dunpresident Here to Aspire Inspire before he Expires

Here To Aspire Inspire Before He Expires

2011-07-26T14:07:00.000+03:00

Here To Aspire Inspire Before He Expires

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

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2011-07-26T14:05:00.000+03:00

BARACK OBAMA NEEDS YOUR HELP

2011-04-29T11:20:00.000+03:00

I received an Email this morning from Obama,he is asking for my support and yours in supporting his re-election,since am not in a position to offer financial support to his campaign kitty,i have decided to share with you his mail so that you may be able to offer any support you can,ifat all you are in my shoes and may not be able to support financially,please pass this message across to all nations,lets support Barack,he deserves it.
Thank you.

HIS EMAIL

Friend --

If it were easy to do the big, meaningful things we believe will make our country better -- if it were quick -- someone would have done those things long before any of us showed up.

We've chosen to do something hard.

You know that our victories so far have been hard won: taking the difficult steps necessary to put our economy back on track, reforming Wall Street excess despite an army of lobbyists against us, and making health care more affordable and accessible despite well-organized opposition by those who profit from the status quo.

You also know we have not yet done everything we set out to do -- not nearly.

But that's a reason to work harder, not to let up. That's why we're building this campaign now. And you have to take ownership of it.

So I will be direct: Can you step up and make a donation of $5 to get us started?

https://donate.barackobama.com/Begin-Again

We've had the chance to make historic changes that touch every American: from passing a law that says women should get an equal day's pay for an equal day's work to removing 100,000 troops from Iraq.

Those things and every other important change we've made happened because people like you built an organization to win an election in 2008.

The stakes are even higher this time.

As I've spoken with supporters who are helping get this campaign started, I've met folks who are frustrated by the pace of change.

I understand that. But we knew this wouldn't be easy. The kind of change we're working for never comes easily.

Now is the time to begin again, and build the campaign that will shape our country's future.

Thank you,

Barack

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

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2011-02-28T00:00:00.000+03:00

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This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

Are you a kenyan youth on Facebook?Nominate me to be your president on our Mock Government

2010-10-09T14:31:00.003+03:00

Government of Fb Kenya is a unity of purpose by youths of Kenya on Facebook,out the as a

Fearless, Alternative Youth's Government

___________________________________________

OUR VISION

To encompass a virtual worldwide citizenry based on FRIENDSHIP.

MISSION STATEMENT

By bringing together the sons and daughters of the NATION, we shall protect the RIGHTS of each and every individual to HAPPINESS and PEACE.

There is a presidential nomination taking place today,the deadline is today,please read my pledge to the Youths of Kenya on facebook,after it is a link that will take you to the nomination platform please comment on the nomination note that 'I VOTE FOR DUNCAN MIKAE.

THANK YOU.

As i join hands here with you friends to push the youth agenda,i want to believe that we can nurture leadership amongst ourselves,we can all sacrifice for the sake of Kenya,I want to encourage all of us to think of the best way the Youth A...genda can be pushed forward.
My motivation has always been a young man who defied odds,he used his wisdom to challenge status quo,
"One day, an old man was walking along the shore when he came upon a young man reaching down to the sand, picking up starfish, and throwing them into the ocean. "Why are you doing this?", he asked. The young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back in, they'll die."

The old man replied, "Do you not realize there are miles and miles of beach, and starfish along every mile? You cannot possibly make a difference!" At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference for that one."

we can change kenya,starting from individual initiatives,lets all come together,with our energies ,we need to get everyone involved.We need to start thinking about that suffering Kenyan,how we are to help him/her.
we can move masses,LET'S DO IT.

I won’t make the many promises that people may make here because they are always empty I only want to make one promise here today;that me together with my government will try at all costs to make our citizen of FB get all government information that is of primary importance to the youth of this nation.

With this brothers and sisters I declare my intention to serve you as your president.
Thank you.
God Bless Kenya.

To vote for me go and leave your comment at:
http://www.facebook.com/FbGovernment.Kenya#!/notes/government-of-fb-kenya/nomination-for-president-of-gfb-kenya/160545047306415

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

THE NATURE OF HUMAN FREEDOM

2010-08-18T14:38:00.000+03:00

Freedom

Before I go any further I wish to explain , at least to my understanding what Human freedom means. Before we talk of Human freedom we need to know what it means to have freedom.While the dictionary explains freedom as ‘the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint’ I will just give one brief definition of my own, freedom is the ability to enjoy all rights granted by the laws governing a people.

Human freedom

Human freedom in this case will mean the ability to enjoy all human rights irrespective of affiliation be it economical ,social, religious or political.

Human beings must be able to do the right things for the right reasons at the right time if freedom is to be protected. As we deliberate on this topic we need to appreciate that there are limitations to the extend of one enjoying his/her freedoms,one should not suppress others in the event of trying to please themselves or live to the fullest of their expectations.

Nature of human freedom should be defined by Culture of Life. A culture, which must be upheld by all humans to promote sanity and dignity in society.Human freedom should not only be limited to protection of people from socio-political and economic injustices, it should be all round, for instance we need to safeguard the interests of the unborn even though they pose a challenge to our political struggles, the unborn have to be protected to guarantee continuation, humans can only be free if their growth too is free from control, Since all men possess dignity given to them by God even before birth, the urge and need to build a culture of life should be propagated. This I say because many nations come in with arm twisting policies to reduce population at the expense of human life,this culture must be avoided by all means.Instead of inducing artificial constraints it is better to focus on how we can increase Human participation in development,this will increase prosperity and will go way ahead to contribute to the development of the human person.

Human dignity does not amount to freedom to do whatever one pleases,it is the ability to do the right thing at the right time for the right reasons.This should advise our actions to avoid struggle to justify our selves at the expense of other people that we live in because we are all born with dignity in equal proportion irrespective of class, level of intelligence economical or political power.

“He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself.” ~Thomas Paine

Conclusion

Therefore human freedom must be earned,for us to live in harmony we must give that which we desire to receive, we must be fair to all,we must respect all and champion for the rights of all irrespective of their background or status because those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

UNEMPLOYMENT; WE ARE THE SOLUTION

2010-08-06T19:55:00.002+03:00

In Africa, the Youth make up 37% percent of the working population and 60% of the total unemployed, this unfair because it is only the 40% that are in this employment category. Developing countries which invest in better education, healthcare, and job training for the majority of their young people between the ages of 12 and 24 years of age, could produce surging economic growth and sharply reduced poverty, but poor governance corruption and nepotism have led to negative impact to this progress.

This unemployment contribute greatly to many vices in society many of which affect the youth, it also makes them vulnerable to antisocial habits, these include; crime, drug abuse, irresponsible sexual behaviors, prostitution and early motherhood. This in the long run reduces the rate of development in society and the nation at large.

It is this unemployment that also hinders the youth from actively participating in decision making since they are not financially empowered to compete for political seats and other leadership positions owing to the financial needs in doing so.

We witnessed the post election violence in Kenya where the youths were misused by the political elite to assume power, this happened majorly because of the lack of youth empowerment in economic activities which make them vulnerable, they were paid to cause violence and other irresponsible activities through which they got bread on their table. For them it is struggling to get something small for the stomach, something which makes them contended with the little pea nut pay they get. The involvement of the youths during this time also contributed highly to loss of property and life, this is a clear example of how unemployment leads to youths being enemies of youths because down the line the youths themselves rob each other, in this I am a direct victim; I always live remembering January 30^th 2008,on this day after the disputed presidential elections in Kenya my small second hand goods shop was broken into, this happened amid nationwide protest because it was argued the elections were rigged, on this day I lost all my investments and since then I have not been able to get back the momentum with which my business had gained.

Despite an increase in economic growth in Kenya, the youth still remain behind in terms of participation in the development agenda yet they are the more energetic in society and can increase the economic growth rate by far if they are maximally incorporated in production. This requires that the government puts in place measures to increase youth participation in matters of environmental protection and other government programmes that run over time, this will enable the youth participate in improvement of the ecosystem as well as their lives as they will be kept busy in measures the government takes in environmental protection and other government programmes. I am saying this because programmes like those leaning on the environment are not seasonal and therefore will ascertain that there will be assurance of job opportunities always unlike other jobs where the youth will have to wait for a vacancy before they apply for the jobs. The government also should reduce the barriers that hinder the youths from getting financial services like loans and support since there are many youths out there who have great ideas that can improve many lives if they get actualized through funding and support, it should also subsidize the cost of training in technical fields so as to help the youth gain necessary skills that can make them be self reliant in terms of self employment. If the government fails to come in then there is cause to worry because there will be social tensions in society as a result of disillusionment by the youth who will end up ganging against the elite, this disillusionment also leads to many youths being misused by the irresponsible leaders of the day a good example being the 2007-2008 post election violence in kenya.

It is a responsibility of every person to strife to get what they want thus youths should take the initiative to make their lives and that of other youths better even before the government comes in to help them, this can be done by we the youth coming up together and supporting each other’s ideas and developments for a common goal, we should also in our undertakings, ensure that whatever programme or project we choose to engage in ,the interests of the youth are catered for in terms of employment and social development. To increase the chances of getting financial aid we should come together as youths either in youth groups or other recognized organizations registered by the government to boost confidence with whoever that may want to support us, it is also through this grouping that we can share ideas and knowledge for us to be able to come up with viable society friendly projects that can be supported by the government and other donors; through these projects we will be creating self employment.

If we come up together under one network, we will be able to have a bigger bargaining power as a united front as opposed to individual struggles that divide us, this will go way ahead to help us fight for the infringed rights of the youths in work places and also enable us bargain for working positions for our fellow youth in areas of interest, this will also make the government and other non-governmental institutions seek our guidance when engaging the youth in future developments as unity in purpose makes us a force to reckon with.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

Sunset Encounter

2010-07-24T11:53:00.003+03:00

In the calm of the hot, August evening,
We retire to the shade of the sinking sun
Gazing at the resting nature
To the pulse of crawling time.

