mink

(Policy Brief # 2 Submitted December 6th 2007, for Econ 346 - Economic Development, Lafayette College) Over the course of the 20th century, Tanzania experienced a multitude of social, political and economic changes. It still remains poor today. The WorldBank classifies a ‘low income country’ – such as Tanzania – as one with a Gross National Income per capita of $905 or less (WorldBank Data 2006). As of 1992, Tanzania ’s per capita income was recorded at $110, and average per capita consumption was $0.5 per day (OECD 2000). Several possible factors have been blamed for contributing to current hardships, such as Julius Nyerere’s failed attempts to collectivize agriculture between 1961 and 1975 through his socialist Ujamaa policies as the first president of Tanzania (Pratt 1980). While pre-independence plans “focused on the commercialization of agriculture and the creation of industries that could reduce the need for a variety of imports”, post-independence interventions by the Gov

(Policy Brief Submitted October 2007, for Econ 346 - Economic Development, Lafayette College) Foreign aid has become a topic of concern on the international stage. Development economists are assessing whether foreign aid is actually effective, either through poverty reduction or growth. There is little evidence that households actually lose out when foreign aid is distributed thereby making the aid ineffective, but this is not the focus of this paper. The following brief presents conditions found to be the important prerequisites of growth based on economics literature. Considering (a) the existence of market failures in developing countries (Dercon 2003) and that (b) “raising aid effectiveness is a matter of improving the framework conditions, of setting new priorities and of finding new operational means” (Langhammer 2004), this brief recommends restructuring foreign aid so it is specifically allocated to (1) improving governmental structures and accountability, (2) funding social

Every once in a while, something happens and makes you stop and think. I don't mean think in the sense that you sit around in the afternoon sun sipping on a drink and musing about what a beautiful life it is. I mean really stopping. And thinking. It's at these times when you tend to see the bigger picture. You see beyond your next class, or meeting or appointment. You see beyond all the things that annoy you. You see beyond gossip, and malice and discontent. You see beyond your educational and career endeavors. You see beyond what you normally perceive as every-day life. It's also at these times when you are met with the ultimate but discouraging reality that you might be doing things wrong. You're hit with the realization that some things just will not work out the way you might have thought they would. And today I realized that it's at this very time when it is healthy to be able to admit to yourself that you ... for a change ... did not do the right thing. It see

There are times when my patience can be tried. And then there are times when people have these power trips, and it simply ticks me off. Bureaucracy is bullsh*t. Enough said. That's what it do.

... [gulp] ...

Belief is a strong word. Faith is too. It's never been completely convenient to believe or have faith in something, because you often have to attribute some responsibility of a what might seem like a doubtful and intangible possibility to some divine power. That's where belief and faith, less the uncertainties, step in to attempt to solidify you. That's also a good time to put on a progressive and vocal track. Most patterns are - and have been - already laid out in electronica. There has always been a finely specific infrastructure that binds most of electronica together. A producer's special touch is involved with how to translate this pattern to you. He blesses his track with tweaks within the infrastructure. Each rhythm is designed with euphoric enthusiasm, and you pour with emotion. At the same time, it surprises you. While what might come after every 8th beat is almost an uncertainty, you learn to trust the infrastructure. You learn that no matter what comes after

So what do you get when you mix 2 days into a week, International Student orientation, a computer that needs to be fixed, house chores, crazy numerous other tasks, and constant rain? A really bad start to the week. But it's been fun too. Mumo moved in this past weekend, and we've been setting up our studio apartment. So far, it's looking good! We thought we were going to be cramped, but the efficiency with which we are handling our space looks as if we'll be good :) I really, really, REALLY need to make a mix. We've been sampling some insane tracks that would absolutely turn an average mix into a banger. I also need to get some fries... Gotta bounce. More soon!

Ever since I learned about music production using software on a computer, it almost scared me to think about how hard producers had to work to compose music in front of a computer screen. But today I found out that DJ's not only produce their own music sometimes, but produce it while playing LIVE in front of a crowd. Check it out here , courtesy of Wired.com. Now that's pretty insane.

