What Bush Got Right

People are asking themselves a question: "Could he possibly have been right?"
Here is an interesting MSNBC article and here is a quote:

"If Bush is to be credited for the benefits of his policies, he must also take responsibility for their costs. Over the past three years, his administration has racked up enormous costs, many of which could easily have been lowered or avoided altogether. The pointless snubbing of allies, the brusque manner in which it went to war in Iraq, the undermanned occupation and the stubborn insistence (until last summer) on pursuing policies that were fueling both an insurgency and anti-Americanism in Iraq�all have taken their toll in thousands of American and Iraqi lives and almost $300 billion."

Black boys separate classes plan

Black boys may have to be separated from classmates to help improve school performance, the head of the Commission for Racial Equality has suggested.

Trevor Phillips has lots of bad ideas, I think this is another one. The following comment highlights the folly of such an idea;

Let me get this straight - the Commission for Racial Equality is suggesting what amounts to racial apartheid in Britain? It just confirms my view that the Commission is a very dangerous organisation which has done more to damage race relations in this country than any other.
Steve, Birmingham, England

Private tutions should be encouraged. Esteem amongst boys should be boosted through self effort and motivation.

Oceana Club

Living in a place where rugby rules can be a curse atimes. What I hate most is outsiders taking over over the local pub, though briefly.

You know the feeling when you are simply bored and wish to while away hours at the local pub or cafe and see familliar faces just so you can feel part of a community. Whenever there is a game at this stadium of consipicous monstrosity, it takes about half hour to get a drink!

In my quest for quick relief, not the kind you dirty people are thinking of, I decided to venture out beyond my backyard. I went to a club out of area. I'm no clubbing person, I'm too old. This review on London Oceana Club in Kingston Upon Thames does not spare feeling:

"Once upon a time bored Home Counties teenagers got tired of hanging around the local parade of shops, asking passers-by to buy them Diamond White from the offy and smoking poppy seed spliffs. 'But what else is there?' they cried, desperate for some kind of after-hours entertainment. Which is where Options came in.
Options, in Kingston, was the scene of many a teenage puke and snog for a surprisingly disproportionate amount of Londoners. Renowned for letting anyone in � big groups of lads, chavvy teenage girls, crusties selling acid, even grammar school kids � it soon attracted the attention of the local cop-shop, who wisely left well alone, not wanting the hassle.
But recently, Options was reborn as the 2,500 capacity Oceana, a �6million project boasting two dance floors, five bars, poor security and a serious problem with violence. Kingston's worthies have even formed an opposition group, campaigning to get its license revoked by citing the regular trouble that spills out in the small hours when cheap beer combined with bad music and no discernable public transport system leads to ugly scenes in Kingston town centre.
Worse, one woman was recently raped at gunpoint after accepting a lift following a night at the club.
And I use the word 'club' advisedly, because Oceana is about as far from what most of us would consider a nightclub as possible. In truth, it's a huge student pub with terrible music, overdressed suburbanites and dance floors like cattle markets.
There are many who look for nothing more from their evening out than a Bacardi Breezer flavoured snog and a bottle in the face, and good luck to 'em. But if clubbing has really gone full circle � from cheesy local discos to an exciting and creative counterculture and now back to the mainstream age"

Imagine this, you need a driver's licence or passport to get in. This is human rights violation! I can't be bothered to to argue this sort of people. I give up clubbing, again.

My Dearest Condi

Do not fret. The ex-Canadian foreign minister in an attempt to spit at you has revealed his inadequacy.

Lloyd Axworthy is small fry in international politics. This self anointed messiah of the poor in Canada has no idea of poverty that is rampant in his own backyard.

Canada is a beautiful country, no doubt. I'll make an effort to visit it one day. I'm still upset about not being admitted to McGills University some donkey's years ago because, wait for this, my Cambridge University A-levels were not good enough. Anyway, that's another story.

I think Lloyd is out of order to try and humility the most powerful woman in the world. Whatever folly the US comes up with, at least, they are brave enough to face up to their actions. Wimps are very quick to condemn brave people, it makes them (wimps)feel worthwhile.

Wrong or right, I'd rather deal with a straightforward person rather than a jumped up do-gooder who lives in an ivory tower built on poor people's backs. What cheek!

Do not bother with Lloyd, let him enjoy his retirement paid for by hard working immigrants. In the end truth prevails.

Best Rgds

Lex

Is there anything Google Can't Do?

Google has introduced it's tool,Searching for weather, by web or phone.

While this only works in the US, I think the UK can do with such a useful internet utility. I'm not not going to discuss the UK weather for now, we all know what it is like.

Korn Born Again

Brian "Head" Welch, him of the band called Korn has seen the light. Hallelujah! Korn announced Welch's resignation last month after 13 years with the band.

In his own words:

"Welch said he had become increasingly depressed and drug-addicted in recent years, but that religion helped him quit.
He said he plans to release more music without the band.
'My songs are God saying things to me, him talking to people. He's going to use me to heal people and people are going to be drawn to it, just watch, they will be,' he said. "

This bring to my mind a story about an old school friend who is now a gospel evangelist.

Way to go girl!

Martha Stewart Made the Most of Prison Time.

Anything is Possible

Fred Wilson's excellent post .. technology has made it possible .. Anything Is Possible.

Finding God on your iPod

"Godcasting" is gaining users and listeners:

"Godcasting is the latest advancement in online religion, in which preachers convert their sermons to audio to be heard on portable digital audio devices.
Using iPods or any portable MP3 player, "podcasting" lets people download audio programs that can be listened to whenever they like. It's a form of audio syndication that musicians, businessmen, tech talk show hosts and political commentators like Al Franken have already adopted."

