My Beauty Best Teacher

Adams Namayi Wamukhuma writing in African Executive:

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The initial processes of design involve generating concepts or ideas from imagination, observation or research. The middle stage calls for design solutions that meet user needs, concept development, form exploration, ergonomics, prototyping, materials, and technology. At this stage, production involves craft, creation, fabrication and manufacturing. The final stage involves selling the product. It is either client based (a client buys the design and manufactures it through mass production processes and then sells it to customers) or user based where the product is sold directly to the user by the designer.To achieve designs which meet industrial productions, certain policies need to be established to govern design industry.

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Tyler Perry's dependency dig at Spike lee "We do not have to wait for someone to green light our projects, we can create our own intersections."(echoes of Nollywood vs FESPACO?) via TechMasai
How Menes Zenawi continues to strangle Ethiopia-Economist
Senegal plans first bond offering-WSJ
Contributions to Science, Invention and Technology-Africa Within via African Executive

James Shikwati writes in African Executive:

A redefinition of development to put Africans at the center of determining what they need (and not what they have been taught to need) is crucial. In an East African Community forum in Arusha recently, delegates sought to know how the "One Laptop Per Child" initiative leads to development. One delegate quipped: "Why not one tractor per farmer?" Psychologists remind us that when every other moment it is someone else fixing us, we cannot mature.

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Anna Nadgrodkiewicz  at CIPE highlights Richard Joseph's contentions on a "key weakness" of 'frontier Africa' one:

...that undermines not only political stability, but also sustained growth: the overwhelming power of the executive. Despite the introduction of formal elections, many African democracies persist in the old ways of seeing the government as a way of getting rich. Newly elected leaders tend to move toward accumulating more power and influence with the end result not much different from the personal rule of their authoritarian predecessors.

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James Shikwati writes in African Executive:

What passes for education in Africa is nothing but a conveyor belt system that churns out labor as opposed to critical thinkers. We must urgently probe political and economic systems that have alienated Africans from their own wealth and relegated them into spectators who watch on the sidelines as huge trucks ship out tree logs and small jet planes ship out minerals and ship back beer, pornographic magazines, cigarettes and guns.

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Today at McKinley after layoff notices were dispensed to teachers, counselors and other staff, it was reported that DC police officers committed acts of brutality against high school students for protesting layoffs. One young female student described at length incidents in which police covered their badges, rough housed students, pushed a student to the ground injuring her face on the concrete and using pepper spray against another. Unfortunately the details of this student report was not shown on all local news stations but was reported on channel 7. One McKinley high school student has been incarcerated as a result and remains in jail along with a parent who came to defend students right to assemble. Students and teachers reported that no security was present today at McKinley or Woodson Senior High.

To date it seems that school counselors have been hardest hit. In addition, four members of our Washington Teachers' Union Executive board have all been laid off including a school counselor who recently donned the Wash. Post metro at our rank and file rally on September 24. Two school counselors from Mckinley Technology high school were let go while another one of the school counselors reportedly left today leaving a school counselor for approximately 700 students. In addition, an attendance clerk and the school registrar were let go as well.

It has also been reported that nine staff members from Roosevelt Senior High were laid off with seven of them being teachers and most of them were African American women with 15 years of experience as reported by WTU Building Rep. Tom O'Rourke. A school counselor from Ann Beers elementary was let go after 21 years of service. A school counselor from Spingarn high school with 20 years of experience was let go. Fourteen staff members were let go from Woodson Senior High and 10 of these staff members were teachers. Many of the calls I received were from mid level teachers with 20 plus years of experience or more, disproportionately of color and disproportionately 40 and over.

What a sad day in the neighborhood for us all and what a sad day to work for DCPS.

Posted by The washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, bloger in residence,
Video courtesy of wjla.com

Trust Africa seeks to secure the conditions for democracy and development throughout the continent.
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Nkwazi Mhango writes in the African Executive:

Though Africa is more democratic than it was 40 years ago, its future has nary treaded water with me. How can it make sense if it still has stinking legacy of having dictators that ruined their countries for over 40 years such as Gadaffi, Omar Bongo, Gnassigbe Eyadema and other that have been in power for over thirty years?
How can Africa make it democratically if all we see is the coming back of ruling dynasties hell bent to prolong and extend their stays in power in order to conceal their dirty linens-by the way of passing the batons over to their kids or cronies?

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• Supermodel campaigns for fair elections to ward off civil war in Gabon (telegraph.co.uk)

Nkwazi Mhango writes in the African Executive:

Though Africa is more democratic than it was 40 years ago, its future has nary treaded water with me. How can it make sense if it still has stinking legacy of having dictators that ruined their countries for over 40 years such as Gadaffi, Omar Bongo, Gnassigbe Eyadema and other that have been in power for over thirty years?
How can Africa make it democratically if all we see is the coming back of ruling dynasties hell bent to prolong and extend their stays in power in order to conceal their dirty linens-by the way of passing the batons over to their kids or cronies?