There's about a week and a half left until August 27th, the first day of classes of my senior year. I have to say, it's been one long, fun but stressful-at-times kinda summer. I still haven't finished everything that I needed to get done, but it should all be settled by this weekend. I've been dying to make a mix, but have not had the time - or the space, for that matter - to set up my decks and put together a good mix-collection of music. I've been sampling some fresh tracks, but that's about it. Be rest assured that my next mix will be just as fresh :) Otherwise, most of my life right now is preoccupied with imagining what the next episode in life is going to be for me. I am working on grad school applications (mostly for Europe) and a few grant applications (to be able to start a public service project back in Dar), but you still get the feeling that anything could change, anytime. And it's this realization that constantly creeps up on me. No matter how s

So it's hard not going home this summer. I've been hearing a lot about how Dar is getting heated with people. People are going down for Deedar and for some good old family reunions! However the regretful feeling, I am still in for a busy summer. Working with network services has thus far been pretty hectic, but things are slowly beginning to ease into the summer vibe. I've started moving on my thesis, FAAP's project - DreamsWork - is already seeing the rise of its first two projects downtown in Easton, and I'm finally starting to make music! Details will follow. For now, enjoy the warmth. You'll wish it was around in about 7 months from now. Badaye.

So here's the deal. Try thinking of a street that has a constant murmur, and an occasional yell here and there. At any point in time, your ears can pick up on one of several conversations taking place around you simultaneously. You are walking in one direction but there are people walking in both. You think you find some faces similar in the crowd, but then you try to remember that you haven't been to Amsterdam much to know anyone. Your mind is buzzing from a good night, your ears can still hear the music from Club 11, where an intensified and bassful house party is still raging into the night. You're a bit hungry, but you're not worried because all the shops along the streets - doner kebabs, pizza, frites, falafel, candy, cake ... the works - are still open, and will be open for a while. What's nice about the scene is that everyone is from everywhere. You have a Rwandan friend on one side, and a German on the other. Now you just smile to yourself as you walk... It

So Den Haag is treating me well. Diliana (Maria's mom) and Jan (Diliana's friend) have been hosting Maria and I like we were royalty. The meals have been hefty and the feeling of being on a holiday, a pleasure. We went to Centraal today (central Den Haag, basically downtown), and I saw my first 'smartshop' where they sell shrooms. I also saw one of everyone's favorite coffee shops, which I only though I'd see in Amsterdam. Speaking of which, we're currently making plans to go there some time this weekend... Felix where are you?! All in all though, it's great to be back in Europe. It's one step closer to home but it's also one step closer to being LIKE home :) Hopefully in the near future I'll have photos and more stories to put up. For now, I have to go and make the most of my vacation... Badaye!

My season has finally come around, and I'm feeling mixed vibes. BGIA is done, and I'm at Lafayette for the summer, working with ITS. Good times - It's good to finally be able to catch up on sleep and other projects that have been sidelined by the past semester. I will be visiting Maria and a few friends in Holland, and I'm leaving on Monday! Can't wait to be on vacation for 2 whole weeks! It's back to Lafayette after that, and I'm going to begin recording my first track. Also in music news, I have been planning on my next two mixes for this summer. Rhythm Electro episode 3 will be coming out alongside a brand new fresh summer mix. I've been looking into finally setting up that studio and it's looking harder than I thought. It should be functional by the time school starts up again in late August. For now, I'm going back to packing for Holland and sampling some Ministry of Sound tunes. Ciao!

One last sit-in final and one last paper, both due Tuesday, and then I'm pretty much done with BGIA for this semester. Goodbye New York, hello once again summer at Lafayette. I'm actually looking forward to a quiet summer of just working, and trying to get my thesis started. I'll also be helping with the new FAAP microfinance project, DreamsWork! In all honesty though, I'm writing on my blog right now so I can procrastinate my final IR paper on global warming a threat to global security. So, I'm going to stop here, and get back onto my document. Or maybe I'll check out slashdot first...

So the atari games website is back up (must have been as of today, since I was experiencing downs last night), though it has a completely new look. The java has been upgraded, but it seems the site is much slower. I couldn't get a steady game going, let alone send someone an invite to play Monopoly. I'll keep checking back and see how it improves, if that. Back to my 2 pager, then 4 pager, then 14-pager... what an end to a semester.

