10

  Votes That Raila Odinga Would Get Today From 6 Provinces

   » ‎ You Missed This
  archive
  
  Many times for the protection of my sources, I cannot name them. This is the case with the fascinating figures I hereby publish here which show the possible votes Raila Odinga would get, were Kenyans to go to the polls today.
  
  Kindly note that I am NOT making any predictions. Two and a half months is a long time and anything can happen.
  
  Interestingly the estimates exclude Central province and Eastern where it is widely expected that candidate Raila will be whitewashed and will probably get very few votes. However the following is the percentage of votes he would get from the remaining 6 provinces were elections to be held today. The six provinmces covered are Nyanza, Western, North Eastern, Coast, Nairobi and Rift Valley.
  
  Read more
  
  WHY BUY 10, 20 or 30 COMPUTERS WHEN 1,2OR3 WILL DO? DO MORE WITH LESS!!! NO NEED OF CLONES, GENERICS OR REFURBISHED COMPUTERS ANY MORE
  Expand on your existing Office or Home PC by simply adding the NComputing terminals for every user (up to 30 users per PC). This amazing and cost effective technology will save up to 70% on PC procurement and 95% of power consumption. Share applications with all connected users simultaneously. Install out of the box in minutes!!! Visit our website: www.pneumaticskenya.com
  
  All you need To Make Big Money Online while still in Kenya is an email address and a mobile phone
  
  How To Make Serious Money Using Blogs Or Generate Plenty Of Traffic For Your Site. It Is So Easy, Expert Explains

• 10:21

  Bambanet Application a Headache

   » ‎ Startups in Kenya
  Unfortunately I have to take back my laud of the new Internet connection product from Safaricom. Two weeks after my application and I am yet to get my Bambanet connection. Safaricom have really let me down on this one after promising that it would take a maximum of 48 hours. Hopefully I will have it by Wednesday as they've promised, let's wait and see.

• 8:28

  Taking A Break From The Equity Markets

   » ‎ For Love and Money
  Taking A Break From The Equity Markets

• 5:06

  The Science Of Getting Rich - Chapter 4

   » ‎ Cock And Bull

  THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH
  by Wallace D. Wattles

  
  CHAPTER 4
  
  The First Principle in The Science of Getting Rich.

  THOUGHT is the only power which can produce tangible riches from the Formless Substance. The stuff from which all things are made is a substance which thinks, and a thought of form in this substance produces the form.

  Original Substance moves according to its thoughts; every form and process you see in nature is the visible expression of a thought in Original Substance. As the Formless Stuff thinks of a form, it takes that form; as it thinks of a motion, it makes that motion. That is the way all things were created. We live in a thought world, which is part of a thought universe. The thought of a moving universe extended throughout Formless Substance, and the Thinking Stuff moving according to that thought, took the form of systems of planets, and maintains that form. Thinking Substance takes the form of its thought, and moves according to the thought. Holding the idea of a circling system of suns and worlds, it takes the form of these bodies, and moves them as it thinks. Thinking the form of a slow-growing oak tree, it moves accordingly, and produces the tree, though centuries may be required to do the work. In creating, the Formless seems to move according to the lines of motion it has established; the thought of an oak tree does not cause the instant formation of a full-grown tree, but it does start in motion the forces which will produce the tree, along established lines of growth.

  Every thought of form, held in thinking Substance, causes the creation of the form, but always, or at least generally, along lines of growth and action already established.

  The thought of a house of a certain construction, if it were impressed upon Formless Substance, might not cause the instant formation, of the house; but it would cause the turning of creative energies already working in trade and commerce into such channels as to result in the speedy building of the house. And if there were no existing channels through which the creative energy could work, then the house would be formed directly from primal substance, without waiting for the slow processes of the organic and inorganic world.

  No thought of form can be impressed upon Original Substance without causing the creation of the form.

  Man is a thinking center, and can originate thought. All the forms that man fashions with his hands must first exist in his thought; he cannot shape a thing until he has thought that thing.