Free Internet Television

TVexe.com is offering free software that enables anyone with broadband Internet connection to watch live worldwide television channels on a PC, free of charge. I have not tried it yet, I think I'll give it a shot soon.

Battle of the Forecourt

MOTORISTS all over the country in the UK are hoping to soon be driving away in an 05-registered car. With the launch of the new registration plate this week, the car-buying season is underway.

Here is a piece on how to get the best finance dealfor your new car.

Pimp my Burger

I like the Pimp My Ride MTV show by Xzibit. Burger King Germany produced a full-length parody of Pimp My Ride, right down to the before/after camera swipes, the theme song, and "4-inch buns." I enjoyed the Pimp my Burger video.

Racist Game of Gladiators

This article from The Independent News states that prison officers at a young offenders institute thought it was funny to lock up conflicting inmates in the same cell, and watch the sparks fly:

"Guards at the young offenders institution thought it was a 'joke' and a 'laugh' to lock up conflicting inmates in a sport they nicknamed Coliseum or Gladiator, an inquiry in London was told. Unsuitable detainees would be pitted together while officers bet on the results. On this occasion the game went 'dramatically wrong' and the psychopath Robert Stewart repeatedly battered Zahid Mubarek, 19, with a table leg."

These people have no shame at all.

Doomsday Scenario For Africans

In its report, "AIDS in Africa," UNAIDS estimated more than 80 million Africans may die from AIDS by 2025. The three scenarios include a best-case situation, a middle-case and a doomsday scenario. They all warn that the worst of the epidemic's impact is still to come.

"There is no single policy prescription that will change the outcome of the epidemic," the report stated. "The death toll will continue to rise no matter what is done."

In otherwords, as Africans we are doomed beyond redemption.I'm just wondering wether this is a polite way of telling Africans not to expect help from UNAIDS and their ilk.

The following part is very disturbing as far as I'm concerned, it places the whole blame on African's behaviour:

"If by 2025, millions of African people are still becoming infected with HIV each year, these scenarios suggest that it will not be because there was no choice,' the report said. 'It will be because, collectively, there was insufficient political will to change behavior at all levels, from the institution, to the community, to the individual, and halt the forces driving the AIDS epidemic in Africa."
According to the report, for Africans to survive they should refrain from sex. Is sex the only way one gets infected? I'll keep a stockpile condoms to last me into 2025 just to see how these scientist and experts got their sums wrong!

And, of course, we do not yet know where this AIDS virus came from. Any ideas wise guys at UNAIDS?

Breast For Sale

Tawny Peeks was Accused of Assault with a Breast . ( Well this was the Famous Breast: )

Blogger Honeymoon Ends

CNET has an important piece warning of the The coming crackdown on blogging. It describes how the Federal Election Commission is beginning the perilous process of extending a controversial 2002 campaign finance law to the Internet.

Meanwhile, here is a post on blogger crackdown in other countries:

"This is the down side of the recent media focus on blogging; the repressive theocrats and dictators of the world also read our media. They perceive a threat to their control of information, and they’re reacting the way these atavistic monsters always do—by attempting to crush the threat at its source.

But this time, they’re going to fail."

accessTunes

accessTunes 1.0 released. accessTunes lets you access your iTunes Library from any computer, anywhere in the world.

Will we ever sleep?

Crisis for the Godless

Atheism as a theoretical position is in decline worldwide,writes the World Tribune.com

A philosopher says; "Atheism, which people have tried to for hundreds of years as 'the ways of reason and science,' is proving to be mere irrationality and ignorance."

McGrath relates in Christianity Today: "With time (atheism) turned out to have just as many frauds, psychopaths, and careerists as religion does. ... With Stalin and Madalyn Murray O'Hair, atheism seems to have ended up mimicking the vices of the Spanish Inquisition and the worst televangelists, respectively."

Peeking Into Google

Urs Hoelzle, Google vice president of operations and vice president of engineering, offered a rare behind-the-scenes tour of Google's architecture on Wednesday. Hoelzle spoke here at EclipseCon 2005, a conference on the open source, extensible platform for software tools.

Racists, Bullies and Abusers

I sat through a BBC undercover documentary last about how staff of a company which runs a detention centre and the in-country escorting contract abuse detainees.

The film showed asylum seekers being assaulted, racially abused and sexually humiliated by guards. Some people are saying that government policy is fuelling human rights abuses and miscarriages of justice.

The guards were enjoying and boasting about torturing other people. Is it in their nature?

KYLIE - AGENT PROVOCATEUR ADVERT

Kylie Minogue's sexy cinema advert has been posted online.

The advert ends with Kylie facing the camera and asking male viewers to prove that the undies are the most erotic, by attempting to stand up.

The advert was made for www.agentprovocateur.com.

Bubba the Leviathon Lobster Dies at Zoo

The Associated Press/AP Online reports:

"He dodged lobster pots for decades, endured a trip from the coast of Massachusetts to Pittsburgh and survived about a week in a fish market. But a trip to the zoo proved to be too much for a 22-pound lobster named Bubba.

The leviathan of a lobster died Wednesday afternoon at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium about a day after he was moved from Wholey's Market, said zoo spokeswoman Rachel Capp and Bob Wholey, owner of the fish market.

'They're very finicky. It could have been a change in the water. You have no idea,' said Wholey. "

Driving in Zambia

The Europecar travel guide websites provides Useful Driving Tips for people visiting Zambia.

Local driving habits can be erratic and road rules are not always strictly observed - so be vigilant on the road

Driving procedures are similar to most countries. Inorder to avoid roadrage or mishaps with other drivers, this observation about Zambian drivers is a must read.

