Troubleshooting!

2013 VGMA NOMINATIONS-MY TAKE

2014-03-02T07:36:00.001-08:00

To start with, if I am asked to describe in one word what my take is on the work of the VGMA Board with regard to its 2013 Ghana Music Awards Nomination list, that one word would be “Laziness”, I would hasten to add that it goes further to expose the fact that the Board pays little or no attention to detail, and I dare say that has far reaching consequences.

For analysis, check out the Nomination list for Best HipHop Song of the year 2013;

See Me Suffer-EL ft Lil Shaker
Lies-Sarkodie ft Lil Shaker
SomeWayBi-Manifest
Marilyn Monroe-Dee Money ft Fuse ODG
Me Wo Dollor-Kwawkese ft EL

And off the top of my mind, I present to you these HipHop tunes for same period;

Yeda Wase-Obrafour, Edem, Tinny, Sarkodie, Kwawkese
Ohene-Edem ft Obrafour
Odee-Edem ft Trigmatic, X.O Senavoe
Elijah-Sarkodie ft Obrafour
Original-Sarkodie
Bounce-Sarkodie
No Short Cut To Heaven-Manifest ft Obrafour
Under And Over-Manifest
I No Dey See You Sef-Lil Shaker, Edem, Sarkodie, Joey B, Bra Kevin, Raquel
Thirty Two (32)-Lyrical Wanzam

...that is just to name a few, I have said in a tweet immediately after I saw the Nomination list for Best HipHop, that Manifest’s SomeWayBi is the only song HipHop enough to make it to that list, having listened to all those songs.

This shoddy work done to Best HipHop song category sadly runs through almost all the other nominations and I wonder what the members of the Board listen to in their private lives.

I conclude here by expressing my wonder as to how Da’Hammer of the Last2 might be feeling or would feel seeing what has been done to HipHop.

Tweeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The Cedi Wahala

2014-02-07T03:32:00.000-08:00

Chaley, I have not come to tell you about the nuances of the Cedi (Ghana Cedi) problems against its major trading currencies. I say that because, I think it’s so obvious, and also that it has been said or discussed over and over again, more so because my first Degree in Economics is not even qualified to work at the Bank of Ghana, you see what I mean? So I won’t worry my head.

But look at this simple analogy; think of the Cedi or the amount of Cedis in circulation in the Economy as Men, and the amount of Dollars as Women. As much as the Men (Cedis) find need to make use of the Women (Dollars) for the purposes of dating, one night stand, marriage (import clearing services, Ghana’s four star hotel services, Ghana’s perpetual import dependency, respectively), they go after the Women. Bear in mind that the Women hardly/scarcely find need for the Men. All other things being constant (ceteris paribus) won’t the women begin to feel ‘Tweaaaaaaa’ (disdain) towards the men, and as a result attain a higher price (exchange rate) in the economy? That is the problem of our currency at the moment.

As it stands now, the Cedis (Men) should realise that they are not ‘co-equal’(in equilibrium) with/to the Dollars (Women) and hence, the need to undertake measures aimed at averting the downward trend/falling value as concretely as possible, otherwise, it is ‘Tweaaaaaaaaaaa’ (disdain) continua !

THANK YOU!

ONE BIG REASON

2013-07-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Am having a good laugh imagining what went or is going through your mind upon seeing and reading the heading for this post, but I would fill you in right about now:

Simple but BIG reason if you ask me, reason for what? am talking about one BIG reason why I need to be making a lot of money, in other words, one reason why I need to get rich.

Seriously, I am unable to come up with that BIG reason but every indication points to a BIG reason. Maybe every other reason comes together to make that one BIG reason.

Maybe my PRESENT LIFE is the BIG reason; being broke on my birthday, being on LEAVE as a public servant and yet unable to go on a fun-trip, and even keeping up with the basic demands of a 21st Century life.

Chaley one thing is sure, and that is; I MUST DO SOMETHING. I hope am not alone in this dilemma, what do you guys think? or you think am worrying my head over nothing?

Please tell me something!

Troubleshuta

SO CALLED ‘WINNER TAKES ALL POLITICS’

2013-04-15T07:07:00.001-07:00

I heard a tape of Arch-Bishop Duncan William on which as part of his sermon, he admonished or was admonishing the two big Political Parties in the country (Ghana) to find a way around what he called ‘Winner Takes All Politics’.