So it's one of those all-nighter sort of nights, and I just made myself a fresh bowl of pasta with meat-sauce, and I sit at my computer in the greatest of moods to play online monopoly, only the find my regular site, games.atari.com down! The front-page of the site works, but once you hit 'play games' (http://games.atari.com/playgames/home.jsp) the page is down. Oh man, this is going to make the news tomorrow. I know there are hundreds who use the site at any moment of any day... I'm going to sulk now. Maybe youtube has something entertaining...

The implication of Globalization's biggest financial offshoot, and what can be done about it (Submitted for a Journalism class assignment - OpEd piece) When Alexander Graham Bell's patent for the telephone was granted in 1876, little did he know that it would eventually lead to the emergence of Globalization: A powerful international phenomenon that has paved the path for technological comparative advantage, where countries are now trading based on what they are best-suited to produce. In terms of trading skill, this has become infamously known as outsourcing. A little over a century ago, European nations were scrambling to set up industries in African countries. Now, using mouse-clicks and Skype, the United States ' corporate world has most of its operations based in the Asian Tigers like Singapore , India and China , where people are putting in more time for less money. In the last decade the increasing use of the Internet has taken outsourcing to another level. A

What a week. And from what a weekend! Turned 21 last Saturday, and I have to say that it was one of the craziest weekends I have had so far this year. Got to spend some good quality time with folks over at Lafayette on Friday night and then did it up bigtime with Aly, Maria and Khati here at PM in New York City on Saturday. Amazing times. The semester is almost over, and I'm stressing out. I wrap up work at the EastWest Institute next week, but final papers are due for classes, and I have an exam for my IR theory class. It's been quite a semester, and I feel like I'm coming out having learned a lot. But geez... what a semester. When I think about my mood changes, the people I've met, the experiences I've had, that's all I can say - what a semester! I figured I'd also start posting some of the paper's I've been writing for my Journalism and Human Rights classes. If I look back on the reflections I put in those papers, compared to what I thought about

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6610901.stm "Michael Dell, the founder, chairman and chief executive of Dell, is himself an Ubuntu user. He has the operating system installed on a high-end Dell Precision M90 laptop he uses at home." Seems like Michael Dell is moving from taking work home, to bringing home to work. Enjoy!

Props to the ISA of Lehigh University and Zeta Psi @ Lafayette for a great dj'ing weekend! Shout outs to Mumojay for helping out at the Zeta formal. Great times! Coming up next weeked - non-stop music at March Field in Lafayette for All College Day! Time to play some chill hip-hop blended with a flavor of sunny house. In other news - I had an interview for the FOCUS/AKYSB internship in Tajikistan for this summer. I think I was way to nervous, but hopefully, things will work out. Inshallah. Not much left to say except I have a book review to write. That's all. Badaye.

So I'm sitting in Mumojay's room, and listening to "Face The Music" by Conjure One (house mix). And I'm browsing through my CD cases, through some music from a long, long time ago. I saw a CD dated "September 2004". Wow - that makes it almost 3 years in college, still loving the music. Wow.

Lehigh ISA formal tonight, and Zeta Psi formal kesho. Busy but good times. If you're reading this and want to come, hurry up! I'll be spinning my favorite desi tunes mixed with a flavor of progressive house and bongolized treats!

For some reason, my XMMS can play at two different instances on one computer! I can DJ using linux now! PLUS the equalizers for each instance works individually! Check out the screenshot.You can thank me for your easy Xubuntu DJ'ing experience later. Cheers, Kheraj

A great movie! And for a great past weekend! 2 gigs this past weekend - Lehigh and then Lafayette for the ISA formal - brilliant times :) This coming weekend is going to be just as crazy - hopefully 3 gigs lined up! Lehigh Indian Students Association formal, Youth empowerment day at Fisher Field @ Lafayette, and then the Zeta Psi formal! Meatpacked. In other news, the weather is getting warm, which is solid, very solid, news. Also, I've been thinking a lot about where my senior year will take me. It's going to be an interesting ride, considering what might happen this summer. I'm still waiting to hear on the FOCUS internship in Tajikistan, but I'm also trying to meet the FSD deadline for Kenya. Fast times... Talk badaye.

