text:
Report Agrees with Pre-establishment Audit
Dear Editors,
Zemen Bank finds it very regrettable and unfortunate
that your newspaper presented a highly misleading,
one-sided story published on the front page (Volume
12, Number 601, November 6, 2011) headlined, "Report
Finds Ermyas, Zemen at Fault." To set the record
straight, what was truly at fault was the inaccurate
reporting and analysis in your story, something
which we cannot fail to respond to.
Read More
Time to End Ill-conceived, Destructive Witch Hunt
I am greatly disappointed by the unfortunate news
story in this newspaper headlined, "Report Finds
Ermyas, Zemen at Fault" (Volume 12, Number 601,
November 6, 2011).
Quality Agency's Audit Process Scores a 'C'
Our company, Shandong Geo-Mineral Engineering, is a large company with
many years of experience. We have been working in
the different regions of Ethiopia for a long time.
Recently, we took on a project to dig five deep
wells in Akaki and Legedady areas from Addis Ababa
Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) and have
delivered with good performance.
In the news story headlined, "Five Bid to Drill Wells After Previous
Company Fails To Do Well" (Volume 12, Number 594,
September 18, 2011), you wrote about our company
saying that the client terminated the contract for
another project because of the use of Bentonite,
chemical which the contract forbids, mentioning an
expert from AAWSA as a source. The reason mentioned
in the story is absolutely false. The use of
Bentonite was, in fact, not forbidden in the
contract, but required approval from a supervisor
before using it.
In reality, the contract was terminated because of a delay created by
the nature of geological formations and technical
problems. Although we wrote a letter to the client
to solve our problems amicably, we did not get a
response. We also have a letter of termination
explaining the reason for termination, and it was
not for using Bentonite.
Gao Luxi, General Manager,
Shandong Geo-Mineral Engineering Company
In your editorial headlined, "Rating Impedes Competitive Education; No
Less Disruptive" (Volume 12 Number 594, September
18, 2011), you rightly asserted that "partial
disclosure of the evaluation results restricts
informed enrollment decisions by students." A
quality audit process that started with good
intentions has descended into disorganized results.
Stock Market Absence Results Arbitrary Share Price
It is really worrying that the absence of financial markets is leading
to arbitrary determination of share prices, as
reported in a news story headlined "CBE's Auction
of NIB Shares Brings Offer of 131pc more than its
Face Value" (Volume 12, Number 593, September 11,
2011). So far, the shares of United Bank (UB) and
Nib International Bank (NIB) have been sold through
auctions. Despite the remarkable similarities in
their performance, their shares commended different
Denied Right to Silence
Dear Editors,
I recently spent a week with relatives in the countryside, and
rediscovered the breathtaking sound of silence. For
those of us living in the cities, our right to
silence has, over the last 10 to 15 years, been
stripped from us by the men with microphones,
without any political debate.
Coming home from work in the evenings, I am compelled to listen to the
lauded views and opinions of someone with no
electoral mandate or legal authority. Noise
pollution by varying religious sects is growing
intolerable. Although the pollution is totally
inappropriate in a country with a secular
constitution, we are forced to live in a monastery.
We live in a democracy, and should be allowed to decide when to wake up
in the morning. But that decision is now made by the
men with microphones.
The holy books proclaim that God rested on the seventh day of the week.
No such luck for us these days. Even on the one day
that most of us do not have to go to work, we are
awakened early in the morning and compelled to
listen to a religious ceremony that many of us do
not subscribe to.
It is indeed ironic that people hark back nostalgically to the days of
the monarchy and the military government, when
virtually all freedom, with the exception of the
right to silence, were severely curtailed.
All over the world, most recently in Indonesia, a country where more
than 90pc of the population are followers of one
religion, governments have taken action to control
noise pollution from the men with microphones.
Sitting at home in the evening, here in the capital of Ethiopia,
listening to the competing sounds of the
loudspeakers from the church and the neighbourhood
music shop, I wonder whether we will ever regain our
right to enjoy the sound of silence.
Theodros Andargachew
Queue On Sale at Chinese Embassy
I would like to share my experience at the Chinese
Embassy in Addis Abeba when I went to submit my visa
People start lining up at the embassy gates from
3:00am. The first people to reach the gate were
individuals who sell their spot in the queue to
those who come later. The embassy's working hours
begin at 9:00am.
The minimum price for a spot was 200 Br. Those who
sell their spots include the embassy's security
guards who attack others doing the same thing.
Patrons of the embassy, taking the initiative,
wrote down names of people in the order of their
arrival at the gate. But the security guards and
embassy staff members who accept applications
insulted the patrons disrespectfully.
This poorly organised way of processing visa
applications should be improved and embassy
officials should take note of what is happening at
their gates.
Gov't Neglects Sidist Kilo, Forces Popular Eatery Out
Dear Editors,
When I went to Blue Tops Restaurant, on King George
VI Street, I could not believe my eyes when I saw
the structure being dismantled. With so many sites
occupied by slum houses all around the area, I think
it should not have been difficult to find a plot to
house future planning projects.
Reporting on Drought
I was disappointed of the fact that Fortune has failed to inform me of
the devastating drought in the Somali Regional State
of Ethiopia. I would have been happy if the voices
of the 4.5 million people, who live each day under
emergency food aid, receive proportional attention.
Although the news engulfed the international news media, the drought
was not mentioned in the newspaper. It seems that
even one of the local newspapers is deliberately
keeping silent on such news worthy issues in order
to divert people's attention away from it.
I would rather have the newspaper inform us about what people should
know; not just what it wants us to know.
Addis Alemayehu
Admission on Inflation Redefines "Growth"
In the story headlined, "Meles' Candid Admissins"
(Volume 12, Number 584, July 10, 2011), Fortune has
made it clear that the Prime Minister admitted that
his previous position of inflation being a direct
consequence of "growth" is untrue. The meaning of
the growth is, of course, that the country's economy
has grown and citizens' economic life has visibly
Franchising Restrains Small Businesses
I found the commentary headlined "Franchising
Unlocks Ethiopian Small Business Potential" (Volume
12, Number 583, July 3, 2011) illustrated with
partial facts. Though the writer pointed out that
franchised businesses are superior at delivering
consistent services, he did not mention that
franchised businesses would charge premium prices to
cover the fees they have to pay to the franchiser.
Road Construction Cost Skyrocketing
I found the Radar story headlined,
"Roads Authority Signs 2.6bn Br Contracts," (Volume
12, Number 583, July 3, 2011) very interesting. The
story informs readers on the growing construction
cost of road projects. With prices ranging from 802
million Br for Mehal Meda - Alem Ketema Road to 619
million Br for Arekit-Hosaena Road, the story
vividly shows how much expensive road construction
become. For instance, one kilometre of asphalt road
construction costs over 11 million Br on the Mehal
Meda - Alem Ketema project.
Even though the story did not
provide information on cost breakdowns such as fuel,
labour, material and interest payment on borrowed
funds, I still feel that the cost per kilometre of
asphalt road construction is very expensive,
especially when the opportunity cost of the
exorbitant investment is taken into account. I would
recommend that the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA)
strengthens its research and development sections to
find out the most affordable means of building
asphalt roads.
Kassahun Temesgen
Private Employees' Pension More than Retirement Benefits
The article about the new Private Employees' Pension Proclamation
titled, "Private sector divided over national
pension fund," (Volume 12 No. 581, June 19, 2011)
cited some opinions from private employees and
However, it failed to adhere to the standard of providing the reader
with balanced information as it did not include the
stories of those employees who would benefit from
the new pension scheme.
The article focused only on old age or retirement benefits out of the
four benefit schemes, totally ignoring invalidity
benefits, survivor's benefits, and employment injury
benefits. The article missed the bigger picture in
recounting the story of a person who would
contribute 54,120 Br in 37 years; the sum amounts to
only three and a half years of his monthly pension
of 1,275 Br, if taken literally.
Yet, with the principle of risk pooling and benefit sharing of the
social insurance scheme, this person will continue
to receive the pension for his entire life with a
benefit increment every five years. This is only
based on a default scenario, which assumes that this
person would live his entire employment period
without other contingencies.
The new private pension fund scheme also provides an employment injury
benefit of 47pc for the person if the injury happens
after three years of employment, for example. The
scheme also provides benefits for survivors
including spouses, children under 18 years, and
dependent parents in case the person dies after 10
years of employment.
A company owner in the story mentions that protecting pensions would be
difficult when job protection is challenging, but
the proclamation takes into account that protecting
employees provides them with the necessary
stability, which would in turn protect the company
from bankruptcy.
Different research has found that secured employees are more productive
and stable, and improve a company's profitability.
Defining the three last years as measures of pension also takes into
account the experience of other countries, aside
from the assumption that the current salary of the
person would be his highest earnings.
We hope this clears up the errors in the article.
Private Organisation Employees Social
Security Agency
Addis Abeba
Is Ethiopia under Cyber Attack?
Participants from India and other African countries
in last week's Africa-India Summit may have been
impressed by the new roads in Addis Abeba and signs
of building activity, but were decidedly unimpressed
by the snaillike speed of Internet connections, on
the occasions when they were working.
Good Intentions of Price Caps Falling Short
I am in favour of the government's new GTP.
Cognisant that it is often easier to criticise from
the sidelines when others are trying to achieve
something than to do it ourselves, I nonetheless
wish to share some observations.
Whimsical Argument to Secure Advocacy Licence
I found the Viewpoint headlined, "Official breach of
contract by government," (Volume 12, Number 575, May
8, 2011) far less persuasive than confusing.
MoT's Set Fuel Prices Drives Up Inflation
Dear Editors,
I am writing about the unjustified and highly inflated price of fuel at
the pumps when the international price is 10pc lower
than what it was on April 9, 2011. On this date, the
price for a litre of benzene was set at 20.94 Br by
authorities at the Ministry of Trade (MoT).
I remember that when the government stopped subsidising imported fuel
last year, the idea was for MoT to revise retail
prices in accordance with changes on the world
market and make the consumer pay for its purchases.
Now, that principle appears to have been forgotten.