He stated that he sees the practice as very dangerous to the sustainability of our Democracy, he explained by saying that the practice whereby a Political Party goes into election, loses out and has to stay four years in opposition amidst all the pain and hardship is untenable. He then in his admonishment called on the President, John Dramani Mahama, who was sitting in the congregation (I suppose), to think through the situation and find a way to bring others from across the political divide on board.

I wish to state that I appreciate the Arch-Bishop’s frustration because of how the Politicians have made the politicking to seem, but I dare say that the fact that we could agree or have agreed that it is a ‘Winner Takes All Politics’, is a wrong footing to take.

My take is that there should be nothing like a ‘Winner Takes All’ because there is not supposed to be a thing like that, the understanding that the terminology connotes cannot find space in our Constitution and should not be tolerated.

Think about it, what is ‘Winner Takes All’? Are Political Parties supposed to come to power to come take things? Are they not rather supposed to give? And what do they take or have to take? Are they not supposed to come provide or give good roads, good health, quality education, among others?

I think if our Political Parties do what is expected of them, that is, by thinking and working fervently to put the Ghanaian Economy on the right footing, irrespective of one’s political affiliation, one could do great in his business, profession or job. Political Power should not become a lucrative job-seeking avenue for political activists, it is supposed to be a service-giving avenue.

I hereby end by stating that the ‘Winner Takes All’ argument is a non-starter and must not be tolerated, Politicians are not supposed to come take anything, period!

Troubleshuta

THE HAND OF GOD

2013-03-20T02:02:00.003-07:00

I once asked in a post for people to show me the hand of God in the affairs of Ghana, take a look at our Economic/Political history since 1957, we are where we are due to our actions or inactions, no hand of God anywhere, if you ever saw it, draw my attention.
Let me say though that if it is about going to heaven, i can understand, we should be thinking instead of sponsoring Pastors to Israel to go offer prayers to God.

Troubleshuta

A LOVE QUESTION (MASCULINIST)

2013-03-11T00:39:00.007-07:00

A LOVE QUESTION (MASCULINIST)

It came to a point in my life where I concluded that ‘loving a woman’ is ‘slavery’. I felt so strong about this assertion to the point that I even espoused it to the lady I was ‘seeing’ at the time. I went like, ‘’…loving a woman is synonymous to ‘slavery’ in that you are ‘forced’ to do what you would ordinarily not do’’, I then made it clear I had that much love for her.

When you enter into a relationship with a woman you consider very beautiful; nice smile, tasteful figure, among others, at least according to your eyes, you would develop the kind of ‘slave’ mentality I mentioned earlier. I hope you concur.

So you begin to live the love-life, she is the only one, and ‘ceteris paribus’ you are the only one. You begin/continue to act your love for this woman, and from my experience, love is not blind, it is just a ‘spectacle’ or ‘glasses’ that helps you to see differently, most often beautifully.

Do not get me wrong, this write-up is not meant to show you how to love but rather to ask you a love question;

At what point could you say you have loved enough or have had enough of a particular love relationship and hence bring to an end the enjoyment in the ‘slavery’ of LOVE by calling it all off?

Troubleshuta

2013-03-01T09:35:00.001-08:00

2013-03-01T09:32:00.001-08:00

POST-ELECTION TOLERANCE MESSAGE (OPEN BROADCAST)

2013-03-01T09:08:00.001-08:00

ECG NONSENSE!

2013-01-31T05:03:00.001-08:00

ECG NONSENSE!

So my android phone is off, stew, ice kenkey, and vegetables wasted because my fridge is off, my television and radio have been taught a lesson, i can't even remember what an iron is used for, my computer's long lasting battery could only last so long, so it shouts for help as well in this utter nonsense by the Electricity Company of Ghana.

Have we not had this too many times? that the least reported damage to a VRA equipment or something of the sort throws the whole country into darkness. In this case, the Electricity Company of Ghana, operating in the Afram Plains only announced to the public the cause of the light out two days into this nonsense, and the explanation is that there is a problem with the VRA sub-station at Nkawkaw and that they are doing all they could to fix it. Now it is three(3) days and counting living in and with this nonsense!

It is interesting i hear the utility providers including ECG are eyeing an increase in tariff so as to improve on quality. My question regarding that attempt is to all of you; have we seen an improvement in service delivery from the ECG since they last increased tariff for same reason?

I know next to nothing about Power Generation and Transmission but i guess i can make one little comment, that ECG in particular should ensure some good level of 'proof', be it water, wind, or fire proof to some good degree, so as to spare us these frequent outages due to one change in the weather or the other.

