Ghana Movie Awards 2013 - Review

The 4th edition of the Ghana Movie Awards (GMA) finally took place on
30th of December 2013 at the Accra International Conference Centre. A
host of Ghanaian movie actors and actresses graced the occasion, from
both the local language and the 'abrofosem' movie circles.
Nominations for the various categories were made available about a
month ago. The nomination list this time did not separate movies made
in local from the English ones. In the previous GMAs , that was the
trend, this time around, they were all put together in the same soup.
Odd Thoughts
Apart from Kwadwo Nkansah (Lil Win), seemed no local movie person won
anything. Well, Kumawood has already awarded those in the local movie
a few days ago in the Akoben Awards so no sweat.
I don't know if it's the style or rule of the organisers of the GMAs
to always nominate and award a movie which has not been seen by the
public. A movie to be premiered on 1st January 2014 gets a nomination
about a month before it becomes public viewing , and subsequently gets
awards for various categories. This practice at the GMA always baffles
me since other movie awards like the Oscar Awards, which most people
in the movie industry around the world wouldn't deny they wish to have
in their statuette cabinet, have rules that the movie should have been
shown in cinema over a period of time. Well, that's Oscar Award rules,
they want people to see a movie before it gets nominated and awarded.
Ours is GMA rules, you get nominated and awarded before the movie is
even shown to the public to know why they were even applauding when
the movie won an award
As usual the audience to the show were not lively and always had to be
told to clap for performances. Well, maybe it's because the
performance were not that interesting to so it did not trigger the
audience to spontaneously put their hands together for them.
Did anyone see Mafikizolo of Khona fame perform ? Or I missed it.
Hope it wasn't a ploy to get people buy ticket
The winners on the night were the same old familiar faces, no
surprises. I guess the same people are doing the movies over and over
again, get nominated over and over again, and win over and over again.
A comedian, who came on stage, virtually said dry jokes. I always
wonder why stand up comedians always tell the audience to clap for
themselves. Is it that when they realised their jokes are not funny
and the people are just watching them without laughing, they tell them
to clap for themselves to lighten up the auditorium for them to have a
mental satisfaction that the clapping is for their performance. That's
some nice trick; I guess its stand up comedy lesson 101.
When the nomination list came out, there was a news report of a
producer/writer/writer lambasting the list, but was very interesting
to watching her receiving more than one award on the night with all
smiles(am sure she wanted to cry). I thought she would not have even
attended the event after what she was reported to have said. May be
the organisers sang the old school song "Cool it Now" to her
It seemed those called out to read out nomination list were reading
from a smart phone from one of the event sponsors. Some had difficulty
reading from that small piece of electronic device due to all that
lighting around the stage. Next time, they should provide them with at
least a 7" tablet pc to make the reading easier . As for the antics of
those reading the nominations and award winners on stage, the least
said about them, the better.
The large screen played a video of a nomination list for an award for
males, only for the announcer to call out a female winner, the
audience as usual went "ooooooo". Event director should up his game
because it was awkward watching the announcer try to defend herself .
It made me remember the washing powder TV advert of the little boy
saying "it's not my fault"
Least I forget, whose idea was to bring this Asian guy , I think from
Korea, who started "performing" when people were heading for the exit?
I guess it was to make people laugh on hearing him say some Twi
phrases talking about women's back side. To me, the phrase were
somehow derogatory to women, didn't find it funny. Most people at the
auditorium might not have heard him because as soon as the MCs for the
night thanked people for coming to show, they started walking out
only for the MC say they shouldn't go and that there was a last
performance. It was too late
In all, I will give the Ghana Movie Awards 2013 a mark of 55% . This
is the 4th event, I hope the 5th Anniversary will see improvement and
make it more interesting. I am tempted to say they are still learning
and it will be harsh to compare them to other movie awards which have
even crossed their 50th event.
God grant us life to see the next one in 2014.

ECG PRE-PAID METERS

The ECG until a few years ago , have been sending their personnel to
residential and non-residential premises to read credit meters and
also deliver bills. They then switched to Pre-paid meters installed in
both residential and non-residential premises, although not all credit
meters have been changed. The meters installed were not of the same
kind although they were installed by same ECG. There were different
methods of loading money.
The latest project by ECG with regards to pre-paid meters is a worry
to some people, especially those in residential houses.