How to Sell Your Book, CD, or DVD on Amazon

Kevin Kelly, him of the Cool Tools, provides 8 easy steps of how to get your book, CD, or DVD listed on the long tail of Amazon:

1 Get an ISBN (for a book), or a UPC (for a CD or DVD). For one book it costs $125, for one CD, $55, for one DVD, $89.
2 Get a bar code based on the ISBN or UPC. Costs $10, or may be included in UPC.
3 Sign up with Amazon, $30 per year.
4 Duplicate your stuff; include the bar code on the outside.
5 Ship two copies to Amazon
6 Send cover scan
7 Track sales
8 Resgister it (optional)

The full details, with how-to tips and links to recommended sources, is expanded here.

Medical Care on the Brink

Tight Standards and Simple Equipment, Not Massive Grants, Could Bring Improved Health in Africa, Journal of the National Medical Association (JNMA) Study Says.

Dr. Eddie L. Hoover and his team reported from their many visits to Africa by the American Medical Team for Africa in the paper "Medical Care on the Brink: The Need for Re-Engineering Healthcare Services in Sub-Saharan Africa." The team found that since communications, transportation and monitoring of hospital and clinical conditions are so poor, western aid agencies and corporations need to rethink how they provide grants and medical technology to the continent.

"The days of just sending $10 million are over,' says Hoover, a cardiothoracic surgeon in Buffalo, NY. 'These facilities need education in sanitation, medical record-keeping, and the basic equipment to test urine and blood for disease. Aid providers and host countries need to impose standards, as well. You can't deal with HIV when local doctors don't have the ability to even measure blood sugar."

Engineers devise invisibility shield

news @ nature.com reports:

"The idea of a cloak of invisibility that hides objects from view has long been confined to the more improbable reaches of science fiction. But electronic engineers have now come up with a way to make one."

Enterprise Blogging

It was only a matter of time before blogging was embedded in business. The WSJ.com gives a more detailed insight into how this trend has come about:

"The blog as business tool has arrived.

Some eight million Americans now publish blogs and 32 million people read them, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. What began as a form of public diary-keeping has become an important supplement to a business's online strategy: Blogs can connect with consumers on a personal level -- and keep them visiting a company's Web site regularly."

Lobbying For Bubba The Lobster

This interesting story of a 22-pound leviathan of a lobster called Bubba has one group called People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and another group calling itself People For Eating Tasty Animals vying it's plight.

The owner Bob Wholey gave the lobster to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium and philosophically said:
"I don't think you could eat something that big. ... What range of emotions does a lobster have? Greed? Lust? Love? I'm just going to give him to the zoo and hope he lives another 100 years,' Wholey said.
'If you sat down and ate this thing, wouldn't that be a bit shellfish?"

Is Happy Birthday Really Copyrighted?"

Yes! According to Unhappy Birthday. here is an interesting article on the story of "happy birthday to you".

Sexes Think Differently

Scientists are saying this:
"Harvard University president Lawrence Summers has suffered acrimonious condemnation, and may have jeopardized his job, for suggesting that the underrepresentation of women in engineering and some scientific fields may be due in part to inherent differences in the intellectual abilities of the sexes.
But Summers could be right. "

Naturally, he has just proven an obvious point, women are bound to disagree. Talk about a self fulfulling prophecy!

Google or Yahoo

I love google's simplicity and easy access, that's why I spend loads of time using google services.

I have been checking my web visitor stats and, lately, yahoo appears to deliver a lot more than google is managing. My first thought is that more optimisation is required. Then again, if I'm getting so much from Yahoo, should I worry myself with optimising webpages just to please the the googlebot?

The UnGoogle (Yes, Yahoo!) unfolds the details.

There is something about Google that I like, sure. This is just mind boggling; One year later, Yahoo! Search gains on rival Google

Brain Drain: Calls for Compensation

This Brain Drain: Calls for Compensation initiative, though well intended is a damn idea.

Professionals from Africa flee because they are fed up with living on subsistence. I migrated from Zambia and established a near normal standard of living in the UK. I know what I'm talking about.

I want to help my country, sure. But I do not want to starve to death while feeding the politicians' greed. If you want my services,please, pay me accordingly.

I do a lot of voluntary work which does not seem to impress these shallow minded do-gooders.

Sure, we need help. We are not going to get help by holding the British government at ransom. If there is anything I know about the British is that they do not take well to threats or blackmail.

Africans, well zambians, should look after themselves. It is that simple. The Zambian government should learn to use Zambian people at home or abroad.

Feel free to contact me if you require my services!

Pussy In Boots

This was the front page image on WaPo. I don't think that anyone, anywhere, could ask for better imagery. It's the boots that won it!

How Odeo Happened

I just managed to catch up with this article from The New York Times published on 25 february. I think this is going to be huge.

Quote:
"The primarily amateur Internet audio medium known as podcasting will take a small, hopeful step on Friday toward becoming the commercial Web's next big thing.

That step is planned by Odeo, a five-person start-up that is based in a walk-up apartment in this city's Mission District and was co-founded by a Google alumnus. The company plans to introduce a Web-based system that is aimed at making a business of podcasting - the process of creating, finding, organizing and listening to digital audio files that range from living-room ramblings to BBC newscasts."

Honey, I shrunk the dollar

I live on paychecks from the US. If there is anything that peeves me about the Bush government is how they have allowed the dollar to shrink. It is even more frustrating because I cannot even vote in the US!

By George, "Why is the euro worth so much more now, honey?" SPIEGEL ONLINE EXPLAINS..

Living in Europe and working for an American paymaster is becoming increasingly unattractive.

Oral Sex Epidemic

Oprah addresses the Alarming sexual behavior among children:
"Times have changed: children as young as twelve are having oral sex."