Don´t be afraid, your world is dark tonight For without love, how can your spirit sing? You are a bird with wounded wings You´re not alone I´ve come to take you home You´re not alone I´ve come to take you home I´ll show you life I´ll heal your heart tonight Everybody needs a helping hand I can help you understand You´re not alone I´ve come to take you home You´re not alone I´ve come to take you home You´re not alone

Yesterday, a student at Virginia Tech shot 32 people at his university - professors and students included. You can read today's latest article on the shootings on the BBC website . Things like this make me think about how safe we really are. You just never know. May the souls of the deceased rest in peace.

Wow... Campus Pizza (of all places) was one of my favorite sessions last night. I played a mix of everything, and felt really good about it. People seemed to have enjoyed it too. Next weekend's sessions - at Lehigh and Lafayette - are hopefully going to be (at least) just as good, because I've been sampling some hot tracks lately. I also went to Boston on Friday night, and I have to say - that 6-hour road trip with Mumojay at the wheel was completely worth it. Props to Neechi and Gebre for hosting some interesting conversational pre-games. We'll do it again sometime soon.

I'm back from spring breaking in Myrtle Beach - good times, but while the sun was shining, it was still chilly. Global Warming is really beginning to take on the world...when will we step up? That is a multi-billion-dollar question. In other news, I am hoping that I'll be able to be accepted into the Aga Khan Foundation's FOCUS program this summer in Tajikistan! A few things are on the table, but it would be great to have the chance to do some humanitarian work on that side of the world. I can't wait to hear back from them. Inshallah, things will work out. More updates coming soon...

So I'm still at Lafayette, just lounging for the day. Should be going back to New York in the next couple'ours. It's gloomy out, and seems like a typical Sunday. Can't wait to get all my work done in the next two days and then get out to Myrtle Beach! I'm hearing Armin Van Buuren is going to be in Canada soon (or is playing out now), and that's pretty crazy...how he's been on the roll for a number of years now, and may be getting the djlist.com's voted number 1 position next year. I've been thinking about getting monitor speakers for a while now, but when I heard Serdar's solo today (a small project he's working on), I went insane! Those monitors will definately be on the 'need to purchase' list. And next semester, deadline December 2007, we're going to try to come up with a track... from scratch. Good times. For now, I'm going to kick back for the next 2 hours, welcome Mumojay back to Lafayette and then bounce. Carpe Diem.

I am very happy to say that since the last time I posted on my blog, I have been successful in scouting out a few underground gigs here and there, mostly around Lafayette! I DJ'ed for an RA formal at Lehigh last week, and last night I was at Campus Pizza... good times. I've been getting some insane electro beats, it's even surprising me! On top of all this, I had spring break, which is perfect for the coming warm weather. Going to be going to South Carolina on Wednesday to enjoy some beach and sun! In other news, we (FAAP) hosted yet another successful fundraiser today - Change the World. The mapping out of the world went perfectly as planned, and pictures for that will be circulated pretty soon. More news after spring break...

I've been called an Idealist. A dreamer. A crazy young fool who will end up drinking in the subways of New York. I've also been called an Indian. An Arab. A Mexican. An Italian. (Nobody who has met me for the first time has ever guessed correctly that I'm Tanzanian) Solid. Here's what I have to say: I'm going to save the world.

Last night was incredible. Absolutely insane. A few friends and I went to Pacha for Armin's set... and it was balistic! He played Yearzero, which made my night! Loved the club set up, too. Makes me want to go to Ibiza more and more. So for everyone who knows me, I'll be DJ'ing pretty much for sure at Lehigh next Friday, and hopefully at campus pizza on Saturday! We are on.

So I'm sitting here bored, and I'm about to go to bed. But I decided to play around with screenshots.

It's amazing. I think I'm beginning to feel it all over again... I'm rediscovering why I like electronic music so much. I've been listening to tracks by Interstate, Nightcrawlers, Cass Fox, Andy Moore - the list goes on - and I feel so alive. It's crazy how far one track can take you! So I know I've been ranting on about making my new mix, but I have to confess, New York City is one place that can steal your time. No kidding. I've been meaning to make Rhythm Electro 4 - "And Beyond" for months now. But I promise I'll get on it the next time I go back to Lafayette. Which reminds me ... I tested out my new speakers! Behringer B215's... they're insanely light and versatile. For 600 watts each, they really are teasers... I love them. In other news, I was thinking things over today, and I figure that next year is going to either be really good year or a really bad one for the same reason; I'm going to be trying some new things out - wi

... mixing (drinks) is never a good idea.