I hereby conclude by thanking the World Vision ADP, Afram Plains, for granting me access to their privately powered Electricity to be able to put together this post even as i charge my phone, and finally call on the ECG to bring an end this NONSENSE!

Troubleshuta

　

　

BLOGGING AWARDS

2013-01-24T14:25:00.002-08:00

So I’m here wondering, what does it take to win a Blogging Award? Is it the level of readership a blog enjoys, the content of the write-ups posted, or what exactly?
For me, I remember very well what got me into blogging in the first place; it was the fact that I felt very different and that whenever there was or is a social discussion, an event, or a happening of a sort, I almost always get to the point where my take on the issue is so clear to me and often very independent of what the masses’ take on the said issue is. So I felt, why not blog? It would provide the opportunity to express my opinion, even on issues that do not have to do with my immediate life circle and it could be accessed by all.
I therefore took to blogging and have since been speaking my mind. I got to know about BloggingGhana in the process, and it seems blogging is no joke.
Let me just end it here by emphasizing my feeling towards the Blogging Awards. I feel like, ‘me koraa’ how much blogging have I done to warrant nominating myself for an award? But I know one thing for sure; that Ameyaw Debrah has the passion that every blogger needs, he has shown that in his works and hence deserves an award. At least I see that, though from afar!

Troubleshuta

GOOGLE GOT ME INTO TROUBLE

2013-01-06T06:23:00.002-08:00

'GOOGLE' GOT ME INTO TROUBLE This is it: i was on watsapp yesterday, 05-01-2013, and whiles going through my contacts i came across the contact, 'friend', then i asked myself, how? i saw the profile photo, it was female. Then i proceeded to find out how come i got her(supposedly, could be his) contact, so i 'watsapped' her. you can imagine how the "who is this" question was thrown at me right? fast, quick, and in short hands. I tried to explain but before i could finish, i had a real hostile response, then followed by 'whatever', which she shorthanded "waheva". i hear 'whatever' is the ladies equivalent for 'Fuck You', not sure though. Then the real deal began, before i could say Jack, i was called a "Sick Boy", never got angered, i was in a good mood and was with Kodjo, a 'Koti'(Police) friend of mine so we just laughed things off. But i said to myself 'aaaaahhhh', then i went to check the contact details, there i realised a 'g' attached to her number, then upon some few search i saw that it meant she was/is my google+ friend, how could 'google' do this to me? i do not remember asking google for android adding my nearby google+ friends to my watsapp chat list. How could you, Google! Putting the Google bit aside, what would make a woman go that hard or furious, is it stress, bad experience, nature or what? I hope though that it's not what am thinking. That was it ooooo, i bore you Google!

Election 2012: What i saw!

2012-12-23T15:48:00.000-08:00

Election 2012: What I Saw! I must tell you from the onset that the people i have met and interacted with as part of my job in the lead up to the 2012 Election are generally hopeful for a better future and are willing to do their bits. December 7 came and Oh My God, what a beauty to behold? as an NCCE observer, i had the rare privilege of staying close to the polls and watching the conduct of the electorates. The hearty chats, the respect for order, respect for the aged and the sick, and most importantly the tolerance shown; bear in mind majority of these persons knew where their friends and neighbours votes would go, yet they shared smiles with another. Even though am confident in saying that my outfit did so much to ensure people understood the process of voting, the Election day proper taught me the difficulty people have in appreciating some of the basic rules. I therefore request that the NCCE be provided the room to do on the spot voter education on thumbprinting, among others, it is not that easy for people i must tell you. I believe you agree with me that Elections are not the most important aspect of Democracy, but rather how the Democratic process could be used to deliver Development to the people. I urge that this remains the focus, so that when we go back to the polls the next time round, we would have had our lives improved because of Democracy. Merry Christmas to you all, and i pray the new year gives our Democracy some more impetus!

No One Knows Tommorow

2012-12-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

can man really be so careful, life seems to be taking its own course and all we do is our bits, nothing more. it hurts so much to have one's dreams and hopes totally shuttered, uncertainty is so certain, am talking about the Connecticut shooting and it hurts so bad!

THE COLLAPSED MELCOM BUILDING INCIDENT

2012-11-07T13:50:00.001-08:00

THE COLLAPSED MELCOM BUILDING INCIDENT

I have a deep sorrowful feeling anytime I hear of death...whether it is the loss of a relative or not, I just am not able to take it easily at all, it is a hard one for me.