  And so far man has confined his efforts wholly to the work of his hands; he has applied manual labor to the world of forms, seeking to change or modify those already existing. He has never thought of trying to cause the creation of new forms by impressing his thoughts upon Formless Substance.

  When man has a thought-form, he takes material from the forms of nature, and makes an image of the form which is in his mind. He has, so far, made little or no effort to co-operate with Formless Intelligence; to work “with the Father.” He has not dreamed that he can “do what he seeth the Father doing.” Man reshapes and modifies existing forms by manual labor; he has given no attention to the question whether he may not produce things from Formless Substance by communicating his thoughts to it. We propose to prove that he may do so; to prove that any man or woman may do so, and to show how. As our first step, we must lay down three fundamental propositions.

  First, we assert that there is one original formless stuff, or substance, from which all things are made. All the seemingly many elements are but different presentations of one element; all the many forms found in organic and inorganic nature are but different shapes, made from the same stuff. And this stuff is thinking stuff; a thought held in it produces the form of the thought. Thought, in thinking substance, produces shapes. Man is a thinking center, capable of original thought; if man can communicate his thought to original thinking substance, he can cause the creation, or formation, of the thing he thinks about. To summarize this:-

  There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which, in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe.

  A thought, in this substance, Produces the thing that is imaged by the thought.

  Man can form things in his thought, and, by impressing his thought upon formless substance, can cause the thing he thinks about to be created.

  It may be asked if I can prove these statements; and without going into details, I answer that I can do so, both by logic and experience.

  Reasoning back from the phenomena of form and thought, I come to one original thinking substance; and reasoning forward from this thinking substance, I come to man’s power to cause the formation of the thing he thinks about.

  And by experiment, I find the reasoning true; and this is my strongest proof.

  If one man who reads this book gets rich by doing what it tells him to do, that is evidence in support of my claim; but if every man who does what it tells him to do gets rich, that is positive proof until some one goes through the process and fails. The theory is true until the process fails; and this process will not fail, for every man who does exactly what this book tells him to do will get rich.

  I have said that men get rich by doing things in a Certain Way; and in order to do so, men must become able to think in a certain way.
  
  A man’s way of doing things is the direct result of the way he thinks about things.

  To do things in a way you want to do them, you will have to acquire the ability to think the way you want to think; this is the first step toward getting rich.
  
  To think what you want to think is to think TRUTH, regardless of appearances.

  Every man has the natural and inherent power to think what he wants to think, but it requires far more effort to do so than it does to think the thoughts which are suggested by appearances. To think according to appearance is easy; to think truth regardless of appearances is laborious, and requires the expenditure of more power than any other work man is called upon to perform.

  There is no labor from which most people shrink as they do from that of sustained and consecutive thought; it is the hardest work in the world. This is especially true when truth is contrary to appearances. Every appearance in the visible world tends to produce a corresponding form in the mind which observes it; and this can only be prevented by holding the thought of the TRUTH.

  To look upon the appearance of disease will produce the form of disease in your own mind, and ultimately in your body, unless you hold the thought of the truth, which is that there is no disease; it is only an appearance, and the reality is health.

  To look upon the appearances of poverty will produce corresponding forms in your own mind, unless you hold to the truth that there is no poverty; there is only abundance.

  To think health when surrounded by the appearances of disease, or to think riches when in the midst of appearances of poverty, requires power; but he who acquires this power becomes a MASTER MIND. He can conquer fate; he can have what he wants.

  This power can only be acquired by getting hold of the basic fact which is behind all appearances; and that fact is that there is one Thinking Substance, from which and by which all things are made.

  Then we must grasp the truth that every thought held in this substance becomes a form, and that man can so impress his thoughts upon it as to cause them to take form and become visible things.