On December 12, 2010, the price of crude oil on the international
market went up by three per cent, but prices in
Ethiopia were set by the ministry at a 4.6pc
increase. The price increase on the international
market on January 1, 2011, was only 1.8pc, but the
ministry raised the local retail price by 6.4pc.
On May 6, 2011, the price of oil on the international market went down
by 9.6pc, but MoT kept the old price of 20.94 Br per
litre, thereby over charging every consumer by over
9.6pc (2.04 Br per litre). The ministry appears to
be loyal in contributing to the current high
inflation rate.
Today, the overcharge is 2.16 Br for a litre.
Is the ministry accountable to anybody, including to our Parliament? If
it raised prices by 6.4pc in January 2011 when the
price increase on the international market was only
1.8pc, is it unreasonable to expect officials at the
ministry to reduce the inflated price of 20.94 Br
for a litre to 18.90 Br on May 6, 2011, when the
price on the international market went down by
Keeping the price of fuel at such an inflated level will exacerbate
government efforts to control what is largely a
home-made inflation in this country. The cost of
fuel has an impact on all sectors of the economy.
While Japan and the United States (US) subsidise
their farmers, Ethiopia has fiscal and monetary
policies that ignore local sensitivities or
developments in the international oil market.
The repeated devaluation of the Birr is our own making. Ethiopia has
never been unable to sell what it has on the
international market. It is no use arguing that
inflation is imported when we have such an important
inflation factory: MoT.
A Reader
Planning, Knowhow to Rescue Local Livestock
A news story headlined, "Despite diplomatic glitch, Ashraf debuts
multimillion dollar complex" (Volume 11, Number 571,
April 10, 2011) informed your readers last week
about a new abattoir set up in Bahir Dar Town,
Amhara Regional State, by a group of Sudanese
Bond Money for Dam, not SWIFT
I was touched by the emotional epic speech by Prime Minister Meles
Zenawi about the "right of the nation" to utilise
the waters of the Nile that flow from its
hinterland. True, Meles made sure that "Project X"
is not meant to bring harm to either Egypt or Sudan.
Making Ethiopia Lighthouse of World
Like most citizens of this country, I was thrilled when I first heard
of the government's decision to build a dam to use
the Nile River to generate about 5,250MW of electric
Early Printing of Charges Biases Public Opinion
In your story headlined, "Prosecutors Charge Former AIB President"
(Volume 11, Number 569) March 27, 2011, the source
of the charges the story was based on was indicated
as the federal public prosecutor.
Gov't Exports Quality,
but Imports Rot
Ever since the days of the Emperor,
it has always been said that Ethiopia has the
potential of becoming the bread-basket of Africa; if
only it develops its enormous agricultural
potential. Instead, it is importing the unhealthy
and inferior palm oil while at the same time it
cannot provide the basic food stuff the populace
requires at reasonable prices.
Rent Gouging Landlords in Need of Checks
The Ethiopian government is committing a serious
mistake in its failure to institute targeted
controls on house rents in Addis Abeba.
Rent control is usually critical where there is
serious shortage of housing; such as the case in
Addis Abeba since landlords tend to take unfair
advantage of the shortages.
New York City, for instance, has instituted rent
control because building owners were gouging renters
due to housing shortages immediately after WWII. To
this day, the city applies well targeted rent
control to ensure affordability of housing while
also making sure new developments are not stifled.
It accomplishes this by targeting older buildings
for rent control, buildings built in the 1940s,
1960s, and 1970s. This ensures new developments are
not subject to the control, in a bid not to
undermine newly developed commercial and residential
real estate development.
The Ethiopian government should also institute rent
controls on older housings in Addis Abeba to stop
the incredible rent gouging. There is no economic
rationale for owners of older buildings to charge
huge amounts for rent, as we are seeing in Ethiopia
Should the Ethiopian government place rent control
on all buildings built prior to 1991, this measure
would largely solve the problems of renters in the
capital without stifling new developments.
This issue is a critical issue for the country. Rent
in Addis Abeba has gone through the stratosphere.
Nearly 40pc Pay Increases, Not Invisible?
Dear Editors,
The news story headlined, "Expensive salary
increments almost invisible," (Volume 11, Number
562, February 6, 2011) was biased and
unprofessional. The reporter chose to only include
the statements of people against the wage increase,
either because it is allegedly too small, or will
increase inflation too much.
This is not balanced reporting. The reporter could
easily have found civil servants who are very happy
about the size of the salary increment. She could
also have talked to experts who would have told him
the wage increase, in a well functioning market,
should not create any significant inflation, for the
impact on the overall economy is too small due the
relatively small number of government employees.
To say that a nearly 40pc wage increase is
invisible, is ludicrous. If those in the private
sector received a 10pc raise, it is considered
large, for most increments amount to five per cent
or less. I expected better from the reporters of
this newspaper.
United States
Handing out Public Property
The one-sided feature headlined, "One man's rubble
another's treasure," (Volume 11, Number 562,
February 6, 2011) prompted me to write this piece.
The monies unlawfully made by the MSEs belong to the
Ethiopian public. If such unjust practices of
funnelling public treasure continue in the same
manner, their ramifications will bring about the
protests erupting around the globe.
The sale by tender and transfer of houses up for
demolition have apparently been taken by the Micro
and Small Enterprises (MSEs).
Who are they? How did they coerce the wereda
administration into playing this part without
crafting secret deals behind closed doors?
The seizure of political power and the wrong
application of public goods and services are utterly
unacceptable. Encouraging embezzlement, fraudulent
acts, corrupt practices, and acts of quid pro quo
adds insult to injury. The wereda administration
should not remain myopic in discharging their
responsibilities which may bring about unforeseen
and bitter circumstances.
We are a long way from witnessing the end to the
social ills and malaise that gnaw at the marrow of
the populace, despite the incumbent's efforts to
decimate the ills and bring equity and fairness to
the people.
Tadele Alemu W. Mariam
Forgiveness unsurprising when inspired by beliefs
Dear Editors,
As the
public debate on whether or not to forgive the
imprisoned former Derg officials lingers on, we are
being treated to all sorts of wayward opinions.
Infrastructure Monuments for Sore Eyes of Poverty Stricken
Dear Editors,
The EPRDF has been claiming that it
achieved continued economic growth over the past
seven years. It has been declaring its success
through the local media in a bid to inform the
international community of its presumed
Gov't Discouraging Ethiopian Involvement in Farming
Everyone has been discussing the
spiralling inflation for some time; then, suddenly,
the price caps were dropped on the public like a
Derg Officials' Imprisonment Lenient Punishment for
It is truly shocking and outrageous to see the son of Aserate Kassa
(Prince), one of Ethiopia's well-known and
distinguished personalities, appeal for forgiveness
on behalf of imprisoned former officials of the Derg
regime, in his views headlined, "Forgiving, not
forgetting, in pardoning convicted Derg officials"
(Volume 11, Number 557, January 2, 2011).
Forgiveness to Heal Wounds of Anger over Derg's Misdeeds
Dear Editors,
The fact that leaders of different religions took the initiative to
engage in a series of consultations with the public
to secure pardons and subsequent releases for former
officials of the military regime who were convicted
of crimes against humanity is good news; it will
ensure the release of my uncle and it is better late
than never.
EDP's Liberal Economic Principles Only Rhetorical
I read your editorial note headlined, "Unwise throwing of good money
after bad to serve populist purposes results in
Greece," (Volume 11, Number 557, January 2, 2011)
with great interest.
Gov't Overspending to Achieve Misery
Dear Editors,
Your editorial headlined, "Unwise throwing of good money after bad to
serve populist purposes results in Greece," (Volume
11, Number 557, January 2, 2011) reminded me of the
Ethiopian saying that goes, "Yetegebe leterabe
ayaznem" (someone who is sated does not feel sorry
for the hungry).
Celebes Bore Public with Mediocrity
Mediocrity takes all forms and obviously abounds in every culture. As
varied as it is, mediocrity is often confused with
excellence in Ethiopia. This is exactly what happens
around "celebrities" who divulge opinions falling on
the blurred line between mediocrity and conventional
wisdom, a form of mediocrity I call "season less."
Ethio Telecom not Building Sustainable Pool
of Indigenous Telecom Management
I read your interview with
Debretsion G. Michael, minister of Information and
Communications Technology (MoICT), December 12, 2010
(Volume 11 Number 554).
I have Money, but I Cannot Use it
Sometimes, what we
take for granted is not what we think it is. Take,
for instance, the issue of foreign currency in coin
form. The value of a paper dollar bill could be
equal to the value of 100 dollar cents.
Taxing Significant Majority in Poverty
In the editorial
headlined, "Encouraging measures to boost national
savings, not sufficient" (Volume 11 Number 555,
December 19, 2010) it is stated that "Why not
increase the ceiling for the income tax exemption to
500 Br and lower the percentage progressively for
the remaining."
Underhanded Scheming Underfoot
I read, in the Letters
to the Editor section, a very interesting comment on
the ongoing privatisation of Meta Abo Brewery by the
Privatization and Public Enterprises Supervising
Agency (PPESA) headlined, "Dominant Industry Player
Threatens Industry Competition" (Volume 11, Number
553, December 5, 2010).
Dominant Industry Player
Threatens Brewery Competition
A couple of issues were
brought to mind by the news story headlined, "Int'l
Firms to Submit Proposals for State Brewery,"
(Fortune's Volume 11, Number 550, November 14,
I learnt that the
invitation was made by the Privatisation and Public
Enterprises Supervision Agency (PPESA). Among the
firms invited to submit proposals for the joint
venture (JV) acquisition of the state owned Meta Abo
Brewery is BGI.
Fingerprints for Tax Trip Too Much to Ask
An expert from the
Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA) had
an interview with the Voice of America (VOA) about
the ongoing discussion between the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the ERCA on a possible
arrangement to take the fingerprints of taxpaying
Ethiopians in the Diaspora in the United State (US).
Admin Running Amok with Developers
I applaud the editorial
headlined, "City Authorities Have None But
Themselves to Blame" (Volume 11, Number 550,
November 14, 2010).
Alarm for Constitution Violation
I would like to air my
views in a responsible manner as a follow-up of your
editorial headlined, "City Authorities Have None But
Themselves to Blame," (Volume 11, Number 550,
November 14, 2010) which I read with keen interest.