The Fickle Economy

Los Angeles Times reporter Peter G. Gosselin delves into an American paradox:

" Why so many families report being financially less secure even as the nation has grown more prosperous. The answer lies in a quarter-century-long shift of economic risks from the broad shoulders of business and government to the backs of working families. Safety nets that once protected Americans from economic turbulence - safeguards like unemployment compensation and employer loyalty - have eroded or vanished. Familes are more vulnerable to sudden shifts in the economy than any time since the Great Depression. The result is a daunting 'New Deal' for many working Americans - one that compels them to cope, largely on their own, with financial forces far beyond their control."

Mess O' Potamia

The Carpetbagger's Report on Blessed are the warmongers talks about one Republican lawmaker who seems anxious to start another – this time, with nukes.

Horror of horrors, this speech was delivered in a church!

Am I the only one to notice that the religious fanatics rule the world?

Sex Tourism

Here is the US Intelligence report shitlist. This is a long list of human rights violations that the Bush's US government hopes to correct.

Being Zambian, naturally, this statement was poignant;

"State promotion of tourism drives the predatory interests that promote sex tourism and sexual exploitation of underage girls for prostitution"

The Visit Zambia 2005 campaign is in danger of turning Zambia into a hub for sexual predators, if not so already.

Street Life -

The Fortune sez Apple's stores have become zeitgeist beehives

"Whereas the older generation still thinks it strange to own a Mac, the younger generation may consider Apple a core brand for their digital lifestyle,"

The digital lifestyle, for now is hotter. And it will always be way cooler.

As We May Think

Sixty years ago, Vannevar Bush laid out a passionate vision of an "information appliance" of the future. Looking back, we find a remarkably prescient description of what we today call the world wide web.

In the assay As We May Think Bush says:

"The world has arrived at an age of cheap complex devices of great reliability; and something is bound to come of it."

Observer Blog

I read a lot of newspapers on the Web, and this is something new and wonderful. Check it out. Observer Blog

Google, behind the scenes.

men.style.com: GQ opens the lid on Google:

"Journey to the (Revoltionary, Evil-Hating, Cash-Crazy, and Possibly Self-Destructive) Center of Google
You've heard the story. Larry and Sergey drop out of school, start a company in a garage, then become billionaires. But will Larry and Sergey ever grow up? "

World Jump Day

I do not know how serious or relevant this World Jump Day campaign is. I think it is just harmless fun.

Google's toolbar

It is not easy to bite the hand that feeds you. I have read a lot of negative comments about the latest autolinking Google toolbar. I believe in allowing end users to decide what they want to see on their commputer screens. Google empowers the end user to do whatever they find relevant.

I think the autlinking tool is a useful feature. This Boing Boing article just nails it.

OSCAR.com - 77th Annual Academy Awards - Oscar Night: Winners List

I have decided to watch more movies this year. Time constraints and stressl from etching a living in the jungle called London has deprived me of my best hobby. There was a time when I could sit through a movie and enjoy the whole experience.

I have not been to a cinema in about two years, I have a neat expensive DVD player that has not be used for over a year. I do not even own CDs or DVDs.

One of these days I'll get organised and spend sometime wartching movies. I'll start with this impressive Oscar Night Winners List.

the iPod people.

During my youth, I attended church services regularly. One sermon, particularly,has stuck with me. The evangelical preacher was describing how one can spot a selfish person. "Just watch the number of times the "I" is used when they speak", He said.

The Times Online's Andrew Sullivan puts it bluntly Society is dead, we have retreated into the iWorld:
"You get your news from your favourite blogs, the ones that won't challenge your view of the world. You tune into a satellite radio service that also aims directly at a small market - for new age fanatics, liberal talk or Christian rock. Television is all cable. Culture is all subculture. Your cell phones can receive e-mail feeds of your favourite blogger's latest thoughts - seconds after he has posted them - get sports scores for your team or stock quotes of your portfolio. "

I plead guilty! I have reached a stage where, as Andrew Sullivan says,
"Technology has given us a universe entirely for ourselves — where the serendipity of meeting a new stranger, hearing a piece of music we would never choose for ourselves or an opinion that might force us to change our mind about something are all effectively banished".

My first post on this blog was about serendipity, I wrote: my quest for the unknown will be less gruesome and and a lot more technical.

I guess that we have just found a way of getting want we want without the bruising experience of convincing biased, prejudiced or self-interest peddling morons.

To my preacher, I'd like to say that "i" stands for inter-connectivity!

Power Dressing

The Wapo talks about Condoleezza Rice's Commanding Clothes:

"Rice's coat and boots speak of sex and power -- such a volatile combination, and one that in political circles rarely leads to anything but scandal. When looking at the image of Rice in Wiesbaden, the mind searches for ways to put it all into context. It turns to fiction, to caricature. To shadowy daydreams. Dominatrix! It is as though sex and power can only co-exist in a fantasy. When a woman combines them in the real world, stubborn stereotypes have her power devolving into a form that is purely sexual. "

Signs of Humour

These Amusing Signs are just hilarious. The one about crocodiles just makes one wonder about who is really being protected.

BUT WHO WATCHES THE WATCHDOGS?

Journalist Ted Rall, is obviously not making any blogger friends for describing what he feels is happening in the land of blogging. He concludes:

"Bloggers are ordinary people, many of them uneducated and with nothing interesting to say. They're sitting in their rec rooms, regurgitating and spinning what real journalists have dug up through hard work. They don't have sources, they don't report, and no one holds them accountable when they make mistakes or flat out lie. Yeah, there's a new sheriff in town. Unfortunately he's drunk, he's mean, and he works for the bad guys. "

Everyone's titlted to an opinion, right?

Women and Bloggging

Kevin Drum, in response to the question "why are op-ed pages so completely dominated by men?", placed some of the blame on women bloggers. It is like saying that women's opinions do not matter!
Well, that didn't go well. Here's a roundup of responses .

