MOSAIC MUSINGS

CURTAIN FALLS FOR BLOG

2011-05-03T10:07:00.001-07:00

Hello fans,

This post is the final here at Mosaic Musings, a project we began eight months ago. Blogging has been such a rewarding experience and has enabled me to see the potential of social medium in building a community of readers from around the globe.

However, as a result of emerging new priorities, I am compelled to retire the blog. I would like to thank all the visitors who stopped by every now and then. A big thanks to my ardent fans who signed up and those who took time to post comments. I sincerely hope that all of you found value in the postings, as I did.

Bye bye.... for now.

Moe

SUNNY DAY

2011-04-29T12:07:00.019-07:00

It's a lovely Friday afternoon and the sun is out... what about a tune to match it all.
moe

Ladysmith Black Mambazo & Dolly Parton

2011-04-22T18:16:00.001-07:00

Hello people. Today I thought of throwing in some music featuring a collaboration between Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Dolly Parton in an all-time favorite "knockin' on Heaven's Door". Happy Easter!

Moe.

Knockin' On Heaven's Door By Dolly Parton by Wrestlegameshow

TIPS FOR MEN FROM A MAN

2011-04-19T08:52:00.001-07:00

First off, a disclaimer: I am not an expert on things fashion, but I try to be styl-ish. I know fashion changes from season to season can be difficult to keep up with and that's why I set out to simplify the whole thing with a list of essentials that, in my opinion, are fundamental for men. don't aim to be the impeccable, manscaped who knows me knows that I should be the last person to give anyone tips on fashion and lifestyle. My fashion sense, or lack thereof, hasn't advanced beyond two tips that I picked from an old friend in the 80s (and we all know the eighties were really bad years for fashion). He said, " Always wear clothes that you can fit in and always wear socks that match."

So rather than pretend I can write on the subject, I decided to borrow what one of the fashion industry leaders thinks is essential for men- Over to you Tom Ford, enlighten us.. and gentlemen, please take notes .

212 - The Extra Degree Movie

2011-02-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

The 212° concept is one of the most powerful communication ideas I have seen in a long time.The idea originated with Sam Parker and Mac Anderson and I thought it would be nice to share it. If you are not familiar, here's the idea:

At 211 degrees...water is hot.
At 212 degrees...it boils.
And with boiling water, comes steam.
And steam can power a locomotive.
And, it's that one extra degree that...
Makes all the difference.
So many times, in business and in life, it's that one extra degree of effort that separates the good from the great.
What I love about the 212° idea is that you can use it to fit your own needs. It may be 212° service that you'd like to reinforce, or 212° attitude, leadership, or quality. Or maybe, you'll choose to build your entire lifestyle around the 212° concept...to differentiate you from the crowd.
The real beauty of 212° is the simplicity of the idea. Once explained...everybody gets it. And once you get it...it's hard to forget!
To see the 212° video clip. Click on the link below.
212 - The Extra Degree Movie

SUNRISE IN PARADISE

2011-01-07T17:51:00.000-08:00

Three score years and ten we were given

as it is in the ninetieth psalm written

but paradise couldn't wait to have you

flew away before we could bid you adieu

Days roll into months, and now a year

fondly speak of you- your memory dear-

of your compassionate, generous heart

that lessons of kindness did to us impart

Though the evening may have come too soon

we rejoice knowing with saints you commune

and thank God for the days we together spend

calling you daughter, sister and friend

We accept His will with eyes a-teary

yet our hearts are not a-weary

For death's sting was long removed

when the Christ was hanged in Calvary

YOU ARE HIRED!!!!!!

2010-11-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

This fall, 30 year old Liza Mucheru-Wisner is a contestant on NBC’s “The Apprentice” Season 10 with Donald Trump.

Liza is a graduate of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christ with a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.S. in Educational Technology.

Watch Liza on The Apprentice on NBC every Thursday at 10/9C

Best wishes Liza. We are proud of you.

IF YOU MISSED HALLOWEEN..