This has over time necessitated within me some resolve; Before I share that, can we end all of these? Whether you fall sick and die, grow old and die, or are involved in an accident, such as that of the ‘Achimota Melcom Incident’.

I would tell you what, and I hope it is not too weird a thought; let us stop procreating so that the rest of us get to die, and that would be it!

I know you know as I know that these tragedies are daily happenings and the fact is we can never be too careful, so why don't you buy into my idea? It's not a weird thought, its reality, please think about it.

I wish survivors a speedy recovery and to those who kicked the bucket, I say RIP!

WHERE DO YOU BELONG?

2012-10-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

I remember in the 2010 Population and Housing Census, when it came to Religion, I chose ‘other’ and in filling the details column, i wrote ‘Non Religious’. I wish i had come to talk about my state of thought on religion fully.
But briefly i will state my stance, i believe in God but i no longer attend Church, maybe i will in the near future. The thing is, i have not found the need to. I do not believe good health, jobs, good spouses or wives, electoral peace, among others could be found by praying and attending church.
That is just by the way, i will cite two examples of religious or denominational belongingness then you could tell me where you belong:

If you were or are a Jehovah Witness, the fundamental belief is that Humanly Governments can not and would not do any good to the future of this world. Jehovah’s Kingdom on earth is the only assurance of a life of bliss. If you belong to the group that envisage a Heaven above the skies other than an eternal life of bliss here on this very earth, forget it! you do not belong.

If you were or are an SDA, the fundamental belief is that all humans would require a Seal of God to make it to the Kingdom of Heaven, and getting this derives from following the Ten Commandments, and most importantly The Sabbath (4th Commandment). To the SDA, the Seal of God is the opposite of the Mark of the Beast, so you ‘aint’ Sealed, you ‘aint’ chilling in Heaven.

Hmmmmm, so i’m just ‘thinking on paper’ and asking, when it comes to the things of God and Religion, where do you belong?

2012-10-28T07:47:00.001-07:00

WHERE DO YOU BELONG?

2012-10-28T07:35:00.001-07:00

Edem - Mede Kuku [Official Music Video] | IAMEDEM.COM

2012-10-01T01:17:00.001-07:00

A MASCULINIST DISSECTION OF LOVE.

2012-09-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

A MASCULINIST DISSECTION OF LOVE.

''And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man'' Genesis 2:23, KJV.

I seek to share my thoughts on love and relationship with you fellow young men, I would be juxtaposing today’s love relationships with that of the first ever couple, according to the Bible, in a way that is bias in favour of males, that is why I call it ‘masculinist’. Hello ladies, I hope you would not hit me too hard with words after reading this!

Even though the above quote does not tell the whole story, a further reading down the same chapter gives the grounds for my analysis and hence my resolve.

You would all bear me out that one of the easiest things one could find today are books on relationships, providing tips for a healthy relationship, among others. I think it’s good since it provides a wider frame of reference for today's young chap seeking to go into a love relationship leading into marriage.

Observing the trends at the moment, I have come to one fundamental resolve, and that is what I wish to share, grounding my argument on the example of Adam and Eve in the Bible.
So this is what it was; Adam was put in charge of a set of things, he was the Boss, God found him to be alone and made him a help-mate, Adam upon seeing the woman falls in love (maybe love at first sight), God blesses the couple and from all indication they had all that they needed in abundance. But just like all relationships, you play within a set of rules, customs or traditions, and so they had to play to God's rules.

In the midst of abundance, the woman (Eve) still went out of her way against the admonition of Adam and caused one of the biggest messes ever, she eats the forbidden fruit.
The thrust of my resolve is based on this fact and I believe there are so many lessons in there for young men like me to learn.
I have observed that it is in the nature of women, seeing what Eve put Adam through, to sniff outside their relationships wanting more of the pleasures of life. This I realise is independent of the efforts of the men in their lives, so that, the fact that you are in the position to do all there-is, is no guarantee that your wife or woman won't put up the Eve kind of attitude. This often leads to so much disaster just like it was with the first couple.

Just like there was a third party (serpent) in the case of the couple of old, there has always been and there would always be, third party could be anybody at all, known or unknown to you, your relationship could be hit the rocks (God forbid), and that could entirely be as a result of this feminist (Eve) tendency and u would be wondering why and what to do, I will share my resolve with you and I hope you would be better psyched for love as a young man.

