PONZI SCHEMES

Telexfree, Adfast etc.
I've been asked several times about my take on these. Here it is:

The above: Telexfree and Adfast etc., they are only modified schemes of the original "Rob from Peter to pay Paul" popularized by Charles Ponzi (1882-1949) that are always fueled by the newcomers.

They are modified this time in a way that they offer you something to do that is say, "post an ad". But in true logic, that which you do is not of such value to yield such returns as you receive. An example: one person posting an 'unattractive one liner ad' to Facebook daily does not create much benefit for that which is being advertised as there are very few clicks or even none at all for the links one might just carelessly post around different groups on Facebook, yet you are promised and rewarded highly for adverts of not so much value. In comparison, let's take Facebook advertising: with a budget of $5 dollars (about 12,500 shillings) only in one day, your advert can reach up to 11,000 people that day. If you do this weekly for one week, that is: $35 dollars which is 87,500, and you will have reached up to 77,000 people with your advert.

So in contrast, a person posting worthless ads that are not seen or even clicked on that often is paid, say 100,000 shillings a week and someone spending 87,500 shillings on Facebook adverts reaches up to 77,000 people that week. So do you see the discrepancy in that scenario? Someone is being paid for naught! What is he being paid for again? This reeks of compensation that is not clearly earned and indeed the posting of adverts is a cover up for some other means by which you make your earnings and that is simply: someone is robbing from Peter to pay you "Paul".

So conclusively, who is the Peter in this case? Yes, you got that right: It's the newcomers! They provide the cash-flow for such pyramids, that is why there are always 'handsome' incentives for those that herd along new entrants. They are the blood of the scheme, the one that keeps the whole thing running, the ones that pay everyone all the way to the top and until there are fewer entrants to the scheme it will flourish, until up to a point when the number of new entrants has reduced so much to an extent that it can no longer pay the dues of those that came before. That is when the bubble bursts. That is when it all comes tumbling down.

The concept that leads us to fall prey to such schemes is really that which feasts upon the natural law of man wanting quick returns bred by the least effort possible. Let's shun following this line of least effort to a line of creating value, a line to produce, to create profit that comes from some worth generated first, such value that is translated into jobs, professionals, experience and skill in our communities, better livelihood and greater value for our country. For God and my Country.

HASH TAGS 101

Due to exceedingly increased demand, I've decided to give an encore on "Lessons on Hash Tag Usage". So listen up folks, or read up here (aargh whatever!) Anyway read if you care to:

Hash tags (#), those little bastards, who are they?
Well #HashTags are a tool that creates an automatic hyperlink to a topic, a means to easily share a post to a given topic, personality or entity etc. e.g. #Golola is not a joking subject. By posting the above, automatically the word "Golola" becomes a hyperlink i.e. becoming of blue font or becoming underlined with blue or highlighted blue, a hyperlink which if clicked on, takes you to a page having all posts of people who have "hashtagged" #Golola in any of their posts. That means if you want to read any posts about the topic: Golola, you can just type and search for his hashtag: #Golola and see all posts about him.

There are various things people hashtag about say #GGMU (Glory Glory Man United) or #HalaMadrid (For Madridstas) or like #Finance or #NTVTonite or just plain anything like #Boredom #University #Kampala etc.
Important to know is also what is meant when they say that: "a certain hash tag is currently trending". This means that at that particular time, numerous people around the world or in a particular region in the world like say, Uganda are posting with that hash tag in their posts. e.g. after Man United loses yet another match in the EPL, the hash tag: #MoyesOut will start trending. Meaning, many people are posting with that hash tag.

