Google vs Microsoft vs Apple

A husband and wife are trying to set up a new password for their computer. The husband puts, "Mypenis," and the wife falls on the ground laughing because on the screen it says, "Error. Not long enough."

I don’t know exactly where to begin. I am overwhelmed. It’s like a parent forced to decide on who among his kids is his/her favorite. This is however a debate that caught my eye. All the three companies are global brands that have worldwide presence. They have not even celebrated golden jubilee since their inception. They are dream companies to work for those who are into programming and matters computer science. 

The similarities are too much that continuity in comparison will be an effort in futility. I will however attest to the fact each of the three has shaped our life in a way. It may be directly or indirectly. The fact remains that they are influencing how we behave and interact.

Fuss aside, let me compare and contrast these companies. My focus will try as much as possible to deal with specifics. I am concerned with the phone industry. Alas many people have phones and focusing on things like search engines and other services they render may not be much palatable.

Google has Android, Apple has iOS and Microsoft has Windows Phone. These are platforms that smartphones operate on. They are the operating systems developed by these giants. What’s your preference?

The approach I will use is that of a layman. It is devoid of favoritism and bias. I will try to be neutral and perhaps splash figures here and there to back my claims if that will give more credibility to the analogies I hope to make.

Let me start with the most common operating system, Android. The cheapest smartphones run on this platform. Android KitKat 4.4 is the latest version on offer. It is however for those with high end devices. Android is an operating system that is used by many mobile phones. It has enabled every other Tom, Dick and Harry to afford a Smartphone. Google continues to tweak its previous versions since technology changes each day. I bet Android has the most followers or phones having the software.

Windows Phone was a late entrant into the market. It helped revive Nokia which was on its deathbed. Windows has a bias for some phones and it is restrategizing to perhaps occupy the middle and low end market sooner. It may warrant knowing that Windows Phone was a successor to Windows Mobile which is now defunct. This user interface is a close rival of Android given that it allows many phones to operate on its platform.

iOS is on only limited to Apple devices, that is iPhones and iPads. When it comes to matters technology, Apple leads others follow. Allow me to say that Apple is currently the best brand in the world. It has however been resistant to change. While other interfaces have quickly embraced changes, ever since its inception in 2007, it has remained on a static platform much to the chagrin of its lovers. But with iOS 8, much is on the table.

Late entry into the market may be a reason why Windows Phone may not be as highly rated as Android and iOS. Windows Phone is fighting for supremacy in the third place with Blackberry’s RIM though it has an upper edge.

Apple is however limited to the high-end market. This means the platform will continue to attract only those who have a fanatic following and love for Apple and not necessarily iOS. Google cheapened its Android and as such it can’t compare with iOS.

When it comes to the homescreen, nothing compares to Apple. Though technical to use, iOS is devoid of unresponsive screen that are associated with Android and has clarity that is unrivalled. Windows Phone is trying though windows are just but copy-cats. They copy everything Apple is doing.

Microsoft needs to redefine or rewrite their script. They are non-starters and it looks as if they only enter into an industry to deny Apple clout which is not materializing. 

Google is doing well. It is may lack chutzpah and suave in the mobile industry but it compensates for this low down by continuing to outsmart itself each time since it has a big platform in terms of those who own devices operated on its software.

Even though Apple is not big in Africa (read expensive), it still has admirers and its market capitalization has helped it to make a mark as one of the best Companies overtaking Microsoft, hitherto a giant in the technology Industry.

I must confess my love for Apple. I have not read much about the other two but they are still doing well. But trust Gates, he is a quintessential tecnosavvy business and global icon who is more renown than the brand he created. I have to give it to Steve Jobs. His company has outlived him in terms of being a brand. Luckily, Sergey Brin and Larry Page have also taken the route of making Google the brand.

Ideally this piece was not even about the operating systems. I wanted to demystify the three companies. I have come to a conclusion that though all are very good. Apple still tops. Everyone has an opinion, yours may differ but when it does base it on something worth talking home about even if it is full of surmise.

‘Situonane.’

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SMARTPHONES: Here is why you should own one

The term ‘Smartphone’ was introduced into the market by Ericsson in 1997, when it used the word to describe its GS 88 ‘Penelope’ concept as a Smartphone.