You reach for my waiting hand
And steal a sweet, wet kiss
In between sips
Of ice cold juice.

We stare off silently in the distance,
Smiling to the passing humans.
As we ear the music from crickets in the grass,
You turn to me and tenderly pinch my chin.

I smile and you show your teeth off,
As your auburn hair rushes to hide
The sight of our unborn children
Start Dancing in your lovely eyes.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

IT IS NOT BY WISH OR DEFAULT,IT IS LIFE:THIS KID NEEDS YOUR HELP AND MINE

2010-07-13T11:57:00.000+03:00

Iwas touched by her story.Please never despise commercial sex workers,never write them off,it isnt a must u have sex with them before u give them a shilling,none of them wishes to do it,if u take them 4 granted by using them n dumping them just know that you too wil giv birth 2 a child who might become anything n face everythng.

One night a week ago after watching soccer, i sat sipping my cold Coke,this young lady came and sat yards away,she wasn't alone,there were several others around,from the look she wanted to capture my attention,she probably thought i would pay for her services and sleep with her but that was not to be.A few minutes later a local civic leader passed by,the girls started 'mheshimiwa tununulie hata soda" Honourable buy us even if it is just a bottle of soda,the man just went away not even looking at them,then the girls started talking of how they may never vote him back,i was particularly attracted to the reasoning of the lady who sat close to me,her name is Hadija.

I want to quote her “ someone like this man pretends not to see us here yet they are the elected leaders who should help us,instead of helping us he calls me and tells me he wants to pay me and sleep with me,is it really fair when such happens,most of us here do not love this place it is because of such people,they fail at home as parents and we are forced to look after our own”

When she saw I was keenly listening to her now she faced me,and her friends also gave attention,she narrated to me how she was forced to start selling herself,she is the last born in her family,he mother is Ugandan her father Kenyan,when her mother died its when she realized through a community meeting that she was actually not her ‘fathers’ daughter,she was born from another man,her siblings used to be taken care of but she was segregated,she was told to find a life of her own,she went to Uganda,at one time became a housemaid to survive,she gave birth to her first child in 2004,the kid is now six years,she had to feed the kid,cloth her and the owners of the house could not allow her to go on working there because she had a kid,so she was thrown out,she decided to go to the streets,to atleast get something for her baby,at this point she narrates to me why she started drinking alcohol ,because she was surprised I don’t take alcohol,she tells me in her kind of trade she has to be high to even think of sleeping with a man for a pay,she explained to me how she even smokes bhang and cigarettes,for her she has to get high before she can get the courage of ‘selling her body’ (this shows she dislikes the whole thing)

What touched me is what am about to say,it brought me into tears,

I know you might see this story as being very long but please read through to the end.this girl gave birth to another kid who is now 4years old,the father was just one of her night out customers,the man refused to support the kid and even threatened the girl,she speaks of her (kid) with pride,she narrates how the kid is not going to school but intelligent as a grown up,when she is back in the morning and somebody knocks at their door the kid always tells them to go away her mother is tired and needs rest,the kid doesn’t even wake her mum when she feels thirsty instead she goes to the neighbor when asked why she didn’t take water from their house ‘mum is tired she worked the whole night I don’t want to disturb her’ – that is the small bit about the kid,now one day this girl wasn’t going to work at night ‘parking in the street’ she decided to rest so she put some milk to burn on the stove she left the kid and went to buy sugar,unlucky enough,the kid knocked of the candle which later lit the mattress,the house was on fire,the kid got literally burnt to unconsciousness,when the neighbours came in to put off the fire they even never knew the kid was in the mattress they just poured water and left,now when this lady came back,she found the kid crawling,she tried to talk to the neighbours to assist her to take the kid to hospital that night but none helped,she slept with her daughter till morning,she couldn’t get help so she went out that night and worket till 1pm,a man who had interest in her gave her some kshs.1600/= with this and what she had earned that night she took her daughter to hospital the next day,the drugs alone cost her ksh.2600/= she bought and went back home with daughter

,she went on like that hitting the night cold everyday getting some money whenever she got it she took the kid for dressing,the kids leg had been burnt,so the she could only take the kid for treatment when she had made some money,this led to the kid now being crippled permanently,she has gone with the kid upto ‘Alupe ‘ a hospital that helps cases like her daughter's and KSHS.10,000 IS NEEDED FOR HER KID TO BE HELPED,the kid lives in pain,she sometimes asks her mum to chop her leg off so he stops suffering.

When this lady finished telling us her story she asked,"if you come here and find me here in the cold will you blame me and say am a prostitute?" I answered her no.

Here is a girl who represents many girls out there with a similar or worse experience,they are the hopless in society ,she tells me she lives in a slum not because she loves it but because she has to,her life and that of her friends is not worthy talking about but she says she talked because she had taken alcohol,you can imagine how one problem caused by negligence by parents led to an innocent girl becoming what this girl is and abusing drugs. She says she has been in the business for 5years,she wishes someone was somewhere to come help her,at least even give her a small job that could enable her get some food for her kids,what amazes me in this lady is that she identifies that despite having reached class 5 she has friends with whom they work who have academic certificates,she even tells me that if her friends were helped to get work since they are educated more than her,then in the long run the friends would assist her and others,she is not self centered and that’s why I have decided am going to look for ways of helping her kid get treatment,

that is why am also asking you to think of how we can help her kid get treatment or even help the mother get some livelihood since she has shown and proven to me that if she was given a chance to work she would leave the streets. This girls story was touching,tears dropped when she was narrating,I felt it was my daughter going through this,I hope you have understood her predicament.I know God will always be just I know he will come through for these girl and her friends.I told them to form a group I promised to help them register it.

I know there is something you can do for them,if you don’t have anything you can still get someone to do something,I believe you know someone who might be of help,even if it is a medical doctor somewhere,we can help this case of this young kid who is suffering.

This is the story of this girl,Hadija with her daughter Halima representing many Hadija's and Halima's out there in need of your help and mine.I pray that God opens doors for the unfortunate.

Halima was brought to me,she is a beautiful young Girl.

This is her damaged foot.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

Africa Needs All Her Mothers Alive.

2010-07-10T16:06:00.001+03:00

THE SILENT TERMINATOR: MATERNAL MORTALITY

Every minute, at least one woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth

Five direct complications account for more than 70% of maternal deaths: haemorrhage (25%), infection (15%), unsafe abortion (13%), eclampsia (very high blood pressure leading to seizures – 12%), and obstructed labour (8%).

While these are the main causes of maternal death, unavailable, inaccessible, unaffordable, or poor quality care is fundamentally responsible,in Kenya the system alone encourages this to thrive due to increased medical costs and poor or neglected medical practice. These factors are detrimental to social development and wellbeing, as some one million children are left motherless each year. These children are 10 times more likely to die within two years of their mothers' death,in some cases the child might survive but fail to fit into the society because of various rasons:

· The father who remains behind cannot bring the child up and leaves the responsibility to the extended family denying this kid paternal love and watch.

· It could be a case where the father neglected the mother and this kid is left alone,in this case this kid grows to either know different parents or risks to become a street kid due to lack of proper care.

Maternal death should be prevented, we must give a young woman the information and support she needs to control her reproductive health, help her through a pregnancy by providing quality prenatal care and later care for her and her newborn well into childhood. The vast majority of maternal deaths could be prevented if women had access to quality family planning services, skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth and the first month after delivery, or post-abortion care services and ‘where permissible’,safe abortion services,’I say where permissible because right now in Kenya we are making a new constitution and a section of the people are opposing a clause that legalizes abortion in cases where the expectant mother is in danger’. 15% of pregnancies and childbirths need emergency obstetric care because of risks that are difficult to predict. A working health system with skilled personnel is key to saving these women's lives.

It is sad to read or hear in the media the magnitude of these deaths,governments are budgeting a lot in other needs as they ignore health needs of their people,major hospitals lack enough medical professionals to handle emergency cases,the staffed ones lack the necessary equipments,it is not news for example in Africa to hear that a woman died during child birth just because of absence of the doctor or the nurse in charge,what am highlighting here is the need for governments to prioritize the Health sector,am happy to note that in Kenya’s proposed constitution there is a clause that states that;

(every person has a right to the highest attainable standard of health which includes the right to health care services including reproductive health care)

this alone is a milestone since it is now constituted and the state shall be tasked to make sure the health of these expectant mothers is assured.

Last but not least,there should be an initiative by governments to raise awareness on maternal, newborn and child health and this should also include a special attention being given to reproductive health.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

TESTIMONIES: PEOPLE MAKING MONEY ONLINE HERE IN KENYA USING A KENYAN SYSTEM

2010-06-08T10:49:00.001+03:00

http://online-riches.co.cc/index.php?ref=303

" I write to thank this amazing club and my friend Eunice who introduced me to www.online-riches.co.cc;I am a Primary School Teacher in Mombasa and I am almost 2 weeks old in this business and have earned Ksh 15,000.My goal is to earn it weekly and help me clear my SACCO loans.Of course it takes hard work in the early days and you must fill your level 1 with open minded people,then provide leadership as the Team leader through Training them and helping them do business Presentations in the right way"

Mrs. Sheila Mwakio
Teacher

"My names is Fredrick Otieno from Nairobi Campus 3rd Year BCOM student.What I like about this Online Riches Club is the instant payment of commissions in real time online mode directly to my mpesa phone.That is good transparency and ensures members cannot lose their commissions.I cannot say here what I have earned but at least mambo ya kuwa "msoto" (Broke) imekwisha kwangu at my level as a student.Infact I plan to pay my full fees next semester from my income from Online Riches Club!"

Fredick Otieno
Student Campus

"I own a hardware business in Nakuru and this business is helping me at least with cashflow for paying day today operating expenses.Its a real business and me I dont beg people to join the Club.Wacha wale wenye macho wajionee wengine wakisonga mbele.Am not complaining or legreting for joining this business."

