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• February 24, 2009
• 23:50

  African Male Domination Dramatized Or Whatever You Want To Call It........

   » ‎ My part of the world.......

  Tags:  Observations  

  
  
  I could not find a picture dramatizing my post so the one of the man seated above shall have to do
  
  I am sure many of my female readers who have ever lived in an African country can relate to the following scenario. You get onto a bus or other means of public transport and take a seat. A man comes in a few minutes later and proceeds to sit next to you. He then proceeds to open his legs as wide as possible and crush you into the corner of the seat seemingly oblivious to his actions.
  
  I have referred to it as an African or rather third world issue since proximity is different in the West. People in the West operate like they have small force fields around them repelling each other so as not to get too close to each other. You don't have that luxury in the third world countries so people end up being in close contact more often than not.
  
  Anyway back to the matter at hand. The funny thing is that most men don't even realize that they are doing it until of course the lady seated next to them complains bitterly about it. Sociologists do say that seating with your legs spread eagle when it comes to business is a show of power (feel free to dispute this). That and the fact that we all know how many African and other third world men feel like they are the dog's pyjamas wouldn't preclude them from sitting in such a way. In my defence, I sit like that due to the fact that I have balls of brass. Even so it's always interesting to see how body language and expression changes from place to place according to gender roles and perception. I'll think of that the next time I'm trying to keep my legs closed so as not to smoosh a lady against the the bus window. As for the rest of the men out there, I shall leave it to your ladies to school them since social issues are hardly my forte.
  
  In other news the recession is continuing to bite. I am trying to find a way to blog about it but words fail me for the most part since it's like someone telling you write about a tornado, you know what it is you are looking at but describing it is the hard part. This is a small snippet of the panorama, there is this lady who weathered out the Great Depression in the 30's, she has videos on-line of the frugal meals they made from basic ingredients that got them through. The videos are a hit and her website is down due to too much traffic. But as the Good Book says, "It came to pass," so I am not fretting.
  
  
  Ps: Useless Acolyte trivia #2301 - Acolyte loves coming home to a silence. He finds it very calming and relaxing....

• 21:50

  Why Localization Matters

   » ‎ Afromusing

  Tags:  Africa  

  Define:Localization
  “In computing, internationalization and localization (also spelled internationalisation and localisation) are means of adapting computer software to different languages and regional differences. Internationalization is the process of designing a software application so that it can be adapted to various languages and regions without engineering changes. Localization is the process of adapting software for a specific region or language by adding locale-specific components and translating text.”

  Whenever I think about technology and Africa, the importance of localization really sticks out in my mind. I harken back to the posts by Ethan Zuckerman and Koranteng Ofusu Amaah to revisit this issue. Ever had problems with images you uploaded to flickr?

  As a software designer, Koranteng understands how hard it is to get the details of localization right - full support for different character sets and text that reads right to left instead of left to right. But he’s also interested in the cultural details of software design, which can be so subtle that you’re unlikely to detect them unless you’re directly effected by them:

  Koranteng wrote:

  The first thing I very quickly noticed: somehow all the photos that I uploaded to Yahoo Photos turned out darker than on Flickr (the services both resize uploaded photos). The photo-resizing algorithm used by Yahoo Photos was giving worse results. This was noticeable to me because a large number of photos featured darker-skinned people such as myself. The originals were fine and where there were lighter skin tones everything looked good, but with darker skintones, the resized photos were not so good.

  Ethan noted that Koranteng found similar problems with Flickr’s flash plug-in and slideshow feature, as well as with Adobe Photoshops “Quick Fix” and “Auto Correct” options. Has anything changed since 2005 when Ethan wrote about this? I do not think so, but correct me if i am wrong.

  Localization matters because cultural sensitivity in technology is paramount to designing products that work as well as possible for all communities.
  

  Localization matters because, as this African technologist’s said…
  “if it’s meant to be local, it should be locally developed” - Paa Kwesi Imbeah

  So where are we today in terms of localization of software in Africa?

  The most successful story that illustrates what opportunities there are in solving African (sw localization) problems with African solutions is that of Ted Kidane of Feedelix. Feedelix is currently providing products that allow SMS editing in Hindi, Chinese and Ethiopic. Software made by an African and now providing products to the world.

  Another organization to watch and take note of is Kasahorow in Ghana. These guys are doing some incredibly cool stuff.
  