So here is my resolve: do your best as a man to keep your relationship going, your best should be as you see it and not as anyone says it is. Remember also that you do not hold the key to making your woman perpetually happy and satisfied, develop a big heart, learn along the line to love your woman better but never to the point of eating the forbidden fruit with her, Adam suffered it and I guess you do not intend to suffer same.
Leaving by this resolve would make you calm even at the worst form of the Eve storm, it is just like saying whatever would be would be so as young men we ought to adapt. You might not have asked for it but I am offering you a ‘masculinist’ approach to erotic love so go ahead and troubleshoot your relationship woes.

'OYIWA' MY CONFIRMATION IS HERE'

2012-09-21T03:39:00.002-07:00

Many of the times, you do not need scientifc proof to make certain pronouncements on issues but you will not bee allowed since those comments will be considered vain and unsupportted.

i know you are eager to know what exactly am talking about, now here is what, the 'Pure' water or the sachet water research which concluded that more than or nearly 85 per cent of the sachet water in Ghana is unsafe. i guess if you are reading from Europe, America or Asia you know what sachet water, let me know by way of comment if we are not on the same page on this one.

Now here is the big issue, 85 per cent of the water that almost everybody drinks in Ghana is unsafe, and i need to say this here and now that it does not come as a shock to me at all. here is why:

I did my National Service at a place in Ghana which is often refered to as one of the most deprived communities or districts in the country. Am talking about the Kwahu North District which you might know as the Afram Plains. I was in the District Capital, Donkorkrom and i can for now, following more accurately from the research from this medical unit say that all the satchet water manufactured or that is being sold in that part of Ghana is unsafe, its a 100%.

Can you imagne this? When i buy one brand of pure water, that is a whole bag which contains 30 satchets of water, each of these satchets in this same one bag give me a different taste, very unwelcoming odour(most often) and a very light texture of sachet quality. now tell me, why should this be?

Do you know what i did when i first came into contact with this issue, i told myself i will not patronize the services of that company anymore so i changed to another. please bear in mind there are only four brands of sachet water selling in the whole of that district, a district which is one-third of the whole Eastern Region in terms of land size.In fact the last brand came on board whiles i was there and it was been produced by the MP of the area, he was a new MP so i think he wanted to be felt among the people so i guess that was one way of doing so, i may be wrong. if am wrong just forgive, i hope you would.

So this is what happened, when i got disenchanted with one brand and went for the other, i thought it was going to be all well and good. In fact there is no change in value, some actually smell like dead meat, please am serious, no joking at all.

So this confirmation of a fact that some of us have long been scared of, has waited too long to be confirmed by an appropriate authority and the fact that they are considering shutting down all of such producers in my opinion is not going to do us any good. i guess the main issue here is that of poverty and the lack of ability to procure the necessary logistics to produuce the quality sachet water that we all would love to drink. Assistance is what has to be given to these producers, i might not know exactly how, but whe their engaged by the appropriate authority, the right solutions will come up. Do you think these guys are in business to kill?mmmmmmmmm hell no lol. i dont think so.

On the other hand, should they go ahead and ban as the Ghana Standard Board is proposing, i guess that is what have been their solution to these sort of problems that we increasingly face by the day. Now this is what would happen, there will not be any sachet water selling in the Afram Plains once this ban is effectively enforced, this one i know for sure.

Oh i see, some of you are thinking this presents some of the well established brands in Accra to access this market. Forget it, this wont happen in the short run because i know so well the transportation challenges therein.

This damage has happened and it continues to happen, our immune system has been fighting so hard to keep us alive and definitely some immune systems have grown weak and some have effectively adapted. i can only advice that an outright ban is not the way to go. think about the income of the people please and try to kill two beds with one stone instead one stone, one bed.

I hope i was not economics bias in my advice, if i was, do not blame me, blame my lecturer who says economist are not moralist. so if there is an issue of morality in there i might not see. But i hope there isn't, right?

i guess this is how much i can say for now.

THE STATE OF MIND OF THE BLACK MAN

2012-09-21T03:36:00.001-07:00

THE STATE OF MIND OF THE BLACK MAN

There are some issues about life in general that often get me thinking. Some have to do with the nature of the human being in respect of good and bad for instance, the concept of society and its values and also the mystery of life after death among others. Lately, my mind has been occupied with one thing or issue, the black human being and his state of mind. I mean the normal black human person that you know. If you want examples, black human beings like me who is your friend or maybe not, your black mother or father, black siblings, black friends and also your black self. I want to get to understand us right from nature and how we relate to our environment, our ability to see what is around us and to read deeper meanings into them. How basic or deep is our thoughts in this 21st Century? I got what I call a fascinating answer from none other than a bosom friend of mine, Courage Kofi Danquah,a.k.a Classic, he said ‘’ to understand the state of mind of the black man, go to the village’’.

