The 411…

Entries from November 2008

Why Wait to Have Sex in Marriage? A man’s perspective…

November 26, 2008 · 2 Comments

Some wait for sex… Why? There’s a saying that goes, “The best plan is to profit by the folly of others…” That’s what this article is about. I want to share with you a few things I’ve learned — the hard way — concerning girls & relationships. Specifically, I’ve jotted down eight reasons why I’m now waiting until marriage to have sex…

1) I now know that sex isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…

During my sexpades in high school & a bit in campus, I remember having an experience that I referred to as a “love hangover.” After being with a girl, the next morning I always felt an emptiness. I was so empty & almost suicidal. Media told me sex was the in thing & that i would get fulfillment. WHAT A BUNCH OF LIARS!!! That’s something you won’t see on TV or in the movies, but it happens a lot. There was emptiness, even regret, afterwards.

The “love hangover” was a strange occurrence for me. Mainly because sex was my “god.” As a male, it’s what I thought about morning, noon & night. So you would imagine that having sex would have been completely fulfilling — the crowning achievement in the worship of my “god.” And yet, there was always a lack of fulfillment afterwards.

Has that been your experience, too? Have you ever had a “love hangover”? If you have, you should stop and consider, “Why is that? Why is it that sex, if it’s so important to me, leaves me with an empty feeling?”

I remember being confused by this emptiness. I then concluded: “I just need more, that’s all.” (We often think this way about stuff we hope will fulfill us, then doesn’t, e.g. we get the car we’ve always wanted but then it’s just “okay” after awhile. Instead of realizing that a car can’t really satisfy us, we usually make the error of thinking, “Well, I guess that wasn’t the right car. A different one will give me lasting fulfillment.”)

But the emptiness continued. So, finally, I came to the conclusion that premarital sex wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It gets too much hype. It’s not what the movies make it out to be. If it were, it would be completely fulfilling. There wouldn’t be any “emptiness.”

2) I now want to be more honorable toward women…

I’ve found that girls often don’t fully understand what’s going on when it comes to sex, i.e. their perspective on the whole thing is very different from a guy’s. Often a girl will justify sex by saying, “But I love him,” even if she doesn’t really want to go through with it. Why does that happen? It’s been said that, “Girls use sex to get love, guys use love to get sex.”

This is how it works: the girl is picturing marrying the guy some day; the guy is picturing everything he wants to do with the girl before he goes back to tell his buddies about it & while something inside her is telling her it’s the right thing to do, something inside the guy is telling him just the opposite, yet he proceeds. Why? For the physical pleasure no doubt, but also, I think, for another reason: it makes him feel like a man. But there is a great irony in that, for what is manly about deceiving a woman?

Something I’ve discovered is that, when you honor a woman, you are honoring yourself. Why? Because someday you will have regret & the regret will last much longer than the pleasure. In the movie Rob Roy, the main character says, “Honor is a gift a man gives himself.” When you honor a woman by doing what you know to be right in your heart (i.e. what’s in her best interest), you honor yourself & insure that you will have no long-lasting regrets to live with.

3) That’s somebody else’s wife…

Here’s what I mean: most of the girls I’ve been with are now married to other men. When I put myself in the shoes of those men, I wish that I hadn’t done what I’ve done. In fact, I might even like to punch myself in the nose for it.

And so it goes without saying that when I get married, I’m not going to like the idea that someone else has had his way with my wife. What about you? Do you like the idea of someone else being with your wife? If you have a girlfriend now & feel that way, think of how much stronger that feeling will be with your wife someday.

You can even take it a step further. That girl is someone’s daughter. What if she were my daughter? Or what if she were my sister? Would I want some guy like me taking advantage of her? I now see girls from a different perspective. They’re someone else’s future wife, someone else’s daughter, sister, etc.