Incredible Acceptance of Rights Watch Report
How can you be so wrong when you write in your
editorial headlined, "Senseless Back and Forth
Following Rights Critique, Unconstructive," (Volume
11, Number 548, October 31, 2010) that, "Better
Business Bureau (BBB) attests to HRW not only meets
its fundraising, expenditure, and financial
accountability standards, but also its quality and
accuracy standards in information it releases."
Report Pretext for Government Criticism
Do not be an
opportunist. When people at Human Rights Watch (HRW)
fire a bullet or two at the government, do not fire
a thousand. Do not be a follow-up commentator.
Lack of Libraries, Reading Culture Hurt Potential
Public and private libraries are scarce in this
country. Readers, who are scarce themselves, have a
hard time obtaining the books of their choice. The
youth are more content with bits and pieces of
information, especially that of an entertaining
nature, than in-depth analysis of issues of
importance for the betterment of our desperate
Local Media to Report Gov't Abuse, Not Cheer Unbalanced
Rights Watch
I just read your editorial headlined, "Senseless
Back and Forth Following Rights Critique,
Unconstructive," (Volume 11, Number 548, October 31,
2010). I felt like you diminished my enthusiasm for
your newspaper by pouring cold water over my head.
Chamber Finds Procurement Process Sound
To date, Fortune has covered the Addis Abeba Chamber
of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (AACCSA) in a
number of stories, the great majority of times in a
fairly balanced way.
Dev't Bank Yet to Approve Strategic Plan
Dear Editors,
The front page news
story headlined, "Dev't Bank Discloses Five-year
Strategic Plan," (Volume 11, Number 546, October 17,
2010), raised recent developments within Development
Bank of Ethiopia (DBE).
However, the story
contained some misleading information in claiming
that "DBE's management board approved the strategic
plan sometime in August." It should be corrected as
being a provisional strategic plan which has not yet
been approved by DBE's management board.
Ababu Kassa
Acting Manager, Business Promotion and
Communication Process of Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE)
Awash VP Initiates Resignation
Fortune's radar news story headlined, "Awash Int'l Bank VP among
Rumours," (Volume 11, Number 546, October 17, 2010),
stated that Eshetu Fantaye resigned from his
position as vice president for Corporate Services
"over a disagreement with the board of directors,
sources close to the bank disclosed to Fortune."
Awash International
Bank is not aware of the identity of "these sources
close to the bank" from which the information was
obtained. The vice president's resignation was not a
result of "a disagreement with the board of
directors," as stated in the newspaper, but was
initiated by him and his request was accepted by the
We request that the
newspaper correct the factual error. We hope that
the newspaper will be more cautious regarding the
accuracy of information it reports pertaining to our
bank by obtaining required information from
officials who are authorised to disclose information
of the bank.
Such officials will
normally disclose information on the record, thereby
helping the newspaper to avoid referring to
anonymous sources as "sources close to the bank." We
believe that the newspaper should ensure that the
information it disseminates is always correct in
order to maintain its reputation.
Abebe Deressa
Manager, Planning and Business Development Department
Awash International Bank (AIB)
Science Ratio Plan Shaky, Implementation
Needs Reforms First
There are good and bad news circulating among
private institutions at this moment. The good news
is that the Ministry of Education (MoE) is to relax
some of the stringent measures it took a little over
a month ago.
Kudos to Girma Wake
In Fortune's article
headlined, "Ethiopian CEO Leaves Legacy as Airline
Takes Off," (Vol. 11, No. 544, Oct. 3, 2010), the
writer, Hailu Teklehaimanot, fails to mention Girma
Wake's prior three decades of service to Ethiopian
Airlines (ET) from the 1960s to the 1990s.
Girma's prior knowledge
and experience with ET operations are what enabled
him to steer the company on a profitable course upon
his return in 2004.
Only 10 years prior to
his return, Girma was part of an exodus of senior
management from ET, due to controversial period
under Seyee Abreha, then acting chairman, who fired
and replaced dozens of senior ET management members.
Those were dark days for ET, with senior management
who gave decades of service being fired without
pension or a means to support their families.
Girma Wake's return and
leadership of ET is not only a success story but
also vindication for the former unsung heroes of ET
management. A job well done, and best wishes on a
well-earned retirement!
Selamta B.
City Needs Lasting Solution to Cemetery Crisis
Reading Fortune's article headlined, "Exhausted
Burial Ground Forces Remains out of Graves," (Vol.
11, No. 544, Oct. 3, 2010), I am struck by the
persistent lack of progress by religious leaders and
government authorities in finding a lasting solution
to inadequate burial plots.
ETC Deserves Criticism, Not Recognition
I was baffled to read an
unwarranted reply from the Ethiopian
Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) headlined, "ETC
Deserves Recognition," (Volume 11, Number 543,
September 26, 2010). ETC demands recognition in this
reply letter.
I believe such an act is
only possible because there is no authority that
regulates the malaise ETC has created, and that the
corporation has the guts to criticise a newspaper
that reported the concerns of many thousands of
Managers at the ETC and
the responsible government agency whose job is to
regulate them should be criticised for making
Ethiopia the least developed nation in ICT and
telecommunications services by all the Indexes of
the International Telecommunications Union (ITU),
and the GSM-Association.
The criticism should
extend to the company: having stifled innovation,
new ICT services and growth of new telecom service
provider companies through its monopoly; destroying
the capacity development training facility, the CTIT;
holding Ethiopia hostage to foreign experts; telling
the lie that CDMA 1X (EVDO) is a next generation (NGN)
technology; and destroying the independent
regulatory function of the Ethiopian
Telecommunications Agency (ETA).
The consequences are
that there are no checks on the quality of network
service, while customers complain. ETC deserves
My heartfelt
appreciation to the newspaper, for making the voices
of subscribers heard.
A Reader
Good Example by Shipping Lines, New Institute
I read your news story
headlined, "ESL Charts Future with Landlocked
Maritime Academy," (Volume 11, Number 543, September
26, 2010) with interest. The state owned Ethiopian
Shipping Lines (ESL) wants to train and develop
indigenous human capital in the maritime and marine
engineering fields.
Despite the landlocked
nature of Ethiopia, such investment in training and
education guarantees long term and sustainable
growth for the maritime industry and the services it
can render to the Ethiopian society. It is an
initiative that ought to be recognised and
I do hope that other
organisations such as the Ethiopian
Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) learn from ESL
and Ethiopian Airlines that development of
indigenous expertise is a necessity for the long
term ICT development and sustainability in the
Astewaynew Grum
Nairobi, Kenya
Excellent Editorial on Education
Dear Editors
Your editorial headlined, "New Blanket Education
Policy Throws out Good with Bad" (Fortune Volume 11
Number 542, September 19, 2010) was not only
superbly written but also well-timed and is right on
the nail.
ETC Deserves Recognition
This is in response to Fortune's coverage
headlined, "Connectivity Malaise," (Volume 11,
Number 538, August 22, 2010). The newspaper
allegedly described that both the fixed line and
newly launched code division multiple access (CDMA)
wireless Internet connectivity, deployed by the
Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC), have
failed to deliver on their promised speed and
capacity, during peak hours, over the last two
Unconstructive Feedback for Award Winning Office
Dear Editors,
We, at the Documents Authentication and Registration
Office (DARO), were happy to see a commentary by
Yohannes W. Gabriel headlined, "Good-looking Notary
Offices Fail to Serve Public," (Volume 11, Number
539 August 29, 2010). We believe that feedback from
the public is vital for our improvement.
Birr's Adjustment Too Abrupt
Dear Editors,
The 20pc exchange rate adjustment on a basket of
currencies on September 1, 2010, is a reasonable
step to encourage exporters except that it caught
market participants by surprise. As a result, we
have observed arbitrary increases in prices. In some
shops, trading was even at a standstill, until the
dust settled.
Rent Seekers Prey on Vulnerable Consumers
Dear Editors,
A colleague of mine went to buy a plasma TV in one
of the famous shops around Teklehaimanot. I had paid
10,900 Br for a 32-inch a month ago. My colleague
decided to go for it; incidentally, it was the same
day that the government officially devalued the Birr
from 13.63 Br to 16.35 Br to the dollar.
Executive Action Self-defeating for Education Sector
Dear Editors,
In open societies, changes in government policies
are usually predictable due to debates in public,
preceding such changes. The legislative and
executive organs are accountable to the electorates,
and, hence, weigh their policy changes against the
interests of their constituencies. Dissenting voices
are also heard within a ruling party opposing a
shift in policy in such societies.
Education Directive Hypocritical, Leads to
Nat'l Crisis
Dear Editors,
The news headlined, "Education Ministry Bans
Distance Learning" (Volume 11, Number 539, August
29, 2010) is quite a surprise for many, and the
directive, as it stands, smacks of hypocrisy,
considering the fact that a considerable number of
Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
leadership earned their degrees through distance
Lively Debate on Advertisements, Lending Laws
I am delighted that Yohannes Woldegebriel and Liku
Damtew (PhD) have debated on the laws of
advertisement and usury. I just wanted to add my
view on the subject by questioning what both have
said and did not say.
Read More
Collective Cowardice Forsakes Noise Limits
Binyam Idris's view headlined, "Biggest Offender: A
Mistaken Opinion" (Volume 11, Number 538, August 22,
2010) does not seem to understand the meaning of
freedom of religion. Under the Federal
Constitution, he is of course free to practice his
religion, but this freedom does not mean that he is
free to enforce his beliefs on others or demand that
they participate in his rituals.
Health Sector, Research Institute in Dire Straits
Dear Editors,
It is true that our country is striving to get out
of poverty. However, it is unthinkable to achieve
success without competent organisations that are
committed to live up to the public's expectations.
One of the sectors that need reengineering and
sustainable development is the health sector.
It is in this sector, which is full of black holes,
that the nations' only health and nutrition research
institute, a.k.a. Paster, where I worked for a few
years, lies.
Ever since its reorganisation in 1995, the institute
has not performed anything of substance or satisfied
its customers, members of the public.
It is only the tip of the iceberg. Mandela's famous
phrase, "tragic failure of leadership," to describe
Zimbabwe's election aftermath, suits the current
situation at the institute.