Smart phones are the current it gadgets which any tech savvy or the average guy should own. There prices range from cheap to very expensive depending on your financial muscles. If you don’t have one, reconcile your heart with your brain and your wallet and go to the nearest shop and procure one. The benefits outweigh the cost. It is even of essence to purchase a high end Smartphone as it will not be vulnerable to systemic failure and unresponsive touch screen. In a word, a smart phone is a mini-computer.

Thanks to Apple founder Steve Jobs, we have smart phones. Essentially, I didn’t know whether an iPhone is a smart phone or a smart phone is an iPhone. But a quick check shows me that an iPhone falls under the umbrella of smartphones. However, iPhones are the flagship phones developed and manufactured solely by Apple while there is no clear demarcation of which phone qualifies into the Smartphone category. 

Before innovating the iPhone, Apple CEO’s Steve Jobs, realized that the phones in supply then did not match the specification of what he wanted in a phone. He hence conceived the idea of a multi-touch screen that allowed users to directly input data on to the screen with their fingers, thus eliminating the need for mouse, keyboard or keys. He revolutionized the phone industry, it was a success.

Ideally, the ideology of owning a phone has changed. In the latter years of the past century, acquiring a phone was not an easy task. Only the few well oiled or connected individuals had the privilege of possessing one. 

However, the 21^st century bought in new changes and every Tom, Dick and Harry could have a phone. Phones like Nokia 3310 became easy to own by even those in the remotest of locations. Thanks to lax policies, cheap phones and good network coverage, most people can easily own phones.

Smart Phones have bought in a new gist. The devices are increasingly tied into our lives, and being without them can be a huge loss. It is no longer about owning a phone. In fact, a ‘normal phone’ does support the primary capabilities that a Smartphone performs which are sending and receiving messages and making and receiving calls.

The major difference comes in due to the fact that smartphones provide huge screens which are multitouch, have high end cameras, and support a variety of applications that the traditional normal phones cannot.

Albeit the fact that Smartphones are prone to risk, they are priced possessions we really adore in our lives. The probability of losing one is very high. Again everyday new phones are made to replace the old phones with newly added dynamic features and capabilities to provoke buyers to purchase the high end devices on offer. 

Competition is cut-throat and not a single day goes without software and hardware technicians and engineers coming up with new interfaces, applications and designs that provide a singular and superior viewing experience in smartphones. Actually, if you don’t like the craze created by phone companies, then you are missing out a lot.

Smartphones are easy to spot, steal and resell, making them a popular target for thieves. Many have lost their phones to petty thieves especially on the streets where chances of losing a phone are very high.

Smart phones are also prone to ruin. Forgetfulness, gravity, anger and intoxication are just some of the ways a smart phone can be damaged.

This reminds me of a story where a certain bloke found his better half flirting with one of his alpha male friends at a party. Irate, the dude took the brand new Samsung galaxy note he had bought her wife and threw it away smashing the screen into smithereens. 

Then there are those who like tinkering with their phones by rooting. (Rooting is a way of getting total control of the operating system, bypassing pesky safeguards and limitations put in place by the company that made the phone). That way you can get your phone to work on a different carrier and perhaps enjoy some of the features that you may be pleased with.

Water resistance is also an issue when it comes to smartphones. Those whose phones have fallen in water end up with dead phones. High end phones are now water proof and this is a plus.

Since smartphones are prone to damage, ruin and theft and a host of other risky scenarios, focus should be placed around security, encryption and identity protection. Use of sapphire screen is one of the best safety measures as sapphire screens are naturally strong, extremely scratch resistant, can withstand flexing and transmit light very well.

Fold-able Smartphone realization is still a decade away because of the cost of producing them. There is a relatively high failure rate when producing these screens. As little as a speck of dust can ruin a screen during production. Creating a battery that can be folded is another hurdle. Samsung fully fold-able phones are expected around 2016 to 2017.

There are currently about 10 or so operating systems that smartphones can run on. However Google’s Android, Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Apple’s iOS are the major platforms where smartphones are built. Other operating systems such as Ubuntu, Blackberry’s RIM are doing pretty well. 