I Like this from Echidne of the Snakes:
"There is one theory about all this that has some merit, I believe, and that is that some men don't want to read what women write (unless it is on sex), so if a blogger can be identified as a woman she will lose those readers whose print looks too feminine...."

Rappers and Bloggers

Josh Levin of Slate.com says Rappers and Bloggers - Separated at birth.

"Sure, there are a few differences between the blogosphere and the blingosphere. Although bloggers have a certain buzz about them these days, they'll never be cool the way rappers are cool. The blogger lifestyle is dangerous-staying up all night and eating Cheetos will eventually kill you-but not sexy dangerous. Rappers can afford to be more conspicuous with their triumphalism because selling millions of records is more financially rewarding than getting millions of hits."

MTV Based In Africa

The New York Times in the article The New York Times > Africa, and Its Artists, Belatedly Get Their MTV highlights African musicians' plight:

"For the continent's artists - those bands with talent and drive but lacking a road map out of Africa or even out of their own country - the channel, called MTV Base, could offer the kind of break they long for, says Bill Roedy, president of MTV Networks International. The best of those artists, he said, may be able to jump from the newly begun local channel to other MTV channels around the world, giving them the global exposure that has eluded all but a precious few African musicians. . "

Monty Python Returns

The following Globe and Mail Quote is straight from the original Monty Python Dead Parrot Sketch:

"An indignant Israeli is suing a pet shop that he says sold him a dying parrot, reports the Ma'ariv newspaper. Itzik Simowitz of the southern city of Beersheba contends the shop cheated him because the Galerita-type cockatoo not only failed to utter a word when he got it home, but was also extremely ill. Mr. Simowitz adds that the shop owner assured him the parrot was not ill but merely needed time to adjust to its new environment."

Here is a transcript of the original.

Time to get a life

Read this story of pioneer blogger Justin Hall bowing out of the blogosphere at 31. Is it a case of burnout or he's simply lovestruck?

The Secret Genocide Archive

The New York Times' Op-Ed Columnist reveals reports that document the genocide under way in Darfur, Sudan. The Secret Genocide Archive is a secret archive of thousands of photos containing materials gathered by African Union monitors, who are just about the only people able to travel widely in that part of Sudan.

Chibuku Shake Shake

In the world of rebranding the transformation of a Southern African brew into a successful dance party brand is interesting. Chibuku Shake Shake is a party club in Liverpool, UK named after a potent African beer that a university student from Liverpool had discovered on his travels, sour tasting yet a staple for the working class of Malawi.

Global blogger action day

The global web blog community is being called into action to lend support to two imprisoned Iranian bloggers.
The month-old Committee to Protect Bloggers' is asking those with blogs to dedicate their sites on Tuesday to the 'Free Mojtaba and Arash Day'.

Absolute Power Corrupts

Swaziland's King Mswati, the only absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa, has lost his marbles as this Boing Boing story confirms.

Children in future will remember the time when fools dressed as kings, presidents and Prime Ministers ruled the world. The question will always be why, why, why...?

Sorry son, we allowed it to go on and on and on.......

Sod off, swampy

Living in a big international city like London has it's downside. Traffic moves at 5miles an hour on a bad day. Roads being closed off for hours to allow protesters of all sorts to indulge in their whim.

I think some of these protests cause more harm than they are worth. Of course, protesters will claim that this is the whole point. What annoys me the most is that most of the protestors have no idea of how important it is to get to work on time, they have no work to go to.

I think this inflamed petrol traders story should serve as a warning to unruly protestors:

WHEN 35 Greenpeace protesters stormed the International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) yesterday they had planned the operation in great detail. What they were not prepared for was the post-prandial aggression of oil traders who kicked and punched them back on to the pavement.

"We bit off more than we could chew. They were just Cockney barrow boy spivs. Total thugs," one protester said, rubbing his bruised skull. "I've never seen anyone less amenable to listening to our point of view."
Another said: "I took on a Texan Swat team at Esso last year and they were angels compared with this lot." Behind him, on the balcony of the pub opposite the IPE, a bleary-eyed trader, pint in hand, yelled: "Sod off, Swampy."

Food Dye Alert

Reuters.co.uk reports:

"The food safety watchdog has advised people not to eat about 350 food products that have been inadvertently contaminated with an illegal dye that could lead to an increased risk of cancer.
The dye, Sudan I, was in a batch of chilli powder used by British tea and pickle maker Premier Foods to make a Worcester sauce that was subsequently used as an ingredient in a range of soups, sauces and ready meals.
'Sudan I could contribute to an increased risk of cancer,' Food Standards Agency (FSA) Chief Executive Jon Bell said in a statement on the watchdog's website."

Cost of living skyrockets in Zambia - Report

The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection Reports that he cost of living in Zambia has risen by a marked level with the monthly Basic Needs Basket for a family of six in the nation's capital higher than a month earlier.

The Blogs Must Be Crazy

Ms. Noonan a contributing editor of The Wall Street Journal delves into the war between bloggers and mainstream media (MSM):

"The Blogs Must Be Crazy Or maybe the MSM is just suffering from freedom envy."

100 Funniest Jokes of All Time

The list of 100 Funniest Jokes of All Time is simply insane.

Smashing the immigration myths

Nice piece from A Logical Voice:
"From the rhetoric by right wing extremists, you could almost believe that Britain takes in all refugees from around the world, but these statistics show that is untrue. Plus, as other posts have shown the majority of immigrants in many western nations are from other western nations. It makes you wonder when this is the case, if those people who push for immigration clampdowns would push just as hard for less immigration from 'white' nations, as they do for immigration clampdowns from 'black' nations. These people often argue that there is no more room in Britain, if that were the case, is there no more room in Britain for only blacks, asians, arabs, and africans? Is there only room in Britain for white people?"

