Detained---so I was grabbed by the boys after a crazy incident where my card didnt work and I was short paying the taxi who was being a complete jerk, called the police on me who preceded to throw me in the back of the cop truck thing, then took me to the police station and open the doors just to say "get lost!" -man, how crazy was that! I dont know how Andre and I made it too that Mimecast meeting the next morning.
4th of July Planning---wired a 500W halogen light today in the office in preparation which was fun, damn, my shopping list aint nutn nice
Masroefa--my fellow light brite and companion here
Nate and Marg..(somthing) - brother and sis Portugese duo, been cool playing pool and hanging out with them.
Community Project was awesome in Paarl this past weekend, great working with Nathan, Ethan, and Cavendy...crazy nite at the local bar as usual
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Last night I found out Gaucka will be shipped to Ethiopia
The article I read today about Ethiopia...
Ethiopia looks to revive past railway glories
By Elizabeth Blunt BBC News, Ethiopia
A major project is under way to restore Ethiopia's 100-year-old imperial railway, and there are even plans to build a new national network.
The French built it for the Emperor Menelik in the early 1900s, and French influences are everywhere, from the glazed canopies of the Addis Ababa railway station to the startling sight of the Ethiopian station staff in Dire Dawa talking to each other in French as they dispatch a night goods train down the line to Djibouti.
Like so many rail systems, the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway was neglected for years in favour of road transport, but the loss of its main ports when Eritrea gained independence left Ethiopia totally dependent on Djibouti for an outlet to the sea.
This passenger may face a long wait for the next train
The country needed the railway more than ever, but the line was in no fit state for intensive use.
The system is narrow, one metre gauge, with steep gradients on the long haul up from sea level to the Ethiopian highlands.
Some stretches of track are more than a century old; crumbling embankments and decaying bridges limit the weight and speed of the trains.
Recently it has been averaging one derailment a week, and attracting so little traffic that for a time staff frequently went unpaid.
But now, with European Union support, a major restoration project is under way.
Spectacular scenery
Almost a third of the track is being re-laid, using heavier weight rails - 40kg per metre instead of the 20kg rails still in use on some stretches of the line.
The section from Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa has been closed while the work is going on.
The railway to nowhere?
A spectacular stretch of line, near the town of Metahara, where the track runs on a narrow causeway across a volcanic lake, has already been completed.
Workers are strengthening bridges, consolidating embankments, and casting 25,000 concrete sleepers to replace the lightweight metal sleepers which were there before.
Meanwhile, a little desultory traffic still runs on the lower stretch of the line from Dire Dawa to Djibouti - a trainload of fruit and vegetables once a week for sale in Djibouti, coffee for export, trainloads of live camels destined for the meat markets of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.
Coming the other way are all the construction materials needed for the project itself.
When the work is finished, in perhaps 18 months time, the system will still be narrow gauge, but much safer and more robust, able to take heavier trains at faster speeds.
'Pro-poor'
The railway's general manager, To'om Terie, who now sits in his comfortable office in Addis Ababa above a silent, deserted station, says he expects a volume of something like 10 trains a day and a comfortable operating profit.
Mr To'om, who has worked for the railway for more than 30 years, is happy about the prospects for his own railway, but excited too that national policy now officially embraces rail transport.
The government is starting to plan a completely new rail system, with a further 5,000 km (3,100 miles) of lines.
It is early days yet, and Ethiopia is still looking for partners to build such a network.
But the man in charge of the project, Getachew Betru, confirmed that this would be a standard gauge railway, electrified to take advantage of the abundant, cheap electricity expected to be produced by ambitious new hydro-electric schemes soon to come into operation.
It would be primarily designed to carry freight, and although the proposed routes are still confidential, it might - for instance - serve the coffee-producing areas of western Ethiopia, the light industries of the north, the commercial food producing areas south of Addis Ababa, and the fertile, but as yet undeveloped farmlands near the Sudan border.
The French influence is still strong
Mr Getachew talks with enthusiasm about rail transport as the engine of development, and of his conviction that railways are inherently more "pro-poor" than any other transport system - of much more use to Ethiopia's rural dwellers than an expensive network of tarmac road, driven on mostly by tourists and aid workers.
