Style Magazine Launched

A NEW bi-monthly magazine, Style Magazine, which aims at offering its readership lighthearted and lively writing has been launched in Accra. Style Magazine, intends carrying mainly entertainment, fashion, social issues, lifestyle, health, parent, relationships and financial education news of people everywhere.

Magazine, intends carrying mainly entertainment, fashion, social issues, lifestyle, health, parent, relationships and financial education news of people everywhere. It aims to break the myth that Ghanaians don’t like reading. The Managing Editor, Edith Efua Hiagbe, said "Style Magazine intends to make every page attractive, readable and understandable to all age groups".

She said that though many magazines fizzle out because of high publishing cost which is translated into high cover price, "Our dream of discovering the new Ghanaian reader can only become conscious when the cover price of our magazine is made affordable for the ordinary Ghanaian". Ms Hiagbe, said driven by the desire for professional excellence and the need to ensure balance of readership in terms of social status, religion, culture and dynamism, style magazine promise to bring out the best through responsible journalism.

Mrs Oboshie Sai Cofie, Minister for Information and National Orientation who was represented by Nana Akosua Haizel, her personal assistant, said the media play a very important role in shaping the character of the public, especially, the youth.

"With the awareness of the impact of the media in mind, it is my hope that publishers would be mindful of the stories they carry to ensure that the reading public is well informed at all times," she said.

She urged Style Magazine to use their medium to promote ideals of national orientation which encourage us to be proud of our Ghanaian attitude, patriotism and a spirit of Ghana first, Can-do-it attitude, productivity and accountability and dedication and discipline.

The Guest Speaker, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Managing Editor of Insight, advised the publishers of Style Magazine to stay focused and be committed to the magazine to ensure their perpetual stay in the business since magazine publication in Ghana is challenging.

The first copy of the magazine was bought by Togbe Nana Alloh who represented the Awomefia of Asogli Traditional Area as chairman at ¢5,000,000.

On a personal note, well done Efua, I am proud of you.

Facing The Giants

I have just come back from church after watching a very moving movie called Facing The Giants. I think its a Family movie everyone can identify themselves with. I have done a Google search on the web and came up with what i have posted below as best describing the movie.

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Shiloh Christian Academy may be a great school, but it has a so-so football team. In fact, Coach Grant Taylor has not had a single winning season in the six years he's been in charge of the program. So when a star running back transfers to a cross-town rival, it's all but guaranteed that the upcoming seventh season will be the same as all the others. That makes some of the team boosters unhappy, and they go behind the coach's back, pressuring the school administration to have Coach Taylor replaced.

And that's just one of the things that's weighing Taylor down. His car won't run. His house stinks (literally). And he and his wife, Brooke, are facing the prospect that they can't have children.

Unknown yet to Coach and his team is a post-season match-up against the state's most feared squad, the undefeated Giants, led by a bulldog of a coach who is used to chewing up rivals as frequently as he does the lollipops perpetually stuck in his mouth. But Facing the Giants is more than a simple David-and-Goliath metaphor on the gridiron. This film tells the story of faith in the face of long odds and the need to align our priorities with God's.

Positive Elements. It's hard to think of something in Facing the Giants that isn't positive. I could reprint the entire screenplay in this section; I'll settle for a few specifics that stand out. After Coach Taylor has an epiphany about how he should change the way he runs his program, he tells his attentive team, "Our goal is not to win games; it's to honor God." His new outlook fires up players who had become accustomed to losing. And he takes special care to cure the team captain of a bad case of cynicism.

Another player the coach pays personal attention to is a young man who has a bad relationship with his father. Taylor gives him advice on the importance of honoring our parents even when we think they're wrong. The boy takes the lesson to heart and reconciles with his dad. Another father struggling with his own disabilities is a fount of encouragement to his insecure son, urging him to never give up even when the odds seem overwhelming.

Thus, the Shiloh Academy players eventually go from being a collection of bickering individuals to a true team, inspiring parents, faculty and fellow students. The team's assistant coach is tempted to betray his boss, but in the end he puts loyalty over personal gain. Some of the team boosters come to realize they have dishonored Coach Taylor through their backhanded attempts to have him fired, and one seeks his forgiveness. (This man realizes that his priorities have been backwards.)