The Symbian operating system was however adapted for low end phones as its use in smart phones did not result in astronomical sales for Nokia which at some point struggled before adopting the Windows Phone operating system.

The future is all about smartphones. They have not only changed the way people operate since applications such as whatsapp allows for sharing of videos, podcast, pictures and messages. Skype is also an application that provides one on one video calls and this is providing a new ground that may revolutionize the traditional calls especially among long distant relatives and couples if internet penetration is witnessed.

SITUONANE.

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Nostalgic High School Memories

Part two: Coping and getting used to life

Continued from High School Memories

What was even worse was when a mono missed more than three sessions of the disbursement of these niceties that came in different sizes and metes. In the event he was discovered he would be taken directly to the school captain where the prefect would incite the head who was equaled to the school principal to correct the bigheadness. 

In certain instances if the prefect felt he would not manage he would call at least four or five more fellow captains to discharge the duties with a lot of precision and meticulousness. That was the time when all the form ones were required to kneel down and raise their hands up.

The form twos or ex-monos would be there to ignite the prefects since they needed psyche to effectively perform their duties. And when high school sophomores disliked you, that is when you would taste the sweetness of being liberal. That the world is not ready for change is not a matter of denial. Few are of the view in the path that leads to its transformation so to say.

That the best drivers are not the ones who tread the straight road for practice is not jurisprudence. The ones who are able to fathom the rigors of the terrain so rugged are the victors in this race that requires a lot of patience and perseverance. None is an angel to the extent of having not gone through the lows that bequeath. The tragedy of life is that it is never a smooth sail but a sea that is full of hazards that must tactfully be sauntered past astutely.

The reality that hit again was that of being maligned. I bet this is the parochial view of an entrant who had enjoyed a smooth decade without being scorned to be delivered in the institution that had no compassion notwithstanding the fact that it meant to nurture. Such are the times when the serenity is buoyed by afflictions that render it lose salutation. Talk of being bred in slightly lenient conditions that warranted tender care and charisma.

The moments that were painstaking were those of delicacy. That a form one has a mammoth appetite is not a matter of contradiction. It is conversely true that they are beings who need to lactose and peptide since it excites their timelessness. And that meant they were treated with disdain and ridicule the moment they ambled to the cafeteria when their time of receipt had not materialized. By that I mean their partake had to come after all their seniors had taken their dosages since mealtimes were analogous to drug time since the portion (though I now consider it satiable) was not sufficient for the eke. Eking that never involved any considerable effort so tiring. But it was better all the same.

My crystal ball tells me that if I never went through such molding, perhaps I would not have had a worthy anecdote to tell. I am sure there are even far worse cases. What am sure of is the fact that my Alma mater was the best. It may have had its own shortfall but again, it did the best in making men out of boys. 

However, school should not be a torture chamber where one shivers each time he thinks of making entry into the school. Ways should be put in place to curb indiscipline in a way that does not diminish the character of any person. Some rules are barbaric and bespeak of savage tendencies. Structured ways should be ratified to deal with short comings in school. 

The past is now behind and the future is beckoning. It is full of prosperity and downfalls. Just like in school where we were flogged. Society does flog us and puts us in shape. We learn from it and surge on ahead being sanguine.

Reiterating previous sentiments, I am where I am partly because of some of the discipline that made us proper citizens. We may have vengeful thoughts and be bitter with some of the predicaments we went through but forgiving and forgetting is always a virtue. When I meet some of my former tormentors and smile each time we chart and remind them of the way they used to act insane, they smile in return.

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What’s in a name? ISIS

Islamic State is currently the trending terror group causing shivers down the spines of many nationals. They are fighting America and Allies. Their vengeance is lethal. Their acts are barbaric. Their cause, to liberate the Islamic State from air strikes by America and Allies. Their retaliation has so far cost the world. Four people have been beheaded. Another is in the offing. This is really bad. Not even public outcry evokes feeling in this terror group. But the world is watching. No evil bequeathed upon mankind prospers. At some point, the world will retaliate, the repercussions will be dire.