Some rules of using hashtags:
1. For a word to become a hash tag, it the hash must be next to that word without any spaces e.g. "#MTN" not "# MTN"
2. For 2 or more words that you would like to make into a hash tag, there should be no space between the words, but maybe just capitalize each word to differentiate each of them e.g. "#MiamiBeach" not "#Miami Beach" and not "# Miami Beach"
3. You remember that we said hash tags are a sort of reference to a relevant topic? Yes, that means in hash tag usage, avoid using hash tags irrelevantly like: "#I love watching #the Mountain Dew adverts" or just outrightly using too many irrelevantly misplaced hash tags in a post like your life depends on it or something: #I'm so#special #today #God saw #my situation #and #bailed #me out.  #Feelingblessed.
Leave that for Instagrammers. For them, they have somehow been excluded from this heehe

Enjoy your hash tags. Thank you for listening or reading or whatever.
#Peace

CADAVERS! WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

The free online dictionary defines a cadaver as "A dead body, especially one intended for dissection." From first year through the second year at the Makerere University College of Health Sciences, medical students study anatomy. They have to use cadavers as specimen for their practical study.  They start these anatomy practical sessions as soon as their first semester at the college begins. However, these cadavers were living people at one time. So, who are they and where do they come from?

“Dissecting cadavers is an evolving tradition” ¹ and cadavers have been used in training of medical students for over 200 years. ² Executed criminals were the first ever to be used as cadavers but “As the number of criminals being executed decreased, it became commonplace to steal bodies from graves…” ² and at the time, anatomists were seen as nothing short of executioners. ² Family members also contributed to anatomy as the anatomists would even dissect them too as “William Harvey, the man famous for discovering the circulatory system” ² did. He “... was so dedicated that he dissected his father and sister.”²

By the 20^th century however, body snatching was no more, ² and with an improved education system in medical schools, “The medical profession received new esteem by diagnosing and healing more people.” ² This respect brought forth “a larger supply of cadavers” ²from “people like you and me who decide to donate their whole body for medical research when they die.” ² “Today, medical institutions cannot buy a body”² and “persons donating their body receive no financial compensation; this is truly their ultimate gift.” ³ A gift that has facilitated the training of medical students, the world over and almost all doctors that we see walking the corridors of hospitals today.

REFERENCES

1. How med students learn from cadavers. A rare peek at how doctors-to-be learn from bodies donated to science. [Online]. 2009 Nov 30 [Cited 2011 Nov 11]; Available from: URL:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34173673/ns/health-health_care/t/how-med-students-learn-cadavers/
2. Cadavers: Where do they come from? [Online]. 2007 [Cited 2011 Nov 11]; Available from: URL:http://diesmart.com/funerals/cadavers-where-do-they-come-from/
3. Use of the cadaver lab at Cornell College. [Online]. [Cited 2011 Nov 11]; Available from: URL:http://people.cornellcollege.edu/bchristie-pope/CadaverLab/CadaverLab_Rules.html

A day's trip to Rakai Health Sciences Program- a high end grade research facility

The name 'Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP)' did not sound any bit familiar as a colleague called me up on phone to inform me of the upcoming club trip slated for the 19th of December. The only thing I could have told you about Rakai before the trip was of something that I had heard that "that's where the first cases of HIV were first recorded in Uganda." Feeling adventurous, I told Kenneth to sign me up for the trip. I was yet to find out that there is a lot of ground breaking research that has been done by the RHSP.

Members of the Research and Writer's Club and staff at the entrance to the Rakai Health Sciences Program Research Facility

As part of a couple of 16 students, all members of the Research and Writer's Club we made way to Rakai in our college van on a such a sunny Monday morning. I never cease to appreciate the splendid greenery Uganda boasts of as one journeys through it's highways away from the capital city and even this time, it was ever so wonderful.

In our College Van

To get to Rakai from Kampala one travels to the West, through the districts: Wakiso, Mpigi then through Masaka taking a more southerly direction this time and soon you are in Rakai. Google maps places the travel distance between Kampala and Rakai at around 191.48 km to 208.12 km. With no stops made during our journey, the trip took us averagely two and a half hours to reach the facility. Not such a bumpy ride as I had expected since the road was in a fairly good condition. Only a few final touches and the Kampala-Masaka highway will be much better than before- not world standard, just better than before.

