Courage

Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.

-- Mary Tyler Moore (1937-) American Actress

Circumstances...

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them. -- George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish Playwright

Do not wait for leaders...

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. -- Mother Teresa (1910-1997) Albanian Missionary

Beginning of a New Era...

Yay!!! A new era begins in the Nigerian polity... Will the next 4/8 years be any different from the last 8 years? I believe so. I have reproduced the last paragraph of Yar'Adua's inaugural speech below, and it speaks to what I've always said - it can no longer be business as usual! May the good Lord grant him and all the other individuals who have been handed the mantle to represent our interests at the national, state, local and senatorial levels the wisdom and courage to do what is necessary to ensure that we get our systems and institutions to where they should be, and may the citizens have the courage to stand up and make a clear promise (not threat) to these people that anyone who misbehaves will face the consequences - they should go talk to the Alamieyeseighas and the Dariyes, and all the others who will be forced to follow suit sooner than later.

Please read on, and if you are a Nigerian, add these words to your personal mantra. And always remember "If not me, then who? If not now, then when?"

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I will set a worthy personal example as your president. No matter what obstacles confront us, I have confidence and faith in our ability to overcome them. After all, we are Nigerians! We are a resourceful and enterprising people, and we have it within us to make our country a better place.

To that end I offer myself as a servant-leader. I will be a listener and doer, and serve with humility. To fulfill our ambitions, all our leaders at all levels whether a local government councilor or state governor, senator or cabinet minister must change our style and our attitude. We must act at all times with humility, courage, and forthrightness.

I ask you, fellow citizens, to join me in rebuilding our Nigerian family, one that defines the success of one by the happiness of many.

I ask you to set aside negative attitudes, and concentrate all our energies on getting to our common destination. All hands must be on deck.

Let us join together to ease the pains of today while working for the gains of tomorrow.

Let us set aside cynicism and strive for the good society that we know is within our reach.

Let us discard the habit of low expectations of ourselves as well as of our leaders.

Let us stop justifying every shortcoming with that unacceptable phrase 'the Nigerian Factor' as if to be a Nigerian is to settle for less.

Let us recapture the mood of optimism that defined us at the dawn of independence, that legendary can-do spirit that marked our Nigerianess.

Let us join together, now, to build a society worthy of our children.

We have the talent. We have the intelligence. We have the ability. The challenge is great. The goal is clear. The time is now.

How To Judge Character...

You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them. -- Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990) American Publisher

Ask Not What Your Government Can Do For You...

Remember this quote from President John F. Kennedy: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country"? I came across an article in a magazine yesterday about how a group of friends have committed themselves to transforming those wise words into reality.

Three hometown guys pooled their life savings to buy a cargo boat and scoop up trash from Florida's waterways because they realized that the local governments don't take responsibility for that. The website of the nonprofit organization they formed just for that purpose is http://greenarmada.org, and I have copied below their story from the web site.

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The Green Armada Foundation was born in the beautiful beaches and waterways of Tampa Bay, Florida. We are lifelong residents that grew up in and on the waters of the Florida coast. Frankly, we’ve had it with the tons of trash collecting along the coast. Rather that just complain about it we’ve come up with a solution that meets our objectives.

• We don’t want to depend or wait on governmental resources to fix the problem.
• We’re not here as politicians or scientists. We’re citizens making our community a better, cleaner place to live.
• We believe that businesses are genuinely concerned about the appearance of the community and will help sponsor cleanup.
• We know for certain that there are many ordinary people out there who really care and will pitch in to make a difference.

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So what am I driving at here? Like these amazing individuals have rightly noted, it is the ordinary people who truly make a difference! We can b**tch and complain about how the government is not performing and acting right, but until we get off our lackadaisical behinds and do the little that we can do, we really shouldn't expect miracles.

As usual, any comments and questions are very welcome. In fact, it's a request - please share your thoughts :).

Noble vs. Inferior

The nobler sort of man emphasizes the good qualities in others, and does not accentuate the bad. The inferior does the reverse. -- Confucius (551-479 BC) Chinese Philosopher

The Season of Reason: Time to Move Forward

I have not made any comments about the recent governorship and presidential elections in my dear country Nigeria, and I had no plans to, until I came across this article in the May 11, 2007 edition of the Nigeria2day Online newsletter. Mr. Adejumo captured my thoughts about the whole situation so well that I had to share his article.