47-year-old English aid worker Alan Henning initially held hostage is the latest victim of beheading. A graphic 71-second video titled ‘Another Message to America and its Allies’ has been released by ISIS. 

Allan Henning while going about his charity work

“I am Alan Henning. Because of our Parliament’s decision to attack the Islamic State, I as a member of the British public, will now pay the price for that decision,” a stunned looking Henning says in the video.

John the Beatle, a hooded terrorist then appears in the video and says, “The blood of David Haines was on your hands Cameron,” referring to another butchered hostage and British Prime Minister.

“Alan Henning will also be slaughtered. But his blood is on the hands of the British Parliament,” the hooded man says, pointing his knife straight at the camera.

The next shot shows the British aid worker’s handcuffed body lying in the sand – with his bloodied head placed on his lower back. This is horrific, inhuman and libelous. 

The British Prime Minister had this to say about Allan, “The fact this was a kind, gentle, compassionate and caring man who had simply gone to help others, the fact they murdered him in the way they did, shows what we are dealing with, and this is going to be our struggle there. With others, we must do everything we can to defeat this organization.”

He further said that, “What we see with this organization is there's no level of depravity to which they will not sink. No appeals made any difference.”

Previous victims were American reporter James Foley, American-Israeli journalist Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines. They are heroes. Their death though unwarranted should be condemned as it disregards the tenets of humanity which is ‘the right to life.’

Peter Kassig before converted to Islam

Another American hostage Peter Kassig is perhaps next in the villainous act of beheading Americans and allied state nationals. His crime, ‘being an American.’

Kassig, 26, is a former elite US Army Ranger who was deployed to Iraq in 2007, according to a Time magazine profile published in 2013.

After leaving the military, the Indianapolis native volunteered to help Syrian refugees in a Lebanese hospital and then started an aid group he called Special Emergency Response and Assistance.

National Security Council spokesperson Caitlin Hayden confirmed that Islamic State militants had Kassig.

“We will continue to use every tool at our disposal – military, diplomatic, law enforcement and intelligence – to try to bring Peter home to his family,” Hayden said.

Everything must be done to destroy the militant organization. They engage in heinous crimes with reckless abandon. Beheading of American and British nationals is a cowardly act. These acts of beheading only shows the world they are indeed a terror group which the world needs to condemn. 

Worse is the fact that the name ISIS, now synonymous with this terror group, has had negative connotations to businesses going by the same name. 

Aaren Brent is tired of visitors asking about her store’s name or snapping pictures of the sign outside. Her venture -Isis Bridal and Formal, a small business enterprise in USA- has to ward off the bad image.

Branding experts say an unfortunate association with a name can scar a company’s reputation even if the connection is coincidental.

The business owners of some established brands only wish the Islamic State would be referred as so. The media referring to the group as ISIS is having aversive repulse action among customers. Sales have plummeted for some outlets and this may have devastating consequences to established brands.

‘What’s in a name?’ that is perhaps the question most people are asking with regard to the fact that ISIS has had rippling effects the world over. 

As world leaders fight this ragtag militant Islamist movement, avenues should be found to curtail the resurgence of these outfits that are inhuman and brutish. In this day and age, people the world over should enjoy the freedom and rights enshrined in the United Nations Charter and which are inherent among all human beings.

Let’s pray for Peter Kassig, he has dedicated a greater part of his life in serving humanity. Other foreign nationals are also held captive by this movement. They should also be in our prayers.
SITUONANE.

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Daughters and Sons of Teachers?

Mathematics teacher showing pupils geometry during a mathematics class

Today I want to focus on those people who shape our lives. They are neither our parents nor guardians. They are teachers. But I will narrow down emphasis to primary and secondary school teachers. These are the ladies and gentlemen who really help shape the character and perception of an individual.

My main drive goes especially towards addressing the plight of their children. Indeed teachers have or usually raise their progenies in a way that is a little bit different from the other parents. Have you ever asked yourself why teachers have a high percentage of their children going for some of the best courses on offer in universities? 

As a matter of fact teachers have children who are bright or end up being bright and intellectually savvy. Some of the children who take the top positions in class are usually the children of teachers. Let me confess that though I am not the child of a tutor, my mum had the character of one. But that was just a by the way. None of my parents ventured in the teaching profession.