Spiritual Content. Taylor and Brooke are a truly inspirational, happily married couple. They show love and devotion to each other through hard times. And each makes the others needs a priority. This story is built around Coach Taylor's wrestling with what he believes to be God's will for him, his family and his team. Scenes show him reading his Bible and in earnest conversation with God. He prays with Brooke and repeatedly asks her if she will still love God if He doesn't give them what they so desperately want: a child. At a breaking point for her, she tearfully surrenders her desires and tells her Heavenly Father that she does still love Him. For Coach's part, he says, "I've resolved to give God everything I've got and leave the results to Him." A man walks the empty hallways of the Christian school, praying for the students. This spiritual booster is used in the film to drive home a core message: Faith in God's provision must be coupled with our "very best." He tells a parable about two farmers who both pray for rain. One waits for it hopefully. The other waits for it while "preparing his fields." His concluding question? Which one is truly trusting God?

The coach's example eventually spreads to the student body, and a small revival breaks out. One scene shows students and teachers in groups around the campus, praying. The player who reconciles with his father first reconciles with God. (He tells his dad, "I got right with God today. I just want to tell you I'm sorry and I respect your authority.") The football players gather in prayer before each game.

Conclusion. "God is a better director than Steven Spielberg, a better producer than Jerry Bruckheimer, a better writer than George Lucas." It's an unusual quote from one of the men behind this unusual film, Stephen Kendrick. (Stephen and his brother, Alex, wrote and produced Facing the Giants. Alex also directed it and stars in it.) Kendrick isn't trying to say that God made this movie. He's saying that the messages and stories that God holds dear and wants people to hear make the rest pale in comparison. And Facing the Giants benefits mightily from this little spiritual gem. Lousy-team-finally-gets-its-act-together-to-win-the-big-game movies are as ubiquitous as passing plays on third and long. And if this film were just another one of them, there would be little else to say. But by embracing the spiritual concept of faith and then exploring the tension that exists between human experiences and spiritual realities, this little film that could—does.

Facing the Giants took a remarkable path on its way to the big screen. Alex and Stephen are associate pastors at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. Their senior pastor and executive pastor—Michael Catt and Jim McBride, respectively—believed that making the film would be an "out of the box" approach to ministry. So the brothers' project became a church-wide project.

With no traditional fund-raising, the $100,000 undertaking was supported by private donations from Sherwood members. All the actors and most of the crew volunteered their services. Church members pitched in to help, doing everything from lighting to catering. One of the few paid members of the crew was cinematographer Bob Scott, who brought his experience from NFL Films and the camera crew for Any Given Sunday and Friday Night Lights to bring an authenticity to the football scenes. Even granting the presence of Mr. Scott, though, amateur usually spells death for a movie with aspirations of greatness. Startlingly, in this case, it doesn't. These amateurs make it look easy. And they make it look good. Maybe that's because they took the film's earnest message to heart: Win or lose, they trusted God and gave Him their very best.

Chris Rock – Never Scared

Oh Boy…I was going through stuff I have downloaded from Utorrent a while back when I came   across Chris Rock's "Never Scared". Since I have been studying most of the day on Exchange Server 2003, I decided to watch it just to break the flow of things. What a laugh, BUT…yes there is a BUT. The guy wasn't just making jokes, he was talking sense. I like the way he takes everyday situations and brings out the reality in them in the form of a joke. Here are some comments I came across on the net [thanks guys]

"What Chris Rock sure isn't scared of is poking fun. Michael Jackson? Easy target. George W. Bush? A snap. Relationships? Oh yes, he goes there too. Read on paper, some bits are seriously funny, while many others would fall flat. But the secret is in the delivery. Rock's voice, persona and frantic delivery often carry as much meaning as the words themselves. Anger, desperation, and a sense of ridicule all embody his stand-up bits. And admittedly, some of his racy discourse on marriage, sex, men, sex, women, and of course, sex are sure to irk more than a few people. But that's the point, isn't it? Walking the fine line…and jumping over it. Sometimes it's a bit obvious though (eg. "Tip Your Hat To Whitey")… But perhaps that's the point as well. Well, one thing is for sure. Chris Rock was never scared pointing out the absurdity of life and our society - and he sure isn't about to start.""