Learning From Mistakes

Mark is a young naive man. He reminds me of mistakes I have made before. The trick is not to give up. Follow the Dinner with the fired Google blogger story to avoid some stupid mistakes talented people make.

A genius explains

Having spent my youthful period at school in Zambia that has spurned friends who were so exceptional, The Guardian's A genius explains may have nailed the phenomenon.

Crop circle

At one point I believed crop circles were made by aliens. I'm content to know that they are created by weirdos. This Surface to Air's Hello Kitty Crop circle is funny.

Singing Africa

One wmay wonder how Zambians survive anywhere in the world. This Little Reminder... sums it up nicely:

love Africa abundantly for her songs.
Africa is a singing continent; songs being so rich in words, in feeling and in emotions.
In Africa, we have a wealthy singing culture. No matter how dire the situation, we sing.
When a child is born we sing chant and dance; when one of us dies, we sing chant and dance.
We sing to keep our energies churning when working in the fields, we sing when pounding foodstuffs, we sing in rhythm with our simple tools.
Yes, life is simple and basic in my singing Africa.
We sing when with the plenty, we sing when faced with injustice, we sing when faced with justice; our birds even sing with us.
Oh God! Africa is a song.
Singing heals us, singing consoles us, singing soothes our souls, and singing generates hope.
Singing is life in our Africa
Oh, what a singing tradition! Africa, what a singing continent, you make me love you more and more.

Thanks Nicholas Kawinga

Re-defining Racism

There is a development in the UK that is so close to boring electioneering. While I appreciate border control and the need to keep misfits from penetrating them, this Res Ipsa Loquitur blog is breeding racists in the name of conservative causes.

Current Berkeley students and alumni unite to keep out immigrants, how original. Picking on Africans is the best they can come up with. The sad part is how ignorant such people can be. They will probably graduate to run drug rings, brothels and all the sickening economic activities when they get into the real world. Their best customers will be desperate scared immigrants their so eager to keep out!

I have lived in the UK long enough to smell racists, the usually come out during the election period.

Farewell to Fiorina

The volatile world of CEOs. Fiorina (HP) and Marjorie Scardino (Pearson plc owner of FT) are among women I respect in business. There is a whole list of women ceos who have managed great businesses. You can view more profiles at CapitalistChicks.com. This piece from Marketwatch.com sums up the saga quite well;

Of the many lessons one might take away from H-P's Carly Fiorina bombshell -- that arrogance is no virtue in a leader (read David Callaway's column), for example, or maybe that female chief executives have made sufficient strides that today one can be unceremoniously dumped just like an underachieving male chief (see Gender Gap) -- perhaps the most salient is that one ignores the market's will at great peril. Despite claims by Hewlett-Packard's board that Fiorina's ouster was prompted by her management style, the poor performance of the company's shares (HPQ) during her tenure likely was the key. See full story.

The Next Big Thing

Nokia Corp. which sponsors Mpelembe Alumni & Friends introduced a new phone Monday that can play digital music, said that more than half of its new phone models this year are expected to have music capabilities. The world's largest handset maker also said that 'Music is the next big thing in mobile multimedia,' a Nokia executive said in a release.

Really Real

Really sad news..
Contestant on NBC Reality Show Commits Suicide

And how sad is it that this will probably get more people to watch the show? "

Love at first site

singletons who go online for a dot.companion: "Discos and singles bars are a distant memory for today's lonely hearts. Now, with the internet becoming the meeting place of choice is Cupid alive and well in cyberspace.

Zambia PLC

It is encouraging to see Zambians abroad being encouraged to Invest back home: "The Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE) wishes to get in touch with leaders of Zambian Associations abroad so that we can periodically send information for dissermination for Zambians abroad. W e wish to encourage Zambians in diaspora to invest back home.

Currently there is a lot of American interest in the Zambian stock market with an alliance having been forged between Stockbrokers Zambia and Auberch Grayson of New York.

Brian K. Tembo
Marketing and PR Officer"

Nshima

It is interesting to see how outsiders look at the Zambian lifestyle. The BBC highlights some of the issues in the Our Man in Zambia series of articles.

"Forget money, forget healthcare, forget a functioning education system, if there is one thing Zambians really cannot live without out, it's nshima."

Wikinews Chat- discussion about Wikimedia projects

I have been invited to participate in an online chat on citizen journalism and the interaction between bloggers and the Wikinews project. The "Wikinews and Blogs" chat will take place on Saturday, February 5, 2005, 22:00 UTC on the #wikinews channel on irc.freenode.net. You can learn more about the event at
discussion about Wikimedia projects:

I will be pleased to hear what people think about this project and how the Wikinews and blogs can be used to highlight Zambian issues.

Dilemna

The Germany government has unwittingly sanctioned prostitution by forcing unemployed women to take whatever work is available. What is interesting in this 'If you don't take a job as a prostitute, we can stop your benefits' approach is that the maths does not add up.

The brothel owners and the sex workers will pay taxes to the biggest pimp in the land, the government, and still cannot claim benefits when they're out of work.

I thought slavery ended generations ago.

G-Life

The FT.com has a brilliant article on a substitute for the fallible human memory

Here is a snippet;
It's clear that a list of links, though very useful, doesn't match the way people give information to each other. The question that Google - like others - is now trying to address is: "How can the computer become more like your friend when answering your questions?"

The Most Desirable Women Ever

I have always wondered how Thandie Newton became famous. lanitodd99 provides a interesting explanation relating to The Most Desirable Women Ever:

"Exotic doesn't even begin to describe the lovely Ms. Newton. Her dark skin and delicate features make us wish that her native Zambia was more generous in its exports to Hollywood. The daughter of a genuine Zimbabwean princess, Thandie is the kind of babe you see once and remember for the rest of your life. That says a lot, especially considering the numerous high-caliber ladies we see in any given year."

