tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31319847928052010312012-01-30T20:18:14.672Zakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.comBlogger3361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-16711082934354073322012-01-30T20:12:00.005Z2012-01-30T20:18:14.680Z

By coincidence, I got a copy of The Guardian on Sunday and a small booklet titled "Time" fell out of it. It was a complimentary copy of a guidebook bringing to the forefront the question of why we race through time in our physical world. The timing of this coincidence could not have been any better (no pun intended).An extract of one of my favorite articles within this guidebook:"What is striking

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-34227310595334364802012-01-22T20:56:00.006Z2012-01-22T21:04:47.088Z

Via CNN (19 Jan 2012), by Dayo Olopade: What is economic complexity? The authors explain that "society functions because its members form webs that allow them to specialize and share their knowledge with others." The Atlas focuses on exported goods (not services), tracking how easy it is for an economy to leap from the simple (growing cotton, or making steel) to the complex (manufacturing

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-30299764008498300842012-01-01T19:36:00.004Z2012-01-01T19:38:26.677Z

Here is to peace, prosperity and happiness in the world. Photo taken shortly after midnight at one section of the River Thames in London, January 1 2012.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-15455755588187652472011-12-30T12:05:00.007Z2011-12-30T12:15:19.632Z

The chapters in a book have a physical beginning and a physical end. But their contents flow backwards into the story before, flow forwards into the remaining story and will continue to weave into the story contents beyond the book itself. Book in photo above courtesy of Bahati Mabala, A Trail of My Shadows.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-85171302472583714912011-12-29T13:33:00.003Z2011-12-29T13:37:37.694Z

1. Is it possible to create an international political party? If so, where does this leave the role of "international" ideologies (such as democracy, capitalism, etc.) and institutions (the UN, the World Bank, etc.)?2. Is all the information circulated within Government public domain?Thanks Nabil, Inayat, Muntazir, Ayham and Hamza for the (as always) good company.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-17039556212655807762011-12-28T13:23:00.003Z2011-12-28T13:26:50.411Z

I found these Google interview questions and suggested responses from a WSJ article. Examples of some questions:You're in a car with a helium balloon on a string that is tied to the floor. The windows are closed. When you step on the gas pedal, what happens to the balloon—does it move forward, move backward, or stay put?A book has N pages, numbered the usual way, from 1 to N. The total number of

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-78253672215402222332011-12-23T00:27:00.002Z2011-12-23T00:30:01.677Z

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-56766285725216655042011-12-20T18:03:00.003Z2011-12-20T18:10:41.962Z

Risk, it appears, is not mitigated even if one is able to disconnect oneself from the result of invested effort. It seems risk can only be mitigated if all constituents of any effort or event are relieved from the potential of harm. The responsibility of everyone dealing with this risk, therefore, lies on one who initiates the risky event, however disconnected they are from the result.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-26215010133474059342011-12-15T16:12:00.001Z2011-12-15T16:12:30.967Z

Green is the true color of the coffee bean. The bean is harvested in Central and South America, Eastern Africa and Southern Asia. Green is the only natural color of the coffee bean, since What comes next is human-inflicted.Gold is the coffee bean's color after a little bit of heat. It is poured into closed heating tubs, and after about 5 minutes, the coffee bean is roasting at around 150 degrees

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-9304866605696698612011-12-15T00:11:00.003Z2011-12-15T00:17:02.338Z

Risk generally concerns exposure to danger or harm. Here, danger or harm is assumed to be undesired by an individual or group. But if there is a way to disconnect a self - either the individual's self or a group's self-identity - from the potential resulting event, does this mean the risk is mitigated?

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-80280097503067086902011-12-03T01:37:00.003Z2011-12-03T01:41:19.200Z

If we can change time, we can also change how we do/act.If we change how we act, how representative are we of everyone else?If we are very representative, we can change time collectively.If we are not representative, how will we change anything?

