Quote Of The Day

I share my life with six honest and selfless companions.
They help me in all I do. Their names are:
What
Why
When
How
Where and
Who
....................................................Adapted from Rudyard Kipling

The Shredder In My Mind

Your mawkish choice to make your heart a museum
Of our past encounters is the least of my bothers
I will however not fail to let you know
That I have already shredded that past from my mind

Examination

In a psychopathically-patterned gray vacuum
Entirely drained of sanctity and desire
A frozen horizon symbolic of doom
A Concentration camp for wannabees
Congregants
Willing prisoners
Seated
Dead-like
Silence
Pregnant minds
Birth pangs
Pens and papers
Neuronal marathons
Rhythmic inscriptions
Three hours
One by one
They leave
Cheerless
An MBA examination

A Mob-Persuaded Adventurist

The probabilities are pretty good.
So finally I have persuaded myself to do it.
This weekend.
Mobbish group of friends are to blame.
This adventure sure to be nerve-whacking.
Already feeling the Adrenalin rush.
So here I hang my hormones on the ropes.
For I am going Bungee jumping.
Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

God Must Be Blowing A Vuvuzela!

Yesterday was spectacularly awesome in the streets of South Africa.
Sandton was the centre of this extreme excitement. Close to 100 000 people congregated around the area to salute Bafana Bafana as the team rode in an open-top bus in the push suburb.
Around noon, most workers come out of their offices to the streets to stand together behind Bafana Bafana.
The Spontaneous celebration unleashed country-wide to boost the morale of the entire nation was beyond belief.
The Colours, the flags, the songs, the dances, the hooting, the jubilation, the vibe-right in the streets-was irresistible.
South Africans have really embraced the spirit of the world cup and I can't wait to see the opening ceremony and the first match on Friday.
We are told that from 1400 hrs to 1407 hrs something extraordinary will be showcased during the official opening ceremony.
BTW, I think I know who are going to take the cup home-the Germans. They will play against the Spanish in the final and Germany will win. That is my prediction!
As for Ghana... hmmmm, they will proceed to the next round and we will see what happens from there....

National Cleavage Day 2010

National Cleavage Day is here. Again!
Today, I hear, is officially NCD.
So here is a toast to this year's 'celebration'.
What should people wear to celebrate?
Dark glasses, I say!

A Big Fat Bigoted Loser

A demented bigoted bore
Cold-hearted and frozen to the core
Perched on a wall in the neighborhood
With a penchant for war against negrohood
Still living in the bubble of apartheid's pampered airs
He dishes out generous loads of unimaginable slurs
Those favoured with continental pigment are his stoke
Having lost his bread and butter to a melanin-rich bloke

Contesting Realities

On this side of the political wasteland
The real unending terrain of utter depravity
Sustained purely by auspicious idealism
In a world of
Unfettered neighbourliness
Obscene warmth
Colour
Culture
Humanity
Great Friendships
Genuine selflessness
Gifts of beautiful smiles
And little else
But chronic anger
At
That side of the divide
The mundane world of the privileged
Inhabited by sub-souls devoid of ubuntu
Driven by rat race persuasions
The neo-apartheid world of heartless realism
With their
Cocooned spaces
Celebrated self-imprisonment
Emotional coldness and distances
Personalised boundaries and walls
Obscene consumerism
Incorrigible selfishness
Rotten personalities
Disdainful attitudes
Repulsive glares of wanton animosity
And mulish conformity


Having tasted the free lunch of the looted kind
They want more
And more
Now they have forgotten how to be human
How did these ordinary folks become such utter degenerates?
Letting themselves go so far
Becoming slaves in a world of no return
I dread a monumental collision of these contesting realities
Is there a way out?

The Picture Of Love

Last night
On the way to bed
I looked at the picture on the wall
Was greeted by the satisfaction in your eyes
And arrested by the redeeming contours of your smile
And desire summoned me to your side
This morning
As you slept by my side
I stole a glance at the picture on the bed
The way you like to curl up beside me
Even in prosaic sleep you exude angelic charm and grace
Engraving the picture of contentment upon my heart
Thanks for the picture of love
Your love

How Do You Outsmart The Bully @ Work?