""I always thought Chris Tucker was funnier, I may need to re-think that. Chris Rock is at his finest here. He goes where no other comics dare to go. Michael Jackson, affirmative action, George Bush, marriage, the US government, IRAQ, abortion, rappers. Controversial topics with many f-en-heimers. Serious topics with a very real and funny spin to each one of them. This guy actually makes sense, and is quite intelligent (also very funny, but you already knew that). I couldn't help but laugh my ass off for 75 minutes, however at times I felt I shouldn't be laughing (realizing that history was very brutal many years ago). Highly recommended and very hilarious if you don't mind the foul language. I gave it a 10.""

If you haven't seen the DVD, and you like Chris Rock, then please go and get.

Ugly Baby

This movie clip is so funny, you just have to watch it.

26th African Cup Of nations: Ghana vrs Guinea 2-1

Sulley Muntari's last-gasp wonder goal gave hosts Ghana a 2-1 win in their opening Africa Cup of Nations game against Group A opponents Guinea. Muntari rifled a 25-yard shot into the top corner after the Black Stars hit the post three times in the first half. Asamoah Gyan put Ghana into the lead after 54 minutes with a penalty following a foul from Oumar Kalabane.

Kalabane made amends with a headed equaliser for Guinea, before Muntari saved Ghana with his late winner.

The game began scrappily with the long grass holding up the ball and causing several collisions

Ghana's John Pantsil fights for the ball with Kanfory Sylla and Victor Correa of Guinea

Andre 'Dede' Ayew - son of Ghana legend Abedi 'Pele' Ayew - came off the bench and almost scored with his first touch

Ghana 's Asamoah Gyan - an aerial threat throughout - fights for the ball with Guinea's Dianbobo Balde

more>>

26th African Cup Of Nations

It used to be for Africa and enjoyed solely by Africans. But the African Cup of Nations has surpassed the continents interests as it has become a major fixture in the dairy’s of the world. Real passion is what defines the African game. And the focus of the rest of the world would be on Ghana, hosts of the 2008 African Cup of Nations to witness what differentiates the game from others when they tournament gets underway on Sunday.

Africa’s flagship sporting event which is played every two years around this time of the year assembles the continents best talents and these are players who influence the world game.

The sole aim of the large gathering is to vie for the coveted title which was last won by Egypt when they hosted the 2006 tournament.

There are however, no clear favourites at Ghana 2008, making it difficult for analyst and the bookmakers to say something specific.

Within the mix at the 26th edition of the competition are three different sets of contenders to the title.

Established guns like Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Nigeria are always favoured to win the competition.

It would be an error to suggest that any of the teams above would clinch the title after the three-week period.

And in between, there is Morocco, Senegal, Zambia, South Africa and Tunisia, all credible challengers.

The other set of teams who have seen their profiles enhanced in recent times are Angola, Guinea, Mali, Benin, Sudan and Namibia. Maybe, the party spoilers for now would do.

Certainly, it promises to be an exciting and fiercely contested competition with any team a threat to everyone.

The stars have flooded Ghana and their coaches are under the spotlight to deliver winning teams.

Records would be broken and records made. But the journey to the February 10 final does not look easy as tens of thousands of supporters who have arrived keep track of the progress of their teams from the blast of the whistle.

And there’s the local hopes of Ghana’s fans dreaming of a title success just like previous host, Tunisia and Egypt achieved in 2004 and 2006.

There’s another angle to the dreams of the Ghanaian fan expecting the Black Stars to be crowned champions. Ghana have won the competition twice on home soil and are looking to make it a third.

Before that dream comes to fruition, Ghana and Guinea would line up for Sunday's opening match which kicks off the 2008 tournament at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, one of the four match venues made available for the competition.

Despite calls by Europe and now FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, for changes o be made over the timing of the competition, the African Cup of Nations with worldwide television coverage promises to be an eventful footballing piece put together by Africa and which would be enjoyed by all.

With the big kick-off now just hours away, the time for the talking has stopped as the action begins.

source

Awakening The Giant Within You

I am currently reading this book. I remember several years ago going to see Tony at the Excel Centre in London. Now, that was an experience to remember. After the 5 day event, those of us who were willing to do so, walked on hot coal..!

Introducing MacBook Air. The world's thinnest notebook

There are few machines that can hold a candle to Apple's new laptop, writes Claudine Beaumont

Apple's newest laptop, the MacBook Air, has to be seen to be believed. It's so thin that it almost disappears when you flip it on its side

But the Air is a real feat of engineering, too. Apple and its partners, including chip-maker Intel, have done an excellent job of miniaturising already microscopic components to make them fit into a laptop that measures just 0.76in (1.9?cm) at its thickest point. To do this without scrimping on screen or keyboard size is hugely impressive.