2010-11-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

I must confess I am an ardent theatre enthusiast so the prospect of a nice, entertaining Friday evening at the University of La Verne's Dailey Theatre was ... just what I needed to escape from the realities of the week.The play being staged was Ann Jellicoe's The Sport of my Mad Mother and I was hoping against hope that it would be one of those escapist bedroom farces that tickle one throughout a performance. (who needs a tragedy to begin their weekend?) So I went with my $ 3, the charge was actually $5 but I negotiated like a true "son of the soil" to gain admission. I sat next to a bored gentleman who looked like he needed a serious dose of humour so I made a mental note to check back with him to see if his face would have lit up a bit after the play. Halfway through the first act, I noticed that the man was restless in his chair and was letting out suppressed grunts. It was evident that he hated the play. In fact, it wasn't just him. Nearly half of the entire audience looked lost and bewildered by the performance. As for me, I tried to make out some meaning from it but was well worn out by the beginning of the third act.It was like watching the movie Inception playing backwards! Anyhow, there was the other half of the audience who seemed genuinely thrilled and absorbed in the performance, occasionally laughing at a joke. Which can only mean one thing: No matter how absurd your "thing" is, you will always have some fans.
As for the bored man who had sat next to me at the beginning of the play, he couldn't endure it any more and left during the first interval.. or who knows whether he did not mistakenly think the play was over?

P.S The Sport of my Mad Mother runs tonight Sat 20 from 7.30 p.m at the ULV Dailey Theatre. The final performance will be tomorrow Sun beginning 2 p.m. And be sure to carry the full ticket charge with you unless you possess extraordinary negotiation skills.

A RANDOM ENCOUNTER IN THE CONVENIENCE STORE

2010-11-14T14:55:00.000-08:00

It's early morning and I am pacing up and down the aisles of the convenience store in the neighborhood trying to locate the stationery section. A middle aged African American lady hobbles towards me. "You act like you feelin' cold" says she.
"It's quite chilly in here, madam" I reply
"You mus' be from Sahara or some other planet coz it ain't chilly yet- where d'you come from anyways?"
"Kenya, it's a country in..." I try to explain but peering she interrupts,
"I know Kenya, at least I dated a man fom Kenya back in the day" she says still with that suspicious look- "In fact, you look just like him, only a little thinner." I frown at that unflattering description and ask her what happened with him. She chuckles and placing one hand on my arm she says "He ran away." I try to make light of the situation by reminding her that "running" is what Kenyans are famous for. We are constanly running away from spouses, girlfriends, school, lions and I even seem to remember a certain Kenyan who ran for presidency in the US.. and won!

SO YOU WANNA BE A MARINE BIOLOGIST

2010-11-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

One FAQ we encounter earlier in life is what we would like to be when we grow up (if we ever grow up). Needless to say, the dream job market has changed considerably since you were asked that question. The best clues of how attitudes about some jobs have changed over the years can be seen in the young who no longer seem too interested in becoming teachers, scientists, researchers and such jobs as we regarded highly some years back.Talking to kids today, they know exactly what they want and are making bold utterances like "I wanna be a millionaire" or rock stars and NBA players. You also have to admire the conviction of this generation in their future vocation.

Which takes me to us, the older generation us. We dreamed of becoming pilots, doctors, lawyers and engineers- so how did we do? Are we actually doing what we planned or did we settle for less than our aspirations? As for me, I kind of fall in the group of those that did not become what they wanted. I remember my father taking me to see a doctor when I was 9 years and from then the job of treating people made quite an impression on me. I gave up being a doctor after Biology classes proved a total disaster for me. I toyed with the idea of engineering but I couldn't understand a word my physics teacher spoke thus my passion for engineering fizzled as my grade dropped. When I was bored with class, I passed the time drawing caricatures of teachers ( a habit I no longer practice). The doodling turned out to be quite remarkable and one teacher, upon catching me in the very act, encouraged me to be an artist in the future.But not before warning me that all artists he knew became rich after they died, a luxury I was not particularly keen on pursuing. I then thought of becoming a jazz musician- not because I loved jazz music, but because I couldn't sing properly. I figure you don't have to be a good singer to be a great jazz musician. Even Louis Armstrong got away with that defect! That too I gave up. So what did I eventually settle for? Well, being of the old-school persuasion, I am neither a rock star or basketball player, I decided to go back to school in the hopes I may become a teacher (they call me The Swift Teacher for a reason, you know). I am probably three and a half years away from that dream but you never know.. if my track record of shifting goals is anything to go by, I wouldn't quote me if I were you.

(

NO KIDDING!!!