Kamau Mwangi George
Business Man

Go here to find out more
http://online-riches.co.cc/index.php?ref=303

If you are interested to join me and these people making money online call 0721361765 OR 0733568026

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

Domestic Violence Is Not an Option

2010-05-11T17:39:00.000+03:00

We see acts of violence everyday on TV or even in front of our eyes. Mothers beating up their children for not being obedient or husbands that slap their wives in front of their own kids. The cause of domestic violence may be the lack of money because of the financial crisis, alcohol, and it can also appear when unfaithfulness settles in.
Usually after a “good” fight, the agressor says that he`s sorry or that he didn`t mean it. This is why domestic violence keeps on repeating in certain families or couples when the ones who hit were forgiven for too many times. Domestic violence not only ruins marriages, but it can also ruin futures or endanger lives. It often happens that the one who was beaten up will even accept humiliation in the future and do things just to please the other one, in order to avoid other episodes of domestic violence.

Domestic violence occurs in every sort of couple: hetero couples, gay or lesbian couples. It is universal if you want to call it this way, and I personally think that men who use force in order to be respected should be ashamed of themselves, because there are many other ways to be respected, but in order to be so you have to prove you deserve it.
Domestic violence doesn`t mean only punches, slaps and kicks, it also reffers to bad language. You can offend and hurt somebody without beating him or her up only by using words that have the same impact on somebody. I also think that when it comes to domestic violence, it is highly annoying and wrong for you to kiss the one you love and punch him a few minutes after that.
Sometimes episodes of domestic violence may occur when a partner sees in the other partner something that he doesn`t want to or can`t turn into. For instance, in a straight couple where the woman is rich and has a brilliant career, while the husband is still an accountant, domestic violence can occur whenever the frustrated man grabs a bottle of gin and starts pouring it down his throat, after which he hits his wife only because she managed to find her way through life and he is still trying to do so.
Now you may ask yourself how can domestic violence begin, what are the “symptoms” of domestic violence. Well, it can all begin when the other one breaks things, becomes extremely possessive, aggresses you verbally or starts to throw objects at you. It`s a single step from this to slapping you, so maybe you should reconsider whether you`ve taken the best decision when you chose to continue the relationship.
In the end, if you`re a victim of the domestic violence, you should firstly get away from the one that abused you and make sure he won`t find you. Secondly, it may help if you called a domestic violence line where you can share your problems and get help and support. Remember that even if he cries, apologizes and tells you he won`t hit you again, he didn`t have the same attitude before breaking your jaw.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

LET US DO THIS FOR THE LOVE OF OUR SISTERS AND MOTHERS

2010-05-08T16:45:00.001+03:00

Violence against women is often ignored and rarely punished

Women and girls suffer disproportionately from violence - both in peace and in war, at the hands of the state, the community and the family.
A life free from violence is a basic human right

From the home to the conflict zone, violence against women must stop.
In our various capacities in society there are a number of things we can do;

WE CAN:

* Push for the implementation of existing laws that guarantee access to justice and services for women subjected to violence including rape and other forms of sexual violence (if we are in policy making positions or if we can influence policy making)
* Calls for new laws to be enacted that will protect women's human rights (if we are in policy making positions or if we can influence policy making)
* Demand an end to laws that discriminate against women (if we are in policy making positions or if we can influence policy making)
* Urge the ending of violence against women perpetrated by a state and its agents (all of us can do this)

* Create Works to empower women (all employers and government policy makers)

Please join in the fight,be the footsoldier,lets stop this vice.Talk to family and friends if some of them can do this ask them to do it,if they know who can do this ask them to intervene,let us safeguard our future by guarding our mothers and sisters.

For us to make massive change,we have to change one person at a time.
I KNOW WE CAN.

Join My Facebook WE CAN initiative on ending violence against Women by clicking here

JOIN US IN ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

Only 8 days left: Act now to protect civilians in Eastern Chad

2010-05-08T15:44:00.003+03:00

Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people living in eastern Chad, including more than 450,000 Sudanese refugees from Darfur and internally displaced Chadians, are at risk if the UN mission in Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) leaves or no longer has a mandate to protect civilians.

The current MINURCAT mandate is due to expire on 15 May 2010. The government of Chad already announced that an agreement has been reached with the UN to reduce the number of troops to 1,900 and to conclude the full withdrawal of MINURCAT by October 2010.

Human rights violations, including rape and other violence against women and recruitment of child soldiers continue. The Chadian authorities are unable and/or unwilling to protect people living in eastern Chad.

MINURCAT has been providing some protection to those people despite difficulties in its deployment since March 2009. If MINURCAT leaves, the level of violence and human rights abuses will increase.

The UN Security council must ensure the protection of civilians in eastern Chad by renewing the mandate of MINURCAT and ensuring that it has the mandate and resources to protect civilians.

Take action now by sign this petition asking President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, to take the lead at the UN Security Council to ensure the mandate of MINURCAT is renewed.

TAKE ACTION NOW

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

The GIBE- III project: a threat to L.Turkana

2010-04-25T19:48:00.002+03:00

_{Sign Petition to protect Lake Turkana}

Globally there has been an increase in concern over the

environmental degradation and the need for greater environmental protection and management.

All ecosystems of the world are potentially affected by man’s activities, but wetlands are especially fragile and often neglected. Wetlands are neither well understood nor appreciated and have been increasingly under natural and human pressures in all parts of the globe and especially in Africa.

The GIBE III project is one of a series of damming projects that have been undertaken by the Ethiopian government. The Gibe III hydroelectric project on the Omo River is a public-private partnership planned as a 25year national energy master plan of Ethiopia. The planned increase in power generation, however far exceeds domestic needs with the surplus which is estimated at fifty percent being exported to the neighboring countries including Kenya which the Ethiopian Electric Power Company (EEPCo) predicts to export 500MW to.

The Omo River is a trans boundary river that contributes at least 80 percent of the waters of Lake Turkana.

Its terminus is at northern end of Kenya’s Lake Turkana, and most of the Omo Delta is in Kenya. A sharp reduction in the Omo’s downstream flow volume would cause a significant retreat of Lake Turkana.

An assessment of the overall impact of the proposed Gibe III project on the Lake Turkana, in Kenya must begin with the direct impact of the reduced flow into the lake, since the Omo River is the major source of water for Lake Turkana. Reduction in flow volume from reservoir filling would be the primary impact.

Based on a combination of calculations from satellite imagery, and published flow data, it is reasonable to say that the effect of the flow on the Lake Turkana can be established. Therefore, concluding that over the first five years, there would be a loss of about 53.5km3 of water from the lake, corresponding to a drop of about 7 meters. This should be considered as a conservative estimate: an alternative estimate, based on other available data is 10meters.

Using bathymetric data for Lake Turkana, it is possible to predict that the Omo delta and the northern section of the lake will desiccate, and the shorelines would recede to almost the halfway point, southward along the lake. A salinity increase in the lake is likely to severely affect the aquatic salinity of the lake which is already barely portable. Concentrations of the ions in the lake will. The effect of this is increased concentration on fish populations and on the usefulness of the lake for watering livestock and for human consumption will need to be determined. In turn the region’s livelihood systems-particularly those of the Turkana, Dassanech, Rendille., Samburu and other groups in Kenya would be significantly impacted as they are dependent upon recession cultivation, lakeside livestock grazing and watering at the lake, and fishing.

The Omo Delta and northern shoreline area have long provided habitat for a unique abundance of hippopotamus and Nile crocodile, with extraordinary numbers of water birds. This entire area would be the first part of Lake Turkana to undergo major destruction of habitat and wildlife. Consequently, the unique floral and faunal systems of Lake Turkana would likely be threatened with major destruction. The lake is now internationally recognized, including as a World Heritage Site for its abundance of wildlife, as well as unique floral and fauna species-many of which are barely described or understood, from an ecological perspective.

Friends Of Lake Turkana (FoLT)

FoLT is currently undertaking a campaign to highlight the possible dangers posed on the lake and its eco-system due to the Gibe III damming project being undertaken by the Ethiopian government in its quest for energy development both for domestic consumption and for export to neighboring countries of Djibouti, Sudan and Kenya. FoLT is working to bring attention to the impacts which Gibe III Dam will have on the Lake Turkana region and peoples and to find lasting solutions to this social injustice.

FOLT does not to totally disregard the idea of producing hydroelectric power, but would like to encourage pursuit of alternative forms of energy development that avoid unacceptable trade offs which jeopardizes indigenous economies and destroy the eco-system. For example the formulation of a program of small dams, with fundamental attention on the maintenance of maximum river flow, or a slow in the filling up of the dam to allow for adequate flow of water into Lake Turkana rather than drastic five year filling up plan currently in place. Also see : Original EIA carried out by the Ethiopian Government: Ethiopia - Gilgel Gibe Hydroelectric (Energy II) Project : environmental impact assessment (Vol. 2) : Main Report Commentary by African Resources Working Group (ARWG): ARWG (2008). Environmental and Social Impacts of the Proposed Gibe III Hydroelectric Project in Ethiopia’s Lower Omo River Basin

Sign Petition to protect Lake Turkana

The UN-HABITAT Urban Youth Fund is now open for applications

2010-04-10T15:39:00.001+03:00

Youth-led organizations in developing countries working to improve the lives of young people and their communities can now seek financing for their projects through the UN-HABITAT Urban Youth Fund. The Fund will provide grants for innovative projects that promote employment, good governance, shelter and secure tenure.

Only applicants aged 15-32 from cities in developing countries can qualify for a grant. Support will be provided primarily for those working to improve slum conditions and to raise opportunities for young people growing up in poverty. Projects encouraging gender equality or involving partnerships with the government or the private sector are particularly welcome. Small development initiatives are eligible for grants of up to USD 5,000, and larger projects up to USD 25,000.