Entrance to the facility

Parked outside across the road from the enclosed facility, as we exited our van I could not help but notice the sign planted high on one of the buildings that was just opposite were we had parked. The sign read: "Rakai Health Sciences Program. Founded in 1988 as the Rakai Project. Improved health sciences through research." We then made way through the gate to the sentry booth just at the entrance.

The Sentry booth

Standing in line before the sentry booth as we awaited to be registered before being given visitors' tags I appreciated the splendor of structural organization and hygiene that lay before us. Right after the sentry booth as one headed away from the gate, were two fairly large grass-thatched structures nicely decorated with art made with a fine African style. We were led to one of the structures which was well furnished like an outdoor meeting place. Such a nice site it was, particularly to enjoy an evening off after a tough day, just lay back and relax. One of the scenes of the art pieces hanged up within the structure depicted health professionals sensitizing and most of all carrying out circumcision community outreaches. The whole reception so far combined with the surrounding art full of science and the community would give you a feeling of being in a scientific facility that does care for the community.

Mr. Mugamba, Mr. Balikuddembe and Ismael Kawooya

The happy welcome by our hosts would have made anyone feel special. They introduced themselves to us as Mr. Balikuddembe Ambrose (Transport Coordinator), Ms Nakawesa Goretti (Administrative Secretary) and Mr. Mugamba Steven (Supervisor; commuity mobilization aka Health Education).

We were introduced to some of the history of the Program by Mr. Mugamba. He said that it was originally known as Rakai Project before being later renamed: The Rakai Health Sciences Program. It was initially started to respond to the AIDS epidemic of which the 1st recorded cases where in a place called Kansensero. With effect, two doctors were sent to Rakai to investigate one of which included Professor Nelson Ssewankambo.

Mr. Mugamba went on to say that the facility is both research and service (towards the community) oriented. One of the recent research done was that circumcision give safety percentage of 60% against contracting HIV prompting circumcision to be put among the top preventive measures against HIV contraction. He said that among the so many things they do in the community include health education, condom promotion where they give out condoms freely to those that require them and have even stationed salespeople throughout the community to sell them at subsidized prices e.g below 500 shillings.

The Shang Ring

Demonstration of Shang Ring with a dummy penis

Next speaker was Dr. Rajab Kakaire who is in charge of the circumcision study at the facility. He told us a lot about the circumcision program but interesting of all was the Shang Ring study. The Shang Ring is one of the modalities for conducting circumcision invented by a chinese called Jianzhong Shang and Dr. Kakaire said that the device has been in use in China for about 6 year now. It's feasibility, safety and efficiency for use among Ugandans are currently being investigated at the facility. He said that among it's advantages as compared to the conventional surgical methods of circumcision includes: it takes much less time, does not require suturing and it can be perfomed by less experienced personnel.

Inspiration to start writing at a workshop by the Uganda Society for Health Scientists and the Research and Writer's Club

Since childhood, I had a hidden passion for writing that I was not fully aware of. It is only now that I realise that throughout the course of my life to-date, I have had sporadic episodes of writing. Like in primary school at Kitante, I felt a need to start a school newspaper but I never really got up to the challenge so I settled with organizing a small weekly class newspaper (the name of which I do not recall). It was hand-written and a few copies were made. Then in secondary school I tried at writing poems that encompassed a whole range of topics (but mainly love, I won't lie haha). I think I did a fairly good job because I enjoyed a couple of compliments around the class as I gave them out to be reviewed by classmates. Feasting on such positive compliments pushed me to write even more and more. There are a number of such writing episodes that kept flashing on and off but it is only now that I come to recognize that writing is in me and I am starting to learn how to fish it out.