So what makes the children of teachers tick? I have done a little bit of research and  decided to debunk the myth. Let me say that I also stand to be corrected. The second president of Kenya was a teacher so was the First President of Tanzania and Vice President of Kenya.

There is one thing that is not in doubt about these children. They have availability of resources and are usually under the care of their parents. This is not to say that all the children of teachers are smart and have such trappings. Some are indeed not book smart but they compensate by being great athletes or actors or some end up being the average Jane or John and others dump asses.

Again I have to say most teachers are usually among the most educated in their localities. This makes them not only very influential but also they become the role models and persons that society can look up to. In this regard they usually raise their children with the mentality that they are the victors and they should never let them down by failing perpetually but by struggling hard especially academically. Plus teachers know how to effectively apply the rod. It is said spare the rod spoil the child.

The children of teachers also usually get challenges in life. This is because most teachers by Kenyan standards are paid peanuts (I am not sure of that currently). This means they are not able to procure some of the luxurious items that their children only read about or see on TV. Albeit most teachers usually have televisions in the houses and have ease of acquisition of books. This motivates most of the children of teachers to work very hard in the hope that someday they will own or enjoy the fruits that come with passing exams.

The myths aside, I would like to say that some of the prominent members of my extended family had their parents as teachers. Those whose parents were teachers are the ones who went to university at a time when it was a matter of privilege and status to go to university. Currently any Tom, Dick and Harry can attend university provided you have money.

While in campus, most of my friends were the sons and daughters of teachers. Being in the best University in Kenya is not a mean feat especially due to the fact that we were JAB students. That notwithstanding, these students were bright and I can attest to the fact that they came to campus with the mindset that ‘I must get First Class’. 

Prominent figures I have to allude to in Kenya who had a parent(s) as a teacher include but not limited to Gideon Moi and siblings, Raila Odinga and siblings, and Joshua Oigara and sibling(s). Now you understand teachers are very important in any society.

Sometimes back in high school a teacher asked my fellow students about who wanted to be a teacher. None raised his hand up. Some did not out of fear most as students had big dreams of being medical doctors, engineers, lawyers, actuaries and all the fancy careers that have eye catching titles. In the end very few of my classmates who went to campus became teachers.

Flash-forward and many have completed university. Those who took up the teaching profession either through coercion or by choice are the ones laughing all the way to the bank. Schools are set up daily and the demand for teachers far outstrips supply. Those of us who went in unknown careers are still tarmacking after graduation. The good thing is that none is regretting. I have to underscore the fact that the teaching profession is the best going by our country demands as a developing country.

On my side, I remember my mum beseeching me to opt for a profession in pedagogy.  I don’t regret having not taken the advice. My family has a proliferation of teachers and it’s only fair that we diversify. But I have not placed a permanent caveat in one day deciding to try the profession which in my opinion is more about giving back to the society.
SITUONANE.

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The Pirate Bay

Internet is phenomenal. That is due on my part for lacking a better word. I love the sensation the net has created. You don’t need to attend a journalism school to be a journo in the net. I am one person who believes talent is nurtured and at present my writing is lackluster in content and intrigue. But that is a  flaw I do compensate for by having some flow. At least I have the guts to acknowledge my Achilles' heel.

Having admitted that I have a vulnerable spot that I need to tend and mend, it’s my prerogative to acknowledge that I am one person who loves the net. Cascading the net brought me to learn interesting things and it’s through this media that I came to learn how to do things on my own.

Finishing campus is everyone’s dream. On my part it was my headache. You don’t know where to start life from. But opportunities are usually too many. Jobs that out there are again too many. I needed to find my bearing first before I ventured in the murky world that is full of illusions as a young being.

Like many campus leavers, I was caught up in the frenzy of making it big someday in life.  Having learnt from experience I was not expecting much. I saw many former graduates who I had looked up to find good jobs but they say this is Kenya. They graduated before I entered campus and now having graduated they are still unemployed.