Deadline: 15 April 2010.
Details: www.unhabitat.org

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

What Makes a good Leader

2010-04-06T17:32:00.000+03:00

According to Lipnack and Stamps, “Virtual teams can be successful only if people cooperatively manage the coordination involved in membership and leadership,” meaning that managers must give up the ideas of power and control, and replace them with service leadership. In the old days, the people who held onto the knowledge, data, and so on held the power in an organization. Today, the people who readily disseminate information, connect people with each other, and facilitate hold the real power in an organization. True leaders empower their teams by their behaviors (for examples of how these characteristics look when a manager is under pressure, watch Star Trek — no, really). True leaders perform the following actions:
- Remove roadblocks. - Act as an advocate for the team with upper management.
- Facilitate open, honest communication.
- Model behaviors that they want from the team.
- Act instead of react.
- Facilitate decision making and discussions with team.
- Recognize the strengths of each team member and focus those strengths to the benefit of the team.
- See the big picture and communicate each member’s role in that context.
- Encourage independent thinking and trust their team to make good decisions.
- Gather team members with complementary skill sets and draw from the strengths of each member.
- Share leadership appropriately with other team members. These characteristics are particularly important on virtual teams. Virtual team members must operate with a certain amount of autonomy because they might be separated by several time zones, resulting in a delay in feedback. It is often easier to “beg forgiveness” than it is to ask permission when the team leader or supervisor is six time zones away. Leaders and managers must trust that their teams are acting in the best interest of the project and the company, and should listen carefully to strenuous objections. For example, one of the reasons cited in the accident report for the Columbia space shuttle disaster was that upper management did not take seriously the concerns expressed by several project engineers when the foam hit the shuttle. As teams work together, often informal roles develop. One person might be really good at planning social functions, while another person might have an aptitude for troubleshooting. Smart team leaders and managers take advantage of these diverse skills by delegating these tasks to the people who enjoy doing them and who are good at them. Doing so enriches everyone’s experiences and builds ownership. Lipnack and Stamps described the following virtual team leader roles, originated by Reuben Harris:
- Coordinator
- Designer
- Disseminator
- Tech-net manager
- Socio-net manager
- Executive champion In a virtual team, each of these roles might be played by a different person, or one person might play several of the roles, depending on the size and complexity of the team.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

PARLIAMENT IS YET TO SUPPORT THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION

2010-04-05T19:27:00.004+03:00

While we talk on matters constitutional, we have to understand the path that we have taken in the review process.

With respect,

I will not be fair enough if I will not honour the unnamed heroes of Kenya in the constitution making process who suffered in fighting for our rights during the Moi Era,these include Paul Muite,then a government critic and chair of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK);Masinde Muliro, a former Cabinet minister and a FORD member; Oginga Odinga ,a former Vice President,Martin Shikuku and Philip Gachoka, both FORD members; and three Nairobi lawyers, James Orengo,Japheth Shamalla and Gitobu Imanyara, then an editor of the Nairobi Law Monthly.They faced charges of violating the Public Order Act when they were fighting for us.

The constitution Review,

The demand by Kenyans for a new constitution for the last two decades opened deliberations about the appropriate constitution to be adopted to replace the existing constitution, In response to the public demand for a new constitutional that would demand respect for human rights, accountability on the part of the Government and an embodiment of democracy, the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission begun the process of constitutional review in 2003 .

This was followed by conversations that took place in the context of round tables, workshops,conferences and other engagement platforms organized by CKRC with other stakeholders whereby the leaders in the current government and previous regimes together with the opposition parties of the said time were engaged. The parties to these conversations failled to agree explicitly to accept modifications and inclusions in the drafts that they crafted. The process led to three draft constitutions: The Constitution of Kenya Review Commission Draft submitted to Bomas Constitutional Conference which was commonly known as the ‘Ghai Draft’, the Constitution Conference Draft also called ‘The Bomas Draft’ and the Proposed New Constitution 2005 which was named ‘Wako Draft’. The Wako Draft was voted on in the 2005 referendum but it did not meet the expectations of majority of Kenyans hence it was rejected. While the Wako Draft was assumed to be best in various fields,it had major limitations,though the biggest problem that I can site to day and anytime asked is that the Wako Draft was not a draft representing the views and desires of the common mwananchi my people of Bungoma included,it was a document that was an imposition by the government or those in government with the main aim of fine tuning tools to help them grip to leadership when the country was so much in need of change of guard.There was an omission of involvement of the general public here.After this we had the Post Election Violence after the disputed Presidential elections of 2007, Kenya witnessed its worst moment in history when there was widespread violence in the country. Negotiations mediated by the African Panel of Eminent Persons helped achieve a consensus which culminated to the National Accord. In order to achieve lasting peace and prosperity, the accord under Agenda Four requires a new Constitution for Kenya to be enacted.This gave a new push to the search for a new constitution. Parliament enacted the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Act, 2008 and the Constitution of Kenya Review Act, 2008 to serve as the legal framework for achieving a new constitution. It is after through these developments that we now have a document that is waiting for a referendum vote.

Why All this History?

In writing this I want you to understand where we are coming from and where we are heading.

After the Commissioners or any persons mandated with Constitution review are through,they are supposed to come back to the people that will be governed by that law to fine tune the ‘bad’clauses and input omissions that might have not been captured by the mandated body,this in constitution making is usually termed as ‘period of public consultation’. The development of our Draft Constitution rests with the Committee of Experts CoE whose members were selected by the country’s leadership ‘who in this case represent the common mwananchi’ In our case it is the CoE that did ‘public consultation’ through getting audience from several resourceful groups,political parties and the public in general,in doing this we can credit the draft constitution in hand basing on the fact that it is well representing.

In some countries an elected assembly has primary responsibility for debating, amending, and adopting the draft. But in our case we have to ratify this document as a people before it is adopted, parliament is only mandated to make amendments in the final draft so as to enable us vote on a uniting draft rather than a dividing one since politicians are know for there divisive tactics in every opportunity they get to out do each other.So far in parliament it is only the Parliamentary Select Committee headed by Abdikadir Mohammed that can win my respect,this is because this group of youthful leaders managed to come up with an agreement that never tore us down as previous committees for the same did,any other Mp Claiming recognition is not only insincere but insensitive,this I say because many media houses have been lauding the legislators for passing the draft in parliament forgetting that this was as a result of public pressure and that of the two principles who personally were in parliament to support the draft.The other reason why I cannot credit these legislators at this stage is because they never made any important amendments that were expected just because they were out to outsmart each other for their selfish interests rather than representing the needs of me and you. Though I am not rigid in accusing the Mps I have left an open window for embracing them because I know they can still amend their historical mentality of going against anything that is for the betterment of the common people,they can do this by ensuring we have a ‘yes vote’ in the coming referendum.

Ratification being the final step in the constitution writing process,we can only say our politicians actually rose above their interest in helping Kenya realize a new constitution if they will unanimously campaing for it and put aside their selfish interests which are hidden behind the phrase ‘contentious issues’, anything short of that will only portray them as hypocrites who only passed the draft in parliament only to decampaign it in the referendum later.

I am down in my knees praying that our politicians will be traversing the whole republic drumming support for this document that promises to break the status quo and bring a new political dispensation to the people.In my prayers I will also not forget to pray for my fellow Kenyans and the people of my small village village of Mashambani so that God can open their eyes to unite against any politician that will come with contrary campaigns as opposed to our collective desire for a new constitution. I rest my case.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

You wanna shop online?First compare the prices.

2010-03-09T18:23:00.002+03:00

Whether its recession or practical budget consciousness to provoke internet shoppers consider price comparison, but popularity for cheap price comparison shopping portals is steadily on the rise. Major advantage of shopping from price comparison sites is that they are easily accessible at your fingertips. With increasing demands for these shopping portals to shop after carrying out adequate price comparison and get hold of branded, highly performed electronic gadgets, these portals are multiplying in hundreds and thousands in numbers, day by day.

These online price comparison portals showcase enormous variety from the aspect of prices, features, functions, usability, purposes etc. So, have you been a traveller or an ardent about new technologies or a business user or game fervent to seek a suitable laptop, all you have to do is to look for the specifications and brands, study price variations and strike the best deal to get a cool and cheap laptop delivered to your doorstep.

These cheap price comparison shopping portals are gradually taking form of a battleground of brands which equip themselves with great and exhaustive ranges of features to prove their brand popularity in the war. Recent brands that call for a war to facilitate their consumers to make their ends meet at discounted or cheaper rates include HP, Apple, Sony, HCL, Lenovo, Dell et all. Amongst all these ranges of laptops, two most popular laptops which made the competition even stiffer are Sony VAIO VGN-FZ140E/B notebook PC and Apple MacBook.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

MUTAHI NGUNYI IS JUST A POLITICAL MR.FIX IT,HIS POLITICS ARE THOSE OF THE STOMACH..

2010-03-07T19:31:00.008+03:00

Mutahi ngunyi loves confusing mwananchi with his long stories that have no relevance to his topics of discussion, for instance in his Sunday Nation's article he wants to try and show himself as justified in accusing the whole electorate in what came after the polls but beside that he is hitting very hard at the two principles,in this he brings out clearly his criticism of Raila Odinga and his political class (they supported Majimbo),and PNU for preaching against (Circumcision) from this he is misrepresenting facts to fool us around,for instance he is trying to say that campaigning using 'Majimbo' was bad because it was what fueled tention he also goes to zero PNUs wrong as having been telling the 'others' to get circumcised' yetduring all that time there was nothing about circumcision lingering in the air,he is hiding behind us to achieve his main aim at further directing eyes to the Premier,he is poorly trying to curve out a reputation of a public critic but he has forgotten that he contributed to the poll violence by mis-advising kibaki since he had pitched tent at statehouse then,In his usual antics he thinks that he has transformed overnight,he thinks we have forgotten his hand in our current misfortune that is the grand coalition,he is ever trying to portray himself as a man against both Kibaki and Raila yet in the backyard he knows his moves are aimed at denting Raila's reputation,in any case he knows Kibaki is on his homestretch so he must play his ball well to make sure the old man in the big house on the hill exits with a reputation to cling on.Mr. Ngunyi you ought to be on that list because you instigated violence by creating a reason for one.Period!!