4) Sex has killed my best relationships…

For example, I now have a college sweetheart and now things are so thick between us & fear we might break up & be heart broken just because we had sex before marriage. I really love her & I pray day & night that we do not break up. I LOVE HER SO MUCH, the girl of my dreams. With her, there was never a dull moment. We totally “clicked.” We waited for awhile, then, through my initiation, we started having sex.

Sex soon became the focus of our relationship. I stopped wanting to get to know her on any other level. So, instead of growing closer together, we actually started drifting apart.

That’s what I mean by “sex killed my best relationships.” People can relate on many different levels — emotionally, mentally, physically & spiritually. But when my girlfriend and I started relating mostly physically, it short-circuited the other parts of our relationship. As a result, the relationship as a whole started to go south. We might still be together today if we had waited.

I’ve seen this happen with countless relationships, not just others of my own, but those of many other people. And I think there’s a reason for this, which I’ll explain next.

5) Sex before marriage ruins the other parts of the relationship…

For me, two things happened once I had sex with a girl. As I look back on it, I can say that they happened literally every time, although I was unaware of these dynamics at the time.

The two things were this:
1) I lost respect for the girl (even though I didn’t want to).
2) She began to mistrust me (even though she didn’t want to).

I don’t know why this happened, I just know that it did. Maybe it’s just built into “the system.” But one thing’s for sure: I’m not alone. I’ve seen it happen over and over again. I know many people having marital problems because they engaged in premarital sex. They go into the marriage with lack of respect & lack of trust, two absolute necessities for the health of any marriage.

I know a newlywed couple who have sex less than once a month because of this — he doesn’t respect her, she knows it & she doesn’t trust him, so she doesn’t want to give herself to him. It’s very sad & more common than you might think but nobody talks about this kind of thing in public. The movie & TV portrayals of couples having sex before marriage never present it either. It’s like no one wants to acknowledge that it’s happening, even though it is.

6) Waiting to have sex with my wife will mean better sex in my marriage…

Why? Because we’ll go into the marriage with me having more respect for her & her having more trust in me. One thing I’ve learned: if a girl doesn’t trust a guy, she doesn’t want to give herself wholly to him. Deep down, she doesn’t really enjoy being with him.

This is how it works. Since “girls use sex to get love, and guys use love to get sex,” a couple will have sex before marriage. The girl does this to hold on to the relationship. The guy does it because he wants it even more than the relationship itself. Then, after the marriage, the woman has what she wants: a commitment from the man. So she doesn’t need to use sex to get him anymore.

And, because she may be harboring resentment because he had sex with her before they were married, she is now not interested in sex. And the guy — who doesn’t treasure his wife because of the sex before marriage — still wants sex but not as a total bonding experience with his wife. It’s just sex, which she figures out. So, there is a lousy sex life in the marriage.

I’m not making this stuff up. Now that I’m out of college & many people around me are getting married, I’m seeing it happen all the time. The antidote: waiting for marriage to have sex will give the man a greater respect for his wife & the woman a greater respect for her husband & consequently, they’ll have better & more frequent sex because they respect each other more & love each other more deeply.

7) Not having sex with other women will mean better sex in my marriage…

Sex is a mysterious thing that causes a deep bond between people, even if we call it “casual.” The problem is this: the more I bond with other girls, the less I’ll be able to bond with my future wife. It’s like a piece of scotch tape — the more you use it on different surfaces, the less it sticks to things. After awhile, it won’t stick to anything.

If I bond with other girls before I get married, I won’t be able to bond as well with my wife someday. I won’t cherish her as much as I could have, and consequently I won’t love her as much as I could have. Each day that passes that I’ve remained faithful to my future wife means that my relationship with her will be better.

It’s a funny thing: our culture decries adultery, yet it freely condones premarital sex, even with multiple partners. That’s ironic. Because, if you take the element of time out of the equation, premarital sex is adultery. We can imagine how adultery would greatly injure a marriage relationship, maybe premarital sex actually has nearly the same result. It injures the potential bond between a man and a woman.