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-36402730323980680072011-12-01T09:04:00.002Z2011-12-01T09:08:18.761Z

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-46873357954031516222011-11-28T19:17:00.002Z2011-11-28T19:19:45.889Z

Everything we do happens in time;When we do nothing, time is dead;Therefore, when we change what we do, we change time.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-17843781356835677782011-11-27T23:29:00.007Z2011-11-27T23:39:57.344Z

I found this image on Boston Big Picture. This woman's name is Meena Rahmani. At age 26 she is the owner of Afghanistan's first bowling center. I admire ventures like these because while they seem like far-fetched bets, they make a statement that quality time spent with loved ones has a meaning that cannot be always accounted for in "development" interventions. I wish Meena all the best and hope

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-31653391805660689092011-11-26T13:35:00.008Z2011-11-26T13:44:09.193Z

I'm watching it live, and so far there have been some interesting speakers! Many thanks to all the social media enthusiasts for making sure us folk who are away from home also get involved. This year's theme is: Who Killed Zinjanthropus?Stream it live here.Other useful links:TEDxDar homepageTEDxDar on FacebookTEDxDar on TwitterMikocheni Report updatesThe WayWard Press updatesVijana FM on Twitter

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-78130484263234998522011-11-23T14:53:00.002Z2011-11-23T14:55:45.800Z

It seems easier to attack than to defend. This applies to physical actions, spoken words as well as intangible sentiment. Does this have to do with preconcieved knowledge? That is, are you more able to "attack" after having a reason to? At the same time, when you defend do you always have knowledge of why you are defending?

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-48971459666021486902011-11-23T11:04:00.005Z2011-11-23T11:08:50.311Z

This is a follow-up from this post (Goodbye Mubarak) and this post (Better, worse or no change?).

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-63784205599130651192011-11-22T10:08:00.004Z2011-11-22T21:52:24.599Z

I was recently part of a team that produced a movie for Campus Movie Fest. Thanks to Yulia, Emmy, Christopher, Alain and Sorcha for being a great team to learn so much from!

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-80497572912387166842011-11-09T09:56:00.004Z2011-11-09T09:59:32.834Z

"Wikipedia has just 78 full-time staff (due to reach 117 in 2012) and 370 servers, against some 60,000 for Facebook and over 1m for Google. Unlike other internet giants, its content comes from unpaid editors. It spends 44% of its income on technology (including programmers); other administration costs make up just under a quarter. Fund-raising takes up 8% of the budget. It accepts no advertising.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-78388461530114614202011-10-23T11:03:00.003+01:002011-10-23T11:10:47.942+01:00

A friend on Facebook just shared this article on Tanzanian internet prices and I wanted to re-share it here (Thanks, Pernille!). The pre-text is the SEACOM project which has linked the Eastern Coast of Africa to a global fibre optic network.According to the article, the first problem is that "ISPs operating outside of Dar es Salaam still have a transmission problem", while some ISPs and mobile

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-89332594122995415072011-10-19T13:27:00.003+01:002011-10-19T13:29:20.285+01:00

There has been a lot of theory since the 1940s about development. Considering the theory, and the emergence of media and communication technologies, I think teachers - especially those teaching early childhood - are in positions of incredible change-making power.More on this later.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-72887287632097864742011-10-18T01:46:00.007+01:002011-10-18T01:58:41.794+01:00

Photo credit: Dunia ni Duara

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-25458883700377287512011-10-17T07:40:00.003+01:002011-10-17T07:43:11.117+01:00

According to the theory of false consciousness, deception is at work in almost every aspect of our daily lives.My question is what came first: The falsehood, or the consciousness to recognize falsehood?

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-22882780259960561302011-10-15T10:39:00.003+01:002011-10-15T10:43:58.487+01:00

Dar-es-Salaam and Stone Town, Summer 2011.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-1792592519242602112011-10-13T22:16:00.001+01:002011-10-13T22:18:53.566+01:00

The New York TimesRedefining the Meaning of No. 1By DAVID J. ROTHKOPFPublished: October 8, 2011 David J. Rothkopf is the author of the forthcoming “Power, Inc.: The Epic Rivalry Between Big Business and Government — and the Reckoning that Lies Ahead.”HERE in America, we seem to be more interested in finishing first than we are in figuring out what race we ought to be in.The refrain is insistent,