Euclid Tesema
will Become Ethiopia's Next Generation ICT?
Lack of management and technical expertise at the
Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) is
once again in the news. A good initiative undertaken
by the previous ETC management was to start the
College of Telecom & IT (CTIT) for indigenous human
capital development in the areas of information
communications technology (ICT) management and next
generation networks.
of Education Calls for All Concerned
On your Letters to the Editors' page (Fortune Vol.
11 No. 536, August 8, 2010), a certain Yirgalem
wrote a 'Systematic Approach to Quality Education.'
I wish the issue would attain nation-wide appeal to
provoke scholarly debates. Unless there is a genuine
discussion, which involves all stakeholders, the
entire education system is sure go to from bad to
Street Vendors Deserve Leeway
This is in response to your story headlined,
"Vendors' Struggle to Survive Invites Road
Accidents" (Vol. 11 No. 536 August 13, 2010).
Rejection at Swedish Embassy, but Why?
My brother-and sister-in-law reside in Sweden. My wife and daughter had
wanted to go for a visit for a short period of one
month, upon the invitation of our relatives.
Cares More about Resources than Rights in Its Support of
This is in response to Andualem Aragie's insightful
viewpoint headlined, "West's Lofty Rhetoric,
Dangerous Miscalculation on Ethiopia" (Volume 11,
Number 534, July 25, 2010) in the midst of the last
death throes of the private press in Ethiopia.
The West's current priorities, particularly those of
the United States (US), are fighting terrorism and
controlling Africa's natural resources, the latter a
longstanding neocolonial priority. In the Ethiopian
context, this means fighting radical Islamists in
Somalia and vying with China for control of oil and
other natural resources in the Ogaden and Gambella.
Rhetoric aside, human and democratic rights are way
down on its list of priorities, which is why the US
is now supporting the Ethiopian Peoples'
Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). As Andualem
eloquently demonstrated, it is arguably the most
cynically repressive regime on the African
Systematic Approach for Quality Education
As the Ethiopian New Year is fast approaching, it is
customary to put private higher education
institutions in the spotlight. The timing is
understandable seeing that the school year is to
start soon. The irony is that those who are expected
to regulate the sector have not been able to put the
record straight and sort out the problems.
Election, Nat'l Politics Discourage People
The 2010 national elections came to an end with the
Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
securing a landslide victory over the opposition
parties. Following the announcement of the
provisional electoral results by the National
Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), the EPRDF
mobilised and mustered its supporters on the
following day in the major towns of the country and
trumpeted its victory while at the same time
denouncing Human Rights Watch (HRW)for its harsh
criticism of its conduct during the elections.
Claim against Ministry of Foreign Affairs Unfounded
Dear editors,
Last Sunday, Fortune carried a front-page story
headlined "A Cry for Justice" (Volume 11, Number
533, July 18, 2010) concerning Askallukan Trading
Plc, claiming that the company had defrauded
hundreds of people over trips to South Africa.
connection to this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MoFA) of the Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia was dismayed to see a suggestion that it
had in some way endorsed the company.
The ministry would like to point out that it has
never had any contact with the said entity at any
time. It has never endorsed the company in any way,
nor has it ever been asked to do so.
The ministry understands that Fortune was quoting
persons demonstrating in protest against Askallukan.
The reporter should, however, have checked with the
ministry before repeating such unfounded and
inaccurate claims.
of Foreign Affairs
Public Diplomacy and Public Relations Directorate General
Rising, State Must Protect Its Citizens
I understand that most of the readers of this
newspaper are in the upper strata of society, with
their own fenced compound in a secure neighbourhood.
I also know that the issues raised here mostly
reflect the concern of these particular members of
World Cup or
Life Cup More Important
At times of national or international events,
whether it be political turmoil, macroeconomic
instability, or socio-cultural changes, it tends to
muster all the attention and focus of the majority
of people.
Read More
Chez Fasil Clarifies Details
Please allow me to express my heartfelt appreciation
for the feature headlined, "Fusion in Wining,
Dining" (Volume 10, Number 522, May 2, 2010) on
Pleasant Chez Fasil Restaurant & Bar.
would also like to clear three points that were
misstated in the article, which I believe need to be
corrected at the earliest time possible.
It is true that I have over two decades of
experience in hotels and restaurants in Europe and
North America. But I did not say I worked as a chef
in those places.
My culinary knowledge did not come from a formal
education at culinary schools. Rather it came from
the passion and curiosity I developed while working
in Europe and North America.
first met Marcus Samuelsson here in Addis ten years
ago and not in New York as stated in the article.
Fasil Mengistu
EPRDF Learns from 2005 Debates
There are few weeks left until the fourth national elections. So far,
the campaign is going well. The Ethiopian Television
and Radio Agency (ETRA) has broadcasted eight
debates that have shown the core policies of each
political party, including the incumbent, the
Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).
The incumbent is conducting its debates as a contender, and not as a
governing party. The opposition parties have also
been doing their best. But I found the incumbent to
have been overwhelming in most of the debates.
If the EPRDF had done a similar campaign, including its debates, in
2005, we might not have paid as high a price during
the turmoil that followed, or we might not have had
such turmoil in the first place. Most of the
demonstrators were ill-advised by the debates
conducted by the opposition parties.
The EPRDF has not repeated the same mistake. I see the leaders from the
party, such as Redwan Hussien, have debated
overwhelmingly better than those from the opposition
parties. I think this demonstrated a big lesson
learned from the 2005 election.
Maseresha Brehanu (Teke)
Incumbent Deserves Constructive Criticism
I teach biology in a primary school in Addis Abeba.
I always read Ayenew Haileselassie's columns. He often opposes,
criticises, and ridicules what the government has
been doing in bringing development to this country.
As citizens, we should admire the good things and constructively
criticise the shortcomings and poor performances of
the government rather than simply attack it. Our
support and criticism for the government should be
constructive and free from hatred, for it will bring
no positive impact on the ongoing development of the
country otherwise.
The right to speak and write guaranteed in our Constitution happens to
be real during this regime; we ought to appreciate
this. We all know how the 17 tragic years of the
passed without any development.
I do not see it fair to ridicule our infant democracy, which needs
encouragement in its struggle to stand firm.
Mesfin Arage
Indecent Exposure Feeds Many
I am interested in reading your lucid columnist, Lulit Amdemariam. I
enjoy reading her eye-opening essays on often
unnoticed issues from all walks of life.
In her last column headlined, "Eye Candy" (Volume 10, Number 521, April
25, 2010), she tried to show us how, unlike other
cities, Addis Abeba offers neat and gorgeous people.
I see a developing trend that young people are denying themselves food
and drink as part of their weight loss bid, hoping
that they get a slim body posture regarded as the
ideal body shape.
Lulit has exhaustively mentioned what we see on the streets, in cafes,
and in restaurants are appealing to the eyes and
give us a sense of fulfillment and peace. But I
think Lulit has missed the other side of the ledger.
What we are witnessing with our naked eyes are men and women being
enticed by indecent clothing styles which expose or
suggest sexually tempting body parts. That is
ungodly and alien to what is Ethiopian. It could
have unforeseen social ramifications.
More often than not, beholders are tempted by what they see and get
carried away to the point of no return. Its
devastating aftermath should be obvious to anyone;
widespread promiscuity, rising rates of teen
pregnancy and abortions, the spread of sexually
transmitted diseases, and the erosion of the family
and home life.
While admiring the awesome beauty of men and women as creatures of God,
one should never forget that any abuse of those
gifts will not go unpunished. As a rule of thumb "Do
not take a second look."
Dawit Haile
Clarification on VAT
I recognise the government's endeavour to give its citizens access to
primary education, but I have a concern that the
qualitative dimension does not seem to get
I heard Demeke Mekonnen from the Ministry of Education say, "Quality
education can not be achieved instantly, it is
something that would appear or occur in the
endeavour to ensure quality education," on a
televised debate.
But I would argue that to attain quality education, we must be on the
right road.
Primary school is the ground upon which basic education is based, so as
to pursue quality. Students who come to primary
school do so with a lot of problems in tow. So the
task of a teacher is not merely teaching in class
but avoiding any problems that could become
obstacles to the teaching and learning process.
In order to avoid such problems, a teacher must have extra time
allotted in their schedule to allow rest and
personal activities in order to make a better
living. This may include pursuing their non teaching
education to get a high paying job and tutoring
pupils at home to earn additional income.
Teachers are expected to provide solutions to enable students to become
strong citizens. And yet the income that teachers
earn from this career is not enough to make a
living, even though the government grants rent
allowances for teachers in the capital.
The government should make the profession of teaching primary school
respectable by granting a good enough salary to the
teachers, who play a huge role in ensuring quality
Should the government discharge its responsibility in this aspect,
teachers will be able to carryout their activities
wholeheartedly for sustainable quality education.
By Mesfin Arage
PM Not Mistaken about VAT
This is in response to Abebe Shitaye's question in the Letters to the
Editors section of last week's issue headlined,
"Clarification on VAT" (Volume 10, Number 520, April
18, 2010).
To my understanding, the Prime Minister was talking about businesses,
not consumers, when he said that value-added tax
(VAT) is calculated on added value. And this is true
whether it is services or goods.
The hair dresser for example would not work for this argument because
the VAT is paid by the customer. But if, for
example, a subcontractor charges 1,000 Br for the
main contractor on a certain project, and the main
contractor adds a 100 Br margin (value) to this
service, the VAT paid by the main contractor to tax
authorities would only be 15 Br, 15pc of the added
This is simply because businesses are allowed to recover the VAT on
goods and services they buy. I think the Prime
Minister is right.
Melaku Missione
Voters Think Differently from Country's Dishonest
Ayenew Haileselassie, a political columnist for this paper, wrote a
piece two weeks ago headlined, "Democracy on Magic
Carpet" (Volume 10, Number 519, April 11, 2010) in
which he said, "... it is better that the EPRDF
continue to stay in power than to have another chaos
to wreck havoc in the country. That is a fear driven
choice made in favour of the status quo, overriding
the natural desire for change."
I personally think that it is not about maintaining the status quo.
Rather, we do not have honest and accountable
opposition political parties that can shoulder the
responsibility of governing this country.