8) I don’t have to sleep with a woman to know if we’re “sexually compatible.”

Sex is meant to compliment a relationship, not be the most important aspect of it. That’s what I’ve found out. It’s supposed to be the icing on the cake when all the other aspects of your relationship are working well.

I’ve come to understand that the sex will be good if the rest of the relationship is good. That’s why I know I don’t have to sleep with my future wife to find out if we’re sexually compatible. If we get along in every other area, the sex will be fine.

Something else needs to said here. Another thing I think I’ve “discovered” is this: when you place sex as the determining factor of the relationship, it will probably result in poor sex. Think about it. If you put your sexual relationship under a microscope, always judging it and judging the relationship by it, it’s doomed to fail. It’s like being in prison. You’re locked in to something that is supposed to be freeing, not incapacitating.

But, when you focus on the other parts of the relationship & the sex isn’t the focus, then you’re freed up to have a more enjoyable sex life, with no pressure of having to make it always spectacular (because it won’t be.) And yet, I don’t think that as a college-age adult I was capable of not focusing on sex, that is, unless it wasn’t present at all. That’s why I think it’s best to wait altogether.

Categories: Societal Awareness

Humorous Thoughts on Information Systems Analysis…

November 19, 2008 · Leave a Comment

All you system analysts out there, this one’s for you…

Categories: Humour

Top 10 Ways to Be Happy at Work…

November 18, 2008 · Leave a Comment

1) Choose to Be Happy at Work.

Happiness is largely a choice. I can hear many of you arguing with me, but it’s true. You can choose to be happy at work. Sound simple? Yes. But, simplicity is often profoundly difficult to put into action. I wish all of you had the best employer in the world, but, face it, you may not. So, think positively about your work. Dwell on the aspects of your work you like. Avoid negative people and gossip. Find coworkers you like and enjoy and spend your time with them. Your choices at work largely define your experience. You can choose to be happy at work.

2) Do Something You Love Every Single Day.

You may or may not love your current job and you may or may not believe that you can find something in your current job to love, but you can. Trust me. Take a look at yourself, your skills and interests, and find something that you can enjoy doing every day. If you do something you love every single day, your current job won’t seem so bad. Of course, you can always make your current job work or decide that it is time to quit your job.

3) Take Charge of Your Own Professional and Personal Development.

A young employee complained to me recently that she wanted to change jobs because her boss was not doing enough to help her develop professionally. I asked her whom she thought was the person most interested in her development. The answer, of course, was her. You are the person with the
most to gain from continuing to develop professionally. Take charge of your own growth; ask for specific and meaningful help from your boss, but march to the music of your personally developed plan and goals. You have the most to gain from growing – and the most to lose, if you stand still.

4) Take Responsibility for Knowing What Is Happening at Work.

People complain to me daily that they don’t receive enough communication and information about what is happening with their company, their department’s projects, or their coworkers. Passive vessels, they wait for the boss to fill them up with knowledge. And, the knowledge rarely comes. Why? Because the boss is busy doing her job and she doesn’t know what you don’t know. Seek out the information you need to work effectively. Develop an information network and use it. Assertively request a weekly meeting with your boss and ask questions to learn. You are in charge of the information you receive.

5) Ask for Feedback Frequently.

Have you made statements such as, “My boss never gives me any feedback, so I never know how I’m doing.” Face it, you really know exactly how you’re doing. Especially if you feel positively about your performance, you just want to hear him acknowledge you. If you’re not positive about your work,
think about improving and making a sincere contribution. Then, ask your boss for feedback. Tell him you’d really like to hear his assessment of your work. Talk to your customers, too; if you’re serving them well, their feedback is affirming. You are responsible for your own development. Everything else you get is gravy.

6) Make Only Commitments You Can Keep.