  Kasahorow has been working on the Africa keyboards to aid in writing African content, in African languages. They are doing this for all the major operating systems. More info can be found here, including a downloadable package that you can try out. If your main language is Akan, Gaa, Gbe, Hausa, Igbo, Kikuyu, Luo, Swahili, Tswana and Youruba be sure to download that package.

  Kasahorow is working on the ANLoc Project; a partnership with other organizations to address the issue of localization by creating locales, building tools, terminologies, standards, etc. More info about ANLoc can be found on African localisation dot net. Gotta love their tag line ‘The African Network for Localization’

  There is a firefox add-on that Kasahorow released: Ladies and gentlemen, the Akan Dictionary for Firefox 3.0. Dare I say, cool stuff indeed.

  Localization matters because it is empowering.
  If ANLOC can succeed in its mission to enable Africans to participate in the digital age by making it easier for people to use technology in the language they are comfortable with, this only bodes well for the preservation of African languages and even fostering innovation. Ideas expressed in many ways, not just in English. (Yes, i do enjoy pointing out the obvious sometimes)

  Like Jeremy Clarke of Global Voices put it simply: English != Global. The GV Lingua project, translates GV content from English to 15 languages, with Swahili and Polish translations having been added recently. Translations work best when the person has cultural context to allow for expressions in slang and language structures that are difficult to build into machine language. This is another example of localization + aggregation of content. Dare i say again, cool stuff indeed.

  Another site to keep an eye on is AppAfrica, If i am not mistaken, there will be a project to translate tutorials from English to Swahili on their code repository.

  On a global level, the ubiquity (firefox) experiment from Mozilla labs seeks to empower users and lusers heh heh to control the web browser with language based instruction. They want to make this available in more than 60 languages. Check it out here, and contribute to it if you can.
  Watch this clip of Aza Raskin showing how ubiquity works.

  
  Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

  All in all, in real estate they always say location, location, location…when it comes to African tech i would categorically say localization, localisation, localization. (thank the Brits and Americans for the spelling differences). I would like to hear your thoughts on localization, if you have other examples, and of course more on the mobile web, which I did not touch on on this post.

  PS: I am currently in Geneva Switzerland for the Lift Conference. The tag to follow on twitter, flickr and blogs is lift09.

   

• 19:58

  Anti-Bono

   » ‎ Kenyan Pundit

  Tags:  Miscellany  

  Dambisa Moyo, author of “Dead Aid” is featured in the New York Times Magazine. I’m feeling her riff on celebrities and Africa (add Nicholas Kristoff to the gag list), though I must say we as Africans are not exactly helping our cause when we do things like steal maize meant for famine relief and have Cabinets with 40 ministers funded by KENYANS.

  Sigh.

• 14:23

  Africa Gathering

   » ‎ Kikuyumoja's realm

  Tags:  BarCamps  

  “Have you blogged about it?”, he asked. - “Yes, I microblogged it.”

  Fellow blogger CG just reminded me to mention the upcoming Africa Gathering on Saturday, 25th April 2009 (@ Clore Management Centre, Birkbeck College, Torrington Square, London, WC1 7HX, United Kingdom) which I had only briefly mentioned on the Afritwit Twitter account the other day.

  “…a day for thinkers, supporters, sponsors, doers, geeks, dreamers - and everybody else to come and share, promote, highlight, progress and evolve issues related to ICT, social networking and technology in Africa.” (src)

  I btw consider this gathering a follow-up to the other two AfricaCamps which took place in Vienna, Austria and MountainView, Goolge HQ, USA some time ago.

  

  I secured my ticket for this fine event three weeks ago, but am yet to organize transport to & accomodation in London for the weekend 24-26th April. Flights from Frankfurt-Hahn via Ryanair seem to be quite affordable, but the rest is still open end - also because there are like a hundred other urgent tasks for me right now so that I am just doing it the hakuna shida / mungu akipenda way which means less planning (the German in me) and more believing in that everything will just work out fine.

  The list of proposed talks is already quite impressive, so it will be particularly interesting to connect with other likeminded Afriactivists.

  On a personal agenda, I am also still looking for a way to combine my three topics - sanitation, Africa and ICT - into a worthwile business because I am sure there’s a way to connect all of these three.