He did not leave me to decipher for myself what he meant by his comment even though I would have loved to do some thinking to that effect, but he went ahead to expatiate and this was his explanation: when you visit a typical village where the inhabitants are not exposed to modern day cable TV and all the other forms of gadgets that come to mind, that gives us some peep into the other world, all you need is to ask how long the folks have inhabited the land, once you get an answer, quickly get back in your mind, to the present and then see what the black man on his own has been able to do in the form of whatever technology, to better his lot and also to leave a better land or society for his or her children. In his opinion, he can credit the black man with only one thing and that is, a thatch house. If you think this is too simplistic an analysis to do, I will be prepared to engage you on some commentary to that effect.

So, that was his brief explanation but as you can read and understand there is more to it. I began to do some thinking and things began to fall into good places. I ended up agreeing to his take on what has occupied my mind for this while, where or how should we see ourselves in this era of the world. My reason is as simple as the assertion above, where is the evidence to the contrary? I try to look but I can not find one. You could try and help me out with some explanation and examples, I would love that but do not commit the mistake of mentioning stuff like banks that have been started and built by black men and women, some big companies among others. That is not the point, but if you think it is a strong point to argue on, just find out the big names in that particular industry and find out when they began operation, that will give you an idea of what could possibly have been on the minds of your forebears. Of course, the argument is not about what we currently are able to do in which ever field but rather the foresight of that and that how one was able to think such a thing into being to solve and improve the livelihood of society and has therefore become the system of operation one way or the other. The Barclays Brothers case is an example, they were in Ghana, looted all they could of our mineral resources and ended up leaving a better place than they came to meet it. Their handiwork now sponsors the most watched football league in the world. The examples abound.

The point you should not miss though is that, it is not what some black men are in-charge-of today; it is about the originality in terms of idea, and what solution it was crafted for. Can you point to anything we have done and sustained over the years? I mean anything, it could be clothing, engineering, oil and gas, the list is endless. What is any African country known for? Please do not mention Kenyan Coffee, I know about that.

It gets more disheartening when you try to point at some Black African countries that could be shining examples. In my opinion, that is the biggest mistake to ever make. Which names could you come up with? Is it South Africa? I say that is an apology of a country because for me, all those kids and persons who died fighting against apartheid died for nothing. Yes you heard me right, they died for nothing, South Africa was two worlds apart, a world divided by economic power where the wealth of the country was in the hands of the whites, ask me if that has changed today. The change now is that, black persons hold political power all because they make majority of the population. Zimbabwe a few years back was called the food basket of Africa; I can tell from all accounts that, Black Zimbabweans did not contribute to that fete. The same land is now in the hands of the black man and the story is different, just a few years down the line is enough to re-write history. Nigeria is a disappointment, need I say more? Ghana lost it more than 50 years ago and is yet to rediscover herself.

Let us go to my village, where I was born and where my father continues to live, the story is a confirmation of the assertion above. The borehole technology is a 14th century one, sent there by the Government of Ghana which was either copied or thought us by our colonial masters, the small bridge across the ‘Alabo’ River was constructed by Japanese, and the people stand in awe to watch. If you wish to draw my attention to the fact that Ghanaians could construct bridges, and all such similar things that might come to mind, it will amount to begging the argument.

We can not re-invent the wheel so what must we do? I believe there is something we can do but am not too sure what, but am sure that thing could only be something that is true to us, something that is very much us, maybe our dance, our clothing, and our food etc. let us begin to invest the crumb we earn from our oil and mineral reserves in these areas so that our true beauty can come to light. Compare a black woman dressed in a Kente cloth to a white woman dressed in similar faction, you won’t need to be told, would you? This is not about being racist, is about being true to yourself, these are things we have started originally and can build on, how can you build on a foundation whose plan you do not understand? We do not have any excuse because the world is a global village, just do your real thing, love it enough and I tell you what, you need not do more.

Think about these:

When you think of Reggae music, which country comes to mind?

If you think about good shoes and leather works…..

What about fashion?...

Come to Ghana, when you think about Fugu…., Adowa and Fufu….., Agbadza and Akple…., Kenkey and Kpanlogo etc.