One of the most serious causes of work stress and unhappiness is failing to keep commitments. Many employees spend more time making excuses for failing to keep a commitment, and worrying about the consequences of not keeping a commitment, than they do performing the tasks promised. Create a system of organization and planning that enables you to assess your ability to complete a requested commitment. Don’t volunteer if you don’t have time. If your workload is exceeding your available time and energy, make a comprehensive plan to ask the boss for help and resources. Don’t wallow in the swamp of unkept promises.

7) Avoid Negativity.

Choosing to be happy at work means avoiding negative conversations, gossip, and unhappy people as much as possible. No matter how positively you feel, negative people have a profound impact on your psyche. Don’t let the negative Neds and Nellies bring you down.

8) Practice Professional Courage.

If you are like most people, you don’t like conflict. And the reason why is simple. You’ve never been trained to participate in meaningful conflict, so you likely think of conflict as scary, harmful, and hurtful.
Conflict can be all three; done well, conflict can also help you accomplish your work mission and your personal vision. Conflict can help you serve customers and create successful products. Happy people
accomplish their purpose for working. Why let a little professional courage keep you from achieving your goals and dreams? Make conflict your friend.

9) Make Friends.

In their landmark book, First, Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman list twelve important questions. When employees answered
these questions positively, their responses were true indicators of whether people were happy and motivated at work. One of these key questions was, “Do you have a best friend at work?” Liking and enjoying your coworkers are hallmarks of a positive, happy work experience. Take time to get to know them. You might actually like and enjoy them. Your network provides support, resources, sharing, and caring.

10) If All Else Fails, Job Searching Will Make You Smile.

If all of these ideas aren’t making you happy at work, it’s time to reevaluate your employer, your job, or your entire career. You don’t want to spend your life doing work you hate in an unfriendly work environment. Most work environments don’t change all that much. But unhappy employees tend to grow even more disgruntled. You can secretly smile while you spend all of your non-work time job searching. It will only be a matter of time until you can quit your job – with a big smile.

Categories: Workforce

Africa’s First Communications Satellite Fails…

November 18, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Africa’s first communications satellite has suffered an energy failure just 18 months after its launch…

Full story: http://allafrica.com/stories/200811171400.html

Categories: Corporations

Microsoft denies paying contractor to abandon Linux…

November 17, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Microsoft has denied paying a Nigerian contractor US$400,000 in a bid to battle Linux’s movement into the government sector.

Full story: http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/11/11/microsoft-denies-paying-contractor-abandon-linux

Categories: Corporations

Imagine a Cyber in a ma3…

November 17, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Could this be the next technological advancement of public transport in Kenya?

Full story: http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/10/microsofts-desktop-equipped-mass-transit-bus-is-a-boss-dream/

Categories: Innovations

M-Pesa: How It Works…

November 17, 2008 · 7 Comments

FAQs – M-PESA GENERAL INFORMATION

What is M-PESA?

M-PESA is an innovative mobile payment solution that enables customers to complete simple financial transactions including person to person money transfer. It is aimed at mobile customers who do not have a bank account, either by choice, because they do not have access to a bank or because they do not have sufficient income to justify a bank account.

Do I need to have a bank account?

No. M-PESA has been designed so that people without bank accounts can use it. Your money is held safely in a bank account run by M-PESA on your behalf. You do not have any contact with the bank and the bank does not have your details.

Do I need to have a minimum amount in my account like some banks ask for?

No. Your M-PESA account can have a much or as little money in it as you like between zero and Ksh50,000 at any time.

Do I need to pay any service charges for having an M-PESA account?

No. M-PESA charges you on a pay-as-you-go basis every time you do a transaction. You’re only charged for the transactions you have initiated.

I already have a bank account. Can I access it using M-PESA
No. M-PESA is completely separate to any other account you may have.