2010-11-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

If you think advertising is business as usual you've got a think coming! It certainly won't take you long to realize how unusual the schemes of the advertiser are if you have young kids around the house. One minute your young kid will be laughing through the antics of Ed, Edd n Eddy the next minute the advertiser intrudes the TV screen with his new chocolatey drink called BOBO. The advertisement features a greasy haired kid all dressed up like a reincarnation of Elvis Presley and with a raised eyebrow reveals that SUPER COOL KIDS DRINK BOBO! After that piece of incitement, your kid, who until then couldn't utter any other word apart from "dada" instantly acquires a new vocabulary and starts screaming BOBO! BOBO! BOBO! This wailing does not stop and it occurs to you that the only way to stop the aural assault is to run to the shopping mall and buy the drink.
In fact from that day on, Bobo becomes your I.D. to getting access to the house every night from work- and you dare not show up with some nondescript drink unless you want to spend the night with your head buried in pillows. Let's face it, when it comes to the noise department, we are no matches for our kids who could all at once clinch a Nobel, Oscar and blackbelt in noisemaking.

As if those are not woes enough for one lifetime, the advertiser has a few more surprises for you. In a few months he appears again with a margarine called BIBI and you zoom off like a wasp to the nearest supermarket knowing that your kid will go into a hunger strike if you don't. A week later, the advertiser hits the screen once again now with a cereal dubbed CHOKO. Fail to deliver that too and the kid will stage a demonstration that can teach those university students a thing or two about demonstrations. And so it goes on through out the year with new products rolled out like NINA, FIDO, DIDO when it finally dawns on you that the clever advertising bloke has coined these easy-to-pronounce words into brands for your kid who cannot pronounce harder words like, say, PROACTIOXY ULTRA... Well, what can you do apart from concede defeat to the insurmountable collusion between your kid and the advertiser who relies on your kids "pester- power" to sell his bobo's and goodies? If you think you can outsmart the advertiser, write me a line telling me how. I could use some advice myself.

GONE FISHING? NO SUCH LUCK!

2010-10-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

To my esteemed readers,

With finals set for next week, I have found myself literary pitching camp in a dunk library. I have even acquired the musty odour emanating from the Kilimanjaro of books, encyclopedias, dictionaries and all other manner of publications stacked on the shelves. It's usual at times like these for students to go for nights without sleep which has the effect of making them very cranky whenever you interrupt them. Since a good number of them are avid readers of this blog, it is very unlikely that they are reading this but I wish them the best just as well. I too must take some time off and steal away to my favorite dark corner barricaded by Economics and Finance literature that goes back to the first publications of The Wealth of Nations! The smell may be hideous but the spot is suited to my convenience. Have a great weekend and be sure to check back on Friday next week for more postings.

You are the best.

REMEMBER THE ONE ABOUT THE GUEST WHO OVERSTAYED HIS WELCOME?

2010-10-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Assuming you went through a primary school in Kenya, you will no doubt be familiar with certain characters like Mr. Kamau, Mrs. Kamau, Tom and Mary in that text book Hallo children. You may also remember of a certain clown who appeared somewhere in class 3 called Mwalimu Jini and I am sure you did not pass that opportunity to nickname the classmate with the most pointed ears after him! Assuming also that you survived Mr. Kitosyo's "six of the best" landing on your posterior (my friend Pete calls it gluteus maximus) and against your most sound judgment, you decided to hang in there, probably rationalizing that even if the beatings never stopped, you will at least get "maziwa ya nyayo" to sooth the pain. If all the above describes you, then you will agree with me that the poem below was the most memorable that you ever recited back in the day. I pulled it off with two translations, one in English for readers not familiar with Swahili, and the second in Kikamba- dedicated to my grandmother who never stopped to remind me my Kamba stinks. Enjoy.

THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Mgeni siku ya kwanza For the guest his first day

Mpe mchele na panza rice with flying fish provide

mtilie kifuani embrace him, welcome him inside

mkaribishe mgeni Stranger who has come to stay.

Mgeni siku ya pili On the guest's second day

mpe ziwa na samli give him milk and butter too.

mahaba yakizidia If love can greatly grow in you

mzidie mgeni. give more to the guest come to stay.