At the moment the new network is still a dream, but given Ethiopia's dramatically-rugged terrain, if it does get built, then it will surely be one of the outstanding railway engineering feats of the 21st Century.
------------------------------------------
I completed a draft of the survey on www.surveymonkey.com to use to do my Sentient PR market research project this July.
Working out everymorning and seeing progress
Looking for drive..reached 100 pages of the Rich Dad...Poor Dad book this morning
Still attempting to build a website...Im totally doing it wrong.
Planned a 4th of July Braai (BBQ). Should be goo.
Ethiopia looks to revive past railway glories
By Elizabeth Blunt BBC News, Ethiopia
A major project is under way to restore Ethiopia's 100-year-old imperial railway, and there are even plans to build a new national network.
The French built it for the Emperor Menelik in the early 1900s, and French influences are everywhere, from the glazed canopies of the Addis Ababa railway station to the startling sight of the Ethiopian station staff in Dire Dawa talking to each other in French as they dispatch a night goods train down the line to Djibouti.
Like so many rail systems, the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway was neglected for years in favour of road transport, but the loss of its main ports when Eritrea gained independence left Ethiopia totally dependent on Djibouti for an outlet to the sea.
This passenger may face a long wait for the next train
The country needed the railway more than ever, but the line was in no fit state for intensive use.
The system is narrow, one metre gauge, with steep gradients on the long haul up from sea level to the Ethiopian highlands.
Some stretches of track are more than a century old; crumbling embankments and decaying bridges limit the weight and speed of the trains.
Recently it has been averaging one derailment a week, and attracting so little traffic that for a time staff frequently went unpaid.
But now, with European Union support, a major restoration project is under way.
Spectacular scenery
Almost a third of the track is being re-laid, using heavier weight rails - 40kg per metre instead of the 20kg rails still in use on some stretches of the line.
The section from Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa has been closed while the work is going on.
The railway to nowhere?
A spectacular stretch of line, near the town of Metahara, where the track runs on a narrow causeway across a volcanic lake, has already been completed.
Workers are strengthening bridges, consolidating embankments, and casting 25,000 concrete sleepers to replace the lightweight metal sleepers which were there before.
Meanwhile, a little desultory traffic still runs on the lower stretch of the line from Dire Dawa to Djibouti - a trainload of fruit and vegetables once a week for sale in Djibouti, coffee for export, trainloads of live camels destined for the meat markets of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.
Coming the other way are all the construction materials needed for the project itself.
When the work is finished, in perhaps 18 months time, the system will still be narrow gauge, but much safer and more robust, able to take heavier trains at faster speeds.
'Pro-poor'
The railway's general manager, To'om Terie, who now sits in his comfortable office in Addis Ababa above a silent, deserted station, says he expects a volume of something like 10 trains a day and a comfortable operating profit.
Mr To'om, who has worked for the railway for more than 30 years, is happy about the prospects for his own railway, but excited too that national policy now officially embraces rail transport.
The government is starting to plan a completely new rail system, with a further 5,000 km (3,100 miles) of lines.
It is early days yet, and Ethiopia is still looking for partners to build such a network.
But the man in charge of the project, Getachew Betru, confirmed that this would be a standard gauge railway, electrified to take advantage of the abundant, cheap electricity expected to be produced by ambitious new hydro-electric schemes soon to come into operation.
It would be primarily designed to carry freight, and although the proposed routes are still confidential, it might - for instance - serve the coffee-producing areas of western Ethiopia, the light industries of the north, the commercial food producing areas south of Addis Ababa, and the fertile, but as yet undeveloped farmlands near the Sudan border.
The French influence is still strong
Mr Getachew talks with enthusiasm about rail transport as the engine of development, and of his conviction that railways are inherently more "pro-poor" than any other transport system - of much more use to Ethiopia's rural dwellers than an expensive network of tarmac road, driven on mostly by tourists and aid workers.
At the moment the new network is still a dream, but given Ethiopia's dramatically-rugged terrain, if it does get built, then it will surely be one of the outstanding railway engineering feats of the 21st Century.