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-31718380231479767142011-10-12T10:29:00.004+01:002011-10-12T10:41:20.560+01:00

I found this article on the WSJ yesterday. The reason I found it interesting was because it juxtaposed the incumbent president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who is Africa's first female president and former World Bank economist, with George Weah, a former national football star still very popular among the youth.Roosevelt Tule, a political science professor from Liberia's capital mentioned:"The Nobel

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-70250581763490988702011-10-01T13:39:00.003+01:002011-10-15T10:46:00.365+01:00

Posted on Vijana FM | 30th September 2011Amil Shivji is currently a 21-year-old Filmmaking student at York University in Canada. As a native of Tanzania, Amil has plans to work with film in East Africa, particularly with films that contain conscious messages. We caught up with him to ask him about his ideas and recommendations...1. Compared to newspapers and radio, what is about films that

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-81497567330588200112011-09-30T15:17:00.005+01:002011-09-30T20:46:32.967+01:00

Yesterday I came across this blog post at the World Bank Institute by Rakesh Rajani.Rakesh raises some important questions, namely:Who are the experts who work with development?What systems do they follow to do their work?Do those systems yield the broad outcomes we expect?He also recommends understanding citizen knowdo:"So,what if instead of thinking of bringing in experts to fill in gaps in a

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-37802459291670464972011-09-29T09:34:00.002+01:002011-09-29T09:36:08.661+01:00

"It's all part of the de-ideologising of mainstream discourse. You know who's ahead three points in the polls, but you have no idea why you should care."Read more from Ted Rall's opinion piece on Al Jazeera here.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-13456366944314732712011-07-30T13:25:00.004+01:002011-07-30T13:45:24.601+01:00

The idea of being a citizen is beautifully simple. You are defined exactly like other citizens: Native registered or naturalized members of a state, nation or other political community (Collins English Dictionary, 1994).Recently, from conversations with activist friends, thinker friends, teacher friends, corporate friends, versatile friends and friends in general, I have begun to rethink class

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-72176762033821396582011-07-14T11:02:00.003+01:002011-07-14T11:08:53.210+01:00

Are signs mere coincidences? Or are coincidences signs?In the former question, signs in nature and other interactions are explained away because they are seen through the lenses of scientific method. Specifically, they are seen to have a cause, and that cause is seen to have an effect.In the latter question, the very explanation of a cause and an effect is generous in giving room to some

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-50033065267055113592011-06-22T12:50:00.004+01:002011-06-22T12:52:39.357+01:00

Source: The Center for Global Development (Thanks once again, Rakesh!)Abstract:There is a burgeoning academic literature on happiness polls that has used a range of different measures and approaches across countries rich and poor alike to answer the question, “what makes people say they are happy?”The excitement surrounding this work is well justified. These polls suggest an idea of happiness

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-4053701190544412002011-06-07T21:22:00.006+01:002011-06-07T21:35:50.301+01:00

"Maya Wegerif, also known as Maya the Poet was born in South Africa, lived in Tanzania and is now studying in a college in America. She is an outspoken young African voice who speaks unapologetically and with style. Her love for her continent and words blend together to fabricate this witty, outspoken and Strong-willed person." [source: Flare Magazine via Maya's website]She'll be performing on

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-86950468628303268562011-06-06T21:41:00.007+01:002011-06-06T21:44:25.527+01:00

Will hyperlink paths be constant however long computers are "on" and connected?If they will change, what does that mean for all the writing on webpages now, which contain links (like this) to the building blocks of their argument?

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-1564585447629828632011-05-31T23:56:00.008+01:002011-06-01T00:02:28.617+01:00

(Thanks, Ma.)