Can I use my Safaricom airtime to top up my M-PESA account

No. Your M-PESA account is completely separate from your Safaricom airtime. You cannot buy M-PESA value using airtime. However you can use your M-PESA value to buy airtime for your own or another Safaricom subscriber’s phone. Safaricom subscribers do not need to be registered for M-PESA to receive airtime from you.

Can I top up a Zain number?

No. At present, you can only buy airtime for Safaricom numbers.

What services are available?
  • Deposit money
  • Withdraw money
  • Transfer(send) money to another M-PESA customer
  • Send money to someone who isn’t an M-PESA customer and they do not necessarily need to be Safaricom customers
  • Buy Safaricom prepaid airtime for yourself and other Safaricom subscribers
  • Manage M-PESA account
  • Pay bill (this function is not fully operational and is still in undergoing test)
How do customers register for M-PESA?
  1. If you are already a Safaricom customer, you may need a SIM replacement to get a NEW SIM with the M-PESA function. SIM replacement will be done through the normal Safaricom procedure.
  2. If you got your Safaricom SIM recently, it may already have the M-PESA menu. Check by going into your phone menu and selecting “Safaricom”. If your SIM already has M-PESA you will see the M-PESA option on the menu.
  3. If you’re not a Safaricom subscriber, you will have to purchase a Safaricom line with the M-PESA menu to enable you to register as a new M-PESA customer.
  4. Before you regsiter, ensure you have an M-PESA enabled SIM Card (Refer to Points 1,2 or 3 above where applicable).
  5. Register for free in any M-PESA Agency in order to open an M-PESA account. Registration takes about 3 minutes; you will need to have your M-PESA enabled Safaricom SIM and your ID card. You will also be required to sign an agreement to the Terms & Conditions of service.
Are there any charges for SIM Swaps?

SIM swaps are FREE.

What are the benefits of M-PESA?

M-PESA allows you to make transactions simply and securely in a few seconds by using SMS technology. This has many benefits to customers in terms of convenience, security and ease of use. The pricing is competitive compared with other formal money transfer services.

How does M-PESA work?
  • To load money into your M-PESA account you need to go to an M-PESA Agent and make a cash deposit which results in electronic money being transfered into your M-PESA account (This is confirmed by an SMS received by both the Agent and the Customer).You can then conveniently transfer money to other mobile phone users by sms transaction.
  • To withdraw cash from your M-PESA account or (for unregistered customers to get cash), you need to go to an M-PESA agent and make an electronic transfer to the agent who will exchange this for cash.
Does M-PESA work across networks?

Only Safaricom customers can register for M-PESA. However the person you are sending money to does not need to have an M-PESA account or be a Safaricom subscriber.
The M-PESA service is cheaper if you send money to a registered M-PESA customer.

Can I use M-PESA if my line is expired?
  • You cannot use M-PESA if your line is expired since M-PESA is dependent on the Safaricom SMS service.
  • You will be able to use M-PESA to perform top-ups, even if your line is expired. Topping up will make your line active again!
How do I get my start up key, if I forget and have no funds?
  • If a customer needs a new start key, he will need to deposit money into his M-PESA account. He can do this WITHOUT an M-PESA menu on his phone, as long as he is registered.

What is the difference between a registered M-PESA customer and an unregistered customer?

An M-PESA customer’s SIM-Card has the full M-PESA menu and is able to carry out all the services described above.

An unregistered customer is one that receives money from an M-PESA customer and does not have to be a Safaricom subscriber. An unregistered customer can only get the cash sent to him/her but cannot carry out other M-PESA transactions.

AGENT INFORMATION

Who are the M-PESA Agents?

  • Safaricom dealers, operating one or more outlets around Kenya
  • Other retailers with a substantial distribution network like petrol stations, distributors, supermarkets and Registered SMEs
  • Selected Banks and Micro-Finance Institutions

How do I become an M-PESA agent?

Any interested party will need to contact the M-PESA department for vetting and signing of contract so as to become an M-PESA agent. For more information on ‘How to become an Agent’ email: M-PESA@Safaricom.co.ke

CUSTOMER INFORMATION

What do I do in case of a wrong transfer?