It's a long one, but please take your time and read this to the end. And as usual, all comments, thoughts and questions are welcome.

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Akintokunbo A Adejumo, London, United Kingdom

"The rule of the many by the few, we call tyranny. The rule of the few by the many (democracy) is tyranny also, only of a less intense kind" - Herbert Spencer

"In a dictatorship you must pay attention to what you say. In a democracy you can say what you want... the most important thing is that you do not try to demonstrate I" - Dario de Judicibus

"Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be" - Sydney J. Harris

"Democracy is a very admirable form of government — for dogs" - Edgar Allan Poe

"Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates" - Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

The Nigerian General Elections 2007 has come and gone, but the effects are still reverberating all across the country, and indeed, around the world. Writers of diverse opinions have written about the fairness or unfairness, freeness or otherwise of the exercise. Some have labelled it as an exercise in futility, and probably rightly so. Prophets of doom, who had been predicting the disintegration of the country, are a bit quiet, though still disgruntled. Winners are already planning their strategies, some of them on how to loot the treasury, some of them with good intentions for their country and their states. The important thing is that the election held, contrary to the fears of patriotic Nigerians and the propaganda of the protagonists of the current administration – a partial victory for democracy and Nigeria.

With only a few days to the handover to new governments, we are still hearing belligerent and disgruntled voices threatening brimstone and fire, some very unpatriotic elements calling for the elections to be annulled and then either we have a new elections or to install an Interim National Government at the Federal level. (Why don’t we have interim governments in every states of the federation too?) I must admit that when reports of the conduct and results of the elections were coming in, I was very disappointed, bitter and inclined to blame everything on Obasanjo and Maurice Iwu and whoever I think is associated with the conduct of this flawed elections. However, I decided that I should not jump to conclusions such as many writers and opinion leaders are. This was a time for review, reflection, analysis and cool heads. I must not jump on the bandwagon of people who do not criticise constructively or who fail to be positive or who will not compromise because of their biases and alternate agenda. I take a very dim view of such approach.

Nothing can be more asinine than calls for another election or an interim government or indeed, those calling for Yar’Adua to relinquish his mandate, echoed by respected personalities and several previously unknown groups, e.g. a group calling itself Alliance for Credible Elections. However we know that those calling for these completely useless and regressive exercises have their agenda, which in most cases are not in tune with those of the generality of Nigerians. I can understand calls for a rerun of elections in certain states, but not at the national level. Again let it be known that I am not a card-carrying member of any political party in Nigeria, although I do support any party as the circumstances dictate. For example, I am inclined to like ANPP in my home state of Oyo, while I would have loved AC to win in Ekiti, Edo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo and Delta States and happy for AC to grab Lagos State, and comfortable with the PDP winning in Adamawa, Cross River and at the Federal level. All I desire are the best and committed, sincere and honest people to rule Nigeria. I am not partisan in the least. In fact, as I have written before, none of the Nigerian political parties meet the ideological and moral conditions required of political parties all over the world.

That the 2007 Elections were beset by massive rigging, electoral corruption and malpractice is no longer news, nor is it a strange phenomenon as some people will have us believe. But who and who rigged? Was it only the ruling PDP? Which of the political parties or individual politicians in that election did not rig or attempt to rig? Are you telling me that Orji Kalu’s PPA did not rig in Abia State or that Obanikoro’s PDP did not try to rig in Lagos State and yet lost? What were the roles of the opposition parties respectively in the rigged elections? Were Obasanjo and INEC Chairman, Maurice Iwu the only architects of the flawed elections? What roles did our people themselves have to play in this dangerous farce? Would we rather have a flawed election than no elections at all? Can we imagine if everybody had played into Obasanjo’s hands inadvertently and the elections had to be postponed or even called off indefinitely, thereby letting the President have his Third Term?