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• Supermodel campaigns for fair elections to ward off civil war in Gabon (telegraph.co.uk)

The title of this post is from an article in the Detroit News today about former Mayor of Detroit, Democrat Kwame Kilpatrick. Here is some more from that article:

According to text messages released Monday... sent on city-owned pagers, provide a window into how Kilpatrick ran his administration, revealing that he and his appointees and relatives were concerned about spinning scandals, grabbing perks and racial issues.

"There was a culture of corruption that started at the top and permeated down throughout the administration, through every department," Brown said. "There was a sense of entitlement like nothing I've ever seen."

The article goes on to talk about Kwame's perks of the jobs, including new cars, and about how Kwame viewed government, strong executive-weak legislative, about how he used race often, and how he tried to spin every bad event to gain more power for himself. There is another good article in the Detroit News today commenting about these events by Laura Berman:

But these newly released text messages also are a course in American civics, a study of a political leader captured in all his human complexity and moral vapidity. In 682 pages, SkyTel's court-released window into the promise, and failure, of Kwame Kilpatrick's administration is a primer on the normally hidden workings of power. It might as well be titled, "By Any Means Necessary."

Take a jaunt through the detritus of a disgraced mayoral administration, and you see a charismatic, intelligent, passionate, funny, life-embracing leader who swallowed his mother's Kool-Aid by the gallon.

"Leadership is a B," Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick texts, in May 2003. "But the rewards make the challenge worth our commitment to our God and our people. YOU ARE CHOSEN."

Process isn't on the table: The question, sometimes spoken, is how can Kilpatrick and his top aide, Christine Beatty, fire the cop, transfer the aide, kill the newspaper story -- do what they want to do.

That sense of calling isn't weighted, in any visible way, by any real values. He's a pleaser -- a man who gives people what they want, gives them the Kilpatrick they want. If he soul-searches, questions his own morality, wonders about right and wrong, none of it shows up.

If he ever entertains moral doubts, or feels shame, or questions any of the political decisions he and his staff makes, there is little evidence of it on the SkyTel pager record. Is he all energy, charisma, and drive, an attention-deficit-disordered mayor on a mission from God?

These articles are about the liberal African-American Democrat Kwame Kilpatrick, but I have a feeling they could describe another politician we have out there, one who also is "concerned about spinning scandals, grabbing perks, and racial issues.' This is about how the person goes about their business, how they operate- and it is not just Kwame who 'gives people what they want' and operates using the motto 'By Any Means Necessary.' There is another major politician in our country who feels that he is on a mission from God, that he is the chosen one, that he is the change and hope that we need.

These articles about liberal Democrat Kwame Kilpatrick remind me of liberal Democrat Barack Obama. I wonder what sort of 'a study of a political leader' we would get if we took a look at Obama's Blackberry- would it be of a leader of deep moral convictions, concern that his own actions might be causing harm, discussing history, civics, and economics, or would it too capture a politician 'in all his human complexity and moral vapidity' operating under the motto “Never let a serious crisis go to waste …"

Aikins Adusei writes in African Executive:

Africa is poor today because Swiss and other western banks collude with African kleptocrats to loot the continent. Corruption is rife on the continent because those who steal the money never lack a place to hide it.
Fighting corruption should not be left to the poor countries alone. Western countries have a duty to stop their nations being used as save havens for stolen monies from the African continent. They should return all looted money put there by corrupt African leaders to the African people. There must be an international coalition dedicated to tracking all stolen monies on the face of the earth with Africa given to priority...[continue reading]

Poor USA- I tried to warn you. We have a politician here in Michigan who sounds a lot like Obama- an amateur who lacked executive experience, a liberal who pushed for higher taxes and more regulation, and a Democrat who passes larger and larger budgets that benefit special interest groups while the state suffers. Granholm, our Governor, even has a bogeyman to blame like Obama- first it was Engler, than it was Bush, and if she was Governor another 10-20 years, it would always be a bogeyman causing the problems, not her. Get used to it, nation, because when I listen to Obama talk, that's the impression I get.

Okay, so I'm looking through Obama's speech, and here are some parts that jump out to me:

"That day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here."

First off, why is today the day of reckoning? Why wasn't it yesterday, or last year, or two years ago? Why wasn't it September 11, 2001, or 1940, or 1776? Why is it the election of Obama as President? Obama shows his lack of humility, and shows why people mock him by calling him the Messiah and the Anointed one- he feels that the election of him is the day of reckoning. That's interesting.

According to wikipedia, the Day of reckoning is a term used to describe the Last Judgment in Christian eschatology. Judgment Day, or Day of the Lords, is the judgment by God of all nations. It will take place after the resurrection of the dead and the Second Coming (Revelation 20:12–15). So what does Obama really believe about our times? Interestingly enough, wikipedia is a fine help- under the section "Gnostic tradition", there is this line-

some liberal theologies reject the traditional conception of the Last Judgment as inconsistent with an all-just and loving God, in favor of some form of universal salvation. They teach that all beings of the human evolution will ultimately be saved in a distant future as they acquire a superior grade of consciousness and altruism.