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

Declare Bankruptcy?Not just yet.

2010-03-04T17:21:00.002+03:00

Declaring oneself bankrupt is a last resort in trying to fix your failing finances. There are very serious consequences that happen when you file bankruptcy. For example, the record of your bankruptcy cannot be erased for 10 years. However, before you take that final step, there are measures that you can try. Good personal bankruptcy attorney advice would be, don't get into debt in the first place if at all possible, by watching your budget at all times and saving for the future and for emergencies. With all the advice in the world, sometimes you just get hit with something unavoidable like medical bills. In these circumstances you might have no choice but to file bankruptcy.

While your credit will not be completely ruined if you file for bankruptcy, it will remain on your credit report for up to 10 years. If you have a regular, decent income you will typically find you can receive credit even after you file bankruptcy. Most people find they can still purchase an automobile after filing for bankruptcy and can then begin rebuilding their credit from there. If you think about it, your credit is already in terrible shape if you're even thinking about filing bankruptcy with all the past-due credit cards, house payments, utility bills etc. So basically, it's almost better to file and wipe your debts completely clean

The old saying of time and good behavior comes into the picture when trying to repair your credit after bankruptcy. The effects of a bankruptcy will fade with time and even while it does follow you, you can still work to repair your credit after a filing bankruptcy. You can do this by being financially responsible, by paying all of your bills on time, by reducing your debt, and by closing old accounts. Over time, this shows a potential lender that your past financial misfortune was an isolated event, and that you've demonstrated your financial responsibility since that time. On the other hand, if the filing was just one of a long series of financial misfortunes and irresponsible actions, then it suggests a dangerous pattern to the lenders.

The first thing to think about when you want to repair your credit after filing bankruptcy is the time factor. The Fair Credit Reporting Act establishes certain guidelines that the three credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union, must follow. One of these guidelines has to do with Chapter 7 bankruptcy. By law, a bankruptcy cannot stay on your credit report for more than 10 years. Of course, this is both good and bad depending on how you look at it or it down side is that a bankruptcy can stay on your record for up to a decade, so it will be noticeable to any lender who reviews your credit history. The upside is that it can't follow you forever. One thing to remember, many people wait too long to file because of being worried about the consequences and the stigma that is associated with filing bankruptcy. Sometimes it's better to weigh your options, go ahead and file and get the creditors off your back, so you can start rebuilding your life and get a fresh start.

Now you are aware of good and bad things of filing bankruptcy.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

Faulty approach of Select Committee to constitution

2010-03-03T18:15:00.003+03:00

By Yash Ghai

Among the many failings of the Select Committee on the constitution review is the miserable report that accompanies its draft constitution. One of the strengths of the Kenya process has been the requirement that the primary organs of review publish a report on the way they conducted their work, the consultations with, and the views of, the people and the justifications of the recommendations. The CKRC and Bomas published several reports on their work which have assisted the people to understand constitutional issues at stake and reasons for recommendations. They greatly facilitated public debates—and have now become valuable historical documents. Likewise, the CoE’s preliminary report helped in understanding the reasons behind the Harmonisation Draft. The exception was the Wako draft, prepared by a cabal of politicians in considerable secrecy as has the SC.

The Select Committee’s report will not serve any of these purposes, least of all enabling Kenyans to understand and debate the rationale of the recommendations. Only 7 of its 13 pages are devoted to the business at hand, and even these are exceedingly parsimonious in analysis or justification. This is unforgivable in view of the mutilation that the SC has wreaked on the CoE’s draft. It does not explain its mandate, but baldly - and inaccurately - asserts that it is to build consensus on the whole of the CoE draft.

The report says not a word about its philosophical approach to the constitution, but its phobia about values and policy come through. It has reduced the sometimes inspiring language of the CoE draft, advancing the national vision, to one sentence, boring like a laundry list.

Nowhere does the SC give any reasons for its deletions and revisions. Many deleted provisions represent wide national consensus, having first appeared in the CKRC draft, endorsed at Bomas, and adopted in the Wako draft. It contents itself with statements like that it has “made changes it considered necessary” or “removed details which could be provided through legislation”. It has removed references to national culture, because its view is “that culture need not be entrenched in the constitution”. In its zeal to reduce the size of the constitution, it has excised important provisions, including those related to various commissions. Yet, oddly, it has cut and pasted a long, wordy, article on the public service commission from the existing constitution. And, misleadingly, it asserts that except for minor drafting differences, it has adopted the chapter on citizenship which “broadly remained the same in all the Draft Constitutions”.

The actual drafting done by the SC has introduced yet another style, adding to the variety that has accumulated from time of the CKRC draft. It is not clear what attention the SC gave to the drafting itself, an essential component of preparing the constitution, but certainly the task of the CoE in tidying up the draft, deleting repetitions, introducing precision of language where there are vague and broad formulations, is the more daunting—and urgent.

Reading the report and the draft constitution, my overwhelming impression is that the SC has little understanding of the functions of a constitution. Its slash and burn policy is uninformed by an understanding of what must be in the constitution and what may be relegated to legislation. It has even less understanding of dynamics of, and relationships between, institutions and procedures. Otherwise it would not be claiming so loudly and emphatically that the presidential system it has proposed is grounded in strong checks and balances. The senate has been rendered toothless. It has downgraded the regime of human rights and institutions of accountability, the role of civil society, abolished the ombudsman. By weakening provisions on the vetting as well as future appointment of judges, it has diluted a critical safeguard against abuse of executive power. On the contrary, it has given the judiciary greater discretion than under the CoE draft to interpret the scope of rights, completely misconceiving both the nature of rights and the importance of constitutional guidance on these matters.

The SC has little schooling in principles and effectiveness of representation, as is all too obvious from the elections to and composition of the legislative bodies, particularly fending off pressures for female representation by lumping women into a powerless senate. The disdain it has shown for the views of the public views and opinion of experts is truly astounding.

The driving force of the SC draft is the aggrandisement of politicians. The number of legislators is greatly expanded. The number of appointments requiring the approval of the National Assembly has increased, giving further scope for inter-party deals at the expense of fairness and merit. Parliament will take responsibility for ensuring implemention of the constitution, instead of an independent, expert commission. Chairs of assembly committees will enjoy the status and perks of ministers. The parliamentary commission which has been so sedulous of MPs’ financial and other material interest is retained, while other important commissions have been removed. To top it all, the quorum for the Assembly and the Senate has been reduced to absurdly low levels, so that MPs may enjoy the perks of power but are not bound by its responsibilities.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

Science Fiction: The new hope

2010-03-01T16:37:00.002+03:00

There is new hope for Science Fiction

Star Wars, subtitled A New Hope, which only cost $11 million to make, ‘began as a summer movie, ran continuously into 1978, and was re-released in 1979'. It earned ‘over $190 million in U.S. rentals and about $250 million worldwide, on total ticket sales of over $500 million' (Thompson and Bordwell 2003: 522). Justin Wyatt (1994) sees Star Wars as a high concept franchise, the fi rst to really approach merchandising with vigour, and, as a result, increase its market appeal.

For Wyatt, the high concept movie was an important part of the New Hollywood fi lm industry. High concept fi lms are those that are conceived as highly marketable, and therefore highly profi table, as well as being visually striking and stylistically innovative. Such fi lms, for example Star Wars, are different through their ‘emphasis on style in production and through the integration of the fi lm with its marketing' (20).

We can describe them as high concept since they are composed of what Wyatt labels ‘the look, the hook, and the book': ‘The look of the images, the marketing hooks, and the reduced narratives' (22). The fi ctional world of Star Wars that had kept young and old engrossed for two hours also had underlying marketing advantages: ‘The fi lm's novel environment and characters have been so striking that Kenner Toys has been able to go beyond the fi gures in the fi lm by adding new characters to the Star Wars line in keeping with the fi lm's mythological world' (Wyatt 1994: 153).

The infi nite potential for expansion kept the fi gures and toys popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s as children continued to watch and rewatch the movies and play with their own make-believe worlds. While Star Wars was infl uencing children playing, it was also having a profound effect on American politics

. Star Wars has always held close links with contemporary American politics, and, as Peter Krämer points out, we can thank Ronald Reagan's 23 March 1983 televised speech asking support for the proposed increase to the defence budget for prompting people to associate the two. However, it was not Reagan who fi rst used Star Wars to paint a picture of America's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI):

‘When Senator Edward Kennedy fi rst attached the "Star Wars" label to the President's vision in comments made on the fl oor of the Senate the day after the speech, it was to accuse Reagan of "misleading Red Scare tactics and reckless Star Wars schemes" ' (Krämer 2000: 46). Right wing Cold War politics were indelibly etched onto the characters and back story that informed the Star Wars universe: heroic rebels versus the evil empire became America against the Soviet Union. Intriguingly, for those opposed to the SDI, the rebellion in Star Wars could be seen as a metaphor for the left's struggle against Reaganism and the politics of big business.

The blockbuster fi lms that followed were clearly infl uenced by Star Wars' nostalgic visioning of fantasy and science fi ction, and these will be discussed in more detail in the next chapter. However, it important to point out that Star Wars is indicative of a cultural engagement with nostalgia so intimate and impervious that, as postmodern theorist Fredric Jameson (1983: 117) has pointed out, ‘we are unable today to focus on our own present, as though we have become incapable of achieving aesthetic representations of our current experience'.

J. P. Telotte describes Star Wars as ‘homage to a great number of fi lms and fi lm types the western, war fi lms, Japanese samurai fi lms all of which have contributed to Lucas's vision' (2001: 105). Star Wars' use of nostalgia to convey the heroism of the past is an illustration of an American yearning to return to more innocent times: for example the fi lms and Saturday afternoon TV serials such as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon (Jameson 1983: 116).