I am not a supporter of flawed and rigged elections in my country or in any democracy. I will never be. I also abhor corruption in any form, and this flawed election is corruption of the highest order, as indeed most past elections in Nigeria since independence. However, the fact that elections held is a show of commitment to the principles of democratic governance in Nigeria by the people of Nigeria. Even in established democracies all over the world, elections have never been perfect or a hundred percent without hitches and unfairness, not to talk about our nascent democracy, which is fraught with inconsistencies and imperfections. Again this is not an excuse, but rather the reality that we as human beings are not perfect. Therefore if Man is not perfect, why should we expect that all the things he does will be perfect? Why should Nigerians be any different? According to the laws of evolution, human beings evolved from the lowliest form of life, and we are still in those throes of evolutionary development.

What with the irresponsible utterances and damaging actions of several top politicians and notable, respected personalities prior to the elections, I had thought we would not even have the elections at all. Such unguarded utterances like "This is a do or die election for the PDP" from the President himself (though he later said he was quoted out of context); or the chest beating of the Vice President, Abubakar Atiku "No elections without me", "Nobody can ban me", "It is a fight to the finish" or other inane and insane phrases like "I am ready to go to prison" (Ngige) or "I am ready to die to get my mandate". With such irresponsible utterances, I was apprehensive that there won’t be any elections, since I do not know what firepower these people have and what they can do to disrupt the elections or totally terminate our democracy. But then, there we have it, there was an election as indeed Atiku’s name finally had to appear on the ballot papers.

I wonder what would have happened if the Supreme Court had not ordered that Atiku’s name be included in the ballot. Would there have been a civil war or anarchy of some sort or a coup-d’etat? Or would there not have been an election as threatened by the AC? In a previous article, I had actually prayed that Obasanjo and Nigerians should let Atiku run for the Presidency he so much coveted, and look what happened, he came a distant third. I am confident that rigging or no rigging, Atiku could not have won any elections in Nigeria. He even lost in his own ward in Adamawa State. So the Atiku Enigma has been finally laid to rest. If he wants to go the Electoral Tribunal, I wish him and his cohorts the best of luck. But he should not start shouting from the UK and the US, where he is now. I bet we won't see him in Nigeria before and after 29th May 2007. A lways an excuse to be out of the country when the heat is on.
As Akin Osuntokun, Political Adviser to the President stated "The fact that these elections took place at all is a plus for Nigeria. Yes it has fallen short of expectations but it is far from being the worst case scenario. With all its flaws these elections significantly at the national level has responded to three major concerns - which had tended to be obscured and minimized by the context of globalization within which the election has been judged and evaluated. First is the jinx of transfer of power from one elected civilian government to another. Second is the successful management of political cleavages and consolidation of North/South reciprocity on power-sharing. Third is the mitigation of the Niger Delta rebellion resulting from the integration of the region into the Presidential ticket in the choice of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as running mate to Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua"

One of the problems, if I can call it a problem, that we have as a people is our innate inability to accept defeat graciously or to be magnanimous in victory. Nigerians are very poor political losers. Mind you, this unfortunate trait is not unique to Nigerians. It is a characteristic of under-developed nations of Africa and most parts of Asia, but like I always contend, I am not concerned about the rest of the world. My primary concern, at least for now, is that of my country, Nigeria. We have to pick the log in our own eyes before we pick the little bit of sawdust in other’s eyes. It does not matter how that election was conducted or the result called, there would still have been massive protests at the outcome. Even the no-hoper candidates got in on the act. Every party wanted to defeat the ruling PDP on their own, instead of unifying to fight a common enemy. Everybody had their own ego and wanted to flex muscles or place themselves into contentions for political largesse or positions. Most of our politicians have the "scorched earth" syndrome; "if I cant get there at all cost, then you must not get there too" or "if I cant have my way, then I will destroy everything so there wont be anything for you to get to too". Such is the attitude of negative, little men, the way of the shallow-thinking, corrupt politicians, bent on destruction, never progressive and always looking to cut corners to achieve insignificance couched in mediocrity.