------------------------------------------
I completed a draft of the survey on www.surveymonkey.com to use to do my Sentient PR market research project this July.
Working out everymorning and seeing progress
Looking for drive..reached 100 pages of the Rich Dad...Poor Dad book this morning
Still attempting to build a website...Im totally doing it wrong.
Planned a 4th of July Braai (BBQ). Should be goo.
Friday, June 19, 2009
McDonald's Corporate
McDonald’s to Sell Operating License in South Africa
In 1995, McDonald’s began opening fast-food restaurant locations in South Africa. Today, McDonald’s is still operating and has a portfolio of 123 locations around the country. I have tasted the food and I must say that it is much better than in the states.
Among top stories in business this week involve McDonald’s announcement that it is offering the sale of operating licensing rights of its’ South African locations. The exact term is a Potential Development License. Information disclosing more certain terms will be enclosed in an offering memorandum for those who are qualified with operating experience and are significantly capitalized. The perception I have gained from the newspaper and magazine publications on the matter is that an interested party must be a leader in the financial markets and hold a great deal of liquid cash as well as access to financing. The problem for McDonald’s is finding a qualified candidate won’t be easy. South Africa is just now realizing the recession that the United States has been experiencing for the last two years. Further, the South African government does not appear to have the financial capacity or enabled constituency to invest in a stimulus plan to assist businesses and investors. This has led some to scratch their head as to who will jump at the offer. Don’t freight, there are always naive opportunists.
One may ask why McDonald’s has made this decision in the first place? Well, McDonald’s has stated that they do not have the financial capacity to operate in the South African market but nevertheless desire expansion. Thus, they are looking to seek a partner to operate and develop the business. This is a load of crap. McDonald’s is looking for local investors to operate and expand the business in rough times so that it can focus on core domestic assets (keeping shareholders happy) and still retain ownership rights and brand equity. If fact, McDonald’s retains ALL ownership rights. This includes (but limited to) the brand, corporate identity and all existing real estate property holdings. This means the prospective operator/investor pays all operating and expansion expenses in addition to business licenses and increasing importing costs while McDonald’s only pays existing real estate taxes which will continue to decrease due to diminishing real property market conditions. This is not a local phenomenon. McDonald’s has already executed similar strategy in Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela as well as 13 others around the globe.
The plain fact is local South African market competitors are able to hold the ranks with the leading US fast-food Goliath and McDonald’s does not have a monopoly impact (yet). Wimpy and Steers burger restaurants have more than triple the number of locations as McDonald’s (400 and 476 respectively). Further, several articles have argued that South African’s culturally desire a flame-broiled burger, something that McDonald’s does not offer. Do you blame them? Interestingly, none of the three take the fast-food market leader spot. Kentucky Fried Chicken is the king of the hill. In fact, there are only a few countries where chicken outsells burgers in the fast-food category. South Africa is one of them. Boy, I love fried chicken!
In 1995, McDonald’s began opening fast-food restaurant locations in South Africa. Today, McDonald’s is still operating and has a portfolio of 123 locations around the country. I have tasted the food and I must say that it is much better than in the states.
Among top stories in business this week involve McDonald’s announcement that it is offering the sale of operating licensing rights of its’ South African locations. The exact term is a Potential Development License. Information disclosing more certain terms will be enclosed in an offering memorandum for those who are qualified with operating experience and are significantly capitalized. The perception I have gained from the newspaper and magazine publications on the matter is that an interested party must be a leader in the financial markets and hold a great deal of liquid cash as well as access to financing. The problem for McDonald’s is finding a qualified candidate won’t be easy. South Africa is just now realizing the recession that the United States has been experiencing for the last two years. Further, the South African government does not appear to have the financial capacity or enabled constituency to invest in a stimulus plan to assist businesses and investors. This has led some to scratch their head as to who will jump at the offer. Don’t freight, there are always naive opportunists.