The Air may be waif-like, but it still feels substantial. The generous 13.3in widescreen is perfect for watching films, while the backlit keyboard is comfortable to use.

It may not be the touchscreen device some people were hoping for, but Apple does nod towards the world of gesture-control with a big multi-touch trackpad. It's easy to configure to your individual specifications, and it quickly becomes second nature to use twisting, tapping and stroking movements on the oversize pad to rotate photos, move around web pages and zoom in and out.

Nother way that Apple has kept size and weight so low is to strip out the optical drive - the new "Remote Disc" feature, where you can "borrow" a CD drive on another networked machine to install software on your Air is an impressive touch, which other manufacturers will aim to copy.

Still, some people will want to play DVDs or burn CDs, so the additional inexpensive external optical drive is a worthwhile optional extra.

The Air is designed to be more of a second computer for "road warriors" than a main laptop, as the relatively small 80GB hard drive demonstrates. But at £1,199, portability comes at a price, especially when you consider that Asus's portable notebook, the Eee PC, while not as well built, costs just £219.

Regardless, Apple surely has another hit on its hands, because in terms of looks and elegance, there are few machines that can hold a candle to the Air.

Alienware Monitor....Please get me one..PLEASE

Many uses come to mind when thinking of a curved, 2,880x900 resolution (16:5 aspect ratio) monitor - multitasking aside, we'd have quite a fun time opening every Photoshop panel simultaneously, or created the most complex, intricate World of Warcraft user interface imaginable. Alienware decided to show off its arcing display at CES with Crysis, the apparent benchmark for all technology of the future.

Our friends at Engadget who are attending the show noticed three faint vertical lines, indicating the curved illusion is assisted by four sub-panels. The DLP display with LED illumination is due out the second half of this year for a currently-unknown price.

Christmas Present...The Cigars Come As Standard

I Have Survived Another Christmas [2007]

Only 8 days before christmas and I was vomiting and having runny tummy like mad. I had gone to work on the monday feeling my normal self and just wanting to get the week over and look forward to christamas with friends, family and relatives. There was the IT Christmas lunch on the 8th floor which I quite enjoyed, but was slightly disappointed with the main menu. Anyway, that wasnt an issue and I was out to enjoy myself as this was my first Christmas at BAT Globe House. Around 2am I felt a sudden urge to go to the bathroom, just as I got to it, I suddenly let out the contents of my tummy into the toilet. I was at this for about 5 minutes and was in great pain. To make matters worse, I had a runny tummy as well. I called in sick for the tuesday, experiencing the same problems I had the early hours of tuesday, all through tuesday.

Come wednesday, I was totally drained of any energy. I had no appetite for food, and foolishly dragged my self to work. I sat at my desk on wednesday morning trying to figure out what I had ate on monday to create such a turnaround in my state of health. I lookd around me...all the other guys I had gone to the Christmas lunch with didnt seem to be showing any signs of what i was going through. Then it dawned on me what the course of all my suffering was.

On the friday before the weekend, I had gone to the shops to buy a bottle of orange juice. I had left this bottle on my desk over the weekend and come the monday the following week, I had foolishly drunk some of the juice.

By a miracle, I have fully recovered, and learnt my lesson too.

I had a great christmas meal with family, friends and relatives.

At Church Today

Just around this time every year, the Church that I go to organises something special that the kids present to the church. Last year, it was a play about Christmas. This year, the theme was "Are You Too Busy For Christmas". It was great. The Kids put up a fantastic performance. Well done kids.

Zulu...as you have never seen before

The Story behind this picture will unfold soon

St Pancras International - Finally Open

St Pancras station has been voted one of London's favourite landmarks and has a rich and colourful history

St Pancras train station was designed by William Barlow in 1863 with construction commencing in 1866. The famous Barlow train shed arch spans 240 feet and is over 100 feet high at its apex. On its completion in 1868 it became the largest enclosed space in the world. One of the most recognisable features of St Pancras station today, the red brick Grade 1 listed Gothic front facade was created as part of a competition in 1865 and became the Midland Great Hotel designed by Sir Gilbert Scott and built between 1868 to 1876.

In 1935 the Midland Grand Hotel was closed and the building became railway offices, and known as the St Pancras Chambers.

