Mashada Blogs » June 26, 2009

Memories, Sentiments, Rants and Raves: Awarded!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:09:00 -0400

“This award is bestowed upon a fellow blogger whose blog content or design is, in the giver’s opinion, brilliant.”And so the 3toc tagged me, thank thank. Having done one too many lists on this blog forgive any repeats here. Here goes:-

1.I have up and downs in my spiritual life. I love God. I have moments when i love to be in his presence but i have been on a dry spell where even praying is a big deal.I am getting back up there, thanks to my prayer warriors(my mum and sister)who hold me up.

2.I have never had issues with my weight until earlier this month, the doctor informed me that am too heavy for my bones. I love my size, i love being round and "curvy" but it has to go so health eating and exercise are in full force, of course plus occasional indulgence.

3.I just finished some classes that i have been taking so that i can switch careers, results are out on the first week of July.

4.I finally decided on my side hustle of choice and am actively working on it in partnership with my parents. It will take a lot of time and money but it feels great to spend time with folks and i know we cannot fail.

5.I do not watch horror, thrillers or any scary movies because i get nightmares, yes you read right, nightmares. This ends with me sleeping with the telly on plus a bible/rosary or sleeping over at a friends. So no scary movies for me.

6. A couple of my friends are getting married this year from July to end year we have at least one wedding each month and two in others. This means dresses, heels, weird questions, bridal showers, cake, dancing and great fun always.

7.I love spending time alone, i can sit at my house the whole weekend without the need to hang out with other people.I miss traveling alone and plan to by the end of the year.

8. In the last 3 months, a lot has happened and i feel like even though i was involved i got to look at it all from outside. I have had to review what friendship is, what matters, what i can live with and without. Subconsciously decisions have been made, plans made and are now in action. I like this work in progress me.

9. I intend to learn how to swim and a foreign language this year.

10. I have discovered great music thanks to some great bloggers. Here's to many more.

Thanks to all who read this blog and comment, to lurkers and to all who mail.Am truly grateful and mi casa su casa.

The Benin Epilogue Part I: Africa-Ready for Business: MediaPost Publications The Internet Vs. Al Ries 06/26/2009

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:39:00 -0400

MediaPost Publications The Internet Vs. Al Ries 06/26/2009: "In a trade publication last month, marketing guru Al Ries proudly declared that 'determining the ROI of a marketing program is an expensive exercise with little or no value -- an experienced marketing executive instinctively knows whether a marketing program is working or not.' He countered one CMO's perspective on the value of analytics, by concluding that the practice of marketing 'is not even 1% mathematics.'

With math-bashing marketing hand grenades like this, it's not surprising that the column sparked a healthy response; readers are still submitting comments that wrestle with Ries' assertions."

Of course, I love your comments. But, if you can't comment at this particular time- but would like to let us know that you were here; please sign and View my guestbook

kaasa: Kwaheri Africa, Habari France (And, RIP M.J.)

kaasa — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:24:48 -0400

Shikamoo marafiki! R.I.P Michael Jackson. What a shock. — I’m in Marseille with my friend Flavien typing this on his slick MacBook Air. It’s grins all around the room and wonderful to be with my great, super buddy again I arrived this morning after a loooong series of flights. I left my clan behind after the best [...]

Kenyanentrepreneur.com: The Virtual Freelancer: The Future For Young Kenyans

kenyanentrepreneur — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:13:16 -0400

Send this article to Twitter!I was just reading this great article in the NYT about the changing work force around the world. Everyone who works should read this article because it highlights what is happening to jobs around the world today. A quote from the article follows: “A new generation of online service marketplaces is giving [...]

Black Looks: Ma Island by Be

Sokari — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:10:28 -0400

Be Spot

Kenya Cricket: Anger over ICC decision to move U19 World Cup

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:42:00 -0400

Anger is simmering in Kenya and around the cricket world over the ICC's stunning decision to move the Under 19 Cricket World Cup away from Kenya citing '8 months as inadequate time to prepare'.

Here is what Topspinner - a regular reader and well respected journalist had to say:

Is this political, or what? With the ICC having ruled out the UAE for the World Cup and now Kenya for the Under-19s (NZ to be the replacement) - together with the recent treatment of Namibia - it seems the ICC has really got its knife into the Associate members. I thought their remit was to bring the game on in developing countries, not consign it to the 'bin'. Gilchrist wants the game for the Olympics. What is the IOC to make of the ICC's backward-looking way of going forward. Kenya may not have much of an Under-19 team at present, but I pity those who've put in lots of hard work in Mombasa and, more particularly, Nakuru, scene of some of the horrid clashes last year which cricket was trying to pacify. Or maybe that's what it's to do with? That's short-sighted, whatever the reasoning...
'Topspinner' - incensed and beside himself with anger.

Comments from Kenyan players on facebook also reflect disgust and disbelief:

"Icc thats unfair....wat preparation..?"

"Oh god..do something..icc datz 2 much..."