Tom Engelhardt (1998) recognizes this yearning in the creation and development of the Kenner action fi gures of 1978, and argues that Lucas reconstituted ‘war play as a feel-good activity for children' (268). His new franchise reversed the feeling of loss after Vietnam and literally replaced it with A New Hope. The concerns over national politics, overpopulation and energy shortages that had once weighed heavily on the fi lms of the early 1970s had been forgotten as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg took moviegoers to another place. Their fi lms rejected the pessimism of the earlier period and suggested that the social problems of the decade could be solved.

Many conveyed a vision of hope, in which the future might become a technological paradise complete with world peace. As a result, while Star Wars has been criticised for its affi rmative visions, which have often been associated with a conservative shift to Reaganite cinema, it is possible to view the fi lm differently. The science fi ction fi lms of the early 1970s were unable to imagine the possibility of redemption and viewed humanity as simply doomed.

Thus, while they have been seen as radical, they were also profoundly nihilistic, providing no alternative to the decadent order of things. In contrast, Star Wars was concerned with the exact opposite, an attempt to imagine an alternative and establish a sense of hope. Kenner's decision to make the fi gures pocket size meant that children could carry these representations of a fi ctional, future universe around and create their own make-believe world wherever they played. As we have seen, throughout American history, technology has stood as a symbol of progress. For example, as America became more industrialized in the eighteenth century, the notion of technological improvement became important to national identity (Marx 1964: 197).

Therefore, the futuristiclooking aliens, creatures and humans with a superior command of technology, both on screen and in toy form, reassured adults and children alike that America was on the right track. Representation of technology on TV would follow in a similar positive vein. A similar kind of fi lmic homage, Star Wars' nod to the Western myth and classic Hollywood genres for example was transferred to television as networks demanded more science fi ction programming. As we saw with the Irwin Allen series, largely based on or taken from his previous big screen productions in the early 1960s, adapting genre fi lms was one method of fi lling the schedules.

Television adaptations of Planet of the Apes and Logan's Run were commissioned in an attempt to repeat the big screen success of science fi ction. However, according to J. P. Telotte (2008a: 16), ‘many American science fi ction series of the 1970s would prove ephemeral, drawing a comparatively modest viewership and hinting that genre might appeal largely to a niche audience'.

By turning to cinema as inspiration, networks were looking for a quick fi x but were in fact alienating large portions of the television audience who were perhaps unfamiliar with the premise and narrative of the original fi lms. Planet of the Apes (1974-1975), produced by Herbert Hirschman and starring Roddy McDowall from the previous Ape features, was expected to repeat the winning formula of the fi lm franchise.

Again set on a future ape planet, human astronauts crash land and encounter the stratifi ed simian society. Befriended by McDowall's Galen, the humans escape the clutches of the aggressive military gorillas and embark on several adventures throughout the short-lived season run. Through thinly veiled metaphor, the Apes TV series and fi nal fi lm, Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), used contemporary political events as inspiration for its stories:

‘Military coups in Afghanistan and Chile provided grounding for the metaphors of government instability and corruption in the control of the armed forces . . . where civil war threatens and a military takeover is in play' (Gateward 2007: 100). Logan's Run (1977-1978) also stuck close to the format of its progenitor, following Logan and Jessica on the run on a futuristic dystopian Earth. The series only lasted for one season, a common occurrence for these sorts of adaptations. However, Gerald Duchovnay maintains that the tight budgets were not to blame for the short-lived nature of the small screen series; instead they could not live up to the coherent narratives offered by the big screen texts.

The nature of television writing meant that there were multiple writers, and therefore multiple viewpoints, working on each episode out of the many that would make up a whole series. Consistency was harder to sustain on television as writers brought different ideas to the table. The fi lm versions of these kinds of series, on the other hand, benefi ted from the fact they were typically created, gestated and realised by one or two writers who had time to consult and decide on plot and characterisation.

This sort of luxury, infl uenced by time and working towards an achievable deadline, was not afforded to the writing staff for TV series, who could be making and working on one or two hourlong episodes every week: ‘Even if there is a solid premise and consensus on a show's narrative arc, if the group consists of very different egos and ideas, the fi nal product will probably be marked by inconsistency' (Duchovnay 2008: 82).

The other way networks could use science fi ction to attract an audience was to combine it with other television formats such as the sitcom. As we saw with series like The Jetsons in the 1960s, science fi ction could reach a far wider audience by offering comic variations on typical generic tropes and settings such as aliens and the future. Mork and Mindy (1978-1982), having similar ratings success as the earlier My Favorite Martian (1963-1966), traded on the huge popularity of 1950s nostalgia sitcom Happy Days (1974-1984) and the fresh-faced appeal of comedian Robin Williams. The premise of the series, whereby Mork crash lands in small town America and befriends wholesome all-American Mindy, gave writers enormous leeway in the types of stories they could have and comic situations they could write.

Episodes could either centre on the alienness of Mork, where he struggles to fi t into normal suburban life, or they could focus more on his extraterrestrial background and thus make jokes out of the fantastical nature of the science fi ction genre; in other words, the series offered something for everyone in a notoriously diffi cult prime time orientated television industry. The relative failure of adapted science fi ction series was offset by the success of more original programming such as The Six Million Dollar Man (1974-1978) and The Bionic Woman (1976 -1978). Focussing on the potentials of biotechnology, these series returned to recurring science fi ction concerns of technology and its relationship to society and the human body.

The Six Million Dollar Man (see boxed text) also tapped into the increasingly important toy and merchandising market highlighted by the Star Wars phenomenon, releasing dolls and accessories that gave children the opportunity to experiment with identity construction and role play. Television continued to offer legitimate science fi ction hero fi gures that stood out as role models for the younger audience following the escapades of 1940s icons Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers or caped adventures of superheroes like Superman. Compared to the more nihilistic visions of humanity on the big screen, this was a huge deviation from the norm, yet it would prove to be an important part in the genre's continued existence on television through the 1980s.

Like fi lm, with its representations of the technological body which refl ected ‘our increasingly troubled sense of identity by exploring how we might be enhanced, reconfi gured, and ultimately even replaced by the product of our science' (Telotte, 2001: 103), television also offered audiences glimpses of how notions of the corporeal were changing in American society. With the human body being literally rebuilt with cybernetic implants in The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, there was clearly a concern about the limitations and fragility of the human body.

This national anxiety can most clearly be seen in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, where the harrowing aspects of the confl ict such as physical injury and psychological trauma affected thousands of veterans on their immediate return and many years following the withdrawal from Saigon in 1975. Soldiers who fought and civilians who watched it unfold on television felt deeply traumatised in confronting their own mortality for the fi rst time conceding that America's self-image was not invincible

. According to Fred Turner (1996: 81), the war had taught Americans that ‘the ties that held them together as a nation, ties that many Americans had long taken for granted as permanent and strong, could be cut'. Vietnam, more than any other war, ‘had demonstrated that the body politic could be dismembered' (80).

To recover from the loss in South East Asia notions of the national hero had to be rebuilt, like the bodies of many returning G.I.s who had lost limbs and other body parts; therefore it is not hard to see why these biotechnology series were accepted by television audiences. Other more interstellar series, infl uenced by the blockbuster Star Wars, such as Battlestar Galactica (1978-1980) and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1981) drew upon space exploration as a narrative template for expounding on the potentials for human improvement.

Ironically this was at a time when America was losing interest in celestial ventures after originally striving to become the predominant superpower in the Space Race during the previous two decades. However, these Steve Austin, astronaut, a man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him, we have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's fi rst bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better. Stronger. Faster.

The opening monologue to The Six Million Dollar Man (above) was symptomatic of a time where engineers and ‘techies' ‘were emboldened with the political and social vision of transformative, appropriate technology'. Learning from the lessons and social critiques revealed through the counterculture, the work of these techies allowed, for a brief moment, the realisation of a ‘technological utopianism not prevalent since the beginning of the twentieth century' (Moy 2004: 211). Plainly, The Six Million Dollar Man envisions a time when human life would not be limited Steve Austin could be rebuilt with modern technology and therefore no longer confi ned by the physical limitations his body bestowed upon him.

The cybernetic implants and appendages used to give Austin new life and new powers were not seen as a threat to human freedoms and individuality, as shown in the fi lms of this period, but rather they were seen as the inevitable positive outcome of our continued experimentation and mastery over technology. The fascination with biotechnology as exemplifi ed in the series, and its spin-off The Bionic Woman (1976 -1978), mirrored the contemporary reality of the ‘real-world context, marked by the corresponding headlines scientists were then beginning to make by producing such real prostheses as the fi rst artifi cial heart' (Telotte 2008a: 17).

As we have seen, science fi ction series in this period were largely based on fi lms, so the fact that The Six Million Dollar Man took a different direction added to its audience appeal. It was set on Earth, its plot centred on real people, and the plausibility of seeing humans benefi ting from real biotechnology allowed for a certain amount of what-if thinking. Steve Austin, and his female counterpart Jaime Sommers, were ‘realistic versions of comic book superheroes' (Telotte 2008a: 16), endowed with powers made possible through human ingenuity; they used these powers to stand up for the vulnerable, defeat crime and expose corruption.

The series was based on the 1972 novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin, and a made-for-TV movie was produced with Lee Majors starring as Steve Austin in 1973. The series quickly followed after another two fi lms were made and the Austin character and backstory were fl eshed out to emphasise his down-to-earth, self-made man persona. The survivor of an air crash, former astronaut Austin was rebuilt his right arm, legs and left eye were replaced by bionic implants that enhanced strength, speed, and vision.