Since the end of the elections, I have been trawling through numerous damning, vitriolic and negative reports and articles by supposedly concerned Nigerians, home and abroad. Some calling for new elections, some calling for Obasanjo’s and Iwu’s heads, some calling for interim governments and what not. One writer even cast aspersions on his fellow Nigerians, insulting them and calling them contemptible if they accept the election results. What does this writer want? Another war? And I thought to myself: are these people serious? Do they really have the interest of the country in mind or just looking after their own interests or answering to some faceless disgruntled politicians and stakeholders who are bent on not seeing Nigeria’s democracy survive because their interests are being jeopardised? After all said and done, while the "referees" of the USA, UK and EU and other external and internal election monitoring bodies all said the elections were flawed, they all still heaved a collective sigh of relief that the elections held and Nigeria did not descend into anarchy as previously predicted. They were quick to congratulate the President-elect.

Isn’t it instructive and notable that since the flawed elections, it is on record that more countries and multinational companies are now flooding to Nigeria to invest massively in the economy? Nigerian banks are now opening branches in Western countries and there is even greater trust and confidence in our economy than before the elections. The multinationals have not packed their bags and gone, and the Nigerian capital markets have not crashed, in fact it is growing stronger. They must know something that we don’t.

Here is what Nigeria2day Online published on 9th May 2007: "Foreign investors are mostly upbeat about opportunities in Nigeria despite political uncertainty generated by elections last month that were widely condemned as fraudulent, fund managers and bankers say. Outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose free-market reforms launched since 2003 have been popular with investors, is due to hand over on May 29 to Umaru Yar'Adua, who has said he will continue the reform process. Yar'Adua's election was deemed 'not credible' by international observers who reported widespread vote-rigging, but investors said the fact that there had been an election, no matter how flawed, was reassuring to them. 'The worst case scenario didn't happen. We didn't have anarchy. The market likes that,' said John Niepold, portfolio manager at U.S. investment firm Emerging Markets Management, which has more than $100 million in Nigerian equities."

Why do we always have to see and emphasise the negative aspects of our polity, country and democratic experiment? Why can’t we accept that at least, history is being made by one government actually conducting an election (flawed or not) and will subsequently hand over to another government, albeit the same political party and sometimes with the factor of the incumbent involved? Can we not see the bigger picture and get ready to make necessary changes to our democracy by the next elections in 2011? We must learn from mistakes – experience is the name men give to their mistakes, they say – and be ready to not to make the same mistakes in future.

Yes, no doubt about it, some unwanted and unsavoury politicians got themselves either back or forced themselves in, and this will always happen at every future election, but I think Nigerians have demonstrated that it will not be business as usual for them. Some outgoing governors are already planning their escapes after they lose their immunity, but the borders are being watched by the EFCC. Some of them have also installed mutants and puppets who they hope, will cover their arse, so to speak. So it is obvious that some wrong people got elected via rigging and some were retained in their posts via the same rigging. The elections was therefore by no means perfect, fair or free, as I have agreed. But is anarchy the alternative? No. Some of them might be in now, but may be chucked out by impeachments or the Hands of God. One thing for sure, Nigerians and God are watching them. It is no longer business as usual, as Obasanjo, Ribadu and our ever improving and impressive Judiciary have established, and we should continue to let that work in the favour of the downtrodden Nigerian masses. Our National Assembly have also shown over the past eight years that they are not a mere rubberstamp of the Presidency. That is our only hope. Anarchy will not work. As a matter of fact, we should be thankful that some of these dubious political nonentities did not manage to get through. That is one of the fallouts from flawed elections. Some idiots will get through but the majority of the idiots will not. Those idiots that did get through will be exposed for the charlatans and corrupt people that they are and we, the people, should be able to deal with them.

When politicians do not derive their power and position from the people, and instead force their way into governance through corrupt means, they do not last. Political power must be derived from the people, not from godfathers or via rigged elections. If such powers are not from the people, there is no power at all, only a vague, false sense of power. The common Nigerians on the streets do not need all these muscle-flexing and power-shows. What we need are sincere, honest, knowledgeable, committed and incorruptible leaders to look after us and give us the dividends of democracy and our natural resources. Political leaders who can harness all our resources, human and natural, to provide us with food and water, good healthcare, good roads and transportation, constant electricity, good education and healthcare for our children, a strong economy and a better quality of life. Not those who will milk us dry by stealing our money. Not a governor who will steal N23 billion of his state’s allocations to use it to contest for the Presidency of Nigeria, or others of his ilk.

