OF LIFE'S CRUELTY

Life is cruel my friends, I have to say this, if not to you then to a person you know. However, if you cannot relate to the former or the latter, then I am willing to bet anything that at that very moment being cruel to a person you don’t know. OK enough with the somewhat savvy introduction (now lemme just say for clarification that the word savvy here has been used with no knowledge whatsoever of its meaning you can look it up later to improve on your vocab. I will also do that, but for now just read on). 12-April-2012 life was cruel to me, someone I know and someone I don’t know. I will go on to tell the three stories if you don't mind.

Let’s start with the person I don’t know. I was seated in class seriously cramming for a research methodology exam that was to begin in an hour’s time. The downside to cramming in a noisy environment is that you have an attention span of about 11 seconds, the rest of the time is spent flipping your notes trying to find something easier to grasp or eaves dropping other people’s conversations. Today I fell victim to the latter. The topic of discussion was ‘of stupid cons’. Tales of the exploits conmen have done. life’s cruelty took its place to this person that I don’t know when him and his friend were offered a job by a stranger. The guy was smartly dressed in a suit and everything when he approached the two guys.. ‘niaje maboys’  I imagine he started with them..’can I interest you with a job that will change your life forever, gimme just five minutes of your time’ he went on. Long story short he told them about this new job opportunity that would pump in a weekly wage of 10,000 untaxed Kenyan shillings per week.. and as I had mentioned earlier I was eaves dropping so I dint have the luxury of asking for the details. Anyway I don’t know this person so it’s the least of my concern what they were told and from the look of things this was not your ordinary ORIFLAME or GNLD sales person. The boys were hyped and as most cons go the conman had already fished and reeled them in now it was time to built on the trust of his marks.(for those who have watched the series hustle these terms are familiar, for those who haven’t I suggest you do.) Nonetheless he walked with them down to nyamakima bus ama is it nissan station claiming that he was travelling to Nakuru to sign off his deals then bring his new booming business to the city but he wanted the two guys to keep track of his business while he was gone (at an extra cost off course.) He mumbled and mumbled about how the business is big and how they were to take Kenya by storm then came the moment of ‘reproof’ (again reproof here is strategically placed for the expansion of your current vocab.) so the guy gave 100 sh to one of the boys and asked him to rush to the shop and buy him 10 black plastic paper bags. Just before he left he told him to leave his phone with his friend because the place is famous for ‘pinjism’ sheng for pick.pocketry if there is a word like that.. very well he thought, and gave his friend the phone.. once he was out of sight the guy asked the other boy..’I told him black paper bags right’, ‘yeah you did’ he retorted back..’nQt(capitalized Q to show the loudness of the click) I need a yellow one too, can you rush and tell him that..’ enthusiastically he dashed to update his friend on the new development but just before he left the guy asked him, “are you seriously going to go with the phones? remember this is not the safest place to be walking with two phones..” without a thought and really foolish trust he gave the stranger his and his friend's and dashed off unsuspectingly.. now at this point of the story I realize that I am supposed to be cramming so I stop listening but the thought on how cruel life can be to someone I don’t know lingers*.

Life’s cruelty to a person I know. Engineer O.O as I will refer to him is a student at a polytechnic university college in the country and he had a hostel that he shares with his cousin. On 12-April-2012 a lady with a baby comes into their hostel room and sets camp there. She claims that the cousin had impregnated her and it is time he takes responsibility for his actions. Engineer O.O being a soft spoken ‘nom.heping’ guy (nom.heping here derived from the sheng word noma and hepa which when foolishly combined and loosely translated mean trouble run away.er) if English words can originate from Latin and Greek then this you must admit that its really clever of me to derive words from Sheng too. Back to Engineer O.O. Therefore, Engineer decides to leave in the early hours of the night to better his chances of getting a place to sleep. Oh life thou art a heartless sandy place with vast amounts of water/ a female dog.