Are You Taking a Piss?

Man peed way out of avalanche:

"A Slovak man trapped in his car under an avalanche freed himself by drinking 60 bottles of beer and urinating on the snow to melt it.

Rescue teams found Richard Kral drunk and staggering along a mountain path four days after his Audi car was buried in the Slovak Tatra mountains.

He told them that after the avalanche, he had opened his car window and tried to dig his way out.

But as he dug with his hands, he realised the snow would fill his car before he managed to break through.

He had 60 half-litre bottles of beer in his car as he was going on holiday, and after cracking one open to think about the problem he realised he could urinate on the snow to melt it, local media reported."

Hoaxes And Advertising

There is a proliferation of spoof or hoax adverts going around the Internet lately. One such is the recent VW Polo Ad:

"A suicide bomber blows himself up inside the car, but the car is so tough that it contains the explosion. Seems to push the envelope a bit too much to be an actual ad commissioned by Volkswagen, and sure enough it's not. It's a 'spec ad', created by leeanddan.com. Spec ads are 'speculative ads' created to show potential clients what kind of work you're capable of doing. In other words, Volkswagen never endorsed this material."

The company caught wind of the fake ad and reacted by trying to stop the spread of the spoof across the Internet. Right. That's like an ant trying to stop a bulldozer. There were threatening emails, denial press releases, and cease and desist letters. What did this accomplish? Not much. All it did was to force the spoof and the conversation about the spoof to race around the Internet even faster. It's everywhere. It's now a permanent fixture on thousands of websites.

I was reading an article in the Times of Zambia that shows how Chawama residents use hoax odd stories to highlight public interest issues.

Apparently, the residents of this township in Zambia have a long tradition of using all sorts of bizarre and humorous stories that spread like wild fire and, which rapidly bring people together to appreciate the seriousness of any public interest issue.

"In 2002 when perpetual roadblocks became a thorn in the flesh of Lusaka bus drivers, a strategy was mapped out in Chawama to end the problem.

The story was told of a driver who plunged his minibus in the infamous Blue Water dam with seven police officers dying inside with him?

It was all lies but, according to minibus driver, Given Kafwimbi, "It somehow helped us because police reduced on roadblocks along the Kafue road."

The Blue Water hoax tragedy spread so wildly that police spokesperson Brenda Muntemba had to issue up to five Press statements within the same month refuting the claims.

Still people did not believe her until some concerned stone crushers around the dam confirmed there had not been any minibus which plunged into the dam."

Report Links the Orphan Crisis in Africa and Terrorism

Albina du Boisrouvray, president of a leading NGO aiding and lobbying for the support of the hundreds of millions of AIDS orphans and all vulnerable children, today praised the report of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC)
just released in Davos pointing out the link between the AIDS orphan crisis in Africa and terrorism.

'I am grateful that such a powerful group has raised this issue again at meetings of the World Economic Forum,' said the president of the Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) 'There, in previous years, I lobbied presidents, former presidents, heads of corporations, mayors, and business leaders for the same cause.

She said that she 'urged them to take this on as a priority emergency to prevent AIDS orphans and other vulnerable and destitute children from becoming a global security risk. Already, in almost a dozen African countries 10-year-olds have been forced to fight. Others, just to survive, have resorted to becoming terrorists, criminals, drug dealers, prostitutes, child soldiers or turning themselves into human bombs,' she said.

Dry Sex

This blog post mentions Dry Sex as a possible factor, largely unacknowledged, in the spread of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa.

Widely practised in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and South Africa, dry sex is hardly ever spoken about. It is penetrative sex between a man and a woman, where the woman has previously inserted a substance- methylated spirits, antiseptics, coarse salt, snuff, bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, talcum powder, ice, alum, Zam-Buk, traditional muti (usually prescribed by a traditional healer), soil with baboon urine, shredded newspaper, household detergents or bleach- into her cervix in order to make her vagina dry. Some women insert drying herbs in a cloth or stocking, which they keep inside during foreplay and remove just before penetration to 'make the thing behave, as one woman put it. They do this so when their lovers enter them, they are 'dry and clean,' because both men and women see their wetness as a sign of promiscuity and dirt.

The article cites an example;

Sipewe Mhakeni used herbs from the Mugugudhu tree. After grinding the stem and leaf, she would mix just a pinch of the sand-colored powder with water, wrap it in a bit of nylon stocking, and insert it into her vagina for 10 to 15 minutes. The herbs swell the soft tissues of the vagina, make it hot, and dry it out. That made sex 'very painful,' says Mhakeni. But, she adds, 'Our African husbands enjoy sex with a dry vagina.'

In my opinion, the use of condoms renders this practice irrelevant as condoms are lubricated. I do not know how prevalent this practice is amongst Zambians,it should be dicouraged. Women should not sacrifice sexual safety to men's pleasure.

2 Kwacha Banknote at Ebay

Now, this is a very interesting way to prop up the exchange rate of the Zambian currency. Someone is auctioning Kwacha banknotes at feeds.com.br which is an associate of Ebay.

The old 2 Kwacha note is currently valued at R$1.00. Watchout Bank of Zambia!

101 Dumbest Moments in Business

This year's Business 2.0's annual "101 Dumbest Moments in Business" package has plenty of ironic gems in it. The fifth annual review includes the most shameful, dishonest, and just plain stupid moments of the past year.

Where Have All the Children Gone?