I was fortunate to be one of 9 attendees at a workshop on scientific writing on Saturday  November 26th 2011 at the Infectious Disease Institute (IDI). It was organized by the Research and Writers' club at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (CHS) in conjunction with the Uganda Society for Health Scientists (USHS). Credit be to the CHS Writer's Club chairperson, Ismael Kawooya for making it a reality. Attended were doctors from the USHS that presented to us, challenged us and offered mentorship to those willing. Among these esteemed doctors were: Dr. Andrew Kambugu, Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, Dr. Pauline Byakika (who snuck out of her child's school ceremonies to come encourage young writers. Thanx doc.), Dr. Robert  Kalyesubula, Dr. Damalie Nakanjako and Dr. Charles Namisi. Thanx also be to Richard and Isabella for the snacks.

The workshop was dubbed: scientific writing. It was out to inspire young medics to write scientific papers and see them published. This is highly relevant as you can not run away from writing as long as you want to become a professional. Regrets passing around the presenters had it that: "if only I had begun when I was still at Med school, maybe I'd now have 15 more publications than I do currently." Therefore starting early and not waiting until one is "a little older in the carreer" was a point of emphasis.  We were also encouraged to network and seek mentorship. In this workshop, I found an element of self discovery as I recalled some of the episodes of writing I had had previously. In my mind, this paved a path for recognition that somewhere in my humanly brain is a portion of writing that I have not fully explored. Indeed as I type away at this, I know what I'm doing now is one of the confirmatory tests of this existence.

 Like Dr. Sabrina said: "If you do not publish, you will perish... You need to write to remain relevant". Have you ever googled someone's name only to find no results about the person "as if they do not exist"?- Dr. Sabrina. In the professional world, your publications that are helpful to society give you a pedestal, a right to be listened to, they make you relevant. She went on to challenge the common notion of  "what shall I write?" saying that you can write about anything you find interesting. There are always interesting things around us that we merely enjoy and chat about but we never put them in a manuscript for everyone else who can to find them enjoy with us. Therefore we should not just hide away that great idea, story, medical case et cetera in our bedrooms or in class. You need to "write about it and portray it to the masses" as Dr. Sabrina put it.

Dr. Pauline said that "there's good exposure today and we are fortunate." Back in the day resources were not available, no one was there to tell students about writing and finding a mentor was no easy task. Today however, mentors are all around us and you only need to tag along them to acquire the benefit. Doctors are almost always 'singing' to students to write and get published, and the computer age is upon us. Oh the computer age, writing has never been any easier. In the past, you had to scribble on paper and later have the work typed by a 'professional'. Dr. Andrew Kambugu said that "today, word processing has changed things" all that pen and paper scribbling has conveniently been replaced by typing. He also related to us an experience abroad of being amazed at the very fast typing speeds some people have acquired and from this encouraged everyone to go for typing lessons. Maybe after such lessons and with practice, we may all comfortably type away at our screens without ever having a glimpse of the keyboard.

At least every presenter emphasized the fact that in order to write an excellent meaningful and helpful scientific paper, one must read read read. The more you read, the more you learn and the wider your vocabulary becomes. Dr. Andrew said "you can't run away from the fact that if you're going to write, you have to read." This rule of good writing could not be emphasized any more than it was.

So, how do you do it? You could start by keeping a journal, that could help tremendously as Dr. Andrew intimated to us. Dr. Sabrina said that "you can start by being a guest writer in a newspaper" and that you can be part of the group that promotes and posts articles to your local medical school journal. She also said that there is a lot of research that can be easily done at even our level. For example: "What is the average time that a medical student takes to move from the main campus to medical school?" Dr. Pauline suggested that if you have not participated in any active research, you have many rare and interesting "case series" you fall upon while doing ward rounds, "you can start with those at this stage" and that you can make a review and seek an expert for help on the matter.

As a group, we discussed a number of things including: how we can improve the culture of unity among the young scientists. Suggestions included: mentorship, start small, be proactive, put things on paper, express your passion, read more widely and "keep it simple, keep it interesting."