Another positive aspect of this election is that from what I have been hearing, many Nigerians are now looking forward to the Presidency of the President-elect, Umar Yar’Adua in a different light. Most are positive and the general feeling is that the man may yet out-perform even Obasanjo. Indeed, I am also changing my previous views on him and I have a strong feeling he will surprise many sceptical Nigerians, God grant him good health, knowledge and strength to govern Nigeria. One thing most Nigerians seem to agree on is that he was the best choice from the 25-odd Presidential candidates and that rigged or no rigged elections, Yar’Adua would have won the Presidential elections anyway.

Yar’Adua has extended conciliatory hands to his beaten rivals (and even now several opposition politicians are now lobbying for positions in his government – this sums up the tragedy of the Nigerian opposition; it is always easily compromised, especially with financial gratification... it’s always difficult for them to sustain a fight.); he has promised electoral reform; he has promised to address more vigorously the problems of the Niger Delta and that of electricity; he has promised not to be vindictive; and he seems to be backed by a good and experienced team to help him govern. He must not answer to any sectional or religious interests, no matter how much pressured or tempted he is. The man deserves to be given all the support he needs by Nigerians, not to be undermined and distracted by pettiness and bitterness. Let us rally round him and if he disappoints after four years, we must make sure he and his party bears the consequences and feel the full fury of Nigerians.

Those who are bent on destroying democracy or trying to draw us back in Nigeria are those calling for interim national government or another election or asking Yar’Adua to relinquish his mandate. These clique of politicians are neither being practical nor facing the reality that democracy is here to stay. They are trying to stoke the fire of discontent amongst the people to advance their own selfish cause. They probably want to turn Nigeria into another Sudan, Congo or Iraq because they cannot have their way to steal from, and oppress Nigerians anymore. They are trying to re-invent the wheel. This is a season to reason. The 2007 election has come and gone. Let us move Nigeria forward. Let us help whoever is in power to move Nigeria forward. We must not encumber ourselves with unnecessary distractions. Let’s make the various governments work and if some do not want to make governance work, let’s dispose of them whichever way we want.

LONG LIVE NIGERIA.

Nigerian Oil - Curse of the Black Gold

I came across this article in the National Geographic. Hopefully it provides us with a better understanding of the complicated dynamic that has resulted in the Niger Delta as we know it today. Please read (http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature3/), and as usual, comments will be appreciated.

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The Niger Delta holds some of the world's richest oil deposits, yet Nigerians living there are poorer than ever, violence is rampant, and the land and water are fouled. What went wrong?

Read the rest of the article: http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature3/

15 Excuses for Calling in Sick :)

By Richard Castellini, Senior Career Adviser for CareerBuilder.com
(http://tinyurl.com/32obnt)

When you need a random day off of work, what do you do? Do you schedule a vacation day with your boss, or call in with some overblown cover story? And just how long does it take you to come up with that excuse? With one-in-four workers considering sick days equivalent to vacation time, it's no wonder workers are so crafty at calling in sick.

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CareerBuilder.com recently took a look at employees who call in sick with bogus excuses. Thirty-two percent of workers said they called in sick when they felt well at least once during the last year, down from 43 percent in the 2005 survey. This could be because some employers are evolving to a PTO (paid time off) system, which is a more flexible way for workers to take time off from work. But, workers should be mindful of company policies and their responsibilities as an employee.

The most popular motivator for missing work: good, old-fashioned R&R. Almost half of workers said they needed to relax, while 24 percent wanted to catch up on sleep. Other top reasons included running personal errands (20 percent), doctor's appointments (17 percent), plans with family and friends (16 percent) and housework (16 percent).

Some employers said they typically don't question excuses given, but others were more skeptical. Almost half of employers have caught an employee calling in sick with a fake excuse; 27 percent said they have fired a worker for calling in sick without a legitimate reason.