  Oh, and if I get an opportunity to present some slides on AfriGadget, I will try to speak slowly, loud and clear :-)

  
  

  

• 14:18

  Dreams, Come and Gone

   » ‎ Words Much Like Poetry
  "Someone may have stolen your dream when it was young and fresh and you were innocent. Anger is natural. Grief is appropriate. Healing is mandatory. Restoration is possible." ~ Jane Rubietta
  
  
  
  I stole away my own dreams with the mistakes that I made, but I am not uncommon in that respect.
  
  The majority of the women in my circle of friends are single moms, like myself, and I'm sure the world over knows the trials and tribulations of women as us very well.
  
  Forgive my anger, but what right does that then give a stranger to disparage me?
  
  I've done the best that I could with the resources available to me, longing for more, but never asking for it. Poverty is not an easy thing to overcome, though, and I tire of the struggle of redefining my station.
  
  I wish I could turn away from the world at times, bury myself in the hot sand and bask in that ceaseless warmth, but I can't. Who would take care of my children if I did? What a saving grace they are, little human forms wrapped in justification and renewal. But they can only heal a portion of my fractured spirit. The rest... Only Providence can say.
  
  Image: Michael Lukas Leopold Willman, Landscape with the Dream of Jacob, 1691

• 12:17

  Slumdog Millionaire: Profiting off Poverty?

   » ‎ Kenyanentrepreneur.com

  Tags:  Foreign Policy  

  I guess some Indians are unhappy about the portrayal of India in the movie Slumdog Millionaire.  They think people in the west will see the film and associate India only with filth and poverty. I saw the movie and didn’t think it was that good.  I think Mira Nair’s The Namesake was much better. They’re a [...]

• 10:55

  From A Fly On The Wall

   » ‎ tHiNkEr'S rOoM

  Tags:  politics  

  Minister: Yes, I am fully behind Miller
  Chair: OK then, one vote for Cecil
  Minister: Wait! Who?
  Chair: Cecil. Miller’s first name is Cecil
  Minister: (Incredulously) You mean it’s not Maize?

  © M for tHiNkEr'S rOoM, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
  Post tags:
  

  

• 8:27

  Global? Or Just International?

   » ‎ What An African Woman Thinks
  I think in this day and age, organisations are too quick to refer to themselves as global when all they mean is that they have branches all over the world.
  
  Not so.
  
  That might make them international, but it doesn’t qualify them as global, in my mind.
  
  As I see it, what makes an organisation truly global is a unifying global vision created with input from all the parts that make up its whole and that is then implemented by all these parts in ways that make sense in the different contexts. That way, there's global ownership of the vision and local ownership of the means of implementation.
  
  Also, all parts of the truly global organisation must to a reasonable extent be able to exist on their own or, must at least be working on a plan toward this end. If any part only exists as long as the other part exists, then it doesn’t really exist except as a local expression of the part without which it cannot exist. Also known as a branch.
  
  What else do you think makes an organisation truly global?It's my window, but I don't own the view.

• 8:15

  ColdTusker applies for the Greatest Job in the World

   » ‎ Rants, Raves & Reviews

  Tags:  Rave  

  Job opening - the Greatest Job in Kenya

  Would you like to lead the beautiful country of Kenya, where your followers will all be tribal voters, your friends are sycophants, your team an army of highly effective corrupt and evil criminals (all trained at the school of Mwalimu Moi). You will preside over the collapse of an economy and oversee a transformation of a once proud people to a state of beggars.

  Kenya
  We are a bankrupt country looking for a suitable candidate to rule the nation of some 39 million poor Africans. The ideal candidate should have no scruples, no guilt complexes, and a willingness to break the law (he or she will never be investigated). The candidate should be willing to protect corruption, impunity, illegal forces, and police brutality, willing to turn a blind eye to extrajudicial killings, famine, disease and extreme poverty. He or she should have a crazy spouse whose antics can be used as a diversion or smokescreen when necessary. He or she will accept and protect all wrong doers. He or she may need to devise crafty fund raising schemes to liquidate state assets for purposes of buying elections or lining ones own and friends or relatives, pockets. He or she is required to befriend and work with wanted criminals. He or she must be deaf, blind and mute in order to effectively ignore the rapid decline in state. He can use police force to quell any dissent from the population. He is not expected to know the people, indeed the less he knows the better.

  Presidency – the job of the president is to amass personal wealth and to protect criminal politicians, family and friends. This job will be starting January 2012.