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-38919790528508747012011-05-31T01:00:00.004+01:002011-05-31T01:03:13.798+01:00

OpenMicroData:"OpenMicroData (OMD) offers an opportunity for those in the possession of micro data to share them with the world. Sharing can be done anonymously. In this way OpenMicroData limits the ability of statistics agencies and governments to be selective in who is permitted to use data. "mDirectory:"The most comprehensive database of information on mobile tech for social change on the

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-29265235515721610942011-05-31T00:52:00.008+01:002011-05-31T01:03:40.465+01:00

I found this PDF file listing prices for advertising with the Daily News company in Tanzania.I was suprised to see a full-page color advertisement costing almost TSH 3 million! I was recently told it takes about TSH 1.7 million to produce a music video in the market... just to compare.At what cost are advertisements created? Do they transfer the same value to the onlooker that the company being

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-41906143874293828532011-05-26T18:28:00.005+01:002011-05-26T18:37:06.764+01:00

I found this Al Jazeera article from April 12, which is a solid overview of socio-political disputes across the Sub-Saharan region of Africa.I thought it was a useful move by Al Jazeera to expose these disputes, considering that many of them would not make international media waves (see previous post).

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-25735013957603358592011-05-25T20:03:00.005+01:002011-05-25T20:12:14.013+01:00

Cross-posted on Vijana FM | May 25, 2011Have we ceased to read between the lines? Do opinion pieces in the media conflict with fact-based pieces? This is a short story to explore potential answers to these two questions.A short time ago in human history, three friends from different corners of the world decided to get involved with the printing press. Rashidi was an avid reader, and had loved

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-90522092344073077402011-05-22T14:19:00.004+01:002011-05-22T14:21:40.390+01:00

A few days ago, SN wrote this on Vijana FM, defending our outlook into the distant future. And just yesterday, I saw this article from an Al Jazeera political analyst, encouraging President Obama to step things up and have a conversation with the integrated news network.Are we becoming skeptical of the media? Or is the media changing and becoming skeptical of its users?

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-67631070090110487902011-05-15T13:31:00.003+01:002011-05-15T13:34:04.192+01:00

Since Hosni Mubarak stepped down as Egypt's president about 3 months ago, the country still faces difficulties in formulating a government that the people will approve.Most recently, clashes between Muslims and Christians have been recorded. So, has the peoples' revolution in Egypt revolutionized fully yet? It is difficult to tell.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-7342855179866220482011-05-11T17:24:00.004+01:002011-05-11T17:29:30.046+01:00

Considering the modern concept of a "nation state", I can understand the different ways in which a government can become upset at its constituents, and vice versa.But what I continue to find puzzling since public protests began in many MENA states is why any government would bomb its own cities?It makes no logical (economical, especially) sense to me.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-77018812245946586742011-05-09T07:28:00.004+01:002011-06-01T00:03:16.353+01:00

"What can be said at all can be said clearly, and what we cannot talk about we must pass over in silence." - LW, Tractatus (1921)More on this later.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-32664971637758897562011-05-08T11:15:00.007+01:002011-05-08T11:20:59.832+01:00

Teaching is not the same as learning. While they each fulfill some part of the definition of "education", they are not education on their own.Learning is probably more akin to the first definition of education, because it does not entail an authority from which the learning takes place. It could be from a person, a non-living object or an event involving both.Teaching seems to be more inclusive

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-19287108612570281402011-05-05T20:26:00.005+01:002011-05-05T20:28:57.706+01:00

The counterpart can be downloaded here.Tracklist:1. Stardust & Daftpunk: I feel like one more time (Arno Cost rework)2. Morgan Page: Fight for you (Sultan & Ned Shepard mix)3. Andy Duguid feat. Leah: Don't belong (Rasmus Farber club mix)Genre: Progressive vocal houseSize: 18.1 MB / 19 minutes 47 Seconds

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-66253591434031075932011-05-04T02:05:00.001+01:002011-05-04T02:07:53.849+01:00

Finally set up some decks again! To get things warmed up, I put together a quick mix of three progressive house tracks: Deja Vu (Mix 1).Tracklist:1. 16 Bit Lolitas: In my room without Paris (Original mix)2. John Dahlback: Kairo (Original mix)3. Alex Kenji & Bass Kleph: Melocoton (Original mix)Genre: Progressive houseSize: 15.6 MB / 17 minutes 07 Seconds

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-21951645901699018302011-05-02T07:13:00.008+01:002011-05-02T07:22:15.765+01:00