The workplace is for work. Period.
But for some folks, it is a war zone.
What do you do if your place of work becomes an unpleasant space of emotional bullying.
How do you deal with an aggressive, nasty, menacing and terrorising manager.
A friend's nephew, a recent graduate, is contemplating leaving his first ever job after just 5 months. The team leader at the place where he works, a middle age woman of a different race, is bullying the crap out of him like you would not believe.
My opinion was sought as to how to deal with the issue. And it occurred to me that I have not had any real experience with that sort of thing. My take was for the young man to ignore the abhorrent behaviour of the sadist and carry on with his work. But it appears the guy is not able to tolerate the problematic lady any longer.
To be frank, I really don't know of a better way to handle such a problem.
Perhaps, some of us are blessed with a thick skin so much so that we do not even notice all the crap going on around us.
Has anybody got any experiences to share concerning workplace bullying.

The Most Beautiful Moments

1. The best state of mind – being able to take care of those you love.
2. The sweetest sound in the whole world – the chuckle of a happy child.
3. The most rewarding moment in the whole world – getting your first paycheck.
4. The snazziest feeling in the whole world – finally laying the-hard-to-get chick.
5. The most consummate touch in the whole world – kissing the woman of your dream in a beautiful dream.
6. The best sight to behold in the whole world – the smiling face of a proud and contented mother in the company of her successful son.
   

Positive Vibrations

As fully persuaded as I am in the wisdom of logic, the power of living life inside out has not escaped me. The message of the inner witness, my personal counsellor, is something I take very serious. I am accustomed to spending time at the beginning of each year getting feedback from within concerning thoughts, ideas and direction for the months ahead.

And I am happy to say that deep within, I "feel" really good about 2010.

I hope the positive vibrations are rocking your side of the pond as well. Bless!

Economics: 2009 Highlights & 2010 Forecasts

In every respect 2009 has been a real bitch!
I will not be surprised if, a few years from now, the number 2009 becomes synonymous with nastiness, catastrophe and bad omen. The superstitious bunch will do everything to avoid that number like a plaque. 2009 shall forever be remembered as the year the bottom fell out of the global economy setting an unprecedented chain reaction of business failures the like of which has not been seen in modern times.
All the vital socioeconomic indicators of the year have been abysmal.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that when the hard statistics of 2009 are finally computed and analysed, the extent of devastation in terms of cost and human capital will be substantial. Millions of workers, investors and entrepreneurs have already lost their livelihoods and, with it, the middle class lifestyle they have built over the years for themselves and their families.
2009, in a major positive way, will be benchmarked as the starting point of a new global economic order. So as the year screeches to an eventful end, it is hoped that the many victims of what has been the annus horribilis of the global village will find some reasons to expect a quick recovery of fortune.

The Global Economy 2010
With the death of the laissez faire free market franchise, the birth pangs of the evolving global economic consensus will continue to be felt in 2010 and beyond.
The emergence of the new global economic order and with it the shift of economic momentum to the East will continue to accelerate, breathing new life into the economies of the global South.
However, the economic prospects of many emerging economies and developing countries alike will continue to experience some form of constraints or even deterioration in the short to medium term as a result of diminished demand for their exports in the United States, Europe and Japan.
My expectation is that the present positive momentum will cause the tide of the global economy to rise significantly in 2010 and lead to a deepened optimism among consumers in the northern hemisphere and subsequently a rebound in global economic activity. Consumption in the East will pick up considerably.

Obama’s America in 2010
The resurgence of the global economy will not happen to the extent that it should until the economy of the United States is up and running. There are already tangible signs of an up-tick in economic activity. The most plausible scenario is that the new health care bill will pass and there will be a steady increase in employment coupled with some easing of the tough credit regime by financial institutions. These and other measures will unleash positive sentiments which will inevitably lead to increased consumption in 2010.
Having said that, 2010 will still be a pretty difficult year for the American economy in general. Barack Obama and his economic team would need the wisdom of the gods, the political acumen of Dwight D. Eisenhower and the economic wizardry of Franklin D. Roosevelt to get the economy booming again.