  Job description –ignoring state policies and regulations in order to protect corrupt and criminal politicians and amass wealth.

  Performance standards: This is a challenging position and a successful president will be measured by his ability to rig successive elections. He will also exceed the crimes of the previous president past five years within his first term.

  Minimum Qualifications – a previous criminal record, ability to steal with impunity, ability to creatively protect corrupt friends. Excellent acting skills especially feigning sickness and ignorance. A network of the worlds most wanted criminals. Colourful wives and friends an advantage. Only blind, deaf mute candidates need apply, alcoholics or other drug dependency preferred.

  Special duties – attend state parties, cutting ribbons, drinking at golf competitions, extensive travel to Dubai, China and other shopping havens.

  Work schedule and station– one hour per year, timing flexible.

  Budget - none, the country is bankrupt

  Remuneration – the president can take whatever he desires for himself, family and friends, including cash and properties which can be grabbed as required

  Perks – astronomical allowances, access to any land or assets required, Great family benefits, contracts for children. You will never be investigated,

  Accountability – none.

  Contract terms renewable every 4 years (you can change this and declare presidency for life).

  Your team

  Prime Minister – Your closest asset. Responsible for for maintaining a state of fear, coordinating mass killings, rape and looting. In charge of overseeing a parallel corruption system, ensures protection of criminals, and undermining your government. Responsible for keeping quiet.

  Vice president – protects your back and helps orchestrate the illegal acquisition of funds for your next election. The Vice president is responsible for maintaining silence on national scandals.

  Cabinet Ministers – People you select for their contribution to your election kitty. Responsible for vomiting on the shoes of donors. These people will serve you faithfully in degazetting forests, stealing grain, stealing pensions etc etc.

  Official Spokesperson – Responsible for ensuring you don’t have to appear in person to respond to any uncomfortable scandals like raids on media houses, missing grain, Armenian brothers, police brutality, extrajudicial killings, or arms to Sudan. Responsible for carrying your cross.

  First Lady – Your court jester. Fashion oblivious, extreme temper, slap happy. Responsible for national entertainment and creating a diversion when journalists get too close to scandals.

  Other wives, mistresses and sycophants – Your silent loyal army from the mountains that does most of your work. Responsible for setting fashion standards, organizing deals, being proxies on fishy contracts, representing you incognito, and are the real center of power in the country.

  Members of parliament – a bunch of bickering elected folk who need to pay off their votes. Responsible for setting their own salaries and perks.

  Apply now to Applications@ThegreatestjobinKenya.con

  Full credit to http://wildaboutafrica.wordpress.com

  

• 8:09

  Guilty As Charged

   » ‎ What An African Woman Thinks
  Consider this a disclaimer which has been a long time coming: I speak as an African but I do not speak for all of Africa.
  
  Hear this, understand this. My opinions may be strong and my voice may be loud but I do not claim to represent anyone but myself.
  
  (How can I? Who am I?)
  
  I know what I know, I think what I think and I feel what I feel and you’re guaranteed to bump into some or all of that when you wander into this part of the cloud. And then maybe you choose to stay a while or you choose to wander off somewhere else.
  
  Just remember, mine is one small facet of the range and depth of the African experience. I have the right to express myself, but so do hundreds of millions of others across the length and width of this continent.
  
  I have access to this particular means and platform of expression but that does not make me special, it makes me privileged.
  
  Think of it this way:Africa's an elephant. I'm a little flea on her back. I cannot begin to appreciate all that she is, even though she is where I belong, she is my place to call home and she is where I graze my goat (who, come to think of it has not graced these pages for a long time). Africa is, I have come to believe, my particular strain of madness. (Because everyone has their own.)
  
  If you have been thinking it, I will say it out loud for you, just to get it out of the way: whether about aid, or about faith, or about being a woman or indeed about any topic under the sun, you are sure to find millions of Africans who think differently than I do. And, should you have trouble finding them, I can help you.
  
  In this space, however, for better for worse, I do not make a particular effort to be representative. I’m intent, only, on being me.
  
  So there you have it. I am the flea. Africa is an elephant. What do I know except what I know?
  
  I’ve run out of ways to say this. I’ve probably said it enough.
  
  I speak here, in this blog, as an African, but I do not speak for Africa.It's my window, but I don't own the view.