No right thinking human being would go to Bahamas to invest in Kpanlogo drama performances because history won’t support it and the goodwill won’t be there.

This might seem simple, and yet I insist that, what makes the difference in our world today is the little things you are good at and not the complex things you are not good at but are trying to show of with.

We have the energy in some good respects, LET US TARGET OUR INVESTMENTS THERE, MONEY IS READY TO DO ITS PART OF THE BARGAIN I.E MOVE RIGHT TOWARDS OUR DIRECTION.

There is so much money in the world but Somalia is famished to the point of starvation, think about it.

Troubleshuta

THIS IS HORRIFIC AND DEGRADING

2012-09-21T03:32:00.000-07:00

THIS IS HORRIFIC AND DEGRADING
I must say my day today was quite tiring more than usual because I had to do some rounds early in the day here in Accra and later had to go to Koforidua to do some little stuff.
On my return, I passed by the house of my friends who happens to be a neighbour as well. He came out to see me and the first thing he said was that he was watching some video about a lady who was molested (fingured and stripped naked in his words). He went ahead to give some vivid description and as he continued, I realised the act was more serious than I was taking it.
He then went ahead to say it happened in one of the halls on the University of Ghana. From the look on his face and the insinuations he was making, he was attempting to tell me, he was sure the act had happened in the Vandal City (Commonwealth Hall) of the University of Ghana.
Immediately he came close to making this allegation, I told him if the description he gave me is anything to go by and he is sure the act is as serious as he is making it seem, then it could never had happened in the Vandal City. I told him I was sure about this because I lived in the Vandal City whiles I was on campus and that I know the terrain quite well. There and then I told him even the fact that the said lady was touched (just touched), not molested of any sort would have attracted the wrath of the Chief Vandal and his Outfit so I can’t imagine that happening. I mean how? You can ask any VANDAL at all and you would appreciate what am saying.
So we spoke and left for the house and after taking off my trousers and my shirt, I put on the TV and began to watch the news on Metro TV. A few minutes into the news, and lo and behold the news item was being read about this molestation I have been talking to you about.
The news had it that the lady probably not a student had gone into one of the rooms and stole phones and a laptop. My God, you won’t believe the treatment that was meted out to this lady. The guy who tried to describe the act to belittle the act. My fellow human beings reading this piece, I must tell you that was the most horrific thing I have seen in 2011. Young men could actually do this to a female or a young lady? I could believe my eyes. If you are a human being and you are not disgusted by this scenery, I will think of another classification to put you.
She was stripped naked, with her thighs opened wide at various point and boys coming from nowhere in a mob and …..i wish I could say i’m surprised but the little I have come to understand about the nature of the human being and what one wickedness a person is capable of unleashing unto another human being, I dare not say am surprised but rather would say am disgusted. Here I will ask the question, is it part of ability as a human being to be this wicked? OMG…
I have heard news about rapists and all sorts of atrocities that have been committed and all that, but the fact that this happened in a hall of a university leaves much to be desired. I won’t talk about the alleged theft case at all because this act can never be justified under any circumstance.
Hmmmm I thought I was having a good and fruitful day, I actually almost concluded to have had a good day until I say this. My day got spoilt as a result. Let us be humans, and by this I mean we should be humane at all cost.
Troubleshuta

The value of heaven

2012-09-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

The value of heaven
am wondering what really the fate of Ghana is.
we live in a country where God speaks to pastors all
across the country on the many radio stations that
have sprung up in recent times be it in the day or at night, they claim.
they claim to know everything from one's personal problems to one's
dreams and aspirations in life.
i think i need to be candid right from the onset, these claims and allusions are not true and are utterly disgusting.
how do you claim all these things when almost every 'elder' in these churches one way or the other is the head of
government or private institutions where corruption and petty discrimination is rife.
come to think of, does this God dont care about the poverty, slums and and its associated hardships that
engulf us?hmm
the kind of life that was led prior to the 'renaissance' in Europe is what we live here in Ghana today where
dogmatism and sheer superstition is sacred. let me be candid with you once more time, if we continue this way,
another 50 years of our independence will come and go and we actually will be worse of .
i must admit i have one justification for the existence of these men of God and that is, it provides them with their
daily bread, that is economic right?
i wish i could be sure if these men do all that they do because they want to make it to heaven. like fasting and
praying, just for persons to obtain visas to America and Europe, prophesying marriages among others.
this is annoying i wont even say more but to add that, since these same men of God claim God knew me before i
was born and all that i came unto earth to do, then he must as well have known that i will be a
deist at this point of my life.
A pastor buys a Ford Explorer and prides himself, Go and ask General motors whether God spoke to them.
we need a renaissance big time, i hope it happens in my life time right here in Ghana.
Dreaming about heaven, i dont have a problem with that but if what you preach does not make Ghana any better and
it does not improve our secular mentality then remember not to give birth, because all you are doing is to present an aweful
opportunity to an innocent child to come strive for heaven, is it worth it? i thought you need a child of your own to show him or her love and present him or her with the beautiful opportunities that life ordinarily has got to offer.
i guess we have to talk some more later.