Discussed also was how to sustain writing once you have begun: Commitment to writing, "write it down", read more, share your passion with others, get started as "writing begets writing" and "don't stop writing-Dr. Andrew, set aside time to writing, keep records, develop an inquisitive mind.

After writing your scientific paper you must always publish to share this information "with the masses." You post it to a relevant journal and if it is accepted, you are published. Lastly as a group, we discussed how to handle rejects by the editors of journals of which we proposed that: do not give up, mourn your losses and move on, use your peers to do a review and tell you whether you r article is worthwhile, do not aggravate the reviewer, "acknowledge the issues raised by the reviewer, choose the journal you want to publish in wisely for your level, and as a peer reviewer be fair in your opinions and comments about others.

The way forward: as of that day we were told "bring out your work from the closet" and share it with the world. To help us with publishing at this stage, the doctors intimated that "the society" (USHS) could help us. Hand in your work to them, they will help you edit it and help you post your research or article to a relevant journal. More information about the Uganda Society for Health Scientists and how you can become a member are available on their website on http://ugshs.org/registration.htm.

It was a beautiful Saturday on my part and I am highly grateful to all the Uganda Society for Health Scientists and the Research and Writers' club at the Makerere University College of Health Sciences for organizing that workshop and may they do the same in the semesters to come such that others like me become inspired to start writing. Allah bless you all.

We hate school

Here we go! Join me as we journey on a path back in time and reminisce about old school escapades. They are immense; from nursery school all the way through primary, secondary, university, really cannot mention it all as they say schooling never ends.

Very few of us ever wanted to start school or continue with it for that matter. A number of us were always dragged from our front doors to be taken to nursery school. Living in flats in my childhood, you could hear screams emanating from every corner. This was an episode many mornings of the week as little kids were forcefully shoved into their daddy’s cars, some dragged across the pavements by their nannies to be taken to the kindergarten. I can tell your laughing very hard now because you must have been one of these. One would be forgiven to mistake this saga for kidnap and would run quickly to their rescue. Only after a close look would one realize that these little kids just hated the whole idea of leaving their comfy beds only to go learn A B C for a big part of the day. Yet they wanted to stay behind, roll in mud and play ‘gogolo’.

We all became creative in coming up with ways to skip school. You would forge sickness and say you did not feel well. However you would be lucky to get away with only an aspirin. Some kids were not so lucky; they were taken to the clinic and oh ho! When they got there, a few were bold enough to go through every checkup until they were declared okay but the doctor would prescribe a few drugs anyway just to expand your bill. The other kids however, when told they were being taken to the clinic, they pictured the mean old ‘musawo’ going for his huge injection and pressing out a few drops. Aha! They would then scream and immediately confess that they were not very sick, that the clinic was not necessary. With the increasing episodes, parents learnt and started using ‘musawo’ as the litmus test to stop kids in their lying tracks in a bid to skip school.

As we grew older through primary and secondary school, the creativity skyrocketed. But being childish creativity, looking back now some of it if not most was nothing short of being utterly silly. Like there was a girl who was caught hanging out in the toilets just to skip classes. It then took to lying to parents that it was a school holiday the following day. When we were declared capable of going to school by ourselves, we then made diversions to other places like playfields where we played football until school time was over. We would then take a ‘quick shower’, put our uniforms back on and head back home as if after a long day of study.

At one point or another, each of us has come up with an excuse to skip school. However, nowadays we have transformed some of these excuses to skip work, meetings, dates and so on. But we all know their origin, don’t we?

You can become a better you with self-help material

Over time I have sifted through books, audio, video and several materials searching for the road to self mastery. Many will tell you, these books do not work, you are wasting your time and so on. But believe me, if you act upon the principles laid down in the self-help material out there, you will be well on your way into becoming a better you.

What I have come to realize is that they open your mind to so many principles that you have possibly been doing and maybe sometimes not. However, actually knowing the principles other than doing them subconsciously makes your mind conscious of all the aspects that make you better every single time you set out to do something.