The Tech Central Station reports on why the birth rate in Europe is falling:

"In the so-called 'New Europe', the situation is even gloomier. According to UN projections, Latvia will lose 44 percent of its population by 2050 as a result of demographic trends. In Estonia, the population is expected to shrink by 52 percent, in Bulgaria 36 percent, in Ukraine 35 percent, and in Russia 30 percent. In comparison with these figures, the projected population decline in Italy (22 percent), the Czech Republic (17 percent), Poland (15 percent) or Slovakia (8 percent) looks like a small decrease. France and Germany will lose relatively little population, and the population of the United Kingdom will even see a slight growth -- thanks to immigrants."

AlterNet: The 10 Worst Corporations of 2004

The AlterNet reports on The 10 Worst Corporations of 2004:

"The year's most egregious price gougers, polluters, union-busters, dictator-coddlers, fraudsters, poisoners, deceivers and general miscreants. "

Email Is Dead

The changing world of online communication and collaboration, fueled by real-time tools such as instant messaging, blogs and wikis, could drive the evolution of online collaboration in any number of directions.

For today's kids, e-mail is dead. They use IM. It is their e-mail. They only get e-mail from people they don’t want to talk to.

Watch the younger generation. What we see these kids doing today is what’s going to happen in our business tomorrow.
Kids’ actions show that users will assemble tools in terms of what works for them and what does not. When kids want to talk long distance they download Skype (a VoIP client). They experiment with blogs and wikis.

Junior High

Someone by the name of Ricardo Cortes has written A new pot-friendly book—for kids. The "It’s Just a Plant" is available on the Barnes & Noble Website this month.

“The book is not pro-drugs by any means,” says Cortes, 31, a T-shirt and skateboard designer who lives in Prospect Heights. “It’s about reconsidering the drug laws.”

David R. Anderson of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America responds, “On the one hand, it’s almost laughable, but beyond that, it’s just irresponsible. No one would write a book called It’s Just a Drink.”

And one final question for Cortes: Are you high? “No,” he says. “It’s a little too early in the day for me.”

Beautiful Blackbird

The Lincoln Tribune reports on The Coretta Scott King (CSK) Award Celebration, held last week at the Gaston College's Myers Center Cafeteria in Dallas.

"The Award is given to African-American authors and illustrators who produce creative, inspirational and educational books for children and young people. Ashley Bryan, author, illustrator and a 2004 Award winner, created 'Beautiful Blackbird' as an ode to black, the most inclusive color of all. The story is adapted from a folk tale written by the Ila-speaking people of Zambia and carries a message of self-acceptance, tolerance and beauty from within."

About Zambian (African) Dancing and Wining...

I read this and couldn't fight that nostalgic ache.

"I was brought up in Zambia at the time the disco revolution was just beginning. Many of you posters on here were just pikininis when us guys would spend weekend after weekend clubbing,posing in cars we pushed out of our Father's driveway while he lay snoring. Disco music was just becoming very popular with the likes of the BG's, UB 40, Maddona's Holiday, and loads of funk from Afro Americans was sweeping the dance scene. 'You can ring my bell' was the beat we boogied to, and boogie was the lang on the streets among the kids who belonged to this generation. "

When Bloggers Make News

The WSJ.com covers a story about how "Bloggers are finally moving from the alleys and side streets of the Internet into the mainstream. And as their visibility and clout increases, some are asking: what are the rules of the road? There is no exam to pass or society to join to become a blogger -- anybody can set up a 'Web log' to publish his or her ideas -- ".

Gmail Tips - The Complete Collection

I received an invitation to test Google's email service, Gmail. I have used the service mainly for personal emails. There are number of facilities that are impressive. The storage capacity, searchbox and conversations are very handy. Conversations links group related emails letting you easily track what was sent and to whom it was sent.

You can view the complete collection of
Gmail Tips Here.

Fair And Balanced

See this video aired on Fox News Channel.

And have a good look at The madness of King George on (inauguration) coronation day.

Dear White Fella

This is really sick as in funny. Coupla tings yo orto no

Times Online - Best of 2005

After a long while, I eventually made my way to my drinking well. Well, the locals call it a champagne bar. I have been conscious of how superficial the place can be at times.

What struck me last night was the humility and how people were ready to help. The tsunami, with all the misery it wrought has struck a chord across cultures. People everywhere want to help, and are prepared to do so.

I was literally challenged to sort out the HIV/AIDS issue in Africa, particularly Zambia. I do not pretend to be a saviour, but I'd like to think I can do something about our predicament. For a start let's welcome the assistance that is being showered and one day, perhaps, we can return the favour. In the meantime, let's all ponder on this The Best of 2005:

"It's your holiday - so why should you spend it saving the planet? Because it's fun. Yes, responsible travel can open up a whole world of new adventures. Brian Schofield and Matt Rudd report on how and why it's worth being worthy"

Streamload - Share Videos and Photos - Online MP3 Access

A company called Streamload is offering consumers a free 10 gigabyte online storage locker for multimedia files, potentially raising the stakes for larger companies such as Yahoo and America Online.

Streamloadtypically provides online storage space for a price, making it one of the few companies to survive in that business through the dot-com shakeout. However, it is increasingly competing with larger companies that offer online homes for digital photographs, and even the huge archive space provided by Google's Gmail service.

Company executives say the offer of big online storage lockers, once used only by advanced computer users, is now more relevant to a broader public that has large collections of digital photographs and MP3 files.

EPIC 2014

What is Epic? The Future of News is EPIC

National Peace through Tourism Week

Travel Video Television News reports: " Republic of Zambia, has declared the week of February 6 to 12, 2005, "National Peace through Tourism Week." The week was selected to correspond with the 3rd IIPT African Conference being held in Lusaka, February 6-11, 2005, and to jump start the "Visit Zambia 2005" Campaign.

The week begins with a parade on Sunday in Lusaka – and the issuing of a “Peace through Tourism Week” Proclamation to be carried by the media throughout Zambia.