Fighting corruption in Malawi

The Malawian budget director was shot and severely wounded on Friday in an attack that appears to be related to his efforts to fight official corruption.

The President of Malawi Joyce Banda’s office confirmed in a statement Sunday that Paul Mphwiyo was the victim of ‘‘a planned and targeted attack aimed at silencing him’’ and others who are fighting corruption and fraud.

The statement said was in a critical but stable condition in a South African hospital.

Budget director Paul Mphwiyo—was receiving death threats prior to his fate.

Why?

Entrepreneurship

I just started a course on Entrepreneurship and we have been asked to write a plan on a business idea.

Do you what to start a business?

Do you believe you can start a business?

These are two different questions that challenge your present state of entrepreneurship. I have a Yes for question one but question two is a completely different matter.

Certain theories of entrepreneurship state that any business venture should reflect the passion of its owner. So how do I integrate a skillset of project management business consultancy with passions for writing, fashion design, television, music into a successful business venture.

Tried it before, it wasn't too successful and now I have stage fright.

What business idea would transition me into a successful entrepreneur?

Do I have the network to grow the idea?

How do I hope to raise the required funding?

Nestling within the answers to these questions lies either success or failure.

 Make that move..........JCGold

Personal Branding

So Dilish from Namibia won Big Brother, old news as it may be, I can not help but reference her in this article on personal brand.

We all have a personal brand which is quite obvious in the way we talk, walk, dress, eat etc. Some people are consciously aware of their brand and work hard to sustain it while others simply go with the flow. However at the end of the day your brand or perceived brand will affect how others treat you. 

"It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad to lose it". Benjamin Franklin

Friendship

Someone i recently thought of as a good friend just recently hurt me.

An item of hers worth roughly 500 pounds got missing in my bag and her reaction was spectacular.
In one breath in less than an hour after the item was observed to be missing, she stressed how expensive the phone was and quite frankly let me know how she regretted going out with me on that faithful day and how she regretted putting the particular item in my bag. I haven't felt so insulted in a long while, miserable night i must confess.

Norwich Festival

The Norwich festival is a more conservative festival, a lot more family friendly, not so much loud street music dancing or nudity.

Nice...........JC Gold

Nottinghill Festival

I was at the just concluded Nottinghill Carnival, dealing with the crowd, loud music and street partying was wild. 

I must confess that the Carribean especially the Jamaican committee was fully represented at the carnival, Jamaican rice seems to be a specialty there. 

However the sights of a lot of half dressed women brings off a sexual undertone to the carnival and i find myself having mixed feelings about the carnival. 

Is it wrong to dance around in fancy underwear all in the name of carnival? Are the individuals or the system to be blamed? If  it felt wrong, why then am i here taking pictures?...........JCGold

Milan Fashion

Did you know this about Italians and fashion


The story of Italian fashion began on 25th February 1951 when Count Giorgini staged a fashion show for an international audience in Florence.
André Suarès wrote that “fashion is the best form of farce, though nobody laughs because everyone takes part”. Dress has always been regarded as a means of self-assertion in society, an instrunment of personal confirmation and an important means of communication for individuals and peoples. It is also the language of desire: a game of flirting glances and emulation that talks about the evolution of costume, of modesty and of imagination over the centuries; erotic motivation is therefore a dominating impulse that determines one’s choice in clothing.

To sum up, the story of Italian fashion unwinds like a fairy tale for its purpose is fundamentally different from that of fashion in Paris, London or New York. For Italians, fashion is an instrument of social redemption whereby class is determined according to what one wears; elsewhere all of this is inconceivable: beyond the confines of Italy, fashion is only a tool for confirming social status.

AOL Finance Report

I just finished my report on the analysis of the financial reports of AOL for the year ended 31st December 2012. This is an extract from the essay...

 AOL has struggled to reinvent itself as a media and news group since its spin-off from Time Warner in 2009.

Its consolidated financial statements reflect a year on year revenue growth from a loss of $795.3million in 2010 to a profit of $13.5million in 2011 and a subsequent income gain of $1,041.8 million in 2012. Advertising revenue - a key measure for the company as it moves away from subscription-based dial-up services to focus on its media outlets such as the Huffington Post- has risen consistently (7.9% in 2012).

However increasing cost of revenues related to increased traffic acquisition costs and special items and the steady decline in subscription revenues leave room for concern.

Victor Anthony at Topeka Capital Markers concludes that AOL shares may “react positively off the headline revenue outperformance” and profit growth, but added that “we would have liked to see growth in domestic display (advertising) as evidence that AOL can fully compete with Google and Facebook” (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013 /02/08/aol-shows-signs-of-revival-with-gains-in-advertising/).

YES, THIS WOMAN Just Had a Baby

As if there weren't enough reasons to hate Halle Berry -- native beauty, gorgeous baby daddy, Oscar -- this is Nahla Ariela's mom, just six weeks after giving birth.

CHRIS BROWN'S BODYGUARD Drake Started Club Brawl With 'F***ing' Rihanna

Drake started the blowout NYC nightclub brawl last summer with Chris Brown ... by sending Brown a handwritten note that read "I'm f***ing the love of your life" -- this according to Chris Brown's bodyguard.

DIDDY'S KIDS Covered in 'White Powder' Suit Blames Baby Mama

Diddy's twin daughters were surrounded by drugs and even covered in a mysterious white powder ... this according to a new lawsuit filed against the baby mama.

Nanny Dawn Drago says she worked for Diddy's ex, Kim Porter, from 2011 to 2012. Drago claims in the lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- Porter chain-smoked pot in the house while the young girls were home.  

Japan carmakers recall 3.4 million vehicles for Takata airbag flaw

(Reuters) - Four Japanese automakers including Toyota Motor Corp, and Nissan Motor Co are recalling 3.4 million vehicles sold around the world because airbags supplied by Takata Corp are at risk of catching fire or injuring passengers.

The move announced on Thursday is the largest recall ever for airbags made by Takata, the world's second largest supplier of airbags and seatbelts. Shares of Takata tumbled almost 10 percent in Tokyo trading.

Touring in Norfolk

Photos from a tour of one of the many ancient castles in East England.

Syria conflict: pictures from the frontline

How sad is this?


The city of Aleppo, in north-west Syria, is witnessing some of the fiercest battles of the country's two-year war between rebel forces and troops loyal to the ruling regime of President al-Assad. Aleppo is currently divided into neighbourhoods controlled by the rival armies. This picture shows Ahmed, the seven-year old son of an Free Syrian Army fighter, standing in front of a barricade were he assists his comrades in the neighbourhood of Salahadeen...  msn.com

Island Nation Cyprus

Cyprus has been a member state of the European Union since 2004

I was recently reading about Cyprus and its possible bankruptcy, and I couldn't decide if this was the case of a failed business strategy and leadership, negligence, false hope or sheer greed.

This is my understanding of the trail of events.

• Pre 2008 Euro zone, the Central Bank of Cyprus only allowed banks use up to 30% of their foreign deposits to support local lending.

• 2008: Cyprus adopts the Euro while ignoring warnings over consequences of the lending boom