A member of the Offi ce of Scientifi c Intelligence (OSI), Austin was sent on numerous perilous missions such as to retrieve stolen money, rescue military personnel, protect diplomats and prevent a nuclear meltdown. Clearly inspired by the then current Cold War and espionage thrillers, The Six Million Dollar Man was just as much a crime or detective series as a science fi ction drama. Budgetary constraints, as well as the limitations of visual and special effects techniques at the time, ensured that the series never just relied on the visual attraction of seeing Austin perform his superpowers

. For sure, the series was known for the slow-motion action sequences and sound effects which highlighted the use of his powers, but these often took a backseat to the mystery and intrigue of the plot and Austin's weekly secret missions. Nevertheless, it was not adverse to using politically sensitive topics as inspiration for storylines: The episode ‘Outrage in Balinderry' (1975) blatantly alluded to the religious and political troubles in Northern Ireland at that time, with Austin sent to rescue the wife of the U.S. Ambassador kidnapped by freedom fi ghters claiming independence for their nation Balinderry (evidently a amalgamation of Ballymena and Londonderry). Elements of the series clearly paralleled how the James Bond movie franchise was developing in the mid-1970s. For example, the Bond fi lm The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) upped the ante in the representation of counter-espionage technology and Bond's reliance on new gadgets to get him out of tight situations:

‘There [was] also an emphasis on ever more elaborate and visually exciting technological gadgetry, ranging from Bond's rocket-fi ring ski-stick to his sleek Lotus Esprit sports car which transforms into a submersible' (Chapman 1999: 182). As Bond's missions became ever more critical, racing against the clock to save the world from nuclear Armageddon, the range and capabilities of his techno-gadgets increased. Austin, as the world's fi rst bionic man, simply took this a step further by physically merging the human secret agent with the tools required to do his job.

Interestingly, the similarities to British spy drama do not stop there; indeed, James Chapman sees The Six Million Dollar Man as a techno-orientated extension of the British spy television series The Champions (1969 -1970). Part of a group of spy series to come from ITV in the 1960s and 1970s, The Champions followed the missions of a trio of secret agents who had returned from Tibet imbued with special powers. These powers were of supernatural origin, thus clearly marking the series out as different from its contemporaries (Bond for example), yet its position as ‘generic forerunner' of The Six Million Dollar Man and other American science fi ction series in the 1970s is referenced by James Chapman (2002: 188):

‘These series endowed their protagonists with certain super-human powers and sent them to work for secret organisations fi ghting against sabotage and subversion . . . There are obvious parallels with The Champions.' Austin, of course, gets his abilities from the nuclear-powered bionic implants and prostheses, but in both series the superhumans are noticeably sensitive to the burden of responsibility in having such powers. As well as The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, Chapman sees The Champions' infl uence in series such as The Gemini Man (1976), The Invisible Man (1975 -1976) and The Man from Atlantis (1977-1978). The premise for The Six Million Dollar Man is indicative of what J. P. Telotte calls the ‘double vision' of the science fi ction genre. By this he refers to the genre's ‘tendency to accept but also draw back from the alluring technological imagery that empowers the science fi ction fi lm and that fi nds specifi c embodiment in every robot' (Telotte 1995: 126).

As fi lm began to imagine and visualise the possible merging of humans and machines for the benefi t of mankind, audiences were both fascinated and horrifi ed by the notion that by becoming more like a robot all sense of human individuality and soul would be lost. Telotte continues his analysis with discussions centred on the ultimate masculine representation of human artifi ce seen in Westworld and its sequel Futureworld (1976). Yul Brynner as the android gunslinger on a killing spree refl ects ‘our increasingly troubled sense of identity' and fears of becoming obsolete or replaced by our own technological innovations (Telotte 2001: 103). Yet, on TV, Steve Austin was still a man. Capable of feeling emotion, being injured, and even coming close to death, he remained human. His technological appendages did not prevent him from leading a normal life (when he wasn't fi ghting crime of course).

His relationship with Jaime Sommers testifi es to the fact that being a bionic man did not stop him from being a married man. Technology is venerated so much in the series that Austin makes his superiors perform the same operation on Sommers (thus making her a bionic woman) so that she can still live. He clearly continues to feel and act human even if most of his body is more machine. A series that recognised the changing cultural attitudes towards technology, it did not fully portray them in a negative light.

More attuned to the potentials of the revolution happening in biomedical science and information technology, it emphasised the possibilities of science over its risks. The more recent yet short-lived Bionic Woman (2007-2008), a reimagining of The Bionic Women, clearly indicates television's continued fascination with science fi ction's ‘double vision'.aspirations did not grow purely from the need to outdo the Soviet Union; rather they were ‘rooted in cultural traditions as forceful as the terrestrial exploration saga and the myth of the frontier' (McCurdy 1997: 2).

Television shows such as Star Trek and its gung-ho, high-budget counterparts replayed these traditional aspirations on the new frontier of space. As the frontier inspired generations of Americans to dream of making it big, these television space operas transferred the myths of the old west onto the frontier of outer space and used it as an allegorical device for explaining the nation's history. Or, as Howard McCurdy (1997: 2) observed in his examination of space and the American imagination, ‘Space exploration is as much a re-creation of the past as a vision of the future.'

Examining American science fi ction's frontier legacy also highlights how much the genre relies on familiar themes of the Puritan Errand and the belief in a divine mission. According to Mark Siegel, as well as trying to replicate the fast-paced action and special effects of Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica's main theme clearly implied ‘[a science fi ction] solution to the old puzzle of creation, with Adama leading his fallen legions to Earth after being driven from a technological Eden by Lucifer' (Siegel 1980: 275).

In the 1978 feature-length pilot, a rag-tag fl eet of human survivors is lead by the giant battle cruiser Galactica as it searches for a new home on Earth. The surviving colonists were drawn from the original twelve colonies whose only knowledge of Earth was that it supported the legendary paradise world of the thirteenth colony, Kobol. Along their way, the fl eet of space pilgrims were continually attacked by Cylons, man-made machines created as slaves, who ‘hate the human love for freedom and independence, and the human need to feel, to question, to affi rm, and to rebel against oppression' (275).

The colonists' endeavours were morally and ideologically juxtaposed against the Cylons' inhuman and alien savagery. This space opera role-play replicated the American colonial experience as played out between Puritan settlers and Indian inhabitants, yet it also alluded to the Mormon faith's particular belief in a plural God. Similarities between the twelve colonies' search for Kobol and the journey of Joseph Smith to re-establish Eden in America recounted in the Book of Mormon may not have been coincidental, as Glen A.

Larson (creator and writer of the original series) was a Mormon (Ford 1983: 87). Space opera series like Battlestar Galactica replicated the stereotypical method of demonising the Indian as the savage warrior under control of the devil. For Gregory Pfi tzer (1995: 52), ‘The destruction of the Indians in particular symbolized in an extreme form the American . . . attitude toward Nature,' as nature stood as a metaphorical obstruction that had to be overcome, ‘since the Indians came to represent "red savages" or "red devils" placed on this Earth as punishment for sins committed and as barriers to resurrection and renewal'.

Thematically and ideologically, Star Trek also recreated the dichotomous relationship between pioneer and savage in the later spin-off series Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001). In this the Kazon, resident bad guys for the fi rst two seasons, mirror representations of Native Americans in American culture from colonial contact to the nineteenth century. Furthermore, the ship's Indian fi rst offi cer, Chakotay, was continually positioned as exotic native other in relation to the white female captain Janeway (Geraghty 2003c). More recent examples of the western myth played out on the fi nal frontier, including the battle between settler and savage, come in Joss Whedon's Firefl y (2002-2003). As well as playing with established stereotypes of femininity, depicting strong women at work and play on the frontier, Whedon subverts the western genre by further complicating the representation of the series' resident bad guys, the Reavers.

According to Robert L. Lively (2009: 194-5), the Reavers ‘share many stereotypical similarities with descriptions of Indians': bodily mutilation, war paint and scalping; however, Whedon ‘makes them innocent victims of governmental meddling' by revealing that they were the result of chemical experiments performed on an iJames Chapman acknowledges the impact that American fi lm and television series such as Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers were having on the BBC and its attempts to modernise the look of British series such as Doctor Who (1963-1989). Producer Graham Williams had to comply with the BBC's tight budgetary requirements and entertain an audience becoming familiar with and attracted to big-budget cinema and television from across the Atlantic (Chapman 2006: 123). However, the 1970s was a boom time for the genre in the UK, and many of the best productions made their way back across the Atlantic and created a solid fan base of American viewers. Along with the ever-present Doctor Who, there was Blake's 7 (1978-1981), Survivors (1975-1977), Doomwatch (1970-1972), UFO (1970-1971) and Space: 1999 (1975-1977), to name just a select few. Both the BBC and ITV were keen to cash in on the sci-fi craze, therefore Blake's 7 was created by the BBC for the sole purpose of holding its own ‘in a post-Star Wars era' (Bould 2008b: 221). ITV funded its own productions as well as importing big-budget American series. The third and fourth incarnations of the Doctor took the series into new territory. Jon Pertwee's fl amboyant interpretation (1970-1974), with Edwardian ruffl es, a debonair smile for the ladies and high speed chases in yellow roadster Bessie, ‘coincided with a switch from black-and-white to color transmission' (Booker 2004: 68) that gave the series a renewed youthful air.

Tom Baker's fourth Doctor (1974 -1981) became the most popular and memorable version; with his wild curly hair, toothy grin and mischievous sense of humour, the fourth Doctor appeared the most superhuman of the incarnations: ‘he was a particularly youthful doctor [sic], a fi gure of individualist rebellion against the normally conservative practices of the powers that be among the time lords of Gallifrey' (Booker 2004: 70). Alongside the renaissance of the Doctor, his enemies got a face lift too, with the Daleks and Cybermen both getting revamped looks. The more modern versions of the Cybermen, with the silver jumpsuit, subdivided helmet and booming deep voice, were more like Darthnnocent group of settlers. Vader than the synthetic human in a knitted mask seen in the 1960s. Piers Britton and Simon Barker (2003: 172-3) see this development as a sign of Doctor Who's intention in the 1970s to accommodate designs from contemporary American science fi ction fi lms.