We live in a society in which all transcendent values such as honesty
have been removed from our politicians. There
appears to be no moral standard by which anyone can
say right is right and wrong is wrong. What we live
in is, in the memorable image of Richard Neuhaus, "a
naked public square."
When the public square is naked, truth and values drift with winds of
public favour. There is nothing objective to govern
how we are to live together.
We are now surprised to discover that the Ethiopian political situation
yields what is planted. When a politician is
dishonest, no one will swarm alongside them begging
for a scrap of conversation or a handshake.
Today, voters cannot be purchased in Ethiopia. That time has passed for
good. To treat politics and morals separately is
What is honesty and dishonesty in politics? Someone, in a very brisk
way, might pose a very blunt question: "Is it
possible for a politician to be honest at all?"
During the national elections held in 2000, we stood like sheep in
short lines, silent with no interest to vote. Many
stood in queues quietly chewing on their
fingernails. Five years later, the national
elections changed this. People were more vocal when
they were unhappy with aspects of the voting
Today, things have changed. We are more sober and sombre. We are better
prepared to vote and more vigilant over the
integrity of the election process than ever before.
Even ordinary people know how the voting process is
supposed to go. As history teaches us, political
"gamblers" put competence to bad use. They are
skilled but ruthless. The gambler's close kin is the
political "troublemaker," who pursues his soaring
ambitions by any means necessary, whatever the
risks, regardless of the costs to others.
Remember the 2005 National Elections process? How many young people
were pushed to "Kinijit's mob politics" and paid
unnecessary sacrifices to those desperado
Today, we are witnessing the neopolitical "fanatics" who are just as
dishonest as they are blinded by the conviction that
they are right in all cases.
The fanatic is inflexible and full of inertia, a steamroller ready to
flatten everything in the way. We can imagine or
even tease out these names from our opposition
parties who are gamblers, dishonest, and fanatic.
The opposition parties in our political platforms are not only
monopolising power, but their reformist or
disgruntled factions have now also taken over the
mantle of the opposition. Time will tell how they
are really pariahs of Ethiopian politics.
". . . it does not mean that we cannot identify honest politicians when
we see them," writes Kwasniewski.
Immanuel Kant described two types of politicians.
The political moralist wants to "hammer out morality" in keeping with
the requirements of politics construed as a cynical
game. It is a label that easily applies to all the
types of dishonest politicians I described.
The moral politician rejects cynical pragmatism but does not succumb to
naïve moralisation.
An honest politician is someone who regards politics as a tool for
achieving the common good. That is why actual
governance is so often the best test of political
Do we now expect the outpouring of emotions that had accompanied
leaders of the opposition parties whenever they
visited their support bases?
I do not think so, for we, the voters, have begun to think differently
from our blind politicians. The times have changed.
What has not changed are our politicians' ambitions.
Mekuria Mekasha
Teachers Instrumental for Quality Education
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's response for
clarification on the impact of value added tax (VAT)
on the consumer, appeared before Parliament last
week. This is not clear to me.
VAT is a tax calculated and paid on the added value,
not on the total value, according to the Prime
Minister. It seems he has forgotten that the
application of VAT on the service value is not
transferable, not perishable, not stored, and not
visible. On the service transaction, VAT is applied
on the total value and not on the added value as it
is a 'one-stop-transaction.'
For instance, if the price paid for the services of
hair dressing is 150 Br, then VAT is calculated on
the total amount and not on the hair dresser's, say,
50 Br margin. The service sector is one-third of the
economy and should not be neglected as such.
VAT is applicable on the total value on goods
initially. It is only on the second, third ...
transactions that VAT is applicable and payable on
the added value.
Have I misunderstood the Prime Minister?
Uncalled-for Attack on Tewodros
am one of your readers online. I do enjoy your
newspaper. I do refer it to friends and others who
are interested in knowing about Ethiopia from all
However, I was very disappointed to read a column by
Ayenew Hailesellasie headlined, "Democracy on Magic
Carpet" (Volume 10, Number 519, April 11, 2010). It
has a paragraph that reads, "Today, we prefer to
think of him as a hero who chose to kill himself
instead of falling to the British. But, sorry to say
this, I believe he was just a loser."
do enjoy Ayenew's writings. However, to call
Tewodros a loser was an uncalled-for attack on his
dignity. I sincerely and respectfully ask your
newspaper to remove the word "a loser" from your
pages. I know your publication has a reputation to
live up to.
Silver Spring, MD
United States
Involvement Necessary for Economic Growth
read the message by Aragaw Belay headlined, "EDP:
History in the Making" (Volume 10 Number 519, April
11, 2010). The message is no different from the
illusionary thinking of the rest of members of the
Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP). Illusionary
because it is mere ambition that does not consider
the objective reality of our country.
Liberalism is a concept most related to the degree
of government involvement in economic matters.
Liberals argue that governments role in economic
matters should be limited; they term this as "small
It is true that "small government" or liberalism may
work in economically advanced countries where the
market mechanism plays the crucial role in
regulating the economy. In these countries, supply
and demand revolve almost around the equilibrium.
Yet, the governments of advanced countries did not
stop interfering in economic matters as observed in
the United States and other European countries
during the economic crises in economic sectors such
as the financial and automotive manufacturing
Ethiopia is not an economically advanced country;
but just starting to develop, if not, grow. The
market mechanism is too weak to regulate the
economic system.
Does Aragaw Belay mean that government involvement
in economic matters should be avoided? Why would
Aragaw's party complain about the EPRDF when it
comes to electricity, sugar, and cement prices? Did
the EPRDF hinder businesspeople from investing in
these sectors?
There is no problem with "big government" as long as
it is democratic and developmental.
The EDP seems ambitious; although ambition and
stretching have sometimes positive impacts in
driving forward to achieve goals. But too much
ambition is equal to illusion.
What is the relevance of comparing Obama's election
campaign agenda to the Ethiopian case? The two
countries have no similar realities. We need
visionary not illusionary leaders; and we need more
pragmatic than conceptualist leaders. This is the
secret to the development of China.
think the problem of EDP members is lack of
experiential knowledge. Their involvement in
practical political and executive leadership is
limited. Their perception of the world is straight.
The world is like a ball on a smooth floor that one
does not know which direction it moves after a
slight touch.
Shitaye Kassa
ETC Buries Its Head in Sand
completely agree with Getachew T. Alemu's assessment
in his commentary headlined, "In Age of Broadband,
Ethiopia's Education Remains Hostage to 'Chalk'n
Talk'" (Volume 10, Number 513, February 28, 2010).
By all the indexes of the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) - ICT and Telecom
Indexes, 2007/o8/09 - Ethiopia is categorised as
least developed in Africa. Ethiopia and North Korea
are the only countries which have yet to liberalise
the telecom industry or are countries that deny the
private sector the opportunity to invest in the
telecom network and ICT services.
It is a pity that the information officer from the
Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) was
still compelled to make his case and tried to bury
his head in the sand in front of these glaring
Wrong Word for Hawassa's Residents
keep on enjoying my weekly "diet" of Fortune, which
keeps me informed and inspired. Girma Feyissa's
insightful commentaries are always an added
pleasure. However, in Girma Feyissa's recent piece
headlined, "City Built from Blue Prints" (Volume 10,
Number 519, April 11, 2010) I happen to detect a
malapropism, which goes to negate the gamut of
Girma's line of thinking.
In his concluding remark, Girma Feyissa stated:
"This is a metropolis that harbours people of all
nations and nationalities."
While I am more than happy to stand corrected, the
word "harbours" is a malapropism, a misnomer of a
word which gives an unintended meaning. One harbours
a grudge and ill feeling. Or in its noun form,
harbour is a shelter for the seamy side of society,
hence, one could talk about a city becoming a
harbour for criminals.
As Girma's otherwise flawless, "City Built from Blue
Prints" has portrayed effectively, Hawassa (Awassa)
has, indeed, become "the flagship" of nations,
nationalities and peoples.
Mulugeta Aserate
Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Gov't Has No Option But to Jam
Your columnist, Ayenew H. Sellasie wrote in his
piece headlined, "The Gathering Storm", (Volume 10,
Number 517, March 28, 2010) that "an extreme case is
Meles's public assertion that his government would
jam the Voice of America (VOA)."
Read More
Lack of IT Education Leads to French ETC Management
I believe that the Ethiopian Telecommunications
Corporation (ETC) has been handed to a group of
French managers because existing managers are
incompetent and the company has foolishly killed the
capacity building College of Telecom and IT (CTIT).
We chose instead to pay dearly for French managers.
Read More
Asteway Girum
EDP: History in the Making
History is knocking on our doors. A political
landscape bound with principles and standards for
the Ethiopian Election 2010 is before us. Let us
open our doors, our minds, and our hearts and speak
our thoughts. Let us begin the debate. It is time
for more honest debates to instil policy confidence
into the electorate. It is when the public becomes
perspicacious that they can buy the right policy.
Read More
Argaw Belay
The EDP's Parliamentary Candidate
Loudspeaker War in Addis Abeba
I realise that with the elections just round the
corner and with campaigning in full swing, the issue
of noise pollution may not seem a priority, but I
feel that it is in fact a democratic issue that must
be addressed.
Read More
Tony Hickey
General Manager
Ethiopian Quadrants PLC
ICT Liberalisation Not Answer
We have read the commentary by Getachew T. Alemu
headlined, "In Age of Broadband, Ethiopia's
Education Remains Hostage to 'Chalk'n Talk'" (Volume
10, Number 513, February 28, 2010), which criticised
the telecom sector.
Read More
Abdulmena Mohammed Hamza
Past Generation Has Greater Commitment than Ours
I would like to respond to a comment forwarded by
Mersea Kidan headlined, "Failure of Past Politics:
Dichotomous Thinking" (Volume 10, Number 517, March
28, 2010). In his response to B. Kassa headlined,
"Win-lose Politics Leaves No Room for 'Third Way' "
(Volume 10, Number 516, posted on March 21, 2010),
Mersea was unable to find any valuable, logically
reasoned and sufficiently strong argument except his
criticism of "that generation."