THE ‘ONE SHOW’ ON VIASAT ONE

2012-09-21T03:28:00.001-07:00

THE ‘ONE SHOW’ ON VIASAT ONE
Alright, now I have to say this. I felt so glad when I read on Ghanaweb and later saw the ads on Viasat One, the coming on stream of the only Ghanaian content at the time on Viasat one. This show called the One Show in the ads had very colourful background and well-arranged set for the programme. I may not be using the right terminologies to do the description but if you are as lay as I am in this regard, I know you would understand. If you are a professional, bear with me.
Prior to Viasat One, I had seen Joselyn Dumas (is it a French name, I mean Dumas, because i do not hear her mention the S when pronouncing the name) as a co-host on ‘Rhythmz’ on GTV. The job there was done fairly well so taking up a more glamorous job such as the one promised by the One Show increased my expectations in the first place, and secondly made me feel she was being presented a bigger platform to bring out the best in her as a host on Television.
Those of you who might not be aware of the programme in question, it is the kind that has the same content and arrangement such as that of Oprah Winfrey of ‘The Oprah Show’ and also like the Tyra Banks Show. If you have seen any of these shows being broadcasted then I guess am set to commence with my pronouncements on how far the ONE SHOW programme on Viasat One has come since its inception nearly a year ago. It is broadcasted live Monday to Thursday from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
Now here I go, my first few encounters with the programme was that which left me hoping for the best for Joselyn Dumas realising that she was determined to give of her best and as was seen from day to day the progress that was being made along the way. There were hitches here and there; I know that is to be expected of such a programme considering the work that has to be done both backstage and onstage.
So the year 2010 came to an end and just some few weeks into the New Year, some new ads begun to run once more about the One Show and the new look that it hopes to take, the fact that Joselyn was not going to be running the show alone. In fact if you happened to be someone like me who had followed the programme quite well and had wanted to see the kind of improvement that was lacking in the previous episode, you will be so glad thinking that all that you saw to be wrong with the programme had actually been seen by others as well, more especially by the producer and those in charge. Hence all these introductions thinking that the wrongs were going to be righted by these additions or changes.
The opposite happened. I wish you guys could see the pain with which I say this but I must let you know that I struggle to watch excerpts of the show. Oh yes the delivery is that terrible. Some of you might start thinking who is this guy? Does he have any training in Directing, Filmmaking or any of such related fields? If you are asking these questions in your mind right now, my answer to you is a big NO but I have one thing that over the years I think helps me to tell a bad production(TV) from a good one. It could be a movie, video, the point is, I know it when I see it.
If you think what am saying is unfounded and may be an unprofessional look at the work being done by the One Show team, then refute these assertions of mine as well.
v The introduction of PY as a co-host has stalled the improvement that any critical viewer of the programme would have wanted to see in the delivery of Joselyn Dumas in this second episode of her work on the show.
v In fact PY does not have a smiley face and when he tries to smile, it is kinda some real difficult work. I mean he struggles to smile.
v PY has been terrible so far (I want to believe no one has dared to think otherwise)
So am wondering what could be done to salvage this show from sinking, for me Joselyn should be given enough room alone on the show so that she could have enough grip of the show. Lest I forget I did not mention the fact that her art of questioning is a bit awful, maybe I placed that directly under her ‘delivery’ on the show.
Those of you who are still thinking otherwise and will actually go on to castigate me, I can only say you should go ahead. But it will be interesting to know what your argument really is.
I hope I have not been too hard on you Joselyn and PY, you have the best set design on TV right now and am hoping to see you couple that up with a relaxing, real to your selves (if what you are doing right now is being your real self on the show, then i’m sorry) and just allow the programme to be a free flowing something. Otherwise I will grudgingly continue to watch your programme with one eye closed (you understand that right?), not for too long though.
Troubleshuta.