Other headlines:Al Jazeera: Osama bin Laden killed in PakistanBBC: Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden dead - Barack ObamaReuters: Osama bin Laden killed in shootout, Obama says

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-87856311162440870822011-05-01T12:54:00.004+01:002011-05-01T12:55:39.641+01:00

Source: Engadget

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-70753382395508201562011-04-29T18:23:00.004+01:002011-04-29T18:28:28.417+01:00

Geez... I can't even tell anymore. People's job descriptions are thicker than ever, and have more difficult words than a high school science textbook. This tells me two things: Either our jobs are becoming more and more complex, or we want to sound complex.If our jobs are becoming more and more complex, we should still find ways to relate it to the bigger world... isn't that what "work" means?

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-50068660654261644552011-04-29T01:37:00.001+01:002011-04-29T01:38:53.978+01:00

"Earlier this week, the government attempted to reopen schools but most students and many teachers did not turn up."Source: BBC article - Ivory Coast: Banks reopen after 10-week shutdown

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-52628962551520304602011-04-27T00:25:00.006+01:002011-04-27T00:30:00.199+01:00

I've been picking up on how the global press frames the culture of hip hop music, especially since Vijana FM launched TZhiphop recently as a sub-project.This morning I saw this article on BBC, and it just made me wonder, is the real hip hop really gone? Not once in this article did I feel the author seriously engaging with what hip hop used to mean: Music.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-12119038963219206242011-04-25T17:37:00.008+01:002011-04-27T00:31:09.452+01:00

I've been giving more thought to a dormant project that is intended to create more transparency in academia in Tanzania.Originally, the idea was to do one thing well: Share published and unpublished academic works.But the idea grew: Questions arose about the validity of materials that present parts of formal education instead of entire curriculi, and about what resources teachers (not just

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-49375777241519540812011-04-20T16:59:00.003+01:002011-04-20T17:02:26.638+01:00

The necessary noise is now knocking on your nerves to numb down the deafening denials and distrust of your dominion.In short, TZhiphop is live :) Facebook updates here, Twitter updates here.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-51477709424731429972011-04-10T19:44:00.002+01:002011-04-10T19:45:16.889+01:00

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-75936888260335432062011-04-02T20:01:00.002+01:002011-04-02T20:03:42.169+01:00

Ever thought about why Facebook doesn't have a "dislike" button?I think it may be an effort to curb "negative" actions on the platform. But, shouldn't compliments always be accompanied with criticism, and vice versa?If people were able to "dislike" something on Facebook, would we just be posting "good" things on Facebook? And is that such a bad idea?

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-55546605461224414402011-03-26T17:40:00.006Z2011-06-01T00:04:06.483+01:00

If not us, who?If not now, when?(the image is just for decor, courtesy of my 'droid)

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-12015992155235758862011-03-19T20:58:00.004Z2011-03-19T21:06:39.614Z

So they've decided to attack Gaddafi and his troops. Watching the headlines right now makes me think they're trying to sell this like a football match.War is no football match.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-66214806496922808862011-03-18T13:15:00.006Z2011-06-01T00:04:39.722+01:00

I was telling two of my friends recently that I had a new-found respect for there being a balance to all things. We often categorize things in our heads - people, objects, events - as things that are "good" and things that are "bad". But we seldom think about how every bad thing (eg: a challenge) has a good side (ie: an opportunity). Likewise, every good thing (eg: luxuries) have a bad side (ie:

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-43407431269476265032011-03-16T16:38:00.003Z2011-03-16T16:42:33.285Z

Gotta love good mornings.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-16205400934682208812011-03-10T15:15:00.001Z2011-05-25T20:06:21.062+01:00

Crossposted on Vijana FM | March 4, 2011Sir Howard Davies, who until recently was the director of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in the UK, has resigned from his post. His reasoning? That he had made judgement errors on two occasions when advising the LSE to accept donations from Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Muammar Gaddafi’s son. Mr. Davies’

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-5061687252376114332011-03-09T07:20:00.002Z2011-03-09T07:24:50.396Z

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-46799506989249661582011-02-11T17:07:00.001Z2011-02-11T17:10:33.212Z