Read More
Samuel Zenebe
EPRDF Needs Diversity to Survive, Even within Itself
As a concerned citizen in the current Ethiopian
political arena, I prefer the Ethiopian Peoples'
Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) to stay in
power and administer Ethiopia until such time that a
strong, conceptualist, as well as potentially
pragmatic opposition party is able to lead Ethiopia
to prevail and mature.
Read More
Belayneh Kassabelay
Earthquakes Cause Condos Construction Jitters
I am very pleased with the issue Samson Tesfaye raised in your
newspaper, published on March 14, 2010, headlined,
"Earthquakes in Ethiopia: Preparedness Vs.
Procrastination" (Volume 10, Number 514).
Seeing what happened in Haiti, I was concerned
with the same issue. I understand that we are in a
different geological and geographical location. We
may not face the kind of natural threat we witnessed
in Haiti. But what will happen if some natural
catastrophe was to occur?
The reason I ask this question is to encourage the concerned body to
give much more emphasis in connection with the way
construction work is undertaken.
I do support the construction of condominium houses, but I remember
people were concerned with the mushrooming condo
construction – the way they are built.
Are they built properly? Do we have building codes suitable for
earthquakes? How strictly are these building codes
I know that there are organisations and privately owned consulting
firms assigned to do such jobs. But those engaged in
the construction work and the people who are
assigned to supervise quality control should listen
to their common sense and learn to do the right
thing for their people and country.
Kinfe Mulugeta
Earthquakes in Ethiopia: Preparedness Vs. Procrastination
Earthquakes occur in Ethiopia along the Rift Valley and its
surroundings. A few notable past earthquakes include
Kara Kore in the 1961, Serdo in 1969, and Dobe
(Afar) in 1989.
The level of destruction of an earthquake, among other things, is a
function of its magnitude and proximity to built-up
areas. If an earthquake strikes a remote place, its
impact would be negligible. However, if it strikes
close to densely populated areas the impact could be
In recent weeks, the world has witnessed two major earthquakes – in
Haiti (January 12, 2010) and in Chile, on February
27, 2010 – with totally different outcomes in terms
of human and economic loss. The Chilean earthquake
was a much stronger magnitude 8.8, while the Haitian
earthquake was a magnitude seven.
However, the magnitude of destruction is significantly less in Chile
than it was in Haiti. The number of lives lost in
Chile is estimated to be in the hundreds whereas in
Haiti it is in the hundreds of thousands.
Why such a disparity?
The answer is in the earthquake preparedness. Chile is a country that
has been hit by major earthquakes in the past and
has adopted strict building codes that would
withstand a certain level of ground shaking, while
Haiti did not. Unfortunately, the effect is
reflected in the level of destruction and number of
lives lost.
Earthquakes have happened in Ethiopia and will happen in the future,
that is a given. The magnitude of the earthquakes,
however, should not be as big as the ones in Chile
or Haiti.
How prepared is the country in the event of an earthquake?
The recent construction boom in the country has seen the erection of
high-rise buildings in Addis Abeba and other cities.
Do we have building codes suitable for earthquake prone areas? How
strictly are these building codes enforced?
Earthquake preparedness also involves raising public awareness of the
potential problem. It would be wonderful to hear
from the appropriate government officials on the
issue of earthquake preparedness in the country.
Which scenario will play out in the event of an earthquake striking a
populated area in Ethiopia – Chile or Haiti?
Samson Tesfaye
High Time to Lower Tax on New Vehicles
Recently, there was a price decline in the used car
market due to rumours that tax, on imported new
vehicles, is to be scrapped. What aroused my
tremendous interest in the subject and prompted me
to write this is the high price of vehicles (used or
new) which is unthinkable for many.
When considering the advantage of lowering taxes on
new cars, a win-win situation arises for the general
public and the country as well; especially in terms
of the savings we all get by discouraging the import
of used cars.
When we buy used cars, consider the disadvantages:
these vehicles with an average age of 10 years and
over 100,000km would incur additional costs in
repair and foreign currency for their spare parts
from the minute we import and start using them; they
are short lived and would need to be replaced by
another car; not to mention the cost to the
environment; some of the accidents on the road would
be because of the mechanical failure sure to happen.
short, we are becoming the dumping ground of old
cars for the wealthy European Union (EU) and the
Middle Eastern countries.
the other hand, the advantages of new cars are that
they: do not require repairs or spare parts for
years which saves our much needed hard currency;
last much longer; and are safe to drive providing
the owner peace of mind.
should also remember that in order to buy a car
somebody needs to save the whole amount and pay cash
upfront – because financing for the purchasing of a
car is non-existent. This reality makes cars out of
reach for many who could be car buyers. Financing
for new cars also has to be considered, by our
banks, for people who would qualify.
Additionally, lowering taxes as mentioned above
should be considered in order to introduce and
encourage imports of electric cars. Electric cars
may come in handy in light of: all the hydropower
dam projects, the low cost of electricity in our
country and the anticipation of all the excess
electricity we are to have. This is in comparison to
the unpredictable and unstable imported petrol which
is drying out our foreign currency reserve.
it is high time to consider scrapping some of the
taxes on new vehicles; especially on electric cars
and ethanol/ bio fuel vehicles as well.
By Ayenew
A Demand That's No More or
dominating concern in the minds of those of us citizens of
this country is the fear of prosecution from trumped up
charges that can put us behind prison for years to come for
matters that are only a figment of a wild state of
imagination, as perceived by the powers of the day, as a
threat to their authoritarian rule of uncontestable state
To prove
the above assertion, the Prime Minister was in Parliament on
Thursday, March 18, 2010; speaking with confidence, and
exuding arrogance, that anyone who speaks out against the
EPRDF government during this election campaign will be
prosecuted after the May 2010 election. Why he wanted to
wait until the end of the election period is anybody's
guess; I venture to assume that his effort is necessitated
not to offend the donor community whose continued financial
support is essential for the basic functions of his
government to continue as a government.
What all
this boils down to is the fact that those of us involved in
the May 2010 election campaign have to choose between going
to the state prison for speaking out the facts as we see it,
or glorify the miserable achievements of the ruling party of
the past 18 years for mismanagement, corruption, and poor
governance, as a benchmark for all Ethiopian politicians to
aspire to.
When we
speak out for lack of checks and balances in the federal
system of our government, it is to avoid this kind of
supremacy of one branch of the government taking matters
into its own hands, and acting with impunity, as the judge,
jury, and prosecutor; infringing upon our natural and
constitutional rights as citizens of this country. In a
democracy, citizens, (leave alone candidates in a campaign),
are free to speak their mind for or against the achievements
of the government or lack of it, without fear of
freedom of expression is guaranteed in the Ethiopian
Constitution; it is always exercised with caution and fear,
lest we offend our 'supreme leaders', who wish to be
worshiped for their unimaginative and incompetent governance
of this country and its people in abject poverty for the
last 18 years.
To make
matters worse, I was watching a clip of the Prime Minister's
interview on the BBC, expressing his government's intention
to jam the Voice of America Radio that was being transmitted
to Ethiopia.
What is
going on?
We are
already denied access to some website pages, and now the
radio! It appears to me that the ruling party has reached an
extreme state of paranoia that is dangerously close to
exposing itself and the citizens of this country to greater
calamity that cannot be remedied in years to come.
We have a
Constitution that proclaims all kinds of rights and
privileges of a democratic society to its citizens. In
actual practice, though, we are being governed by the whims
of those who are working day and night to shield us from the
positive effects of democracy by way of harassment and
intimidation for speaking out against authoritarianism and
lack of democracy as guaranteed not only in our own
constitution, but also that of the United Nations
Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 to which our own country
is a signatory.
In a poor
country such as ours, to deny the populous the opportunity
to have access to print and electronics media is not only a
violation of the professed constitutional rights of the
citizen, it is also to condemn the people of Ethiopia to an
ever widening poverty, ignorance, and isolation from the
benefits of science and technology that is freely enjoyed by
citizens of the rest of the world.
and everything we say during this campaign could be used
against us. Our own response would be: our freedom and
liberty cannot be objects of negotiation that we wish to
submit to the ruling party for fear of prosecution. Come day
or night, rain or shine, we are determined to live and die
as free men with all our human dignity, constitutional and
natural rights respected to the full extent of the law. We
ask for no more and no less.
Temesgen Zewdie
Temesgen Zewdie is a member of Parliament and the Unity for
Democracy and Justice (UDJ)
I Can't Believe I'm Writing
Dear Editors,
I once
heard about an incident that had driven Oprah Winfrey mad
when she came to visit Addis Abeba. The alleged story had it
that she was infuriated by customs officers at the airport,
who apparently did not recognize who she was, for they
ignored her while giving priority to other arrivals who
happened to be whites; little did they know that they were
her security personnel.
Customs Frustrates Customers
Dear Editors,
arrived at Bole International Airport on an international
flight early on the morning of September 4, 2009. I had to
seek Customs clearance for an exercise equipment which I had
brought with me.
clerk on duty in the 'assessment' booth did not seem to know
how to locate the described items on the computer. This
process took a long time. Altogether the process took almost
90 minutes due to the inefficiency of the Customs officers
Unshakeable Habit of PM's under Unoriginal Assault
I am
writing after reading Lulit Amdemariam's column headlined,
"Professor, PM" [Fortune, Volume 10, Number 503, December
20, 2009].
respect and encourage the right of every Ethiopian to
freedom of expression and thought. And it is heartening to
see her and other members of the private press speaking out
under often difficult circumstances. However, when it comes
to the mainstream media, I believe there needs to be a
minimum level of professionalism and ethics demanded - out
of respect for the public and the subject involved.
are Not Stranger to Ethiopia
Dear Editors,
We would
like to draw your kind attention towards the news story
published in your newspaper headlined, "Stranger Comes to
Town" [Volume 10 Number 486, August 23, 2009], and further a
letter from a reader headlined, "India, International
Standards Differ" [Volume 10, Number 487, August 30, 2009].
Embassy of India would like to express its disagreement
regarding both the printed items, as they have incorporated
wrong facts, baseless allegations, and a biased story.
Fortune's Case Really Historic?
news story headlined, "Fortune Wins Landmark Case against
Ayat" [Volume 10, No. 476, June 14, 2009] gives extensive
coverage to the court battle your publisher has fought
against Ayat Share Company.