I'm sick of seeing this all over news articles. If the media stopped being ignorant and actually took the time to look up the word "Jihad" in an Arabic dictionary, they wouldn't be putting out half the crap they do now. No, it DOES NOT mean "holy war". Jihad is a word used to express "struggle". In the Holy Quran, it is used to express struggle in the name of Allah. And no, this does not automatically mean waging war. A muslim working in the New York Stock Exchange and simply integrating himself into American society can be seen as a Muslim with a personal Jihad. A Muslim professor in a university teaching about the modern interpretation of the Quran can also be seen as a Muslim with a personal Jihad. So the next time you hear the word "Jihad", don't piss your pants, or breathe harder, or panic. The media doesn't know what they're talking about. Seriously, let's get with it.

Wow ... what a great weekend! I had a great gig at Lafayette on Saturday night for the "Dance for Darfur". They ended up raising more than $2,400! Also got a chance to catch up with some peeps... good times. More ideas for next year's recording studio came up... I'll be updating this section and my website in the near future. Until then, stay tuned!

So it's been yet another long period. I just haven't had the time to sit down and do something casual for a change ... it's bananas. But I got my speakers! From here on, I have my own equipment for live DJ gigs, which makes me feel great. Hopefully, next year I'll be able to put together a studio with Bender and Mumo so we can start recording. Also, I was in Boston all weekend on a Model UN conference at Harvard, which turned out pretty well this year, considering I was representing Nepal. I'm beginning to get into "Heros" and while I'm hating myself for it, I love the show. More updates later ... for now, stay tuned for my gig on the 3rd of March at Lafayette - Dance for Darfur. For more information: http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~kheraja/ace/booking.htm

Eish, it's been too long since I've written. I've been trying to get my act together with gigs here in the city, and so I've been spending a lot of time on CraigsList and emailing folks about potential demo submissions, try-out dates, competitions and events. It's all a hustle, but it's completely worth it.   In other news, yours truly has finally been able to order his speakers! 2 Behringer B215 speakers and 1 Behringer EP2500 amp. They'll be in next week hopefully, and from there on, I am up for private hiring wherever there's a party! Be sure to call/e-mail because I'm always up for a gig.   Classes/work are moving along smoothly. I'm beginning to get a know so many people here in the city, and it's an amazing experience just sitting down and listening to their stories. The world has a wealth of information that nobody really has time to pay attention to. I've learned so much already just from trying to keep my mouth shut for a cha

My brother gave me some tracks from the Trance Nation Hits 2007 CD last night, and I have got to say ... it's probably the most solid music I've heard for a while! Tracks 1, 2, 4 and 5 below are some samples from the collection. 1. Giuseppe Ottaviani - Through your eyes (Thomas Brozwear mix) 2. Dave 202 - Generate the wave (Original mix) 3. Benny Benassi - Feel alive 4. C-Quence Pres. Assure - Enemy Territory (Original mix) 5. Epos - Vivagio (DJ Danjo & Rob Styles remix)

It's been a while since I updated my blog, but a lot has been going on. I was at Lafayette a few days ago, and then John and Olga came down for the weekend. I ended up seeing the Statue of Libery, and taking some amazing photographs! I'll be putting those up on my website soon (thanks to Olga's Fuji). Also, one of my friends from back in the day invited us to a house party, and I already have my hands on some new music from that night. Rest assured that those tracks - as well as tracks from a hot Trance Nation album my brother gave me to listen to whilst on the subway - all be incorporated into my new mixes: "Rhythm Electro (Episode 3) - And Beyond" and "Revolution Trance (Episode 5) - Subway". Speaking of which, I've been window-shopping online for speakers, and I can't wait until I can get them. You'll know when I do :) Otherwise, New York continues to burn my wallet beyond extremes, but I'm learning how to deal with it. I'm in coll