• 3:46

  Omar al-Bashir’s Spirit Thrives In Kenya

   » ‎ You Missed This
  It has taken the rule of Sudan’s sitting president, Omar al-Bashir, six years to exterminate 300,000 fellow citizens. That’s about 137 victims per day…for six years. While not exactly Adolf Hitler proportions, his is still a pretty efficient killing machine, wouldn’t you say?
  
  Next Wednesday, the ICC sits to determine whether the charges against Bashir warrant a date at The Hague. There’s a chance they may let him free to continue roaming the sand dunes of Sudan atop a camel chewing miraa under the desert sun. You see, France, Russia, Britain and China are willing to essentially pardon the president, provided he shows a serious commitment to the peace process. What exactly is a ‘serious commitment’ to the peace process? That’s a rhetorical question. The four out of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, with ‘special powers’ to suspend ICC charges, are afraid that violence will increase exponentially should a warrant for his arrest be issued. Proper English calls that blackmail. Add that to the fact that the ICC is broke and in fact considering the release of Charles Taylor. Yes folks, the guy whose war tactics included chopping off limps, ears and surgically removing the full breasts of lactating mothers by use of rusty farm implements….such as the ones transported to Western Province in Kenya government vehicles prior to our bungled elections. You know you are a failed state when a local tribunal is regarded as the worse proposition even with the current state of the ICC.
  
  Well, it goes without saying that our local PEV superstar suspects are carefully analyzing each step Bashir takes with great interest. This is an important ‘case study’ that may set the precedent assuring our prime suspects peace of mind. The argument will always be the same; frog matching suspects to The Hague will ultimately provide their supporters the green light to embark on large scale mayhem. The formula is simple. If you are going to commit any level of genocide or war crimes against humanity, do so with the utmost ruthlessness. You not only achieve your devious aims but also leave behind a bloody track record of what your supporters are capable of repeating were you called to answer silly questions at The Hague. Is there anything or anyone who can prevent our prime suspects from pursuing similar blackmail tactics? To maintain peace, justice will have to be curtailed.
  
  This should not mean anything to Kenyans; of course unless we consider the fact that our current coalition government was established on the same premise; that of peace over justice. These ‘principals’ did not hug, kiss and make merry to provide Kenyans a route to prosperity and good living. Rather, they did so to stop Kenyans from shedding blood. Kofi Annan’s primary job was to stop the bleeding; not to clean and heal the wound. If we wanted a clean government geared towards healing the nation, we should have chosen justice over peace. It’s funny we are now preoccupied in searching the source of our government’s incompetence yet the majority of us breathed a sigh of relief at the raising of Raila’s and Kibaki’s jointed palms. Honestly, what were we thinking? Depending on your political affiliation at the time, one of the two ‘principals’ was in fact a culprit. Yes folks, a culprit with whom we rewarded either the presidency or premiership based on the fear of continued mayhem as may be delivered by his supporters.
  
  What follows is a bloated government held at ransom by itself. One defined by its record breaking inefficiency in service delivery but with very high expectations from the public. Combine the pre-election promises of both principals into one government policy and you will start to see what the public expects. Think of visions upon visions of the Kenya we want and you will understand why 70% percent of us would rather see the whole machinery close shop. Here we are today starving for lack of maize, forgetting sold hotels and expecting the very same scandalous people, who we knew are culprits from day one, to own up to political responsibility; whatever that means.
  
  Listen, as afflicted Kenyans, we must continue seeking for accountability on a daily basis, however, please do not go on hunger strike expecting the status quo to change….as you will surely starve to death.Kumekucha

  

  

• 3:19

  Marriage, HIV and Cheating.

   » ‎ Farmgal
  According to a relationship expert. 98% of people in relationships (men and women) have cheated or are cheating. More married people are HIV positive than singles. And according to Rants and Raves of a Kenyan gay guy. Between him and his friends, they know at least 30 married men who are sleeping with gay guys. Making them [...]

• 1:59

  Kenya Airways - Oversold?

   » ‎ Rants, Raves & Reviews

  Tags:  Rave  

  I was reviewing share prices vs reported book values & my own 'projections' of profits. So what follows are my own views/opinions.
  
  I will discuss the prospects of various listed firms as businesses with a discussion of the share prices as well. As many of you know I am a huge Warren Buffet fan so I hope I do him justice.
  
  Pick # 1 (BTW, WB does not believe in investing in airlines... I know, I know...)
  