Which other country,apart from Ghana, removes the electricity
pre-paid meters installed in residential houses, line several meters,
then fix it to a pole some where on the street, so that if you want to
reload it , you have walk to the street, whether there is
rain,shine,day,night,dawn ,etc .?
Forgetting the other security risk like an armed robber having access
to it by tampering with your power source outside your home before
even coming close to your house.When your power goes ,example at 2am,
you have to unlock all your doors, walk to the pole on the street and
reload.what if its an armed robber who has tampered with it ? By
unlocking all your doors, you have given free access to the robbers

The issue of the meter catching fire, which has already been reported,
is of great concern too. The meters which are fix to a pole are
installed by lining three or four on a pole. Should one catch fire,
the rest of the meters also get affected ,meaning more houses in an
area gets no power and extra cost to ECG to replace all ,although they
would have just replaced one if the meter was left in the house.
In spite of the fact that, they have not fished changing all 'Credit
Meters' to Pre-Paid,and with the soon to be be introduced 'Smart
Pre-Paid Meters' in 2014 , they are replacing existing pre-paid to
these 'pole meters'.
These among other factors are the reasons why ECG should rethink on
this replacement of pre-paid meters. One head from ECG on tv said its
a pilot project, well, their attention is been drawn to the fact that
they are placing their consumers lives in danger especially having to
make a consumer leave his/her secured house to go to the street to
reload credit to the pre-paid meter.

The President has directed that government officials living in
government premises should have pre-paid meters installed. With this
kind of 'pole meters ' and considering the security concerns above, is
the ECG not also placing their lives in danger? Or since they are
government officials, they will have theirs in their compound but the
'Ordinary Ghanaian ' ,as we are described, will have to walk to the
street to reload

The simple suggestion is that, they can go ahead and change the
meters, but should not fix them outside on a pole. One might say it
will curb illegal installation, but issue is these connections are
done by their own people. They should clean their house of people who
engage in that, and not put the consumers lives at risk.
The ECG may have good intentions to improve their services but this
improvement should not at the detriment of the people they are serving

English Lesson 102 - You and I or You and Me

Too often, people use I in expressions like you and I or my wife and I when they should be using me.

·         It is a present from my wife and me. (correct)

(me – objective case of I after the preposition from)

·         It is a present from my wife and I. (wrong)

(This is as wrong as saying from I.)

·         Keep this between you and I. (wrong)

(This is as wrong as saying between I and the post.)

Remember, prepositions govern the objective case. Therefore, the word I must change to me when it is the object of a preposition (i.e., follows the preposition).

The fact that it is preceded by you and or my wife and is actually irrelevant.

You should only use I in an expression like you and I when it is the subject of the verb

For example:

·         You and I argue on this subject on a daily basis. (correct)

(You and I — subject of the verb to argue)

·         My husband and I accept your apology. (correct)

(My husband and I — subject of the verb to accept)

If the terms objective case and subject of a verb are confusing, there is a neat trick to determine whether to use the you and I form or the you and me form. Simply remove everything apart from the I and try your sentence again. You will naturally use the correct version.

·      It was proposed by my wife and I/me.

Question: I or me? 
Step 1: Remove my wife and 
Step 2: Try the sentence again.
Step 3a: It was proposed by I. (wrong)
Step 3b: It was proposed by me. (correct) 
Therefore:

·         It was proposed by my wife and me. (correct)

·         It was proposed by my wife and I. (wrong)

Twitter : @QtalkGhana

Fwd: English Lesson 101- Program and Programme

Program and Programme

Writers are often unsure whether to use program or programme. Those following US writing conventions don't need to worry about this. They can use the word program for everything. However, those following UK writing conventions are not so fortunate. They do need to make a distinction between program and programme. (This is because the English were influenced by the French word programme, but Americans weren't.)

Use Program for Anything Relating to Computers

For anything to do with a computer, use program. 

For example:

• 1.It's a useful computer program.  ()  ()
(In this example, program is a noun.)
• 2.Do you know how to program the computer?  ()  ()
(In this example, program is a verb.)

Use Program If It's a Verb

As in the second example above, the word program is the only one that can be used as a verb (i.e., programme is never used as a verb).

 For example:
• 1.Do you know how to program the alarm?  ()  ()
(Usually, this will have something to do with computers.)