BBC: Egypt's Mubarak resigns as leaderAl Jazeera: Hosni Mubarak resigns as president

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-9931899725695944252011-02-11T12:04:00.002Z2011-02-11T12:10:19.365Z

I was wondering what life was like on daily basis at Tahrir Square right now, and I found this album on Yahoo Maktoob. Seems there are some interesting community-based initiatives for food, shelter and livelihood that the Mubarak regime could learn from.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-8321710963208852062011-02-08T23:45:00.002Z2011-02-09T00:05:08.114Z

I've been doing some rough searches on audio-stream hosts, and hosting rates seem steep. Not so much in terms of net price, but in terms of the potential number of listeners that could tune in. Rather, if you have a variable number of listeners (ie: it could up to the maximum permissable), you could be paying quite a bit.I've also been thinking about podcasts, and on-demand media in general. It

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-668052682996047042011-02-07T09:57:00.001Z2011-02-07T09:59:21.807Z

From Number10.gov.ukSaturday 5 February 2011PM’s speech at Munich Security ConferencePrime Minister David Cameron has delivered a speech setting out his view on radicalisation and Islamic extremism.Today I want to focus my remarks on terrorism, but first let me address one point. Some have suggested that by holding a strategic defence and security review, Britain is somehow retreating from an

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-23118152604284183462011-02-06T11:15:00.003Z2011-06-01T00:05:13.236+01:00

Cross-posted on Vijana FM | January 15, 2011In this RSA animate, Dr. Philip Zimbardo discusses the way we concieve time today. According to research, there are six conceptions of time: 2 are past-oriented conceptions, 2 are present-oriented and 2 are future-oriented. Although this research has mainly been focussed on youth in the United States, do youth in East Africa face a similar future, given

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-57048175972537020552011-02-05T12:04:00.002Z2011-02-05T12:07:12.424Z

Cross-posted on Vijana FM | February 4, 2011YouthActionNet - launched by the International Youth Foundation is 2001 - supports social entrepreneurs globally. Specifically, it provides technical assistance and networking opportunities which could lead to funding for organizations. The 2011 Fellowship is now accepting applications, which are are due by March 11, 2011.Eligibility: Open to all

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-22944845703229002812011-02-05T02:58:00.006Z2011-02-05T03:04:27.469Z

Cross-posted on Vijana FM | January 28, 2011A lot of new terms have come our way in the last 15 years, and "social innovation" is a big one.Social innovation is described by the Said Business School as "new ideas that meet unmet needs". It consists of fresh solutions to problems within the following areas (also from the Said Business School report), which are problems virtually experienced

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-87705054297511411762011-02-01T19:23:00.006Z2011-02-01T19:34:08.365Z

I had the opportunity to go to this concert this past Friday, and was able to quickly snap two photos on my phone. While this was a similar concert to the one I went to last year featuring Alim Qasimov, I feel this year there was a larger audience that may have appreciated the blend across religious traditions.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-33505432884104464222011-01-30T18:59:00.023Z2011-01-30T21:00:47.391Z

The city I was just in about 6 months ago - which owns more than a million years of human history - is now hearing a desperate, angry, and fearless roar of reform from its people, whose voice is reverberating across several Arabic-speaking countries.Egypt is an extremely valuable player on the global playing field. It's ancestors are known to have built one of the first far-reaching ordered

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-39639452055290266472011-01-24T18:46:00.003Z2011-01-24T19:09:57.251Z

What's happening? On your end (the world), quite a bit it seems. As the global north has begun to ease out of financial liability over the last 2 years, the global south continues to experience acute economic issues in and amonst civil society institutions.That's one way to look at what's happening on your end.Another way to look at it would be this: The possibilities of mobile technology show

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-70063344160902034852011-01-23T11:17:00.002Z2011-01-23T11:21:06.903Z

Ever get the feeling you're stationary? No, not like in the picture above, but stationary as in you're not moving? It seems that when we define goals for ourselves, they need to substantiate daily actions, because otherwise, it seems we lack purpose. And when we lack purpose, anything we do seems to go to nothing.Why did we start calling stationary (like in the above photo) "stationary", anyway?