Family Distances Itself from Memorial Institute
Dear Editors,
attention has been drawn to an advertisement by the Sylvia
Pankhurst Education and Training Institute entitled Sylvia
Pankhurst Memorial Institute, on page 11 of your issue of
June 7, 2009 [Volume 10 Number 475].
I have given my approval to naming a school after my mother,
I have not been asked, and have not agreed to the use of my
mother's name for the said Sylvia Pankhurst Education and
Training Institute. Neither I, nor members of my family,
hold any position or have any affiliation with the Institute
share company.
Pankhurst (Professor)
A Case for Telecom Privatization
I read
the news headlined, "Amharic Office Word Application
Software Almost Complete" [Volume 10, Number 473, May 24,
2009]. It was great to know that the age old language of
Ethiopia is entering the information age. My appreciation to
the three organizations: Microsoft Inc., the Ethiopian
Information Communications Technology Development Agency (EICTDA)
and the Addis Abeba University (AAU).
However, all this effort is of no use as long as a single
monopoly operator owns the generation and transmission of
information and networks without the involvement of the
private sector. As a result of such a policy, Ethiopia, with
telecommunications services for over a century, is now known
as a prime example of least developed countries (LDCs) in
the information communications technology sector.
private sector is excluded from owning a network, and small
and medium enterprises, which could provide local language
based content services, are absent from the scene. Perhaps
Microsoft Inc. and the other influential
organizations should clearly take a stand against the
disabling policy on telecom and ICT monopoly in Ethiopia.
then can we talk and expect innovative and sustainable
development through ICT.
Asteway Abebe
Is AU's
Priority Cash or Development?
When I
was covering the 4th African Health Ministers Conference for
my government earlier this month, I was delighted to meet
African officials in large numbers for the first time. I
felt blessed for being assigned to Addis Abeba, as my first
African posting. In naivety, I used to think Africa was as
homogenous as are most European countries. I was fortunate
to learn that the diversity is immense, and incredible.
Journalists Must Support Each Other
Dear Editor
I read
the commentary by Lulit Amdemariam headlined, "Ethiopian
Journalism" [Volume10, Number 473, May 24, 2009]. It was a
timely and fascinating piece.
media houses usually ignore such indispensable issues.
Journalists in our country are seen complaining about their
profession only when they are imprisoned, charges are
pressed or when a new media law is imposed on them.
Textile Labour Union Needs Reality Check
I was
amazed to read a story headlined, "Local Textile Labour Case
May Go International" [Volume 10, Number 470, May 3, 2009].
This story says a local employer and union's case may go
international because the case was not getting resolved here
in Ethiopia.
cannot believe the union chose this particular time to take
it that far. Its leaders are thinking about getting in touch
with the employer's clients through the International
Conference of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) in order to urge
them not to buy the product from the local factory.
are they thinking? Where have they come from? Do they live
in the same world we live in? Do they follow the news on
what is going on around the world, that countries are doing
all they could to make it through this turbulent times? Have
they heard stories of employees losing their jobs, in
millions, and companies getting bankrupt? Do they know that
employers and employees are working together to avoid
bankruptcy of their companies so employees have job security
(even on a concession basis) during these trying times?
Besides, when they say they will contact the exporter's
clients and ask them not to buy the product, have they not
heard about the foreign exchange crunch this country is
they were not aware that the products exported by individual
companies do bring back the hard currency we all (as a
country) depend on. I suggest they should get a reality
check; they should also be thankful that their members do
have jobs during these tough times while millions are
desperately looking for one.
timing is so bad that instead of taking their case to
international level, they should rather focus on increasing
productivity. Our work attitude should change too. Working
together with management, we should find a way we could be
more a productive workforce.
industrial production output is too low, even when compared
to other Third World countries.
We should keep in mind that our industries, all imported
machineries purchased with foreign exchange, are established
after consuming huge investment capital. If the exported
products were not competitive enough, those industries could
get bankrupt and close their doors with loss of jobs as
avoidable consequences. It is in all our interest to see the
success of these companies.
should also be careful not to send the wrong signal to
prospective investors, both domestic and foreign.
Ayenew Awole
Home Page / Fortune News /
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© 2007 AddisFortune.com


text:
For failing a second marijuana test...
...stupid boy.
For failing a second marijuana test...
...stupid boy.
Thats lame as unless you want to get really geeky on me i don't see how smoking weed gives you any kind of unfair advantage. A vape before bed after training never hurt anyone lol.
Very silly. If he insists it's good for him, great, knock yourself out. But fuck it up and piss hot, you know what's coming.
'Go read a fucking book, you piece of shit.'
http://www.ChrisReesAcademy.com - http://thetattooedchimp.blogspot.co.uk/
Looks like it has been changed to a N/C after all -
I don't agree with it being changed to a no contest if it was weed. But whats done is done.
Statement from UFC
http://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-release...tive-drug-testMatthew Riddle tested positive for marijuana metabolites following his bout at UFC on FUEL TV 7 in London, England on February 16, 2013. This is Riddle's second failed drug test for marijuana within the past seven months. Riddle previously failed a post-fight drug test due to marijuana following his UFC 149 victory over Chris Clements.
As such, the UFC organization is exercising its right to terminate Riddle for breach of his obligations under his Promotional Agreement as well as the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy. The UFC organization has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents. The outcome of the bout against Che Mills was changed to a no contest and the results of the positive test will be reported to the official Association of Boxing Commissions MMA record-keeper.
interesting. one way of reading it, seems to imply that the UFC doesn't have an opinion as to whether it's performance enhancing. or at least does not want to venture an opinion.
if they came out and said it were a PED, Mills would deserve his job back, eh?
Last edited by Jimmy Boogaloo; 28-02-2013 at 09:49 AM. Reason: included use of the conditional tense, my apologies for any lack of clarity
If you didn't see it with your own eyes, or hear it with your own ears, don't invent it with your small mind and share it with your big mouth!

subset: commoncrawl


text: They say only two things in life are certain: Death and Taxes. I'd like to add another to that list: batteries will always cost a fortune. Sanyo, the makers of the Eneloop brand of rechargeable batteries, promises to change that. I put these batteries to the test for a year. Here's what I found… Continue reading


text:
Results 1 to 4 of 4
Thread: What causes a blue baby?
27th May 2014 08:15 PM #1
- Join Date
- May 2014
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What causes a blue baby?
What causes a blue baby?
29th May 2014 10:58 AM #2
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Sometimes babies are born and appear to have a blueish tint on their bodies that tends to last a few moments. In no time the babies color returns to a peachy soft pink color.
Their are 2 reasons for this common occurrence.
One is that the lungs are not getting enough oxygen. Since oxygen is what makes blood turn red, blood cells without oxygen remain blue ("cyanosis").
The second is the underlying blood is moving sluggishly, so the normal veins underneath that carry blue, oxygen-poor blood back to the heart are more noticeable.
You can tell if there is insufficient oxygen in the blood by checking the color of the skin all over your baby's body. If there is a bluish cast everywhere (especially in areas with a lot of blood flow, like the lips, tongue, and vagina or scrotum), this could mean all of the blood is blue and there could be a problem with the heart or lungs.
More commonly, it's only certain areas -- like the hands, feet, or area around the mouth -- that look blue some of the time. This is usually perfectly normal. Most newborns experience the latter.
If you are concerned about your child's skin color it is best to do a through examination and give your doctor a ring.
But you don't need to worry if your baby's hands and feet turn blue for a short period of time when the rest of the body is pink and your baby is breathing normally.
I do hope this helps answer your questions.
Please let us know how your little one is doing.
29th May 2014 04:40 PM #3
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- May 2014
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Thank you!
Greetings! Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my query. Your explanation is very enlightening. I truly appreciate it.
Warm regards,
1st June 2014 08:31 AM #4
- Join Date
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I am glad that you were able to gain a better understanding.


text:
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Lakers played with fire and survived.
But there are a few burns.
As Dwight Howard missed his second consecutive game because of his sore right shoulder, the Lakers walked away with a 98-97 victory Sunday over the Detroit Pistons after nearly blowing an 18-point lead.
They only escaped because Kyle Singler's inbounds pass to Andre Drummond inside on the final possession resulted in his shot hitting off the rim. It also helped that Pau Gasol put a body on him.
"I tried to get in the way of the pass so he couldn't convert," said Gasol after posting 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting in his second consecutive start at center. "I wanted to make it difficult on him because it was a very good pass."
The Lakers (22-26) secured their fourth win in the last past five games and a 2-1 record on the team's Grammy trip thus far.
Big deal.
"I'm not happy about this one," Bryant said.
The Lakers have blown double-digit leads in the past four games against sub. 500 teams. Last week, the Phoenix Suns took advantage of that.
"It feels good just to win, but at the same time, our message in the locker room is pretty clear," said Bryant, who posted 18 points on 8-of-20 shooting and five assists. "We have a stretch of games coming up where we have to play better than this."
Good luck.
The Lakers have stops on the rest of their seven-game Grammy trip Tuesday against Brooklyn (28-19), Thursday against Boston (24-23) and Sunday against Miami (30-14). With how the Lakers fared against Detroit (18-30), don't automatically pencil in a win when they play at Charlotte (11-35).
After grabbing a rebound off Singler's miss in the lane, Earl Clark missed two consecutive free throws as the Lakers nursed a 98-97 lead with 16.8 seconds left.
"It would've been a great game for me if I knocked those down," said Clark, whose 17 points and 10 rebounds marked his fifth double double this season.
"I let it get to me too much and I didn't concentrate as hard."
Clark wasn't alone.
After Will Bynum's shot hit off the back rim, Steve Nash grabbed the rebound and earned a trip to the line. Though he's a 95.1 percent free-throw shooter this season, Nash missed both. In 2003 with the Dallas Mavericks, Nash also missed two free throws in the final moments only for the Clippers' Glen Rice to win the game with a three-pointer.
"I feel terrible about it," said Nash, who posted 11 points and 10 assists.
"I felt bad I could've cost us the game."
At least, the Lakers mixed in their inconsistency with some highlight reel plays.
Bryant threw down a one-handed dunk off a fast-break that defied his age.