The station performed an important role during both world wars, acting as a meeting place for troops, a departure point for soldiers off to war, and to help transport children out of London to the safety of the countryside.

During WWII the station was hit during the Blitz on London. Despite the devastation, London Midland and Scottish Railway engineers soon had the platforms working again. The greatest threat to the station came in 1966 with plans to amalgamate King's Cross and St Pancras. However public opinion had been sharpened by the demolition of Euston in 1962. Sir John Betjeman took up the cause to protect the station and in 1967 the Government listed the station and hotel as Grade 1.

St Pancras Station and St Pancras Chambers are popular locations for film and television productions, appearing in Harry Potter, Batman Begins and the Spice Girls' first music video.

The St Pancras Chambers will be restored into a 5 star Marriot hotel with luxury private apartments on the upper levels.

St Pancras remains one of the greatest Victorian buildings in London, with impressive Victorian Gothic architecture. A replica of the famous St. Pancras station clock has been constructed and hangs high above the station platform once more.

I am frequent visitor to St Pancras. Living out in the County of Northamptonshire, the Midland Mainline [now to be known as the Eastmidland Line] brings me into St Pancras from which I then take the tube to work. So I have actually seen all the changes that has been going on there since they started work. And now finally its all done...well not actually all done. The shops need to be occupied. I know that Marks and Spencer, W H Smith, The Body Shop and some other shops are there. I suppose they have got 90% of the project done, and the rest is just odds and ends to tie up.

Below I have some pictures I took with my digicamera.

How to Construct a Killer Resume, From Start to Finish.

Definately something everyone should read....here is the link SOURCE

BAT Globe House, London

Once again, its been a while, but I am glad to say, I am back.... I am currently working for BAT Globe House in London. They have an impressive office just outside the Temple Tube station, overlooking a stretch of the Thames river. I have been working there for about 2 weeks now an totally enjoying it. I am however still looking for that break into the SAP Market. Psst BAT is rolling out SAP HR in November this year.

So to help you get a grip of what the company is about, I took some pictures [as usual]. You ca also jog down to their official website and have a nose around.

Te culture here is more like that i discovered when i was working at BT in Coventry years ago. Once you get in, you stay in. But in the case of BAT, the culture here is rich and vibrant. I supose its becasue BAT has roots in more countries than BT. There is that "rich" mixture of culture across the structure of the company. Amazing.

And who says that there is nothing like free lunch? Welcome to BAT and see for yourself. And then there is Thursdays which has been dubbed "cake day". Yes, you heard me right. Every thursdays, cakes are put on every floors canteen area. Who would want to resign from a company like this?

Well here are some pictures I took. The quality isnt that good bearing in mind that I used my Sony Erricson K800i to take the pictures.

www.BlackViper.com

I have been a frequent fan/visitor of this site for quite a while. I think some time back, it went down probabaly for "refurbishment" and came back up again. Anyway I would like to make mention of it here because I personally feel its a good site to get information on Windows XP and Windows Vista. You can also find other information on games as well. Anyway have a nose around and come back and tell me what you think. BlackViper.com

Chicago.....now on my wish list

Even though I havent officailly created a wish list, i have definately put Chicago on my wish list as a place to visit. I got the pictures below from a friend who went there for a days sightseeing. The pictures are absolutely great. The buildings I suspect have a lot to tell too. Well, one day. Thanks for the pics Shybie. You make an excellent photographer.

May you rest in peace dear Uncle Adjin Tawiah Lartey - update

Uncle Adjin was buried at the Family burial ground at Akramaman last week saturday. There was church service on the sunday 2nd September. Hopefully when my cousins return from Ghana, i should be able to post some pictures of the funeral here. The funeral was a success. A lot of people turned up, as Uncle Adjin was a very popular man. The only setback was that it rained all day saturday and sunday.

The iPhone Menace

I came across this article this evening about "which is better - the iphone or the blackberry". On Wednesday, Apple cut the price of its top-of-the-line iPhone from a wallet-breaking $599 to a less-terrifying $399. This price reduction comes as reports have emerged that July sales of the iPhone outnumbered those of all other smartphones combined. With my battered, aging BlackBerry on its last legs, I went back to the Apple store to try to join the crowd and sell myself on trading brands. But after a few hours of side-by-side comparisons, I'm convinced more than ever that the iPhone isn't the device for me. I'll be replacing my BlackBerry with ... another BlackBerry. more >>>