Obama thinks that he is more evolved than us, that he is superior in consciousness and altruism than us, and that he is the second coming of Jesus, and that the election of him will bring universal salvation to all- everyone, no matter if they are good or bad, will be saved by him, and he will provide everything to everyone.

Here is another line I like:

This plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. More than 90% of these jobs will be in the private sector - jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges; constructing wind turbines and solar panels; laying broadband and expanding mass transit.

Let's see if I understand the logic- 1 trillion dollars in taxpayer money, government money, sent to government agencies and bureaucracies, and 90% of the jobs are private sector? Building roads and bridges, wind turbines, solar panels, broadband, mass transit- I guess by private sector he means private sector in the sense that favored businesses will get government money, much like the Nazi's ran their economy under their fascist systems in Germany and Italy.

Next, let's look at how Mr. Bipartisanship really works:

Given these realities, everyone in this chamber - Democrats and Republicans - will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for which there are no dollars. And that includes me. But that does not mean we can afford to ignore our long-term challenges. I reject the view that says our problems will simply take care of themselves; that says government has no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity.

In other words, everyone in Congress- except Democrats- will have to sacrifice their priorities- but Democrats totally reject the worldview of libertarians and fiscal conservatives. Totally reject- entirely reject- everything that you believe in, if you are a fiscal conservative or libertarian. If you voted for this guy, you elected someone who rejects your views in the name of 'bipartisanship'.

Oh, his speech is getting better- now that he is past the flowery language, we get to the heart of the matter. He is going to cut our energy supplies, especially oil. He is going to drive our domestic auto industry out of business. He is going to put in place a Soviet health care system. He is going to give everyone free college education, especially if you volunteer for Democrat causes. He is going to lose militarily around the world and sit down and give in to all of our enemies.

Incidentally, I'm shocked by how scripted this guy is- not a single variation in anything he says. I was reading this entire speech as he was saying it- he didn't vary a single word in the entire speech. Is this really how Lincoln and Reagan did it? Is this really how FDR and JFK did it? Read a speech word for word that others had written? I don't think so.

UPDATE: I was curious about what Obama knew about Greensburg, Kansas- apparently when a tornado ripped through this city last May, Obama said that 10,000 people were killed because the entire Kansas national guard was in Iraq- in reality, only 12 people died, and very little of Kansas's national guard was gone. Opps! All this guy knows are the places he saw during his campaign- all of his education about the world has been gained in campaigning for office.

How about Dillon, South Carolina, and Obama's visit there? Well, Obama was there for a campaign stop too. Apparently it is part of the 'Corridor of Shame'? Anyways, since everyone in this school is poor and African-American, and the people in this area supported Obama, he wants to now give kick-backs to this school. Interesting. See this information here.

Ellen Gwaradzimba writes in the African Executive:

Empirical evidence from Southern Europe have shows that Third World academics who migrate to other countries, especially to First World countries, gain very little because they mainly do unskilled work which does not teach them anything. Only a minority gain new skills while working abroad. The majority do not learn anything new because they only do unskilled work. ...[continue reading]

From the African Executive:

In search of development, African states have adopted all language requirements such as good governance, human rights and so on, to be able to access aid from the West. While many of the values of human rights, good governance and rule of law are fundamental and appropriate democratic norms in Africa and elsewhere, the parroting of these terms without critical analysis and contextual application of same is quite concerning...[continue reading]

Gautam Bandyopadhyay writes in the African Executive:

An exciting landscape is emerging in the banking arena, one where there is a billion-strong market actively seeking financial services but remains largely unattended to. These globally distributed prospective customers represent enormous earning potential for banks, but constitute the unbanked...[continue reading]

At the African Executive Fred Kwoba writes:

There is no sustainable way to poverty reduction unless Africa widens the base of economic participants. When knowledgeable people speak of indigenous capital ownership as the sine qua non of sustainable development, they point to the right solution. I have in mind a specific new development paradigm, based on broad participation of the population in market driven economic activities. This paradigm is discussed thoroughly on DeniAfrica.com where it does not only postulate but provides a road map of how Africa can create millions of entrepreneurs and business asset owners and not just a handful of millionaires. The ingenuity of this concept, called Direct Expatriates Nationals Investment (DENI), is to widen the base of Africans participating in the revival and stimulation of their economies...[continue reading]

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At the African Executive Sabella Abidde writes:

...in the early 1980s, intellectualism began to take on a different shade and texture. There were new minds in town. The principal objectives began to change. This noble and august craft began to have different questions, different answers and different meanings. In a span of ten years, Nigerian-style intellectualism became unrecognizable.And by the early to late 1990s, the society of Nigerian intellectuals had become mushy, clay-like, adulterated, corruptible, and puerile. It became a laughing stock. Some retained their stellar qualities, but for the most part, the society of Nigerian intellectuals became a pool of nothingness: a shadow of its pious past and now munching off of its past glory...[continue reading]

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