  Kenya Airways (KQ) - Price on 24-02-2009 is 20/-
  
  KQ has faced a tough 3 years with the plane crash in May 2007 - this was at the peak for KQ - and then the hits started;
  - elections in late 2007
  - post-election violence in 2008
  - record high oil/fuel prices
  - global financial turmoil in late 2008 & continuing
  
  So the question is whither KQ as a business?
  
  Let's do a SWOT Analysis (I will update it as I get comments)
  
  Strengths
  

  1. KQ is among Africa's largest & strongest airlines. Dominant in E & C Africa.
  2. Strong Balance Sheet (Sep 30 2008) shows Kes 10bn in cash/liquid assets. Approx 20/- per share.
  3. National airline thus an advantage in getting airport slots in bilateral agreements.
  4. Privatized for over a decade. GoK owns 23%. KLM 26%. Better management vs government controlled firms.
  5. KQ can survive 2 years of losses while smaller airlines will collapse.
  6. Majority of the revenue is in US$, GBP & Euros.
  7. Aircraft have high fixed costs but deployment is flexible.
     

  Weakenesses
  

  1. Single hub (JKIA) thus exposure to local politics - see effect on KQ during Nov 08-Mar 09 election period.
  2. Inefficient hub (JKIA is controlled by the GoK) leading to inefficiencies.
  3. Reliance on government controlled entities for Jet A1 fuel. KQ faces problems sourcing fuel in various countries including Kenya, Ghana, DRC, Zambia, etc.
  4. Over-reliance on Europe for tourists. Credit crunch in Europe will hurt KQ.
  5. Inflexible (high fixed-cost) aircraft. Only 3 Embraers (E-190). The rest are Boeing jets.
  6. Higher cost airline with large(r), unionized & inflexible contingent of staff.
     

  
  Opportunities
  

  1. Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), has the lowest airline penetration.
  2. Ineffecient government owned/controlled carriers (e.g. Air Tanzania, Air Zimbabwe, SAA) benefits KQ.
  3. Increasing African trade with the Mid-East, Far East, China & India will increase passenger & cargo numbers.
  4. Huge potential in tourism from the increasingly wealthier Chinese, Indians & Middle Easterners.
  5. KQ has become the 'local' or 'regional' airline for many SSA countries e.g. Lusaka-Lilongwe, Lagos-Abidjan-Monrovia, Accra-Freetown, etc.
  6. Global Financial Crisis will enable 787 deliveries to be made sooner than expected.
     

  Threats
  

  1. Ethiopian Airlines has a stronger pan-African presence & better global reach vs KQ. And it keeps growing.
     
  2. Airlines privatizing - or recently privatized - all over Africa including Air Tanzania, Air Uganda, Air Malawi, etc.
  3. New & expanding Low-Cost Airlines (Jetlink, Fly540)
     
  4. Low purchasing power in SSA means air travel is a luxury for 99% of the population thus limited growth in the next 5 years.
  5. High & volatile oil (fuel) prices.
  6. Low barriers to entry. Anyone can buy a plane (see Fly540, Air Uganda). Both in Kenya & in SSA.
     

  
  Financial Discussion
  
  

  • KQ has almost 20/- (per Sep 30 2008 balance sheet) in cash or near-cash. The 1H 2008-9 period was barely profitable BUT most other airlines made losses.
  • Oil prices were at their peak in 1H 2008-9 but they have dropped by 65% though KQ entered into unfavourable hedges which will continue into 2009. KQ will see benefits of lower prices in 2009-10.
  • KQ has been aggressively expanding in 2008. KQ will continue expanding into Africa & globally in 2009:
    

  1. Dhaka (Bangladesh)
  2. Kisangani (DRC)
  3. Libreville
  4. Blantyre (Malawi)
  5. Malabo (Equatorial Guinea)
     

  The good news for KQ is that they can easily discontinue loss-making routes while open new routes rapidly provided they have agreements in place.
  
  So the business is OK. Sustainable. And growing 50% over the next 3-5 years.
  
  Earnings: KQ barely managed 1.59 for 1H 2008-9. I expect a better 2H thus at least 3.50 for FY 2008-9 which leads me to say BUY.
  
  PE = 6x which is great. Cash flow will be lower as KQ spends to expand.
  PB = 0.5 (Kes depreciation has boosted value of aircraft/assets but note an offset for US$ loans/liabilities)