  When we realize this, we lose all doubt and fear, for we know that we can create what we want to create; we can get what we want to have, and can become what we want to be. As a first step toward getting rich, you must believe the three fundamental statements given previously in this chapter; and in order to emphasize them. I repeat them here:-

  There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which, in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe.

  A thought, in this substance, Produces the thing that is imaged by the thought.

  Man can form things in his thought, and, by impressing his thought upon formless substance, can cause the thing he thinks about to be created.

  You must lay aside all other concepts of the universe than this monistic one; and you must dwell upon this until it is fixed in your mind, and has become your habitual thought. Read these creed statements over and over again; fix every word upon your memory, and meditate upon them until you firmly believe what they say. If a doubt comes to you, cast it aside as a sin. Do not listen to arguments against this idea; do not go to churches or lectures where a contrary concept of things is taught or preached. Do not read magazines or books which teach a different idea; if you get mixed up in your faith, all your efforts will be in vain.

  Do not ask why these things are true, nor speculate as to how they can be true; simply take them on trust.

  The science of getting rich begins with the absolute acceptance of this faith.

• 5:06

  The Science Of Getting Rich - Chapter 3

   » ‎ Cock And Bull

  THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH
  by Wallace D. Wattles

  CHAPTER 3
  
  Is Opportunity Monopolized?

  NO man is kept poor because opportunity has been taken away from him; because other people have monopolized the wealth, and have put a fence around it. You may be shut off from engaging in business in certain lines, but there are other channels open to you.

  At different periods the tide of opportunity sets in different directions, according to the needs of the whole, and the particular stage of social evolution which has been reached. There is abundance of opportunity for the man who will go with the tide, instead of trying to swim against it.

  The working class may become the master class whenever they will begin to do things in a Certain Way; the law of wealth is the same for them as it is for all others. This they must learn; and they will remain where they are as long as they continue to do as they do. The individual worker, however, is not held down by the ignorance or the mental slothfulness of his class; he can follow the tide of opportunity to riches, and this book will tell him how.

  No one is kept in poverty by a shortness in the supply of riches; there is more than enough for all. A palace as large as the capitol at Washington might be built for every family on earth from the building material in the United States alone; and under intensive cultivation, this country would produce wool, cotton, linen, and silk enough to cloth each person in the world finer than Solomon was arrayed in all his glory; together with food enough to feed them all luxuriously.

  The visible supply is practically inexhaustible; and the invisible supply really IS inexhaustible.

  Everything you see on earth is made from one original substance, out of which all things proceed.
  
  New Forms are constantly being made, and older ones are dissolving; but all are shapes assumed by One Thing.

  There is no limit to the supply of Formless Stuff, or Original Substance. The universe is made out of it; but it was not all used in making the universe. The spaces in, through, and between the forms of the visible universe are permeated and filled with the Original Substance; with the formless Stuff; with the raw material of all things. Ten thousand times as much as has been made might still be made, and even then we should not have exhausted the supply of universal raw material.

  No man, therefore, is poor because nature is poor, or because there is not enough to go around.

  Nature is an inexhaustible storehouse of riches; the supply will never run short. Original Substance is alive with creative energy, and is constantly producing more forms. When the supply of building material is exhausted, more will be produced; when the soil is exhausted so that food stuffs and materials for clothing will no longer grow upon it, it will be renewed or more soil will be made. When all the gold and silver has been dug from the earth, if man is still in such a stage of social development that he needs gold and silver, more will produced from the Formless. The Formless Stuff responds to the needs of man; it will not let him be without any good thing.

  This is true of man collectively; the race as a whole is always abundantly rich, and if individuals are poor, it is because they do not follow the Certain Way of doing things which makes the individual man rich.

  The Formless Stuff is intelligent; it is stuff which thinks. It is alive, and is always impelled toward more life.

  It is the natural and inherent impulse of life to seek to live more; it is the nature of intelligence to enlarge itself, and of consciousness to seek to extend its boundaries and find fuller expression. The universe of forms has been made by Formless Living Substance, throwing itself into form in order to express itself more fully.