Mgeni siku ya tatu Guest now on his third day

jumbani hamuna kitu Three cups rice is all we've got

Mna zibaba zitatu left to eat. Boil and eat the lot

pika ule na mgeni with the guest come to stay.

Mgeni siku ya 'ne Guest now on the fourth day

mpe jembe akalime To farm send him off with a hoe.

Akirudi muagane When he comes back bid him go

ende kwao mgeni and be gone, dear stranger come to stay.

Mgeni siku ya tano Look at guest the fifth day

mwembamba kama sindano Needle thin the guest has gone

Hauishi musengenyano Gossip now goes on and on

asengenyao mgeni 'bout the guest come to stay.

Mgeni siku ya sita Guest on the sixth long day

mkila mkajificha when you eat he mustn't know

mwingie vipembeni while you eat in corners go

afichwaye yeye mgeni Hide from guest come to stay.

Mgeni siku ya sabaa Guest on the seventh day-

si mgeni a na baa someone set the roof alight!

Hata moto mapaani Guilty man is known alright,

akatia yeye mgeni. It's the monster come to stay.

Mgeni siku ya nane Tell the stranger his eighth day,

njo ndani tuonane just come inside a moment, then

Atapotokea nje when he comes out again,

tuagane mgeni Goodbye, guest come to stay.

Mgeni siku ya kenda Tell the guest ninth day

enenda mwana kwenenda! go in peace, son, but go

Usirudi nyuma and don't come back, O

usirudi mgeni guest come to stay.

Mgeni siku ya kumi Guest now on his tenth day tenth day

kwa mateke na magumi with kicks and blows chase away.

Hapana afukuzwaye, There is no other who is chased away

fukuzwaye fukuzwaye yeye mgeni! But the guest come to stay.

I know of two people who would be glad to see a kikamba poem on print. One is my grandmother, who despite my best efforts to prove otherwise still maintains that my kikamba is horrible. I admit I have a few problems with the "tenses". I knew that the German I learned in high school would mess up my kamba! (You can relax, I won't do a German translation.) But I detour. The second person who would be particularly proud to see more vernacular on print is none other than Ngugi wa Thiongo, the long time lone howling voice against "linguistic" imperialism. So, to both, I dedicate arguably the first kamba poem to be put down on paper/word processor.

THE KIKAMBA TRANSLATION- THE UNABRIDGED VERSION

Mgeni siku ya kwanza Mueni muthenya wa mbee

Mpe mchele na panza munenge isyo na nthooko

mtilie kifuani muthokye nthini thome

mkaribishe mgeni Mueni ula waemeeie kwene

Mgeni siku ya pili Mueni sua wa keli

mpe ziwa na samli mukamie kalila ka n'gombe

mahaba yakizidia na wakiitwa ni wendo mwike nesa

mzidie mgeni. mueni uu waemeeie kwene

Mgeni siku ya tatu Mueni sua wa katatu

jumbani hamuna kitu Vatiele kasuku kamwe ka mboso

Mna zibaba zitatu Tinisya mbisu iko aye

pika ule na mgeni Mueni uu waemeeie kwene

Mgeni siku ya 'ne Mueni sua wa kana

mpe jembe akalime . Yiembe kituo muundani

Akirudi muagane Asyoka umwisuve athi

ende kwao mgeni . Mueni uu waemeeie kwene

Mgeni siku ya tano Mueni muthenya wa ndunyu

mwembamba kama sindano Amosie ekala tuvindi

Hauishi musengenyano Andu yu nimeumuneenea

asengenyao mgeni . Mueni uu waemeeie kwene

Mgeni siku ya sita Mueni sua wa thandatu

mkila mkajificha Twivithe twambe kuya

mwingie vipembeni Na matialyo ungu wa kitanda

afichwaye yeye mgeni Mueni uu waemeeie kwene

Mgeni siku ya sabaa Mueni sua wa muonza

si mgeni a na baa Nuu ula avivya kiala?

Hata moto mapaani Ti ungi no ula mueni

akatia yeye mgeni. Mueni uu waemeeie kwene

Mgeni siku ya nane Muthenya wa nyanya

njo ndani tuonane ita mueni wii muneenanye

Atapotokea nje Alika umwie "kyalo kiseo"

tuagane mgeni Mueni uu waemeeie kwene

Mgeni siku ya kenda Muthenya wa kenda

enenda mwana kwenenda! "savali nzeo, mwana, indino thi

Usirudi nyuma na ndukasyoke ingi nongi "

usirudi mgeni Mueni uu waemeeie kwene

Mgeni siku ya kumi Muthenya wa ikumi

kwa mateke na magumi ni ngundi na nthele

Hapana afukuzwaye, vayi ungi ukulungwa

fukuzwaye fukuzwaye yeye mgeni! no ula mueni waemeeie kwene!