Wrong transfers are reversible on the M-PESA system, upon rigorous vetting of the sender and recipient and if the money has not yet been cashed or withdrawn. If you make an incorrect transaction, please call 234 for assistance.

Can I top up using M-PESA if my account is expired?

It is possible to top up even if the line is expired

Is it possible to top up unregistered users?

Yes, you can top-up any Safaricom pre-paid SIM using your M-PESA account.

Can I top up if I am a Safaricom Advantage customer?

Safaricom Advantage customers will be able to top up other Safaricom Pre-paid accounts but not their own account.

Can I register if I have a Celtel number?

M-PESA is available for Safaricom mobile users only. Celtel subscribers will have to churn to Safaricom. If you do not have a Safaricom SIM Card, we will be happy to provide you one at current market rates.

Can my present SIM-Card use M-PESA?

  • Check by going into your phone menu and selecting “Safaricom”. If your SIM already has M-PESA you will see the M-PESA option on the menu, if not, you need to do a SIM Replacement.

What happens if I do not get an SMS from M-PESA confirming the transaction?

On occasion there is a delay in receiving your SMS from M-PESA for more than 20 minutes, call the customer service line 234 who will advise on the status of your transaction on the M-PESA system.

What happens if the Safaricom network is down?

As M-PESA relies on SMS messages, if the Safaricom SMS service is down, M-PESA will not function.

When will my start key expire?

Start keys do not expire.

What happens if I lose my SIM?

You should get a replacement SIM in the usual way. You can use your existing M-PESA PIN to activate the menu on your new SIM.

How many times can I change my secret word.

We currently have no limit to the number of times you can change your secret word.

I received my confirmation message with secret word, but the M-PESA menu has not come through

Use the new PIN you changed to on activation as the current start key then activate/wezesha once more. In the unlikely event that this doesn’t work call customer support to generate a new start key, for this activation. Unless some money is deposited generation of a start key will not be possible.

I have a Motorola C113 and can’t activate my account?

There are a number of Motorola phones that don’t receive the Safaricom menu. In that case you need to use another model of phone to receive the menu then return the SIM to your motorolla phone and it will function well.

Is a photocopy of my passport or ID sufficient to register, or do cash transactions at an Agent?

No – we need to see your original ID. Driving License is not sufficient. Aliens Certificate is a form of Kenyan ID & is o.k.

I have a 7 digit ID – what will I use to activate?

  • Add a zero at the end of the seven digit number to make it eight digit.
  • In case you have a passport you need to replace the alphabets with zeros e.g. A34558K will become 34558000

Will my transactions be limited to the Agency store where I registered?

No. You will be able to carry out transactions at any M-PESA agency store and not limited to where you registered.

What happens when I lose my M-PESA SIM?

Call line 234 to have your account suspended. Proceed and get a SIM swap to retain your number and activate your SIM as normal using your previous M-PESA PIN you will receive your menu once more to continue enjoying the service. Note that you will need to call customer services to release your account to enable you activate properly.

How safe is my money?

If registered your money is safe since every transaction requires identification in form of a secret PIN. This is enhanced by use of Secret word for any call to customer care.

I am not receiving SMS confirmation for the transactions I have done

This could be as a result of the following:

  • Your inbox is full, so delete some messages
  • You have diverted messages to screened messages, check the Screened Messages Inbox. If the messages are ther, remove M-PESA from the Screened numbers list.
  • If none of the above works, contact Safaricom Customer Care on 234 for more assistance.

I am not receiving any SMSes

  • If none of the above works, contact Safaricom Customer Care on 100 for more assistance

Can i buy airtime through M-PESA if i’m out of the country?

Yes. As long as there is M-PESA value in your account and you have roaming on your line.

Categories: Products

America’s First Family…

November 5, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Categories: History