So I have officially moved into New York City as off yesterday! I'm really excited, and I start my internship on Wednesday. In the meantime, we'll be getting all the orientation jazz out of the way for classes and such. It's going to be a good semester, hopefully! In other news, I need to set up my deck and get cracking on those mixes. If all works out with my next paycheck (ching ching), dj ace is going to get a major upgrade. I'm thinking about getting monitor speakers, since I know I'll be doing some recording in the near future, so stay tuned with that. Otherwise, don't forget to listen to the 4th episode of my 'Revolution Trance' series - 'Into the Sky', mixed and recorded live in December! More coming soon. -- Small steps. Big things. http://www.alaminkheraj.com

Been getting swamped with good music, so I thought I'd let you guys in on some of it. Here's what's been playing a lot on my computer: :: Nelly Furtado feat. Timbaland - Promiscuous girl (Crunk remix) :: Fedde le Grand - Get this feeling :: Fonzerelli - Moonlight party :: Karen Overton - Your loving arms (Original club mix) :: a LOT of Shawn Mitiska Happy listening!

It's cold, I've only done half the things I wanted to do today, and I lost 2 monopoly games today. Yeah ... it blows. But it's not the end yet. I have tomorrow morning left to run around like a headless chicken. Might not be able to make my mix tonight. Worry not though, because yesterday I got some tracks that I figure I'm going to have to make a new hip hop mix for!

So I realized that my term here at Lafayette is almost done for the interim. And as usual, I realized this a bit too late. Lotta things have to be sorted over the next 3 days, some less exciting than others. Most importantly, I have to catch up with a new mix (Rhythm Electro Episode 3 - And Beyond) which, to my disappointment, I failed to play this past Saturday as planned. I'll hopefully be able to make it tomorrow night, if I manage to tackle some EXCEL work. And then ... I'm off to New York City! I have an appointment with a certain Balkan. "Acetronik to Misson Control ... Permission to shift into Sixth."

Yes, it works - just next time, I'll remember to take off my signature below! In other news ... I'm currently trying to find a way in which to integrate the blog template into my website. As you've probably realised, it's inconvenient to go to an external page just to read my blog when you're on my website. Also, I'll be working on how to play my mixes from the website, as opposed to being able to download them.

Ah, what can I say - I had to try this out (e-mailing a blog-address to have it automatically post). Whether its a good or bad thing, I think I am getting the hang of this. -- Small steps. Big things. http://www.alaminkheraj.com

I forgot to mention - the iPhone is out!

So I finally embedded a dedicated 'dj ace' calendar onto my website . It's not all that, but it's something for potential bookers to look me up with. Someday, it'll all be done in flash ... for now, I gotta keep my feet on the ground. I still have to work on putting up some photos, and I have to also update the FAAP website. Those updates should be coming in the next few weeks. Less than two weeks of break left. In two Wednesday's I'll already be in Manhattan for orientation with the BGIA program. Yikes.

So I think I've made a pretty solid decision on where I want to go after I graduate from Lafayette: I'm going home. I think I may have finally found a way in which to combine making music with building community spirit and encouraging the alleviation of poverty. I'm not going to say much about the idea because I have a lot to figure out, but in short words, I intend on teaching kids back in Dar-es-Salaam how to DJ, mix and record, through FAAP's Tanzania branch. That's all for now, more coming later :)

So here I am, a week into the year 2007, and already things are beginning to take shape. There's a lot I want to accomplish this year, and hopefully, with the right amount of focus and work, I'll get there. For some reason, I keep thinking that goals have become even more important than they ever used to be, and that as long as I have some kind of target to hit, I can hit it. For now, I'm caught up with a few things here on campus. Whoever says that staying at Lafayette over vacation is boring isn't doing the right things. I'm working with the Network Center, doing research, helping to fill out an FAAP/UWC proposal amongst other tasks, but I'm still having a great time. 3 weeks until Bard in NYC and I can't wait!

OK, so I've gotten this to work with my website. Posts will directly update the links and such on the ww2 server at Lafayette. I'm thinking I'll use this until I have my own domain and webspace. Until then, this should be good to go!

Just testing to see if my blog works, afterall! I never thought I'd actually start a complete blog. Wow ...