I thought this was a result of their undoing. They had not gone the extra mile in being either self employed or just having somewhere to eke. Yet God in heaven has kept them to this day. Their fate will come when they least expected. They should just continue hoping that someday the angel of abundance will come to their providence and lady luck will smile on them. Some will however die having achieved nothing causing displeasure among those who aimed and struggling to make it to university.

On this account, I was ready and well armed. I knew that I could not expect much. I became so sullen to the extent I generalized that applying for jobs is an effort in futility. I was later proved wrong when many of my classmates became employed. Some by the big four and others by the prominent blue chip companies where the starting salary outdoes that of those who have worked for ages.

Lack in life does not mean luck does not exist. You may want to make it big in life but what lacks is the willpower to make a start. That is why many ideas become barren even before they are conceived. And the masses are usually caught up in this quagmire and many end up living the abhorrent and  modest lives that they wanted to escape from.

That was a departure that I was alluding to since I discovered I went to the wrong course in campus having failed to meet the cut off points for what I ideally wanted to do. Yet in campus I realized that only medical courses are different from the others. Chances of employment is high likewise the teaching profession. All in it is up-to one to decide to change his predicament like does an alchemist.

I am unemployed. Just like the rest of those I intimated. But they are experienced more than I in being jobless. Since I said that was a departure, I must say that I have not lost hope though. If prospects become blurred I will change profession. I earlier said I discovered the net. Thanks to the fact that I have an avenue where I can access it freely. It has come of great aid in keeping me busy.

Through the net am sorry to say I stumbled upon YouTube. I became fascinated and then in came the urge to download the videos. Google the most trusted and renowned search engine came to my rescue. IDM it was and I downloaded and installed it on my computer. Easy it was to download any video with IDM though I think this is outdated (nerds may suggest something better). While in campus I used to use an extension that was not as fast as IDM.

YouTube led me to Photoshop and then The Pirate bay. Though apologetic since it is a site that does not promote artists as it promotes piracy. I downloaded Photoshop and launched the program on my PC.

There were little hitches at first but YouTube came to my rescue. Installation was as easy as ABC. The videos to aid in learning Photoshop were also on YouTube. But the best ones that also came with project files for effective learning were again in Pirate bay.

I must say am an intermediate or an amateur graphic designer having skill acquired from the net. The dedication I had far outdoes the lethargy in me while in campus. I did not do well as a result of the notion that I would never find a job. But again I was of the opinion of ‘What next?’.  After campus you either join another campus or enter the job market and worse still end up not working.

The Pirate bay, founded by rebels who were later incarcerated has and continues to be the site with many hits. Your next door movie store shop probably downloaded the low quality movie from pirate bay. Copyright infringement is what The Pirate bay does. Am a user and so are many of the software engineers in the country and since some of the programs that we use are expensive, this site comes of aid. Anything downloadable is free on The Pirate bay.

However I don’t advocate for the excessive use of internet as a channel towards denying artists off their income. My plight and your plight has been the reason why knowledge should be dispensed freely. And that is the reason why sites like The Pirate bay have been innovated to bridge that gap.

SITUONANE

[Photo Source: Google Images]

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Clearance Plan

Writing with no pay is one of the trickiest hobbies in life. You may opt to write a very fascinating story only to end up writing non sense. You may churn a good idea only to forget about it when time is nigh to put it in black and white. I have severally gone through occasions where I come up with a great idea while making castles in the air. At such times, I usually have diction. But when it comes to the real act of making sense out of the thoughts, my brain becomes numb and the fathomed ideas become irrelevant.

That is what life is. I bet life is a very tricky affair. Many people usually have great hopes and ideas as to what they aspire to do or be. When it comes to the action of now putting the notions into practice, you realize that it is not that easy. The same case applies to me. I have sometimes written the best articles in my mind while thinking of the next big thing that has never been penned down only to realize they were just that, dreams.

I like stories. I also know many people like stories. A good story if well narrated will ideally have an impact on the target audience. A story with relevance to society will withstand the test of time and not even modernity will dilute the meaning it was intended to portray.

The Bible is thousands of years old. The same applies to the Qur'an and other religious books that have been relevant all along. I guess the authors were not just witty but were motivated by humanity and income was not a major driver. Their main drive was to show society that as things change the more they remain the same. I don’t know about Qur'an but I guess what it contains is as true as it was written then as it is now.