One may ask why McDonald’s has made this decision in the first place? Well, McDonald’s has stated that they do not have the financial capacity to operate in the South African market but nevertheless desire expansion. Thus, they are looking to seek a partner to operate and develop the business. This is a load of crap. McDonald’s is looking for local investors to operate and expand the business in rough times so that it can focus on core domestic assets (keeping shareholders happy) and still retain ownership rights and brand equity. If fact, McDonald’s retains ALL ownership rights. This includes (but limited to) the brand, corporate identity and all existing real estate property holdings. This means the prospective operator/investor pays all operating and expansion expenses in addition to business licenses and increasing importing costs while McDonald’s only pays existing real estate taxes which will continue to decrease due to diminishing real property market conditions. This is not a local phenomenon. McDonald’s has already executed similar strategy in Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela as well as 13 others around the globe.
The plain fact is local South African market competitors are able to hold the ranks with the leading US fast-food Goliath and McDonald’s does not have a monopoly impact (yet). Wimpy and Steers burger restaurants have more than triple the number of locations as McDonald’s (400 and 476 respectively). Further, several articles have argued that South African’s culturally desire a flame-broiled burger, something that McDonald’s does not offer. Do you blame them? Interestingly, none of the three take the fast-food market leader spot. Kentucky Fried Chicken is the king of the hill. In fact, there are only a few countries where chicken outsells burgers in the fast-food category. South Africa is one of them. Boy, I love fried chicken!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
McDonalds nnounces it will sell license to all 123 SA stores
"the US giant, which employs 1.4M people in 31,000 restaurant in 118 countries, plans to license its SA operation - not the brand and intellectual capital to a local partner"
-McDonalds here is much better, they actual flambroil real burgers.
-Ill write a article on McDonalds move in SA, they are number 4 in the fast food market here behind 2local burger joint and (#1) KFC. The have Lousiana Fried Chic type place here called Chicken Lickin'
-Bought Lakers Championship shirts today for myself, uncle and cousin Brandon (first time buying anything from nba.com
-Maybe meet up with Mike and Jimmy (local rasta, one from Malawi, one from Nigeria) so they can show me the local shabeen (informal bar inside a garage or backyard) - Visited one in Soweto and it was a riot, kinda reminded me of Uncle Sherman's house back in Compton...miss those days dearly
-Hit the treadmill this morning for 30 minutes (longest time ever), finally getting in better shape and bought and put up a pull up bar.
-Looking forward to maybe skydiving, kite flying off Table Mountain, or surfing in the next few weekends...
-McDonalds here is much better, they actual flambroil real burgers.
-Ill write a article on McDonalds move in SA, they are number 4 in the fast food market here behind 2local burger joint and (#1) KFC. The have Lousiana Fried Chic type place here called Chicken Lickin'
-Bought Lakers Championship shirts today for myself, uncle and cousin Brandon (first time buying anything from nba.com
-Maybe meet up with Mike and Jimmy (local rasta, one from Malawi, one from Nigeria) so they can show me the local shabeen (informal bar inside a garage or backyard) - Visited one in Soweto and it was a riot, kinda reminded me of Uncle Sherman's house back in Compton...miss those days dearly
-Hit the treadmill this morning for 30 minutes (longest time ever), finally getting in better shape and bought and put up a pull up bar.
-Looking forward to maybe skydiving, kite flying off Table Mountain, or surfing in the next few weekends...
Monday, June 8, 2009
New Blog..a first..it took SA to get it out of me
At work (Sentient Communications) with the gang struggling with a background peice on MEDIAS (www.medias.co.za)
No pandora in SA (desperately in need of music right now)
Roger busy finding youtube videos on the Colbert Report...
Casssie and Wendy are giving me pointers on cookin' Braai (SA bbq-wood rather than charcal)..
Andre's busy on Twitter, work projects, and jamming music in the dope phones...
Looking forward to playing bball at the local baptist church gym (damn I miss mom)...now missing uncle Sherman..
Miss my sisters especially much right now...
No pandora in SA (desperately in need of music right now)
Roger busy finding youtube videos on the Colbert Report...
Casssie and Wendy are giving me pointers on cookin' Braai (SA bbq-wood rather than charcal)..
Andre's busy on Twitter, work projects, and jamming music in the dope phones...
Looking forward to playing bball at the local baptist church gym (damn I miss mom)...now missing uncle Sherman..
Miss my sisters especially much right now...
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