• 2.Please program the team-building exercises before the lunch.
•   ()  ( (Be aware that it's not always about computers.)
• 
  
• 3. A box of crayons and a big sheet of paper provide a more expressive medium for kids than computerized paint programs. 
•   ()  ()
• 
  
• 4. My virus checker keeps rejecting your programme.  ()  ()

If You're British, Use Programme to Mean Agenda, TV Show or Collection of Projects

In the UK, programme is used to denote an itinerary, a show (typically, on the TV or radio), or a collection of work projects. 

For example:
• 1. It looks like an entertaining programme tonight.  ()  ()
• 
  
• 2. Family Guy is one of my favourite programmes.  ()  ()
(Family Guy is one of my favourite programs.  ())


• 3.The person who leaked the secret programme is hiding in Hong Kong.  ()  ()
(Here, programme means a collection of work projects.)


• 4. I'm glad the President finally found an economic development program. I'm just sad that it's only in Baghdad.   ()  ()
So before you use any of these, make sure you don't mix them up

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@Quabynah

Floods,It seems No Where Cool

Mind Your Language

1. Don't dare talk in front of my back
2. 1 2 3, both of you get out of my class!
3. Take 5cm wire of my length.
4. All of you stand in a straight circle.
5. Be quiet… the principal just passed away.
6. Why are you looking at the monkeys outside when I am here?
7. I have 3 daughters, they are all girls
8. Did you see me on the radio yesterday?
9. Everybody is entitled to 1 ball of kenkey and 1 ball of fish.
10. Stop making noise like empty sardine tins of milk.
11. The son of the man is a boy.
12. This is your permanent place, sit here for the mean time.
13. Take the lead and follow me.
14. I would rather kill myself than commit suicide.

Promise

Seven Deadly Leadership Sins To Avoid by Clive Chandler

1. Being overly self-protective
Blaming others when things go wrong is bad, but refusing to own up to your own mistakes is fatal. If you fall into this trap, ask yourself: what am I afraid of? If you're afraid that people discovering you have made a mistake might hurt your credibility, covering your own rear end will make sure of it. It also has negative ramifications for the team, creating a work environment where people watch their own backs instead of each other's.

I am candid with my team, telling them often that in my 30 years of experience I have probably made every mistake it's possible to make — and that I continue to make them. It's not about being perfect — no one is — it's about how you recover 
that matters.

2. Being uncooperative
Good listening skills and patience are fundamental to leadership roles. Being stubborn doesn't help people learn, and it doesn't make you a good leader to be inflexible. All it shows is that you don't value other people's opinions. You might still be right at the end of the discussion, but you have to be willing to have a discussion.

3. Irritability
As a leader, you have to remember that your presence is supposed to be a benefit, not a liability. Be aware of your mood. Yes, you have responsibilities which can be a burden at times. Yes, you will get stressed occasionally. So take a deep breath before you walk into the office. Smile. It matters.

4. Being egocentric
If you want to boast about an achievement, do it to your family and friends. In the office, all wins belong to the team. If you want to crow about your expertise, you might want to reconsider that, too. Knowing all the answers doesn't train your team to think, it trains them to come to you whenever they have a problem. It might make you feel good, but it isn't leadership. Turn the focus back on them. Guide them through some open-ended questions so they get to the answer. It's not about you.

5. Exhibiting ruthless or unethical behaviours
Ruthless seems like an extreme word. I'm sure you're saying: "I'm not guilty of this one. I just want my team to respect me, and so I'm occasionally hard on them." Suppose a team member makes a mistake, and you pull them off the project and reassign them to a menial task. What does that show your team about the use of managerial power? Will you really get the best out of any of them after that, or will they just fly under the radar to avoid your notice? Is that respect? Or have you just killed your team's performance?

As regards ethics, we all know we should run our businesses above board. But unethical practices can simply be taking your team out for drinks on the company credit card when you know the policy says don't do it without approval. Your team knows it, too. It's not cool. It's damaging and it'll come back to bite you.

6. Being overly charismatic
Some people really have the "X factor" – the air changes when they walk into a room. If you are one of these people, be careful. While your team will no doubt look up to you, they will quite happily stay in your shadow unless you dim the lights and let someone else on the stage.