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-21919703132717251852011-01-02T21:24:00.005Z2011-01-02T21:26:44.781Z

Unlike Wordress, Blogger only has dynamic tags, whereas Wordpress has both dynamic tags (ie: "tags") and statis tags (ie: "categories").So when I was reviewing all the tags I had used over the last 4 years for this blog, I realized that they were all over the place. So I spent some time in the last two days cleaning up my tag, thus the much smaller tag cloud on the sidebar. Makes it easier to

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-26739570155593860942011-01-01T13:57:00.002Z2011-01-01T14:01:08.088Z

A tree near Al-Azhar park, Cairo.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-81501478430369378172010-12-31T15:38:00.001Z2010-12-31T15:40:13.637Z

Peace is within reach. We just haven't conceptualized it, methinks. Carpe diem, and see you next year!

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-1634202569143746362010-12-30T15:23:00.005Z2011-01-01T14:06:52.121Z

Much work remains to be done if we are going to critically assess the state of education today. This was also cross-posted on Vijana FM.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-75876549293842279292010-12-17T02:09:00.004Z2010-12-17T02:20:04.910Z

I was archiving some photos I had picked up around the Internet over the years, and began wondering - why was it that I wasn't saving the source of the images?Then I thought about texts, and how many pieces of text we come across everyday, and how many of these pieces we actually care to activity seek for its author and not the words on the page. Perhaps reading does give off vibes in ways we

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-36188860670275616952010-12-16T16:49:00.004Z2011-01-01T14:18:20.733Z

"Show a man too many camel's bones, or show them to him too often, and he will not be able to recognise a camel when he comes across a real one." - Idries Shah

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-88319876556644206812010-12-15T14:44:00.005Z2010-12-15T14:49:29.118Z

(Courtesy Boston.com) A man dressed as Santa Claus holds a flare as he wakeboards on a small lake in Hamburg, Germany on December 5, 2010. (REUTERS/Christian Charisius) I've known about the Boston.com "Big Picture" section for a while, but I thought this image was a nice juxtaposition of celebration, nature, and light all at the same time. Hannukah matata ;)

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-18194826356451438112010-12-14T12:48:00.004Z2011-01-01T14:18:05.621Z

Why don't we see good news in the headlines anymore? Is photojournalism dying? Why is there a problem of transparency with the biggest of the big governments in the world today? Who ever decided to settle in the global north way back when? Why do we learn if we don't foresee an implementation of learned material? Who judges crimes made in the middle of the ocean, and can they really project their

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-16652583377863776122010-12-09T18:14:00.003Z2010-12-09T18:16:43.585Z

"... we are experiencing delays. Thank you for your consideration".I have heard this automated message across at least 3 businesses based in London when trying to contact them by phone.Does this mean that the weather is making us inefficient? If yes, at what point between perfect efficiency and perfect inefficiency do we decide that perhaps humans can (are supposed to?) live elsewhere?Carpe diem,

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-65721144497783624542010-12-08T00:01:00.003Z2010-12-30T15:41:10.979Z

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-86585502120779709252010-12-04T15:13:00.008Z2011-01-01T14:07:25.044Z

Recent WikiLeaks reports containing American diplomatic cable messages have added to the continuing discourse of transparency in global governance.WikiLeaks is branded as a not-for-profit media organization that disseminates information to the public from a host of anonymous sources. It was originally founded in December 2006 by ambiguous "dissidents, journalists, mathematicians and start-up

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-44054250476340421642010-11-26T17:56:00.005Z2011-01-01T14:12:54.189Z

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) recently published a report titled The State of African Cities 2010: Governance, Inequality and Urban Land Markets.The report breaks down the following for each African region (Northern, Western, Eastern, Central, and Southern):Social geography of urbanization;Economic geography of cities;Geography of urban markets;Geography of climate

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-50871285795382534242010-11-21T11:59:00.001Z2010-12-30T15:44:47.058Z

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-9942763423447819862010-11-12T09:13:00.002Z2010-12-30T15:44:59.733Z