Forty-one percent of hiring managers said they have received unusual or suspicious sick-day alibis. When asked to share the most unusual excuses workers gave for missing work, hiring managers revealed some of their favorite alibis:

1. Employee was poisoned by his mother-in-law.
2. A buffalo escaped from the game reserve and kept charging the employee every time she tried to go to her car from her house.
3. Employee was feeling all the symptoms of his expecting wife.
4. Employee called from his cell phone, saying that he was accidentally locked in a restroom stall and that no one was around to let him out.
5. Employee broke his leg snowboarding off his roof while drunk.
6. Employee's wife said he couldn't come into work because he had a lot of chores to do around the house.
7. One of the walls in the employee's home fell off the night before.
8. Employee's mother was in jail.
9. A skunk got into the employee's house and sprayed all of his uniforms.
10. Employee had a bad case of hiccups.
11. Employee blew his nose so hard, his back went out.
12. Employee's horses got loose and were running down the highway.
13. Employee was hit by a bus while walking.
14. Employee's dog swallowed her bus pass.
15. Employee was sad.

Richard Castellini is Vice President of Consumer Marketing at CareerBuilder.com. He is an expert in recruitment trends and tactics, job seeker behavior and workplace issues.

Copyright © 1996 - 2007 Experience, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

Do you have any fun excuses you've heard about (or probably given yourself :) to share?

African and Proud - Yes O!

Here is a musical collaboration between Wyclef Jean, 2Face Idibia and Sound Sultan... in the midst of all our so-called troubles, the only thing we should not let anyone, not even the crooked politicians, take away from us is our pride in ourselves, our rich culture, in who we are as a people. We may not be at the promised land yet, but always remember that all these experiences we are going through currently are not unique to us, and like all things, it shall come to pass - it may not be at the pace we would like, but slowly but surely...

Enjoy.

Clash of Civilizations? Maybe not.

With my sweetheart in business school, I got to take part in a number of discourses about organizational behaviour, business relations, financial accounting, in addition to the various parties and get-togethers with the interesting group that makes up his class.

Also, I had the opportunitiy to sit in on a class discussion with one of his professors, talking about Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_civilizations). There were different nationalities at that table: Spanish (from Spain), Spanish (from Columbia), Indian, Chinese, American (as in United States), and Nigerian (of course). Each one of us shared our unique experiences and backgrounds, and it was very interesting to hear their different perspectives on the topic. The summary was that the so-called clash of civilizations is not a real global phenomenon, but a perceived one by those who don't understand the underlying dynamics of societies other than their own.

At the end of this discussion, my fiance and I were encouraged to make a contribution to the class discussion forum of our perspective as Nigerians (Africans). I have included our piece below. As usual, any comments / questions are welcome.

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A civilization, as defined by Huntington, is the highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level of cultural identity people have. However, as homogenous as Africa appears to people to the world, it is not quite that.

The African continent consists of 54 different countries, dozens of religions, and at least 500 fundamentally different languages and cultures. Nigeria, our home country, is made up of about 250 different languages and cultures (ethnic groups), and about a dozen different religions (Islam and Christianity are the dominant religions making up about 92% of the population. The northern region of the country is predominantly Muslim, the south-eastern region is predominantly Christian, while the south-western region is a mix of Islam and Christianity). These cultures and languages are so fundamentally different that if someone from an ethnic group different from ours speaks their language, he/she could be speaking Greek for all we know. Different ideologies, different reference points, and so many other fundamental differences characterize the diversity of the Nigerian people. This type of true diversity is prevalent across the continent. Hence, to speak of an African civilization based on culture is to speak of the Tower of Babel. An African civilization based on common goals, common enemies or economic gains is more probable.

Why civilizations are not likely to clash
Civilizations seem to be a result of a people/nation becoming comfortable with who they are (not feeling oppressed) and then moving on to form relationships with other nations with similar "orientations" to evolve into a civilization. I believe that as people continue to identify with who they are, there will be cultural/ideological/religious clashes between groups; eventually animosity would probably cease to exist when there is some sort of mutual respect - economic or political "equality" - between groups. --- hopefully :)

Democracy vs Dictatorship

A funny take, but with some truth...

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The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting. - Charles Bukowski

That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong. -- William J. H. Boetcker

Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself. -- Harvey Fierstein

Making a Profit While Helping the Poor

For those of us interested in philanthropy and giving back to society (which should be all of us :), this is a very interesting read... a very good example of how we need to change the way things are done if the existing way of doing things is not getting the job done.