  The universe is a great Living Presence, always moving inherently toward more life and fuller functioning.

  Nature is formed for the advancement of life; its impelling motive is the increase of life. For this cause, everything which can possibly minister to life is bountifully provided; there can be no lack unless God is to contradict himself and nullify his own works.

  You are not kept poor by lack in the supply of riches; it is a fact which I shall demonstrate a little farther on that even the resources of the Formless Supply are at the command of the man or woman will act and think in a Certain Way.

• 5:05

  The Science Of Getting Rich - Chapter 2

   » ‎ Cock And Bull

  THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH
  by Wallace D. Wattles

  CHAPTER 2

  There is A Science of Getting Rich

  THERE is a Science of getting rich, and it is an exact science, like algebra or arithmetic. There are certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches; once these laws are learned and obeyed by any man, he will get rich with mathematical certainty.

  The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way; those who do things in this Certain Way, whether on purpose or accidentally, get rich; while those who do not do things in this Certain Way, no matter how hard they work or how able they are, remain poor.

  It is a natural law that like causes always produce like effects; and, therefore, any man or woman who learns to do things in this certain way will infallibly get rich.

  That the above statement is true is shown by the following facts:

  Getting rich is not a matter of environment, for, if it were, all the people in certain neighborhoods would become wealthy; the people of one city would all be rich, while those of other towns would all be poor; or the inhabitants of one state would roll in wealth, while those of an adjoining state would be in poverty.

  But everywhere we see rich and poor living side by side, in the same environment, and often engaged in the same vocations. When two men are in the same locality, and in the same business, and one gets rich while the other remains poor, it shows that getting rich is not, primarily, a matter of environment. Some environments may be more favorable than others, but when two men in the same business are in the same neighborhood, and one gets rich while the other fails, it indicates that getting rich is the result of doing things in a Certain Way.

  And further, the ability to do things in this certain way is not due solely to the possession of talent, for many people who have great talent remain poor, while other who have very little talent get rich.

  Studying the people who have got rich, we find that they are an average lot in all respects, having no greater talents and abilities than other men. It is evident that they do not get rich because they possess talents and abilities that other men have not, but because they happen to do things in a Certain Way.

  Getting rich is not the result of saving, or “thrift”; many very penurious people are poor, while free spenders often get rich.

  Nor is getting rich due to doing things which others fail to do; for two men in the same business often do almost exactly the same things, and one gets rich while the other remains poor or becomes bankrupt.

  From all these things, we must come to the conclusion that getting rich is the result of doing things in a Certain Way.

  If getting rich is the result of doing things in a Certain Way, and if like causes always produce like effects, then any man or woman who can do things in that way can become rich, and the whole matter is brought within the domain of exact science.

  The question arises here, whether this Certain Way may not be so difficult that only a few may follow it. This cannot be true, as we have seen, so far as natural ability is concerned. Talented people get rich, and blockheads get rich; intellectually brilliant people get rich, and very stupid people get rich; physically strong people get rich, and weak and sickly people get rich.

  Some degree of ability to think and understand is, of course, essential; but in so far natural ability is concerned, any man or woman who has sense enough to read and understand these words can certainly get rich.

  Also, we have seen that it is not a matter of environment. Location counts for something; one would not go to the heart of the Sahara and expect to do successful business.

  Getting rich involves the necessity of dealing with men, and of being where there are people to deal with; and if these people are inclined to deal in the way you want to deal, so much the better. But that is about as far as environment goes.

  If anybody else in your town can get rich, so can you; and if anybody else in your state can get rich, so can you.

  Again, it is not a matter of choosing some particular business or profession. People get rich in every business, and in every profession; while their next door neighbors in the same vocation remain in poverty.

  It is true that you will do best in a business which you like, and which is congenial to you; and if you have certain talents which are well developed, you will do best in a business which calls for the exercise of those talents.

  Also, you will do best in a business which is suited to your locality; an ice-cream parlor would do better in a warm climate than in Greenland, and a salmon fishery will succeed better in the Northwest than in Florida, where there are no salmon.

  But, aside from these general limitations, getting rich is not dependent upon your engaging in some particular business, but upon your learning to do things in a Certain Way. If you are now in business, and anybody else in your locality is getting rich in the same business, while you are not getting rich, it is because you are not doing things in the same Way that the other person is doing them.

  No one is prevented from getting rich by lack of capital. True, as you get capital the increase becomes more easy and rapid; but one who has capital is already rich, and does not need to consider how to become so. No matter how poor you may be, if you begin to do things in the Certain Way you will begin to get rich; and you will begin to have capital. The getting of capital is a part of the process of getting rich; and it is a part of the result which invariably follows the doing of things in the Certain Way. You may be the poorest man on the continent, and be deeply in debt; you may have neither friends, influence, nor resources; but if you begin to do things in this way, you must infallibly begin to get rich, for like causes must produce like effects. If you have no capital, you can get capital; if you are in the wrong business, you can get into the right business; if you are in the wrong location, you can go to the right location; and you can do so by beginning in your present business and in your present location to do things in the Certain Way which causes success.

• 5:04

  The Science Of Getting Rich - Chapter 1

   » ‎ Cock And Bull

  THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH
  by Wallace D. Wattles

  CHAPTER 1

  The Right To Be Rich.

  WHATEVER may be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains that it is not possible to live a really complete or successful life unless one is rich. No man can rise to his greatest possible height in talent or soul development unless he has plenty of money; for to unfold the soul and to develop talent he must have many things to use, and he cannot have these things unless he has money to buy them with.

  A man develops in mind, soul, and body by making use of things, and society is so organized that man must have money in order to become the possessor of things; therefore, the basis of all advancement for man must be the science of getting rich.

  The object of all life is development; and everything that lives has an inalienable right to all the development it is capable of attaining.

  Man’s right to life means his right to have the free and unrestricted use of all the things which may be necessary to his fullest mental, spiritual, and physical unfoldment; or, in other words, his right to be rich.

  In this book, I shall not speak of riches in a figurative way; to be really rich does not mean to be satisfied or contented with a little. No man ought to be satisfied with a little if he is capable of using and enjoying more. The purpose of Nature is the advancement and unfoldment of life; and every man should have all that can contribute to the power; elegance, beauty, and richness of life; to be content with less is sinful.

  The man who owns all he wants for the living of all the life he is capable of living is rich; and no man who has not plenty of money can have all he wants. Life has advanced so far, and become so complex, that even the most ordinary man or woman requires a great amount of wealth in order to live in a manner that even approaches completeness. Every person naturally wants to become all that they are capable of becoming; this desire to realize innate possibilities is inherent in human nature; we cannot help wanting to be all that we can be. Success in life is becoming what you want to be; you can become what you want to be only by making use of things, and you can have the free use of things only as you become rich enough to buy them. To understand the science of getting rich is therefore the most essential of all knowledge.

  There is nothing wrong in wanting to get rich. The desire for riches is really the desire for a richer, fuller, and more abundant life; and that desire is praise worthy. The man who does not desire to live more abundantly is abnormal, and so the man who does not desire to have money enough to buy all he wants is abnormal.

  There are three motives for which we live; we live for the body, we live for the mind, we live for the soul. No one of these is better or holier than the other; all are alike desirable, and no one of the three–body, mind, or soul–can live fully if either of the others is cut short of full life and expression. It is not right or noble to live only for the soul and deny mind or body; and it is wrong to live for the intellect and deny body or soul.

  We are all acquainted with the loathsome consequences of living for the body and denying both mind and soul; and we see that real life means the complete expression of all that man can give forth through body, mind, and soul. Whatever he can say, no man can be really happy or satisfied unless his body is living fully in every function, and unless the same is true of his mind and his soul. Wherever there is unexpressed possibility, or function not performed, there is unsatisfied desire. Desire is possibility seeking expression, or function seeking performance.

  Man cannot live fully in body without good food, comfortable clothing, and warm shelter; and without freedom from excessive toil. Rest and recreation are also necessary to his physical life .

  He cannot live fully in mind without books and time to study them, without opportunity for travel and observation, or without intellectual companionship.

  To live fully in mind he must have intellectual recreations, and must surround himself with all the objects of art and beauty he is capable of using and appreciating.

  To live fully in soul, man must have love; and love is denied expression by poverty.

  A man’s highest happiness is found in the bestowal of benefits on those he loves; love finds its most natural and spontaneous expression in giving. The man who has nothing to give cannot fill his place as a husband or father, as a citizen, or as a man. It is in the use of material things that a man finds full life for his body, develops his mind, and unfolds his soul. It is therefore of supreme importance to him that he should be rich.

  It is perfectly right that you should desire to be rich; if you are a normal man or woman you cannot help doing so. It is perfectly right that you should give your best attention to the Science of Getting Rich, for it is the noblest and most necessary of all studies. If you neglect this study, you are derelict in your duty to yourself, to God and humanity; for you can render to God and humanity no greater service than to make the most of yourself.

• 3:59

  titbits

   » ‎ stranded in me
  im a big fan of people who overcome all sorts of hardship n triumph... lemmi share some quotes from the O magazine
  
  "The pleasure which we most rarely experience gives us greatest delight." -- Epictetus
  
  "Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life." -- Seneca
  
  "The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now." -- James Baldwin
  
  others from here n there..
  
  "If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?" - Vince Lombardi
  

• 3:42

  Opinion on Stock brokerage Firms in Kenya

   » ‎ KA-INVESTOR
  
  Opinions expressed below are those of the person and do not constitute the offer to buy or sell investments through the named companies. Information on the performance on any brokerage firm in the country is unavailable and there is no supervision, due diligence or research report that is publicly available on the mode of operation or conduct of the member firms of the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). Most investor decisions are made based on non factual conduct and mostly public perception of stock broking firms. Our report is based on these sentiments which have come to define the general mood and feel of the market.
  {For more clear cut analysis and information check www.emergingafricacapital.com & www.smartbizafrica.com }
  
  

  
  Suntra Investment Bank
  Suntra is believed to be among the largest players in the Kenyan capital market. It doubles up as both a stock broking firm and an investment bank. It boasts of being the largest in dealing for fixed income securities. On stocks, they have an average rating from the retail investors most of who find them too large for them.
  It would be a good recommendation for a corporate institution that wants to do a placement in the local market (whether public or private).
  
  

  
  African Alliance
  African Alliance, just like Suntra Investment Bank doubles up as both a stock broking firm and an Investment Bank. They have operations in both Kenya and Uganda but that besides; they can hardly place any good deals across the border in good time- back office woes.
  However, they have been very popular to the high end investors. They have a minimum deposit which stands at Ksh. 250,000 or USD. 3,700. Their other major clients are mainly institutional.
  They will probably outsmart any company's research department as far as regional company analysis is concerned. Their research reports on companies have been accurate and have shaped market direction on many occasions. A keen observer would remember them negatively for having once changed their recommendation on Uchumi Supermarkets Ltd from a buy to sell not long before the company closed its doors.
  One would consider them if investing from outside the country but not the ordinary speculator- long term, serious investor.
  
  

  
  Ashbhu Securities Ltd
  Not popular but has a good retail outfit. Investors claim that the company changed a lot the last half of 2006 and must have undergone a management change. The small starter, this could be a good place for you.
  
  

  
  CFC Financial Services Ltd
  CFC is perhaps the corporate entity in the stock broking world that fits on both extremes. They have a good name both for the corporate and retail investors. They understand the rules and that gives a limitation to the day trader/speculator. Chances are, if you want to sell, you must present yourself and sign proper documents- no shortcuts.
  Good for the long term investor and people who understand the market but want first class professional service.
  
  

  
  Dyer & Blair
  This is the most talked about Investment Bank/Stockbroker. They have a good name in as far as underwriting of large entities especially the pre-government entities.
  Bloggers in the past have had debates that have had long strings of clients complaining about their slow service. They could do well if they packaged themselves entirely as a Corporate Finance Entity for the corporate.
  
  

  
  Francis Drummond
  Not very popular and hardly get anyone in the streets who invests through Francis Drummond.
  A report carried in a blog late last year had it that they have a feed to the UK markets. That makes a good firm for the local investors interested in the European Market. However, at a time when African Markets are yielding returns that far outweigh those of the first class economies, is there need to think far West?
  

  Kestrel Capital (East Africa)
  Kestrel mainly serves corporate and the high net worth individuals. Their research reports are also well presented and at most times, give a true picture of the market direction.
  They represent a large number of investors who are based outside the country. They have however not done much in the corporate finance scene.
  
  

  Ngenye Kariuki & Associates
  Ngenye Kariuki is a retail stock broking firm that has positioned itself well across the country through stock agents and branches. As far as the 'everyone can buy shares' mentality runs in the market, they would fall second after Nyaga Stockbrokers.
  Their back office research has nothing to show. This makes them a recommendation only for the retail investor who operates his/her account through an agent.
  
  

  Sterling Securities limited
  A client remarks, 'they are not the same anymore'. Sterling has had a good name in as far as execution of deals at the NSE is concerned. They have for the better part of last year and past two years grown to encompass a large retail and corporate client base. With the numbers increasing so fast however, focus seems to be slowly changing to a corporate structure. The company has a good front office and accessible research material from the research department.
  
  

  Apex Africa Investment Bank.
  Stereotype never parts its way from the corporate scene. Apex Africa Investment Bank has an Asian outfit. They can be defined as 'trying' due to their efforts to enter the corporate finance market. Can be a good try for the corporate investor who is ready to grow with the companies that are trying to position themeselves in the region.
  
  

  Faida Securities
  A retail investment house with huge deals and nothing for the small investor. If one can stand the queues, this will work. If not, you've got to know someone at back office.
  
  

  Bob Mathews
  Very new firm that is almost positioning itself in online trading- however, very slow. They just received their license but telling from their office, a lot is desired considering that this is a market with little competition.
  
  

  
  Standard Investment Bank
  This is perhaps the most popular retail entity in portfolio management. Their managed portfolio accounts have been quite popular since 2004. However, this has created a niche leaving normal operations of the firm a bit undesirable. Being an investment bank has not won the firm many deals. Would highly recommend their portfolio accounts but don’t expect rocket science or black magic.
  
  

  
  Solid Investments
  Poor office set up, disorganized front office and unmotivated staff. Not your typical stockbroker. Their agents have better offices. Management also slow and evasive.
  
  

  
  Reliable Securities
  Good retail broker with a conservative market approach. Never get to hear about them unless you know their dealer
  
  

  
  Discount Securities
  Average retail broker with a very conservative market approach.
  
  
  

  Rennaisance Capital
  Yet to start its operations but positioning itself properly in IT prior to their official launch. Would be interesting to see how they organize their client management- both front office, research and back office operations.
  
  

  
  Comment on Francis Thuo and Partners and Shah Munge and Partners
  Francis Thuo and Partners was suspended from the Nairobi Stock Exchange following mismanagement woes and loss of clients funds. The CEO and founder, Francis Thuo, the Managing Director had just passed on a few months before the Stockbrokerage firm was declared insolvent. It was the oldest stockbrokerage firm in the region.
  Shah Munge was the largest and the best stock broking firms in the 1990’s. That was until they were charged with corrupt practices and involvement in financial crimes. The firm was suspended and to date, the suspension has not been lifted.
  Nyaga Stockbrockers, who have also been accused of malpractice including trading in clients shares, have a policy of high secrecy. They even don’t have a website and thus every hard to gather info on them.
  
  

  
  The Market as It is today
  Brokers have tried to flex their muscles to win corporate deals in a very non-competitive market. New entrants include Sterling Securities and Bob Mathews Stockbrokers.
  The biggest players in terms of underwriting deals include Dyer and Blair Investment Bank, Standard Investment Bank and Suntra Investment Bank. Corporate deals at the local market are also dominated by the same companies and in addition Kestrel Capital and African Alliance which have positioned themselves as a corporate stockbrokers.
  
  

  
  Charges
  All brokers charge a standard fee which is regulated by the Capital Markets Authority and the Nairobi Stock Exchange. The fee is based on a base rate of 2.101% for a single transaction of below Kshs. 100,000 and 1.8101% for a single transaction of below Kshs.100,000. Out of this, only 1.5% is brokerage commission while the balance is apportioned to CMA, NSE, Stamp duty (KRA). Sometimes, brokers give a rebate out of their 1.5% slice on high net worth investors.
  
  

  {For a Comprehensive report on Kenya's Financial Service Providers, write to editor@smartbizafrica.com}
  
  

  Reblogged from Emerging Africa Capital.

• 3:15

  confused, growing up?

   » ‎ stranded in me
  geez another post on having a baby. I think my subconscious mind has been preparing me for this moment but denial took the better of me. Most of the decisions i've made in my life are suspect. to be totally honest crying babies at 3am are not what i'd call bliss yet somehow i'm willing to live with it. Being pregnant??? its not as scary as it was. there was a time i didnt know what scared me more getting pregnant or HIV, but now im willing to get pregnant. the allure of motherhood is ever so strong. boyfie made a good/reasonable point why not plan for it first? sounds like the intelligent thing to do. problem is i want a baby yesterday. Actually in my quest to have a child yesterday and be able to afford her/his upkeep im willing to take on any money making venture read job.
  will this pass? is it just a phase? what the heck is happening to me? the usual me is the girl who will do anything to keep her freedom, i want to come and go as i please not to have to stop something i want coz of another. what is happening??? im i finally growing up? is that it? have i lost my mind?
• 2:47

  stranger than fiction

   » ‎ stranded in me
  i have been having maternal thots. initially they came as daydreams and the moment the baby would cry i would get out of it. i was sure it was a phase was going through coz truth be told im not a very responsible human being and for the longest i didnt think it would be fair to subject an innocent child to having me for a mother. its hard for me to admit but these feelings have become stronger. these days i think of having a child more than i think of having a cigarette. it hurts like mad that this is possibly the worst possible time to get these feelings.
  1. money
  2. no willing 'father'
  3 money
  4no willing father
  and the list reads like that till no. 10,000.
  sometimes i get frustrated as this has been a year of many down moments, i've hardly gotten anything i wanted in terms of financial independence and believe me having financial independence and losing it is almost like getting paralysed from the neck down. the mind knows what it wants but no matter how hard it tries it cant get the body to do what it wants.
  already my mom who has been bearing the financial brunt of my lack of finances is in need of a break (donor fatigue) who can blame her? if i had to pay rent for my grown up child i'd not be too thrilled about it.
  that reminds me, we were having a conversation about priorities and how alot of my partners' finances go to booze and the social scene. once in awhile when he's feeling he's thrown good money away he'll ask why i didnt stop him. like that is even possible? if he decides he wants something no amount of convincing will get him to change his mind. sometimes that irritates the hell out of me coz i albeit reluctantly compromise. anyway i digress. i want a baby and i guess only i think its a good idea. i would love to sit and talk to someone who has been in my shoes. where would i find them? in the mean time i'll fantasise about it. i always prided myself on being self sufficient, independent, going after what i want sort of person. im letting myself down terribly. and this has happened afew times this year. Maybe its time to make final quarter resolutions. God help me.