Practice not being the centre of a conversation group. See if you can get your colleagues to talk about their opinions on the news of the day before you offer yours. Maybe don't offer yours at all, just discuss the other people's ideas. Let junior team members chair meetings. Don't say anything in the meeting unless it's really needed. Be there to support them – don't steal the show. 

7. Being overly ambitious
It's fine to want to advance in the company. But when you put your speaking engagements ahead of project commitments, when you join another board or association so that your CV looks impressive instead of passing some of these opportunities to a team member for the growth of their career, when people can tell that your focus is not on the company's/team's success, your status as a leader will be diminished.

Apple’s iOS vs. Google’s Android

It's the biggest battle in mobile — Apple's iOS vs. Google's Android. The two platforms are opposites in a number of key areas, but they do have one thing in common: they're both hugely popular right now. Market research firms constantly pit one mobile platform against the other in an effort to identify trends for their clients, but different data from different firms tends to paint different pictures. In an effort to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the iOS vs. Android battle, TIME's Harry McCracken compiled recent data from a wide range of key sources. In the end, Android clearly controls more of the marketwhile iOS pulls in more money

Dumsology Management ,Enrol Now !!!

Change

Trying to force other people to change is never a good idea. Jesus knows how prone we are to try to change other people, and puts the question to us: 'Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?' (Matthew 7:3 NIV). [para]Using our own tactics to get people to change - applying pressure - is usually pointless. Give them breathing space. People need the freedom to be loved as they are. 

That doesn't mean they don't need or want to change. But nobody appreciates being given the message, even subtly, that they must change in order to be loved and accepted. So, it's about giving people room to change. We're more likely to change for those who are willing to accept us with our shortcomings, than for those who demand we live by their rules. 

Prayer is the greatest agent for change, not pressure. If we truly love people we'll pray for them and allow God to work on them His way, on His schedule, and for His glory. For change to be lasting, it must come from the inside out. And only the Spirit of God can bring that kind of change

Celebrate Love

Romantic love is one of God's sweetest gifts to our lives. But love is so much bigger than 'hearts and flowers'. It's a very practical thing - a choice you have to make over and over again. [para]Love happens between two people when they are slow to suspect but quick to trust; slow to condemn but quick to justify; slow to offend but quick to defend; slow to expose but quick to shield; slow to reprimand but quick to empathise; slow to belittle but quick to appreciate; slow to demand but quick to give; slow to provoke but quick to help; slow to resent but quick to forgive. [para]Wouldn't it be amazing if love were the true hallmark of all our relationships?

 One writer talks about a church where the people have made the following pledge to each other: 'I'll never knowingly say or do anything to hurt you. I'll always, in every circumstance, seek to help and support you. If you're down and I can lift you, I'll do that. If you need something and I have it, I'll share it with you ... No matter what I find out about you, no matter what happens in the future-either good or bad-my commitment to you will never change. And there's nothing you can do about it.' What now? Today, find a way to take the love that God has given to you, and give it to someone else.

: EdgeRank to determine which FB status to display to prevent clutter

A major development on the Facebook platform is the introduction of EdgeRank, a ranking formula that determines which posts are displayed on the News Feed of fans and friends. This algorithm filters and prioritizes the posts your fans will see and the order in which they are shown on their News Feed.

This article describes EdgeRank and how it affects your Facebook activities? Facebook had to introduce a ranking algorithm to reduce the amount of clutter displayed on people's News Feeds.

To overcome the effects of EdgeRank, you need to understand how to create and manage the updates you post on Facebook, how to time these updates and how to engage with fans and friends using Facebook features like Likes, Share and Comments. Unless you fully embrace the concept of engagement, your status updates will simply not show up on the News Feed of your fans.

Coach Afranie: Blame Andre Ayew For His Axing From AFCON Squad

Veteran Ghanaian trainer Emmanuel Kwesi Afranie says Andre Ayew should be blamed for his exclusion from Ghana's squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

The 23-year-old was dropped from the Black Stars team after he failed to report to the team's training camp to be assessed by the team's medics.

The axing of the Marseille star by coach Kwesi Appiah has sharply divided Ghanaians.

Critics have accused the ex-Ghana international of playing to the gallery in throwing out the influential player from his team.

But the former Black Stars coach has rubbished the claims and insists Ayew should take responsibility for his axing.

"I don't understand why people always find fault with every decision. Kwesi Appiah wanted to take the player to the Nations Cup," Afranie told Accra-based Peace FM.