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-72018825946232895242010-11-05T17:21:00.002Z2011-01-01T14:09:00.034Z

DAR ES SALAAM — Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete was re-elected with 61 percent of the vote, electoral officials said Friday, in a poll marked by low turnout and opposition charges of fraud.The 60-year-old incumbent's closest rival, Wilbrod Slaa, was credited with 26 percent of the vote but snubbed the much-delayed announcement of the results after alleging the ballot was rigged.Read more

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-38501441648936958682010-11-04T01:30:00.001Z2010-12-30T15:43:25.197Z

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-55828181957007542762010-11-01T19:42:00.009Z2011-01-01T14:04:37.619Z

Let the record show that today I accidently knocked over and spilt four drinks:A cup of tea (onto myself and the couch I was sitting on);A container of milk (onto the kitchen floor);A can of Pepsi after lunch (onto the street); andA can of Coke (onto my bedroom carpet).Yes, I feel shameful. But considering that they all fell the same way, I am tempted to feel that something else is going on.*

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-16637876558122506492010-10-30T13:34:00.001+01:002011-01-01T14:15:27.859Z

(Reuters) Tanzania’s presidential candidates made a last-ditch push for votes on Friday before an election on Sunday that is expected to attract record numbers of young voters in east Africa’s second largest economy.By Fumbuka Ng’wanakilalaDAR ES SALAAM | Fri Oct 29, 2010More than two-thirds of Tanzania’s population of 40.7 million are aged between 10 and 35 years, according to government

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-35481084099645636132010-10-28T16:22:00.007+01:002011-01-01T14:12:32.833Z

I was at the SOAS library today and I had to wait quite a long time to ask a question about renewing my library card. While I was waiting, I thought a bit about how many cards we as students have to carry in London, and how this load could be eased.To begin with, you have an ID card issued by your academic institution. Some institutions sync their library records with this ID card, while others

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-19514044558623712602010-10-27T12:05:00.004+01:002011-01-01T14:22:21.587Z

To see source feeds: The RSS project.

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-33117426012736155482010-10-26T17:50:00.008+01:002011-01-01T14:20:18.436Z

Posted at Vijana FM on October 26, 2010In the last two years, there has been a lot of talk about the SEACOM project, which links the coasts of East and South Africa. The project involved the immersion of undersea fibre optic cables that increase speeds and decrease costs for Internet Service Providers and users. We have discussed the SEACOM project on two occasions; when we mentioned the Nation

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-46988656321748084182010-10-25T11:52:00.005+01:002010-10-25T12:03:40.407+01:00

I just realized today that trying to start a new way of thinking in our world inherently assumes that the world is a collaborative place to work.Why would someone want to introduce a new way of thinking, either through an invention, theory, or service? Probably because they don't find the resources to solve a problem when it happens and where it happens. But also because they assume that there

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-72154212309304489922010-10-24T19:54:00.004+01:002011-01-01T14:02:46.387Z

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-78880193963766479992010-10-23T16:46:00.002+01:002011-01-01T14:19:33.125Z

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-89852590175758527292010-10-20T19:46:00.005+01:002011-01-01T14:18:34.793Z

Tried the same thing as my last post, just a different day (today).In case you're wondering what my source for the words is, it is this RSS project that I've just shelved for about a year now. At the moment it is quite simple a self-refreshing page displaying 8 feeds. What would be nice is if a new wordle could be generated on the same page for everytime the feeds were refreshed (every 5 minutes)

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-1815219806622065042010-10-19T00:37:00.007+01:002011-01-01T14:18:46.923Z

I've put that ol' RSS project in a filing dustpile for a while now, but I'm just dusting it off now. Here's today's wordle... I would like to figure out how to do this real-time, so that we can have a look at trends in words as they are uttered (on the news).

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-34628431860335184822010-10-12T18:12:00.007+01:002011-01-01T14:04:23.475Z

Source: Blastr

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131984792805201031.post-589178395465603682010-10-12T09:41:00.003+01:002011-01-01T14:09:52.548Z

akhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01130727370589853014noreply@blogger.com0