Clark also converted off Bryant's inbounds lob pass to close the first half with .04 seconds left, something that would leave Derek Fisher proud.
But the Lakers aren't proud of this effort.
*"*These are playoff games for us," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said, sarcastically. "Sometimes weird stuff happens in the playoffs."
Or in the regular season against a bad team.


text:
|Villa, Joseph
|Bustamante, Dulce
|Dunkley, Jimmy
|Escobar, Luis
Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/6/2008
Publication Date: 9/1/2008
Citation: Villa, J.D., Bustamante, D.M., Dunkley, J.P., Escobar, L.A. 2008. Changes in Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colony Swarming and Survival Pre- and Postarrival of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in Louisiana. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 101(5):867-871 Interpretive Summary: The parasitic varroa mite causes serious mortality of colonies maintained by beekeepers unless colonies are treated with pesticides. Treatments are expensive and require care in their timing and application. An additional negative impact of varroa mites has been mortality of wild honey bees. We analyzed swarm capture rates and survival of colonies not treated for mites from 1990 to 2005 in Louisiana. Varroa mites were first detected in the state in 1991 and had become widespread by 1995. Coinciding with this, we observed a sharp decline in swarm captures and in colony survival. In the later part of the observation period (1997-2005), both swarming rates and survival rebounded to levels similar to or better than those prior to the arrival of mites. Colonies could be surviving better in the presence of mites because of mixing with introduced and selected resistant stocks, because of natural selection, or because the virulence of mites has moderated.
Technical Abstract: The impact of Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman on colonies of Apis mellifera L. in southern Louisiana was evaluated by analyzing changes in swarming and longevity of colonies for 17 years. Swarming rates were calculated from yearly captures of swarms in bait hives placed in five areas of Louisiana from 1991 to 2006. Colony longevity was monitored in 104 swarms established from 1990 to 2000 and followed until 2005. V. destructor was first detected in the state in 1991, and was widespread and detected in our samples in 1993. Prior to these events, average swarm capture rates ranged from 0.85-0.95 swarms per bait hive-year, and survival of colonies established from swarms averaged 14 months. In the years following the arrival of V. destructor (1993-1996), swarming rates and colony longevity decreased to 0.36-0.60 swarms per bait hive-year and longevity of 10 months, respectively. After about 5 years in the presence of V. destructor, both rates recovered to levels at least as high as those seen before varroa arrived; swarm capture rates were 0.75-1.04 swarms per bait hive-year and average longevity was 26 months. Analysis of varroa infestations in three colonies established from swarms in 1997 showed the presence of varroa at oscillating densities for five to eight years. Possible causes for this apparent recovery are natural selection for resistance in honey bees, introgression of selected resistant genetic material or reduced virulence of the mites.


text:
Partly Cloudy, 90 °F | Forecast
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*You may purchase additional color packs during your registration.
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Find out how you can save up to $225


text:
Advisement, Registration, Scheduling
The information you will find here is important. Read carefully and you will be prepared to register successfully for your classes each semester.
Remember: The most up-to-date and accurate information about advisement and schedules of classes is always in the department office in Carman Hall, Room B-20 (718-960-8173). You can also check with the program coordinators, whose names are at the end of this announcement. Information in the department office is more accurate than information on the web.
Here are four steps to successfully enroll in a course.
I. Advisement: You are required to get permission from a faculty member before you can register for any course in any of the programs in the department: counselor education, educational leadership, literacy studies, and special education.
Every semester you will find the registration advisement schedules for faculty members in each program posted outside of Carman Hall, Room B-20. These hours will also be posted on the outside of the door of the faculty member.
You must see a faculty advisor every semester to have permission to take courses entered into the system. Once the permission to take a course has been entered, you may go and register.
When you leave the advisor's office be sure you have the four-digit registration code of each and every course and section that you are approved to take and for which you plan to register.
II. Registration: You now need to go on-line, enter the sims registration system and enter the correct codes for your course(s) and section(s).
III. Payment and payment deadlines: After you have registered online, you must arrange to pay for your courses. Either pay directly or go to the Financial Aid Office in Shuster Hall and arrange to pay for your courses through a student loan.
There are deadlines set by the registrar to pay for your courses and to "validate" your registration. More on this is the next step.
IV. Validation: The final step. Important: You are not registered for any course unless you have validated your registration. You must do this every semester even if you have a student loan, and even if your receipt indicates a zero balance. If you look carefully, you will see a note that says validation is required.
After you have registered online and entered your codes into the system and arranged payment, you must go the Bursar's Office and have your receipt or your loan stamped 'Validated'.
If you have not received validation, then you will be dropped from your courses.
During the registration period, the Registrar's Office will have an online calendar of payment dates. If you register, you must pay and validate by the next payment date indicated on the Registrar's calendar.
If you do not pay and validate by the next date, you will be dropped from your courses and removed from the course roster.
What do you do if you are dropped from your courses? You re-register by re-entering the four-digit codes and then paying and validating by the following deadline set by the Registrar's Office. You do not need to go back to your advisor for permission. Your permission remains in the system.
If you miss the deadline again, go back and re-register, pay and validate.
If you have any questions, you can contact the Program Coordinator:
- Counselor education: Prof. Stuart Chen-Hayes at firstname.lastname@example.com
- Educational leadership: Prof. Janet DeSimone at firstname.lastname@example.com
- Literacy studies: Prof. Limor Pinhasi-Vittorio at email@example.com
- Special education/childhood; adolescent; dual degree program in childhood education and special education: Prof. Barbara Gottlieb at firstname.lastname@example.com
- Special education/early childhood; dual degree program in early childhood education and special education: Prof. M. Victoria Rodriguez at firstname.lastname@example.com


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What is the President afraid of? Obama is going to give a major speech to tell the people how he is proposing to solve the jobs problem. But, he is waiting to make his proposals known to us sometime in September after Congress returns to Washington, D.C.
What he is afraid of is letting us know NOW what he is proposing because we will have time to digest his solutions. This would allow us time to let our senators and representatives know what we think before they return to Washington, D.C.
If his proposals are so great, what is he afraid of?
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text: Any opinions on the difference in meat tenderness after boning out vs. letting the carcass hang and cool out? I've always let my deer hang for several days in a cool place before processing and have found it to be very tender. On the other hand, one of my relatives usually cuts up his deer very shortly after the kill, and he seems to have tougher steaks as a result (or is this just coincidence?). The reason I'm asking, I will be doing some pack hunting this year for the first time, and wonder if I'm successful and have to bone out my animal, can I expect it to be a little on the tough side at the dinner table?


text:
In 2013, Arizona earned a new nickname -"the solar state"- by participating in heated debates regarding net metering and the growing solar electric industry. As expected, the utility companies put up a fight, which resulted in a minor victory allowing them to charge a small fee on new residential solar electric installations.
But the power companies cannot hold out forever, as solar power and other alternative sources of energy continue to gain popularity with consumers. Unfortunately there is still a long road ahead for everyone involved in solar power initiatives. Currently, Arizona Public Service Co. and others offer only a few renewable energy initiatives. To push the state from 2nd to 1st place in solar and renewable energy usage, utility companies should offer users the option to choose which percentage of their electricity is channeled from solar or wind energy, as opposed to other, nonrenewable sources. Many North American companies already do, and if consumers can find them — often through comparison websites — everybody wins.
Arizona has the sun to thank for its "solar state" title, but even if it's a sunny day there's still plenty you can do at home to pitch in, too. Take the first step and reevaluate the power usage within your own home. There are many new devices on the market that allow homeowners to track and discover just how much power is drawn from their electrical outlets, and adjust it accordingly. Not only will you discover which devices are "energy hogs", and save money in the process, but you'll reduce your home's overall carbon emissions as well. Monitoring your home's energy needs allows you to be a smarter, more environmentally friendly, consumer. Read on to learn more about the devices that can help you track your power consumption safely and easily:
TED Energy Detective: TED Energy Detective is one of the most highly comprehensive, and easily installable, energy monitoring systems. The product features a real-time display detailing exactly how many watts your home is using, with information on the hourly cost and continuous feedback on your energy use patterns. There are many versions and models of the TED home system, some of which come with their own wireless display, and others that are tracked using your mobile device or computer.
Google Nest Thermostat (Second Generation): There are smart thermostats, and then there are thermostats like the Nest. The Nest is more than programmable, it's intuitive, which means that it will learn your schedule and program itself. An ordinary smart thermostat might remember to lower temperature control while residents are at work or school, but the Nest will go one step further and focus temperature control on the most used rooms, automatically adjust for sleeping temperatures. The device can even sense while you're away on its own, due to the addition of a motion detector.
Eco-Friendly, Smart Appliances: For a while, energy efficient appliances were expensive and few and far between. Now, however, LG is one company that boasts an entire line of smart appliances. Examples include a smart refrigerator (the Smart ThinQ), an ultra-fast, eco-friendly washing machine, and a washing machine with Wi-Fi Smart Diagnosis (the Smart ThinQ Washer, which would reserve energy-intense cycles for off-peak hours, for example). LG isn't the other company investing in the eco-trend, either. Energy Star certified appliances are available through almost every major preferred company or brand.
Power Adaptors and Smart Power Strips: Perhaps the most well-known and easiest tools to apply are power adapters, like those created by the company Green Plug, which limit the amount of energy over-charging consumer devices. If Green Plug's adapters are in use, the supply of energy will be cut off after the device has received all the energy it needs to charge and operate. Likewise, smart power strips will limit any "vampire" charges sucked from appliances left plugged in.
iTech SolarCharger 906: Solar panels and solar technology at home is already popular in Arizona – but what about on the go? The iTech SolarCharger is just one option that allows electronics to be charged with the power of the sun. The iTech SolarCharger does take about 22 hours to power up (perhaps leave it on the deck on weekend day, but once it does it can easily charger phones and other electronics. The tool even comes with various adaptors, so homeowners don't have to give up their solar preferences on the go.
While we wait for solar energy to be a cheaper, more feasible option on a large scale basis, there are many ways to cut down on electricity costs are home. A good energy monitoring system will make you aware of the need to conserve our energy resources. The accurate digital displays of the products listed above (and others) will give you new insight into how much electricity you consume, and where you can cut back each month.