"From all indications, it was obvious it was the player who didn't want to go.

"The blame should be laid his(Ayew) doorstep not Kwesi Appiah.

"There was a timeline for everyone to arrive in camp, he was given additional two-days and yet he failed to report to camp.

"Then suddenly some people turn around to blame the coach for his decision, it beats my imagination.

"He (Andre Ayew) didn't want to go."

Ayew has since joined his Marseille teammates in Morocco for their training camp.

NDC's Joinder Application: S C Adjourns Hearing; NPP Raises Objection To Panel Composition

The Supreme Court has adjourned sine dine the hearing of the preliminary joinder motion filed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) seeking to join the petition by the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and the National Chairman of the NPP, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, challenging the Electoral Commission's (EC's) declaration of President John Mahama as winner of the December 7 presidential poll as a respondent.

This was after lawyers for the petitioners raised objection to the composition of the panel of judges sitting on the case. They argued that the composition of the court, presided over by Justice William Atuguba, is skewed against them. 

Lawyers for the three petitioners had asked for the hearing on the composition in chambers or in camera but the Court asked the NPP to raise its challenge to the panel composition in a motion.

The adjournment of the case is to allow the petitioners to file their motion formally stating their case against the constitution of the panel.

Nine Justices of the Supreme Court were empaneled to sit on the case. They include; Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo (Ms.), Justice Julius Ansah, Justice Annin-Yeboah, Justice Jones V. M. Dotse, Justice Rose C. Owusu (Ms.), Justice S. O. Adinyira (Mrs), Justice Mrs. Vida Akoto-Bamfo, Justice P. Baffoe Bonnie. It was chaired by Justice William Atuguba.

The NPP was represented in court by Philip Addison, Gloria Akufo, Fred Davis, Akoto Ampem, Kwame Akufo, Nana Asante Bediatuo, Godfred Dame, Egbert Faible, and Prof. Ken Attafuah.

The NDC was also represented by Tsatsu Tsikata, Sam Kudjoe, and Barbara Asamoah while the President was represented by Tony Lithur, Marita Brew and Dr. Abdul Basit Bamba.

The Electoral Commission's legal team was led by James Idun Quashie and Stanley Amartefio.

An unimpressed Justice Atuguba who seemed unhappy with the NPP's request to hear their objection in chambers said: "This country is solid but [it] is breaking down because principles are being chopped down to pedestrian levels."

He said the court is a property of the public and therefore has no right to function privately. The judges however heard the NPP's objection in chambers before directing the lawyers to file an official motion on their misgivings of the court.

The NDC's supplementary affidavit, which was filed at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday and deposed to on behalf of the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said, "A denial of the applicant the opportunity to be joined so as to be heard in respect of this election would be a denial of the constitutional rights of the applicant." According to the supplementary affidavit, the NDC had represented its interest, that of its presidential candidate and parliamentary candidates "in the deliberations of the Electoral Commission (EC) with all political parties and candidates in connection with the elections" and, for that reason, the party had the right to be joined to the petition. The supplementary affidavit further pointed out that President Mahama was selected as a presidential candidate on the ticket of the NDC after the death of Professor John Evans Atta Mills and subsequently stood on the ticket of the party in the December 2012 elections. It said the NDC "deployed throughout all the polling stations agents to represent the interests of its candidates in both presidential and parliamentary elections". It stated that it was indisputable that as the party which selected President Mahama to stand on its platform and on whose platform he stood, "the applicant herein has a vital interest in this petition and deserves to be joined as respondent and be heard in this petition". An affidavit in support of the substantive motion for joinder deposed on behalf of the NDC said the NDC as a party on whose ticket the President contested the elections "has a direct interest and a stake in the matter and will be affected by any decision of this honourable court". "As a party which will be directly affected by the decision, the NDC is entitled to be joined as a party and be heard in respect of the petition and seek to be joined by the motion herein," it pointed out. It said the NDC was a political party registered under the laws of Ghana and had, since the inception of the Fourth Republic, nominated and sponsored candidates for both parliamentary and presidential elections. But Nana Akufo-Addo is opposed the NDC's application for joinder on the grounds that the move was aimed at delaying the trial. Hearing of the motion for joinder was fixed for today, but because of the petitioners' challenge of the composition of panel of judges, the case has been adjourned indefinitely.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana