Mashada Blogs » September 12, 2008

Kikuyumoja's realm: credit card fun

jke — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:10:41 -0400

I need a new credit card and my bank offers this special option for an extra annual fee of EUR 3,- where I can upload pictures which are then printed directly on the cc.

Atiriiri…I thought, what fun! Let’s see what my vanity (& a sleepless night, hence the motivation for this beautiful waste of time) comes up with:

1. Kikoi - I’ve actually thought about using this Kikoi image (see header logo on my blog) more often- even with a possible new WP-template.

2. Brokat - my grandmother’s ball gown (I really like the pattern!)

3. view from the backyard @ Forodha Towers on Nairobi ;-)

4. afternoon rain, somewhere between Limuru and Ruaka

5. my favourite view on Garissa

6. somewhere in Kitengela/Mbagathi. Mzeecedric knows where this is.

7. Somewhere on the way to Olepolos…

Since I can’t decide which one to choose (1.,6. or 7.?), you are hereby cordially invited to contribute your 2c-comment! :-)

You know these (basic!) VISA cards cost around 20,- EUR / a - so I was wondering whether anyone is actually using those bonus-cards (Gold, Platinum, Amazon, etc.) where you’re given extra miles for any purchase via the card + insurance package? I know the system is totally different from the one in use in the USA, but here in Europe credit cards are not that common (= not everyone has one!) as we also have national direct debit card systems such as the Maestro system by MasterCard.

Black Looks: Support Mr Ayodeji Omotade!

Sokari — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:52:38 -0400

Mr Ayodeji Omotade has been charged with threatening, abusive, insulting, disorderly behavior towards British Airways (BA) crew, as a result of intervening in the violent deportation of a fellow Nigerian. The man, who was thought to be about 30, was being held down in his seat by four or five police officers as the [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Support Mr Ayodeji Omotade!", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2008/09/support_mr_ayodeji_omotade.html" });

Black Looks: Three Spoons

Rethabile — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:03:13 -0400

After she swallowed me, my mother, swollen with me, looked for the proper place to empty me, the pain of carrying me harsh on her body, a weight in a child’s hand. So she had me among wild poppies at the foot of her bed, flowers with faces opening, and cactuses arranged in a range of well-wishing brightness smiling to welcome me. [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Three Spoons", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2008/09/three_spoons.html" });

bankelele: Real Estate Moment

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:36:00 -0400

Real Estate Moment

You Missed This: Is it Time for President Samuel Poghisio?

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:05:00 -0400

Minister for Information & Communication, ODM-Kenya Chairman and MP for Kacheliba Samuel Poghisio, gestures during an interview with Reuters in Nairobi February 6, 2008.

When it comes to alternative leadership, many Kenyans are quick to mention names like Maina Kiai, Mutava Musyimi, Wangari Maathai, John Githongo and so forth.

Has anyone looked at parliament in search for alternative leadership or does Kenya truly have a Barack Obama within our midst?

Me thinks there is!

Information and Communication minister, who is also the ODM-K MP for Kacheliba , Samuel Losurwon Poghisio is one such person. He also happens to be the latest Kenyan to declare his interest to run for presidency in 2012, presumably on ODM-K ticket.

In an elaborate series of thanksgiving and homecoming ceremonies in West Pokot district last week, Sam Poghisio not only announced his intention to run for president in 2012 but was also seemingly ‘endorsed’ by ODM-K party leader and V-P Kalonzo Musyoka, himself an interested party to the presidential ticket.

Sources reveal that before making this announcement, Poghisio has since late last year held deep consultations with Pokot elders, local MPs and political personalities who matter in the Upper Rift Valley region who have all showered him with praise, paid glowing tribute to his lengthy public service record and unequivocally supported his noble intentions to go for the presidency. Some of them have been quoted asking why ex-President Moi did not see the potential in Poghisio early enough.

Former Daystar University lecturer ‘Pogs’ (as he was popularly known by Daystar students) turns 50 this year and will be 54 by the next general elections in 2012. One of the longest serving MPs, Pogs was was first elected to parliament in 1988 at the age of 30 and has been consequently relected in 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007.

The 2007 general elections were most remarkable for Pogs, considering ODM swept most of the parliamentary seats in Kalenjin land. One of those that were spared was Kacheliba which elected an ODM-K MP, reputed to be the only one in the entire expansive Rift Valley province. Perhaps his strongest selling point is that, unlike most of the leading Rift Valley politicians, Poghisio is among the few moderate former KANU MPs who did not inherit their political mantles and remain largely untainted by corruption or ethnic cleansing allegations normally associated with bigwigs of the former ruling party. Interestingly, these KANU moderates, which featured the likes of the late Bonaya Godana and Robert Ouko, were generally acceptable to opposition supporters before and after the struggle of multi-party politics during those dark Moi days.

Most of his colleagues in parliament cutting across political parties rate Poghisio very highly and civil servants who have had the pleasure to serve under his ministry describe him as a strict but amenable boss.

Political analysts and a few Western diplomats believe a Poghisio presidency could help heal and unite the country. It could also offer the best chance for facilitation of fair, representative and acceptable constitutional reforms because, unlike ALL potential candidates from the so-called major tribes, Poghisio does not have any significant personality scores to settle with anybody in Kenya, and neither does he nor the Pokot people have any historical grievances that might cause a split in this country right down the middle. In other words, he carries no political burden that would work against him in the eyes of all Kenyan people.

What are his REAL chances of being elected president of Kenya?

To begin with, while still in ODM-K, Pogs has to contend with going beyond V-P Kalonzo Musyoka, who by virtue of being a sitting Vice President and the party’s former presidential candidate, has a huge headstart over Pogs. Even more challenging, the party is still in the hands of Daniel Maanzo who remains more of a Kalonzo ally than a Poghisio ally.

Beyond Kalonzo lie national challenges. Mwai Kibaki, Daniel Arap Moi and Jomo Kenyatta were all elected and supposedly ‘re-elected’ to the presidency under varying circumstances. But if the truth be told, they had to use incumbency to manipulate things in their favour so as to win. Pogs faces an uphill task and unfortunately Western diplomats or leaders who have so far endorsed him do not provide the millions of votes required to win a presidential contest.

One of the shortest ways to the the top of the political ladder is for Pogs to effectively market himself. And here, effective could mean staging a bloodless coup in ODK-K where he is already Chairman but his aim should be to take over and declare himself party leader. He has willing partners in the Kilonzos and Kubebea. Thereafter, he should immediately embark on establishing alliances with parties that can be sold countrywide as opposed to briefcase parties.

As a former high school teacher and university lecturer, Pogs is a man of modest means and even then, hails from one of those tribes that most Kenyans have very little knowledge of except perhaps cattle rustling and other backward behaviour. The Pokots are sometimes considered to be non-Kenyans and are frequently derogated to join their Karamoja kinsmen in Uganda. One important aspect of any presidential campaign in Kenya is the ability of the respective candidates to marshall funds that can adequately finance a formidable campaign effort. A conservative budget for both party and candidate can be placed at Kshs. 5 billion. Is Pogs ready to raise and part with this mind-boggling amount considering it is a risk that carries no guarantee of winning?

Controversy sells. As a politician who is on the threshold of his third decade in parliament, I bet he knows this very well. As a Pokot MP, he has courted many controversies, just like his mentor Francis Lotodo. But West Pokot District is not the same a platform as national politics. Poghiso will need to adopt radical positions (similar to what Raila Odinga, Martha Karua and William Ruto have done) so as to capture the national psyche. With the constitutional referendum coming up, it is a perfect opportunity for Pogs associate himself with the push for anything that identifies with the masses in West Pokot and the country at large (eg. devolution or parliamentary system) and then openly and radically push for its enactment in the final draft.

Poghisio belongs to the Nilotic Pokot sub-tribe of the Kalenjin who occupy the West Pokot and Baringo Districts of Rift Valley, Kenya and also in Eastern Karamoja on the Ugandan side of the border. There are less than 150,000 registered voters in the entire West Pokot district comprising three constituencies of Kacheliba, Kapenguria and Sigor. He is already popular enough in West Pokot, he needs to extend this popularity in to neighbouring districts and eventually to the larger Rift Valley so as to be at par with, if not greater than, the William Rutos of this world.

In 2002, Mwai Kibaki’s election not only brought an end to KANU’s 40 years grip on power but it also successfully united the country as never seen since the formation of FORD in 1992. If any of the two leading political parties (ODM and PNU) could put ethnicity aside in 2012, then form an alliance with ODM-K (assuming the party nominates Pogs) and all rally behind Poghisio’s run for presidency (like they did Kibaki’s), then Kenyans can begin to boast to belong to the same league of 'tribeless' societies like Tanzania.

ODM- Kenya soon goes to its own retreat to discuss how it will comply with the provisions of the political parties act. Other than this challenge, the party will also have to discuss and resolve its future relationship with PNU and by extension the thorny issue of internal rebellion, as well as the recent declaration by its Chairman Samuel Popghisio that he is gunning for the presidency in 2012.

Please ODM-K, do not let brother ‘Pogs’ be another Julia Ojiambo running mate circus!

The Benin Epilogue Part I: Africa-Ready for Business: Sarah Palin evades interview questions and admits ignorance on "the Bush Doctrine"

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:45:00 -0400

In an exclusive ABC news Interview conducted by "World News" anchor Charlie Gibson, Sarah Palin didn't seem to understand important issues especially those relating to national security.

ABC's Charlie Gibson was very specific When he asked the republican Vice Presidential nominee to elaborate on the claims made by John McCain that she had sufficient credentials to handle national security because she "commanded the Alaskan National Guard".