As the decade drew to a close, science fi ction on both fi lm and television had undergone remarkable change. Consolidating the position it held as a popular genre in Cold War America, it tackled divisive and diffi cult issues affecting the nation. More often than not it depicted the future as a dystopian nightmare that contemporary society may fi nd hard to avoid if immediate changes to the economy and politics were not put into effect. Yet, also, the genre was able to survive this downturn and offer spectacular, big-budget adventures that entertained audiences and cemented its position as one of Hollywood's most reliable genres. Although fi lm seemed more concerned with warning than wonder, both American and UK television offered an alternative outlet for more traditional forms of action adventure and space opera that had typifi ed the genre in the 1950s and 1960s. Many of the themes and tropes that emerged in the cinema of the 1970s, however, would resurface in the following decade, and as a result the genre would go from strength to strength as studios and networks realised the money-making potential of the science fi ction blockbuster.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

Does Media Impact on Political power?

2010-02-27T11:47:00.003+03:00

» Political power and media go hand in hand:Uk

The white paper made it quite clear that power and Ofcom would go hand in hand: "It is important that Ofcom has sufficient powers to carry out its duties," it stressed. "It has to be able to take tough action when necessary and to ensure that regulated companies take the action which is required of them."46 And yet getting to grips with the types of power relations and degrees of regulation associated with Ofcom's arrival on the UK media scene is by no means a straightforward matter. Some, such as David Hesmondhalgh, have intimated that Ofcom's stance is in fact deregulatory, demonstrating a shift, if anything, towards self-regulation. Ofcom itself would doubtless concur: among its founding "Regulatory Principles" one finds its commitment to "operate with a bias against intervention" and, where intervention is required, to administer "the least intrusive regulatory mechanisms." 49 And certainly in particular areas, Ofcom can indeed be seen to be actively deregulating the market (for example, in releasing more spectrum and removing specific content obligations).

But it would be wrong to conclude that such individual deregulatory gestures amount to a loosening of the controls and powers ranged around the UK media. For one thing, most industry participants would argue that despite its purported "bias against intervention," Ofcom actually remains highly and consistently engaged and directive. Jonathan Thompson, until recently the Head of Strategy & Research at Channel 4, is broadly representative in his assertion that "Ofcom still feels like a very interventionist regulator." For another thing, interpreting the removal of specific regulatory ordinances as a sign of a moderation of power would, I argue, be to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of the power relations in play here. This latter suggestion requires careful amplification. Often power is not just, or not even mainly, about handing down dictates and expecting and enforcing observance. Instead power inheres-as Mitchell would say (after Foucault), but here articulated in the words of Nikolas Rose and Peter Miller-in "the complex of mundane programmes, calculations, techniques, apparatuses, documents and procedures through which authorities seek to embody and give effect to governmental ambitions." Power is capillary, continuous, dispersed; in short, it is disciplinary.

The field of power in which Ofcom is implicated and itself operates consists, to my mind, precisely of such "programmes, calculations, techniques" and so on. Hence Thompson's revealing speculation that Ofcom feels interventionist "partly because they are reviewing absolutely everything," referring here to the multitude of market reviews and consultations that Ofcom continually initiates and to which industry participants are required to continually respond. Indeed, we would do well to note in this regard that the white paper's promise-"Ofcom will have a duty to keep markets or sectors under review"-has since escalated into the more overwhelming, and demonstrably more accurate, "Ofcom will research markets constantly." There is, I therefore want to suggest, an apparent incongruence between the rhetoric and reality of recent UK media regulatory reform. On the one hand we are confronted by terminology such as "least intrusive," "a bias against intervention," and all sorts of other free-market patois. But I have suggested, and will go on to demonstrate in more detail, that if we are prepared to conceptualize power in its disciplinary guise, then the government, through Ofcom, can actually be shown to have increased the level and intensity of regulation to which broadcasting industry participants are subject. At the same time, it is important to emphasise that in reality the incongruence I refer to here is only a superficial one. That this is the case is apparent when one reviews the key findings of the burgeoning literature on mutations in late-twentieth-century neoliberalism. To be sure, neoliberalism is typically associated with strident free-market policy and the removal of regulatory institutions. But neoliberalism has been shown to wear different faces at different times and in different places. So-called "roll-back" liberalism is certainly one such face (and perhaps the most immediately recognizable). Another, however, is what Jamie Peck and Adam Tickell have described in an influential essay as "roll-out neoliberalism." This, in short, often means more regulation. And it is within this neoliberal "tradition," I think, that we can better situate Ofcom. Peck and Tickell identify this tradition as comprising "the purposeful construction and consolidation of neoliberalized state forms, modes of governance, and regulatory relations."

The exaggerated disciplinary nature of the powers now exercised in the UK media sector is especially clear, to my mind, in Ofcom's twinned emphasis on expertise and "evidence-based" arguments, which sharply distinguishes it from the legacy regulators. For such an emphasis, as has been widely documented, is a typical feature of regimes of modern governmental power. Reviews, reports, appraisals and benchmarking studies: all are avowedly "evidence-based," and all are pivotal to powers of discipline; they are not "the outcome of a neutral recording function," but rather methods "to make the domain in question susceptible to evaluation, calculation and intervention." And the marshalling of "expertise" has become a basic prerequisite of, and handmaiden to, such methods. Not only does expert knowledge make government possible, but it depoliticizes it. "Experts," as Rose and Miller argue, "hold out the hope that problems of regulation can remove themselves from the disputed terrain of politics and relocate onto the tranquil yet seductive territory of truth." Since its very inception, Ofcom has made a central play of its reliance on these two shibboleths of expertise and data-based evidence. We can start with the latter, and, once again, Ofcom's "Regulatory Principles" are unequivocal, stating that Ofcom "will strive to ensure its interventions will be evidence-based, proportionate, consistent, accountable and transparent." The emphasis on "evidence" does indeed mark a distinct break from the past: Ofcom is, says Channel 4's Thompson, "definitely more wedded to using evidence and data than its predecessors." And its quantitative bent is apparent throughout the full succession of market reviews that Ofcom has launched and acted upon in the last five years.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

Television Grows up

2010-01-21T19:57:00.002+03:00

Film was able to take on ambitious projects showing humanity at the brink of destruction using ‘Technicolor, Cinemascope, and 3D technologies' (Telotte 2001: 95). As a result, the threat of the alien was intensifi ed on the big screen during the 1950s, and television's contribution to the genre was largely postponed until the beginning of the 1960s. What the small screen did offer were cinema-like serials from the 1940s such as Captain Video and His Video Rangers (1949-1955), Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (1954), Space Patrol (1950-1955) and Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1950-1955). These series, although generally defi cient in technical brilliance, created a space for the science fi ction television series.

However lacking they were in adult storytelling or complex character development, these series showed that television was a suitable medium through which the alien, usually men with face paint, and the human, albeit idealised visualisations of the human male, could be shown in a futuristic setting.

As Rick Worland (1996: 104) points out, these series were considered to be ‘aimed at children,' yet the fact that they appeared on television showed just how much the medium was affected by ‘a repressive political climate that obstructed presentation of any ideas outside the commonplace'. Moreover, these television programs were themselves informed by the technological innovations and increased production of consumable goods resulting from the battle between America and the Soviet Union in the Space Race and Cold War.

Advances in domestic appliance technology, kitchens controlled by computers, automobiles and home intercom systems became important symbols of American dominance in science and technology. The so-called Kitchen Debate in 1959, when Vice President Richard Nixon travelled to Moscow to meet Nikita Khrushchev at the American Exhibition, symbolised America's drive to outdo Russia on all technological fronts, both planetary and domestic: ‘the latest in kitchen consumerism stood for the basic tenets of the American way of life.

Freedom. Freedom from drudgery for the housewife. And democracy, the opportunity to choose' (Marling 1994: 243). New technologies, whether the simple electric can opener or the most advanced space rocket, were a sign of national and human achievement and symptomatic of America's drive to produce more consumable goods than the Soviet Union, a drive described by sociologist David Riesman as ‘Operation Abundance' read more

2) Importance of Social media network

Social media is a media to interact between different groups of people, share the thought, news, and content and communicate with different communities. It’s also facilitating conversations, online interaction between groups of people. Social media are relatively economical and accessible tools that enable anyone to publish or access information. We saw, In 2009 exponential growth of social media.

Due to rapid publicity and growth of social media sites on the general public, getting a global publicity, companies are marketing through social media network using different methods. Common social media marketing tools include Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. Spurt of social media activities on internet, large size of business organizations, using these platforms to make publicity to market their product. Now a days health care providers also started to use social media to interact with patients and health care centers.

Marketing on social media creates and manage social media campaigns that will improve traffic, promote business and grow sales. Social media network is very important factor on business growth. It is a low-cost promotional method that will give large number of visitors. A social media marketing strategy can be as simple as having a blog on company’s product, a Twitter account for inform various links of company’s blog and articles. Twitter has picked up a lot of steam in the last year for being a great place for social media marketing.

Social media brings real people and real relationships into the mix, it's essential to preserve trust around the society. Social media is a global phenomenon happening in all markets regardless of economic, social and cultural development. It helps to get not only a good publicity of the company in society but also good response from general public. Social media marketing impacts brand’s reputation and its trust. Social media not only to business marketing but also helps to brand building. Different type of social media networking methods are as follows:

(a) Blogging

(b) Article

(d) Video promotion

(e) Press release or media release

(f) Search engine optimization (book marking, RSS feeds etc)

Social media marketing is the process of marketing through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Social media campaign is very effective and a great way to promote a company’s business. Social media networks provide a place to interact with customers and allow customers to interact with each other. A new trend in Social media network is micro-blogging that allows users to send brief text updates. It is a truth that in business, role of social media is very important. In coming days, growth of business fully depend on social media marketing strategies of the companies.

This is His Excellency The President of the republic of Kenya 2040

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