While vanity may make some to cherish what they do, it is not worth it to be remembered for nothing. Being famous for vanity may be very enticing especially to those seeking the public limelight. This also applies to many who say life is all vanity. They have nothing to die for, they are just there. To them, as another day passes they view it as an obvious fixation with no endeavor to achieve.

Good stories should have meaning, relevance and create the unrivalled suspense of making readers or listeners glued or accustomed to what they are reading or listening. Suspense is an art and very few have mastered that art. It requires more than just reading or listening. Building on this art should start from the beginning to the end. The story should be brazen and create worry; failure of which it will be bland and have a nondescript build-up.

This reminds me of James Blunt. He once one of the most hated musicians in UK. He sung lousy songs according to those who hated him. While his song ‘You’re beautiful’ was an international big hit, it attracted revulsion among some quarters. I guess the video was just lethargic, it was also not well thought and it could be one of the reasons why most people could have possibly hated him.

I wish to be a force to reckon with. That does not mean I want to transcend to that level without any effort. Like victors and those who have had an impact in this world, I know that making a statement is not that easy. Those who rise to the occasion early find out that it is not usually that rosy. If they can’t keep pace, they soon go into oblivion. This reminds me of the child actor who featured in ‘different strokes.’ Ideally Gary Coleman could have died a millionaire. But apparently, he died a pauper having helped mint millions as a toddler.

I am hence tempted to say that today’s failure may be tomorrow’s success. Again the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Thus it is prudent to know where you want to be. That applies to my writing. It is at present devoid of luster, but as they say experience is the best teacher. After a while it will gain sheen and maybe go to the next level.

It is a challenging satisfying the unpredictability that is associated with human nature. When you think you have made nailed it, the response may be insipid. When you try out subtle things, a bubbly outcome may be witnessed. Life is full of contradictions.

When I started this article, I thought of writing about the technicality of writing. I have slowly realized that making amends with the self when things are not working does not break a bone. When it comes to loss of ideas and banal creativity, there is what I usually call brevity. Telling a long story in few words in a sense that is evokes emotions and captures the requisite imagery to the recipient is a very good thing.

P/S: I have never understood the ideology of one telling you I have a very long story. Please, long stories are only found in novels. Furthermore, those who say they have a long story end up having short stories.

When you have something to say, say it. This spite of long stories does not augur well with me.

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Animals Know the Age of Human beings

Have you ever watched a very good reality program that showcases the opulence of those who have made it in life and you are asking yourself, ‘Where did this person get all the money.’ While you are lamenting, the person is still making big bucks and some are doing so even while sleeping. And the amount they are making while sleeping can sustain you a life time.

The media sometimes makes us believe we are not working hard enough to augment our status in life. They like engaging our limbic systems in such a manner as to outwit as to fall prey to their gimmicks which are sometimes farfetched and fallacious. What’s more they know how to paint the perfect picture of a person to appear they are who they are not. In Swahili they say ‘Umdhaniaye ndiye, huwa siye ndiye ’. Those who know the people very well however know they are a pale shadow of what the media depicts them to be. Ironically, we kowtow to their sly ploy with gullibility of unrivaled idiocy.

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Forgotten Heroes

"Older persons make wide-ranging contributions to economic and social development. However, discrimination and social exclusion persist. We must overcome this bias in order to ensure a socially and economically active, secure and healthy aging population."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Today is the International Day of Older Persons. This day is observed on 1 October of every calendar year having been first proposed on 14 December 1990. In 1991, the General Assembly (by resolution 46/91) adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons. International Day of the Elderly is hence dedicated to honor, respect and care for the world's elderly.

The most basic things in life are food, clothing and housing. I am of the opinion that these are the fundamental needs as they are universal and should not be relegated to privileges whatsoever. Again a lot has been said left right and center of how to ensure that those living below the poverty line or just above it get minimum resources necessary for long-term physical well-being to ensure these needs are fulfilled or satisfied. Yet the reality is that as we make a fuss, someone is sleeping hungry and on the streets in rags.

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