Please share your comments about this article - Do you think it's too idealistic? Can this be implemented in our respective societies? Has this article helped generate other ideas?

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Sunday, April 29, 2007 - 12:00 AM

By Kristi HeimSeattle Times business reporter

During a recent visit to the U.S. from India, Vikram Akula walked into a downtown restaurant to talk to a group of well-heeled Seattle philanthropists about how they could help end poverty.
Confident and articulate, he held a microphone and paced in front of the crowd like a talk-show host.

As one of the new mavericks bringing banking to the poor, Akula didn't mention Mother Teresa, the World Bank or the U.N. His guiding lights are Starbucks, Coke and McDonald's.
"My single goal is to eradicate poverty," he said. "The best way to do that is to apply a business model."

SKS Microfinance, which Akula started in 1988, connects opposite ends of the global economy: poor women in India looking for loans to expand their tiny businesses with wealthy investors in the U.S. who are hoping to make a 20 percent profit.

The traditional system of loans to the poor by aid groups, known as "microfinance," relies mostly on charitable donations.

For the whole article, go to http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003685867_philanthropy29.html

Kristi Heim: 206-464-2718 or kheim@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

"It doesn't matter how you come to it... just that you do: Finally recognize that no one is responsible for your life but you." -- Oprah Winfrey

Why is Pork Forbidden in Islam?

A friend of mine sent me this conversation transcript, and I hope it enlightens you the way it enlightened me (BTW, 'Yunus' is the original form of my last name, and it is the Arabic for "Jonah," yes, the Prophet who was in the belly of the whale for 3 days and 3 nights... We are masters in the art of sleeping in my family :). Feel free to make comments, ask questions.

Bob:
Tell me why is it that a Muslim is very particular about the words Halaal and Haraam; what do they mean?

Yunus:
That which is permissible is termed Halaal and that which i not permissible is termed Haraam and it is the Quran which draws the distinction between the two.

Bob:
Can you give me an example?

Yunus:
Yes, Islam has prohibited blood of any type. You will agree that a chemical analysis of blood shows that it contains an abundance of uric acid, a chemical substance which can be injurious to human health.

Bob:
You're right about the toxic nature of uric acid, in the human being it is excreted as a waste product and in fact we are told that 98% of the body's uric acid is extracted from the blood by the kidneys and removed through urination.

Yunus:
Now I think that you'll appreciate the special prescribed method of animal slaughter in Islam.

Bob:
What do you mean?

Yunus:
You see, the wielder of the knife, whilst taking the name of the 'Almighty', makes an incision through the jugular veins, leaving all other veins and organs intact.

Bob:
I see, this causes the death of the animal by a total loss of blood from the body, rather than an injury to any vital organ.

Yunus:
Yes, were the organs, example the heart, the liver, or the brain crippled or damaged, the animal could die immediately and its blood would congeal in its veins and would eventually permeate the flesh. This implies that the animal flesh would be permeated and contaminated with uric acid and therefore very poisonous; only today did our dietitians realize such a thing.

Bob:
Again, while on the topic of food; Why do muslims condemn the eating of pork or ham or any foods related to pigs or swine.

Yunus:
Actually, apart from the Qur'an prohibiting the consumption of pork, bacon (pig flesh); in fact the Bible too in Leviticus chapter 11, verse 8, regarding swine it says, "of their flesh (of the swine another name for pig) shall you not eat, and of their carcass you shall not
touch; they are 'unclean to you.'"

Further, did you know that a pig cannot be slaughtered at the neck for it does not have a neck; that is according to its natural anatomy. A Muslim reasons that if the pig was to be slaughtered and fit for human consumption the Creator would have provided it with a neck.

Nonetheless, all that aside, I am sure you are well informed about the harmful effects of the consumption of pork, in any form, be it pork chops, ham, bacon.

Bob:
The medical science finds that there is a risk for various diseases as the pig is found to be a host for many parasites and potential diseases.

Yunus:
Yes, even apart from that, as we talked about uric acid content in the blood, it is important to note that the pig's biochemistry excretes only 2% of its total uric acid content, the remaining 98% remains as an integral part of the body.