"ICC Moved u19 world cup Big blow to kenyan youngstars"

"It z big blw to th entire houz. Its kenya not kenyan youngstars"

"what a shocking decisin from the icc umpiers kenya is not out yet, we will appeal........!!!!!"

"i wonder what develooment is all about if ICC can stand out and acuse Kenya of not being prepared and yet they are the onses who are doing nothing to make Kenya prepared. As it has been the case before cricket will remain in the hands of ICC big boys and countries like Kenya will continue to loos out. Eight months are too many to prepare. SAD SAD SAD."

to mention a few.

What are your thoughts - is this a 'just' decision or is it yet another example of the ICC's complete disregard for the welfare of Associates.Become a fan of Kenya Cricket.com on facebook: [www.facebook.com]

Kenyanpoet: Mstari Wa Nne at Alliance Française, Tuesday 30th june 2009

N.W — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

You are invited to come watch Mstari do their thing on Tuesday, June 30 (3:30pm - 6:00pm) at Faceoff, dubbed as an intense afternoon of back-to-back performances alongside TheBandits, SautiSol, Outsyderz, Dela, MarcusOlang’, Juliani, JoanMatata, Elani, Aziza, Alpha and the AllianceFrançaiseBand. You are all welcome to attend and don't forget to invite your friends.

Tickets will cost Kshs. 200 in advance and Kshs. 250 at the gate. Advance tickets are available at the Alliance Française de Nairobi Salle de Détente (3rd floor).

For more information search for the event on facebook (Faceoff), call 0736479517/0711720438 or follow the link below.

Delusions of Grandeur: Premonition

chi — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:07:01 -0400

soundtrak: soultice :: wind (fila brazilia mix)

- it’s 7am in the morning and i’m in lab, i’m not really sure why. i can’t help being an early bird, even if that means i don’t leave until 12 hours later. but it’s friday (and payday), so here’s to leaving somewhat early.
- the last time i flew internationally was when visiting family in Kenya, the winter before 911 happened. after that, i didn’t get on a plane until a good year later. i wouldn’t say i had a fear of crashing, but the possibility of something like that happening freaked me out enough to avoid planes for awhile; i had a conference in upstate NY about a couple of months later and i chose to drive rather than fly. when i graduated from college and came back home, i had no car, so i was constantly on the Metro, taking trains and buses daily. when i got into graduate school, i was on the red line, up and down, at least three times a day, going from work to school to work to home. with the tragedy that happened earlier this week, it hit me; especially with accounts of passengers banging on jammed doors and one of the victims dying while waiting to be rescued. honestly, that is not how i want to die. so i’m avoiding the PT for now. i’m not saying that i will stop taking the train altogether, but i don’t think i could voluntarily get on a red line train right now. i might be driving into the city for awhile.
- sometimes, i get premonitions about certain people, events, things. i think that everybody gets premonitions; mine are few, but very, very strong. i don’t want to get into it, but alot of the events that happened this week, i had very strong premonitions on. i don’t know if the shock is going to just hit me later, if at all. it’s different when you see it coming.
- i think i’m coming down with something; just a cold. it’s been awhile since i’ve been sick. but this week has been exhausting; i haven’t really slept well at all. last night, i slept for 9 hours and i’m still tired.

happy weekend.
peace.

Mauri Yambo: A Ghost Harmattan in Nairobi City

Mauri Yambo — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:08:00 -0400

Yesterday afternoon I "updated" this piece on my Twitter page.

Just thought I should post it here in order to share it with my blog visitors. So, here:

A palpable temp drop, dwntwn, this mid-aft. A ghost harmattan, sort-of, grips da city. A romp of dry leaves, which -- let them romp

Incidentally, one of this morning's papers reports that a strong wind blew a small plane off the runway and into the trees yesterday afternoon [killing a 70-year-old lady, seriously injuring the pilot, and attracting a band of looters], as it tried to land at Malindi, Kenya. I don't know if there was a connection with the winds experienced in Nairobi.

What connection there was was in what we noted and what surprised us when we got home last night. There had been rain in our part of town (while there had been not a drop in downtown Nairobi). Yet what was remarkable about the afternoon wasn't the rain there but the strong winds that had accompanied it.

So, it seems, the ghost harmattan was more widespread that I'd originally thought [rpc.technorati.com]

The Benin Epilogue Part I: Africa-Ready for Business: Pop Icon, Michael Jackson is Dead

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:36:00 -0400

Pop Icon, Michael Jackson is Dead

Michael Jackson, was pronounced dead on Thursday afternoon at U.C.L.A. Medical Center after arriving in a coma, a city official said. Mr. Jackson was 50, having spent 40 of those years in the public eye he loved.

For his legions of fans, he was the Peter Pan of pop music: the little boy who refused to grow up. But on the verge of another attempted comeback, he is suddenly gone, this time for good......CLICK HERE TO READ MORE on the death of Michael Jackson