CELEBRATING A KENYAN HERO

2010-10-24T02:18:00.000-07:00

Today with Professor Ngugi Wa Thiongo at the Shield of Faith where the Kenyan community gathered to celebrate Mashujaa (Heroes) Day. The lady seated in front of me couldn't capture the occasion more eloquently (despite the obvious linguistic assault her scarlet T-SHIRT deals on the word "mashujaa"). Professor wa Thiongo gave an harrowing account of a colonial era in which he was raised with the promise of freedom and the disillusionment of the subsequent regimes that were keen on muzzling political dissidents. His writings, some of which he paid for dearly by imprisonment without trial include The River Between, Weep Not Child, Petals of Blood, A Grain of Wheat, Devil on the Cross, Wizard of the Crow and his new memoir Dreams in a Time of War. Earlier this year, speculations were rife that Ngugi would be the 2010 Literature Nobel laureate but contrary to expectations someone else was named. (although hundreds of journalists had camped outside his gates on the chilly night before the disappointing announcement was made.) But Nobel prize or not, you have to admit that the professor deserves even a higher honour of being regarded a "shujaa." The Professor is currently a distinguished professor of Comparative Literature and English at University of California at Irvine.

LOOOONGEST!!

2010-10-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

It may interest you to know that the official longest word in English language is Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. Allow me a second, that word has taken the wind out of me! It's the name usually used to describe a lung disease that miners catch by inhaling fine silica dust. It 's also not a word people usually work into a conversation unless they are intent on acquiring blisters in the mouth or worst still break their entire jaw. Of course, Smiles may still be considered the unofficial longest word in English. According to the joke, there is a mile between the beginning S and the last S. As for me, I like a word I can actually use. Even now.. as I wish you a day filled with SMILES!

ORIENTATION...FOR ART'S SAKE

2010-10-20T19:28:00.001-07:00

Art is one of those subjects you can't fully define and yet you can easily recognize when you see. The history of Art starts right at creation when God created Adam, not out of marble or clay, but from dust. No artist or sculptor that ever lived has been able to do so since. Skipping over a considerable period, we arrive at primitive ages when art took the form of cave paintings, mostly of creatures that either were eaten by stone age man or by which stone age man was eaten. Following that period was art most of which comes from the early civilizations of Rome, Greece, Egypt, India and China.Fast forward to the Renaissance period, a movement that began in Italy between the 14th to 17th century.Art in this period focused on beauty and harmony.Among the notable artists then were Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci who did so many other things like hydraulics, anatomy, military engineering and physical science it is a wonder he ever got round to painting. You may have heard of his famous painting Mona Lisa. He also painted the above art work titled The Last Supper. The forerunners of what came to be the Impressionist period were two artists with nearly similar names, Monet and Manet (FYI: The Manet with an A came before the one with an O.. that's how I remember). The Impressionism era was followed by the Expressionism whose art was influenced by artists like Munch and Vincent Van Gogh who painted in a frenzy and cut off one of his ears in a fit of anger. Art in the 20th Century is mostly abstract and many artists of this period are called experimentalists. People who have no idea of this art form can be excused to think that the paintings are the result of an artist splashing paint on canvas with the eyes closed. I have to admit that sometimes I catch myself tilting my head just to confirm that the gallery did not accidentally hang the painting upside down! Abstract is sub divided into so many other was forms ranging from cubism which was originated by Pablo Picasso, surrealism by Salvador Dali ( How this artist influenced my love for art is a story for another day), feminist art, dadaism, mamaism (just kidding!), fauvism and many others I am unwilling to get into because I fear I may not get out. I guess if a painting can speak a thousand words, the one above can speak ten times as much. It is Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper, a piece derived from the scripture after Jesus had announced to the disciples that one among them would betray him. Observe the way the artist was able to capture the drama and excitement as the disciples questioned who it was. By the way, can you spot Judas?