Life, Success & Progress...

Hmmm... It has been a looooonnngggg time! The last 14 or so months have been very eventful, and thanks to the Almighty, have gotten me closer and closer to where I think I should be :). It's been an interesting journey, which is far from over.

Since my last blog post I have gone through an interesting spring internship (Jan - Apr '06), graduated with a Masters degree (Summa Cum Laude, http://tinyurl.com/2uwj4l), started a full-time relationship with the bank I interned with, as an Interest Rate Derivatives Associate (https://www.key.com/html/J-2.11.c.html), got featured as a Cleveland Brain Gain (http://tinyurl.com/3c2ky6), also featured on my alma mater's Alumni Spotlight section (http://tinyurl.com/3ys7od), got myself my first set of wheels ever (http://tinyurl.com/2olphj, mine is blue though :), passed the 1st of 3 CFA exams (http://www.cfainstitute.org/cfaprog), and worked my way to a pay raise and modest bonus at the end of my first 8 months... still waiting for the promotion :D.

Friends and family are also experiencing progress on different levels. In the same time frame, I had the good fortune of experiencing Goizueta Business School's 1-year MBA program through my fiance (http://www.goizueta.emory.edu, pronounced "Goi-zoo-eh-tah"). Through him, my international connection has grown :D. Also, he secured a job offer with Ernst & Young (www.ey.com) before the end of his second of three semesters! Hmm... talk about a high-quality candidate :). He wrote his last paper today - whew!

My Dad is now the CEO of Dunlop Nigeria, PLC (http://www.dunlopng.com) and Chairman of Pamol (Nigeria) Ltd (http://www.dunlopng.com/sub.html). My beloved mum continues to save the world (www.ilo.org). My dear step-mum has fulfilled her dream of being an employer of labor rather than be an employee - her pharmacy, called Hale & Hearty, should be open to the public by the end of the third quarter of 2007 (in the mean time, let us know if you need to have medical supplies delivered :). My favorite uncle is now the CEO of UBA Asset Management (http://www.ubaassetmanagement.com). One of my cousins was selected to go through an international rotational program with his employer (www.citigroup.com, http://tinyurl.com/2ccw6s).

Quite a number of friends and their families have experienced true progress in one form or the other - marriage, children, successful business ventures, promotions, recognition for a job well done, completion of degree programs, new jobs, recovery from illness ... I can go on and on.

Some may think I am being proud and boastful, but the truth is very from that. I am simply counting the numerous blessings the good Lord has made it possible for me and my loved ones to experience. I am also showcasing the result of hardwork, patience, perseverence, discipline, keeping true to ones self, and doing the right thing irrespective what anyone else may think or say.

The last 16 months wasn't without it's share of lessons learnt, shocks and surprises, disappointments, and episodes of outright disbelief! I'll try recount some of those experiences over the next couple of blog posts, hopefully someone will be able to identify with them, and others will learn a thing or two. Bottom line:

1. Human beings are the same wherever you go - the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly (both on the inside and the outside). And that hydra-headed monster called office politics is alive and well and thriving in the environments that feed it - expect a story about that.
2. You never know who is going to be the answer to your prayer(s), so make it a point to treat every one you meet with the utmost respect and regard, irrespective of status, position, or whether you think the person can be useful to you or not.
3. Life is for the living - whenever you are faced with disappointments, hurdles or obstacles, take a step back, evaluate the situation, acknowledge where you personally helped contribute to the situation, learn from your mistakes, lick your wounds, AND MOVE ON!

Now to the questions to be pondered on:

• What is the definition of success?
• Is it impossible to achieve success without doing so at the expense of others?
• Can an individual be taught how to be resilient?
• How do we help others see the light at the end of the tunnel when the tunnel appears to be pitch black, and other people who have completely abandoned attempting to make progress through the tunnel appear to be "succeeding"?
• For those of us who have been lucky enough to make some progress up the success ladder, what have we done to encourage, prod, or push the seemingly less fortunate ones around us up the ladder?

I would appreciate any comments, or even more questions... One of my life philosophies is that anyone who doesn't question life around him/her is not truly living life - hope that makes sense.

Until I ramble again...