Finally to life’s cruelty on me and by now I am sure after hearing these to you must think that I am worse than they are, let me disappoint you anyway. Mine is a story of self reproof*(* Kama kawaida definition and application is unpanned*)  I unlock modems, unblock phones , unlock phones, flash custom ROMs flash phones, troubleshoot phone issues, develop and change boot animations  and oem logos for android phones and the list is endless..skills acquired from googling and youtubing. So my friends nicknamed me cracker..This is the predecessor of the okambo nickname I am using right now. On this fateful date that is 12-April-2012 I was brought a nokia 2700c phone that had been attacked by a really serious virus that made it boot to a plain white screen.. As a usb flasher I require a phone to actually connect in pcsuite mode so that I can proceed with flashing it but today was not one of those days. My pride had already led me to ask for a down payment of 500 shillings. I got to school and the lib was full.. its exam time and everyone is chopping from everywhere sanasana the lib. So I walk out frustrated. I don’t like the schools wireless connection because its flooded and really slow..not exactly slow but once you have experienced the 4mbps download speed of the  schools cable connection in IDM then the wirelesses 130-280kbps speeds seem really slow.(these are crazy speeds don’t let me tell you nothing about slowness apaivi, ni maringo tu ya penny mbili ninayo) but after swallowing the ‘a lot’ of the pride I had in me I connect wirelessly to the school mtandao and as I switch on the phone I realize that it doesn’t go past the nokia handshake..’shootingstar’ or ‘faCtortree’ another moment to explain the words in quotes, I have recently turned a new leaf from the really bad habit of cursing, which wasn’t an easy journey. Now my theory is, that you have to replace the curse words with less offensive words and they should be really long cumbersome words, which makes them hard to keep saying, finally it will get to a point where one will need no word to express their anger. It actually works. anyway after reading blog after blog I find nothing and finally resort to taking it to the ‘bloodsuckers’ that are the ‘phone.fundi’s’ . ‘That will cost you 500 shillings because this phone.. you know..this model..they really are a pain in the “I.don’t.know.where.. kugongwa!! but what was I to do.. so I give him the mulla and he says that it will takes like 45 mins to flash it.. ukayeshi!! Now this is done in the back room and fyi flashing is like 7-10 mins tops, he is just parking me out here so that I think than ‘enyewe..ii kazi si mchezo..’ now this is not the cruelty. As I am on my way home, I am browsing on  my smart phone a few things about offline usb flashing when I come across (Information Technology and Communication Blog Offline Flashing Upgrade Nokia Firmware Tutorial) Here. In this tut. there is a section handling dead nokia flashing. ‘shootingstar’ I think again. If only I took more time to research, if only Engineer O.O didn’t have to move out and he had nothing to do with the bol. If only the second kid wasn’t foolish to trust the stranger and sell 2 phones for plastic paper bags. Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps. Our view of life is limited by our humanness but we can trust ourselves to the one with an unlimited view. We see in part; God sees in whole. Job 34:21

Have a blessed Rest of your life situation.

Of KUBER and why its not so harmless

KUBER- this thing is tobacco and let nobody tell you otherwise. It’s cured, shredded tobacco that's sold moist or as a dried, ground powder. Both forms are often flavored with mint or menthol additives.

Ingredients: Tobacco, Lime, Water, Menthol, Oil, Mixed Spices & Natural Artificial Flavors, Added Flavors. REF: here.

Actions/Effects: The drug that smokeless tobacco delivers is the stimulant nicotine, which acts on receptors for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, triggering changes throughout the body. Effects are identical to those of smoking and include feelings of alertness and relaxation, and increases in both heart rate and blood pressure.

Risks/Side Effects: Common side effects linked to smokeless tobacco are:-

1.        Erodes Tooth-The ingredients of tobacco consist of gravels, sand, and other harmful chemicals that erode the enamel of tooth and discoloration 

2.       Gum slump-Chewing leads to decomposing of gums, the gums get infected and the grip on tooth loosens which exposes the sensitive area of tooth.

3.       Damage to tongue, jaw and lips-As mentioned above chewing leads to the early decay of tooth, bad breadth, damaged gums and falling of tooth. The addiction of tobacco affects the area around the mouth. The tongue and jaws face the following problems:

·         Dis-coloring of lips and lip cancer

·         Sore Throat

·         Difficulty in movement of jaws and tongue

·         Rashes or irritation on tongue

·         Burning sensation on lips and tongue

4.       Long-term use increases the risk of oral cancer. There are twenty-eight different chemicals in Kuber that are considered carcinogens or cancer-causing agents. Research has shown that there is actually more nicotine in a plug of chewing tobacco than in a cigarette. In addition, there are chemicals such as formaldehyde and arsenic in Kuber. Even without considering other chemicals the nicotine alone should be enough of a reason to stop chewing tobacco. Nicotine is a potent substance and has even been used as insecticide. Nicotine cross the blood-brain barrier and can be absorbed into the skin. Using the substance causes the body to increase the flow of adrenaline which causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure as well as increasing insulin. The byproduct of nicotine can stay in the body for 48 hours after being used. Nicotine also increases dopamine levels in the brain which is why a person feels good when they use it. This is one of the main reasons that a person becomes addicted. In addition, using Kuber has been linked to developing Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. These risks are related to nicotine and how it affects the brain. Lung Cancer Chewing tobacco leads to oral cancer but it is not the end of it can spread the disease in lungs and linings of stomach. Reports show that 90% of lung cancers are cases of people who either smoke or chew tobacco. Destructive agents termed as carcinogens in tobacco injure the cells in the lungs. Over a period of time, these spoiled cells may develop into lung cancer.

Duration: The effects of nicotine in smokeless tobacco fade within 20-30 minutes of use.

Addiction Potential: Nicotine is highly addictive, whether it's delivered to the body via spit or smoke. Symptoms of withdrawal include anxiety, restlessness, irritability, impaired concentration, and increased appetite.

Trends: The growth prospects of smokeless tobacco have taken a major hit in recent years;  Under terms of one national agreement, the industry promised to disclose ingredients in smokeless products, include larger warning labels on packages, and allow regulation of nicotine by the Food and Drug Administration after the year 2010.

This is a true story..I know many have said its harmless but is it really? I did my research and found out shocking revelations. And I am trying to spread the word before it’s too late..Please read and share with others. The Texans Story