Almost every discussion of business opportunity in Africa focused on the amazing growth of the mobile phone industry. That growth has been astounding, but it’s hard to know whether that growth will be replicable in other sectors.
It’s true, when I was in Kenya and Tanzania last summer I could not believe the number of people I saw using cell phones, selling cell phones, selling the use of cell phones, etc. Almost everybody had a phone, almost every store of every kind sold incredibly cheap SIM cards and credit for prepaid phones. Which was good, because it gave people something to do while sitting in traffic along those countries’ many terrible roads, or while waiting for the power to come back on.
Continue reading ‘Phones phones everywhere’
Two articles caught my eye this week:
firstborn men have, on average, an IQ that is about 2.3 points higher than those who are second-born. The trend continues such that second born men have higher IQs than their third-born brothers, and so on.
the second-born son is 33 percent more likely than the first to be gay, and the third is 33 percent more likely than the second, and so on
So as I start to think about my upcoming research trip, I’ve also begun to wonder whether there’s anything I want to see in the UK during my layover of yet-to-be-determined length. Last time I was in London I did the tourist-thing on the cheap, spending most of my time out-of-doors and taking in the sights that way. Didn’t go in any churches, only went in one museum: you get the idea.
One thing I did get to see in this way is a site I recommend to anyone who might be into stamps, blue plaques, and/or world’s firsts: the spot where the General Letter Office stood from 1653-1666, in which the first postmarks in the world were struck in 1661.
Wanderlust-stricken philatelists might also travel to Malindi, in Kenya, in order to visit the German Postal Museum there. Malindi is, of course, one of a number of East African island destinations. Unlike Mombasa, which outside of Old Town has become quite urban and modern in the last century or so, and Zanzibar, with its tourist-ridden Stone Town, Malindi is supposed to have remained relatively unchanged. Unfortunately, I never made it there, so I can’t confirm or deny it. If I had, I certainly would have visited the museum, although I would have had to do it alone: surprisingly, not everybody is as excited about the history of the German postal service in Africa as I am. So keep that in mind while making your plans.
I did make it to Zanzibar, however, famous for being the home of Queen’s Freddie Mercury. But it just wasn’t the same.
According to one German newspaper, aid for those affected by the tsunami is coming first and foremost not from “the nice” (Europe), but “the strong” (the US, Australia, and India). This, despite the fact that the article makes several references to the failure of European governments to even discuss the situation during the first ten days after the tsunami hit. Something tells me that if a similar disaster had occurred in North America, “the ‘nice’” would be quicker to act. How nice.
This is more a list for me than anything else, but those interested can browse through…
Continue reading ‘News from all-over’
Thanks to Jay I’m trying out Furl, a quick way to archive web pages of interest.
The Olympics come to a close.
Michael Moore using footage without consent? I’m shocked! Shocked!
Like playing Skat? Now you can play anywhere there’s a computer. (via Webpropaganda)Wenn man Skat mag, kann man jetzt überall spielen, wo es ein Computer gibt. (von Webpropaganda)