She evaded that question and instead yelled what appeared to be a crammed statement crafted by the McCain team.

".....I worked as chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission....."

An answer to which Charlie reminded her that national security is a whole lot more than energy. She paused for a while looking very perplexed then said "......energy is a foundation of national security"

A rookie she seemed but had perfect recall ability. She said word for word what the McCain team had written down for her to cram in anticipation for the interview.

Her ignorance on crucial international and local issues was exposed throughout the interview....CLICK HERE TO READ THE INTERVIEW

Memories, Sentiments, Rants and Raves: Whopped!

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:47:00 -0400

My life has been comfortable by and large with just enough pressure and stress. That was until yesterday, i saunter into class literally and even before i sit am informed that i have a research paper that is overdue. Whats with people flashing their completed assignments can't they just hand them in quietly, show offs.After that comes the handouts i missed, upcoming exams, other papers whose deadlines are in a week or two tops. I get home, fix a snack and Google till late. This is cool though some of the material i find is irrelevant, in the middle of the whole thing, the reminder for the 7:30am meeting with boss man pops up. Decide what to wear and force some sleep, cant sleep so i watch a bit of Sheep in big city only i end up more alert.

Alarm, its 5:45am get out of bed its raining outside, turn on the heater, mumble a prayer get back to bed. At quarter past six, boss man sends a text that he cant make it to meeting so move the meeting for later. Great, only am awake and cant go back to bed so i put on some music and make a cuppa to drink, while i get ready. Its Friday, time for the weekly meeting where departments heads brag about their achievements or defend their peoples for not meeting targets. While at the meeting, i get the ultimate wake up call. Rehearsal is over, stage is set time for me to go on and do my thing. As at now, all i know is that am in major trouble. I have to tweak my schedules and while i know i should be panicking or worried instead i have a rush that i cant explain. Time to draw work plans, dust the card holder, get ready for meetings and ask for patience because some meetings incite homicidal thoughts.

Now that work and school is kicking my ass, time to bust a move. Looks like this weekend will find me at the library. I dislike libraries too quiet for my taste, makes want to burst out into a song or poem then blame it on some disease.

Lastly, a quote from Sheep in big city

Ranting Swede: I'll tell you one thing that really clips my begonias... Coffee Tables! Is every beverage in the world going to want its own table now? Oh, here's the coffee table, here's the tea table, oh, watch out! Here's the lemon-flavored seltzer water table. Where's it all going to end? I drink both root beer and diet root beer. There'll be no place in my house for my shoes! And another thing, if they can put a man on the moon, why can't they leave him there?

Have a blessed and easy weekend my peoples!

My part of the world.......: Yet Another Friday!

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:30:00 -0400

One thing that many Kenyans struggle with when they come to the States is the fine art of tipping. You see back home there is no set formula per se when it comes to tipping. You either do it or you don't. You do it if you like the place, if it's high class or you are a regular there and have a good rapport with the staff. It's a whole different ball game in the States where most people in the service industry are paid far less than other professional so tips are a major part of their income and also a way of showing appreciation for their work.
Unfortunately many people don't realize that so I have gone out to eat with friends and have people look at me weirdly when they see me doing some quick math in my head before leaving a tip while they either wouldn't or would just leave any loose change that was gathering lint in their pockets. But on the other hand I do admit that the issue of who should be tipped and who shouldn't be tipped is rather complex and confusing. I read this article for some guidance and came to this fine conclusion, I'll carry my own bags, make my own coffee, buy food from the drive through, drink at home and do my own hair! It's too expensive out there for a man like me.

I know some rap/hip-hop lovers are going to try and hunt me down but I'm going to say this anyway. Lil Wayne's voice gets on my nerves, yes the dude can rhyme but there is only so much of his voice I can take in an hour. I mean listen to this song and tell me you can sit down and listen to that for an hour straight?

If I wasn't so apathetic about everything, I would blog about my workplace is slowly but surely turning into a bad episode of The Office. Well as that slowly happens I am slowly turning into one of the subsets of employees I once learned about in a class about Personnel Management. The character in question is called the Conserver. You see Conservers know how to do their job as fast as possible with the least needed effort and in the optimal amount of time (not too long, not too short). In addition to this I have also learnt that in my organization innovation results in more work for you but more credit to someone else usually a superior ( I learnt this the hard way). But let it be known that this Conserver did not go to school for all those years for nothing, I have also mastered the fine art of dissuading superiors from appropriating other organizations' concepts and putting me in charge of it by appealing to their fiscal sense of responsibility. So in a nutshell I do what I'm paid to do and keep my head down, that's pretty much it; anything else will cost them extra......

Before I leave, time for a PSA. A good friend of mine is doing a 3 day walk to raise money for Breast Cancer research. I know this issue affects and has affected many of us, so if you can please make a donation or give moral support! Thanks!

TGIF and bon weekend!