China, India and The East in 2010
China and India will continue to consolidate their emergence as the flywheel of global economic development in 2010. The role of the two countries in the economies of the developing world will gain momentum in 2010. You can count on their ferocious appetite for natural resources to boost commodity prices in the second half of 2010 as the momentum of global demand begins to pick up. China and India will once again grow at breakneck speeds.
And China will once again be at the forefront of investing in Africa’s infrastructure projects and in the acquisition of large chunks of her natural resources.
I foresee some simmering tension in the relationship between America and China as the weight of Chinese influence continues to grow in 2010 and beyond.

Africa’s Economy in 2010
The emerging tigers of Africa will keep on doing well.
A 5% continental growth average is the conservative forecast.
With the recent reforms in Africa's agricultural sector, the productivity and output of the sector is expected to increase in 2010.
Africa’s infrastructure development will continue to occupy the centre of economic planning and development. Chinese companies have proven themselves as reliable partners in the provision of basic infrastructure across the continent and will continue to get the bulk share of such projects in 2010.
The inexplicable dearth of big American and European non-oil investments into Africa is not expected to change in 2010. Little to no change is expected of the traditional and conservative we-will-come-if-you-do-what-we-tell-you approach by investors from the northern hemisphere towards Africa despite the unprecedented and growing profit margins Africa offers compared to other parts of the globe.
The rate of growth in trade between Africa and China is expected to grow faster in 2010 than in recent years with the maverick, China, expected to overtake the pace of US investments in the continent.
Sadly the overwhelming reliance on her trade with China will inevitably lead to economic security issues sooner or later for Africa. African countries will need to diversify not only their produce but also their international trade arrangements to offset the unhealthy dependence on big brother, China.
I predict that a great deal of political security issues will continue to bedevil the usual suspects in our corner of the world. The Guinean crisis, the Zimbabwean turmoil and the challenges in Niger and the DR Congo as well as the political quagmire in the Cote d’Ivoire will linger on throughout 2010.
Expect some erosion of economic development in these places by the end of next year.
Expect little change in the economy of Ghana in 2010.
Expect the Oil money to begin to trickle in by 2011.

Wishing you and yours a blessed twenty thanks!

2010 World Cup Just Around The Corner

The one year count-down to the 2010 FIFA World Cup has just begun.
Today, President Jacob Zuma in a symbolic move kicked a soccer ball in Cape Town's Green Point stadium to mark the start of the official count-down.
For those of you soccer-mad fans, who are planning to come for the fiesta, now is the time to start preparing for the ball of balls.
With all the stadia taking final shape for Africa's first world cup, the momentum of great excitement is gathering thick and fast.
Meanwhile the FIFA confederation cup begins on Sunday.
Almost all the 8 Teams taking part are in town. And it is expected to whet the appetite of millions all over the world towards the actual 2010 celebration of football.
I am getting my vuvuzela tomorrow!
I can't wait for 2010.

Football: towards 2010

In exactly 572 days from today, the attention of the whole world will be focused on South Africa.

The South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup, dubbed the African World Cup, is expected to be the best soccer showpiece thus far. It is projected to push up the tourism and FDI benefits for South Africa and the entire continent

Meanwhile, billions of Rands are being poured into the construction of venues, road networks, airports, hotels and, perhaps, the most exciting of all, the rapid rail system called the Gautrain. The spill-overs, in the form of construction jobs, skills transfer, entrepreneurship, etc; are expected to lead to significant boost of the local economy in the long-term.

So, you, football fans out there, begin to prepare for an unrivalled soccer-fest with a serious afro-chic flavour. The party-- for those of you party animals-- is bound to be huge, like nothing you have ever seen before.

Whilst there have been some concerns expressed about the crime situation in South Africa, the government is putting in place the requisite security measures to ensure the safety of fans and visitors.

Let's hope that the Black Stars qualify to participate in this global festival!

Would love to see the Ghana flag fly high! Ghana commands a bit of respect among South Africans as far as football is concern. Besides, we have a number of Ghanaians playing in the local league.

One thing though, Bafana Bafana need your fervent prayers to wake up from the self-induced slumber else, they are bound to be the weakest link in the fiesta. And that, I believe, is a sure damp squid!