Features
…of COVID-19 and high delivery fees
COVID-19 has pushed many consumers to jumped on online shopping because it has proven to be the most convenient way of buying during this era as people are cautioned to practice social distancing.
Stay away from overcrowded places and shopping centres are definitely places anyone mindful about their health will be careful about.
Therefore, digital marketing has become an ideal medium for businesses to promote their products and services.
Buying online is fast, easy and stress free as you confirm your order, pay for it before it’s delivered or pay on delivery but does this kind of convenience match with how much the ordinary Ghanaian has to pay as delivery fee?
Once a while I come across people ranting about how much they paid as delivery charges more than the cost price of the product they actually bought online but I flip over because it doesn’t concern me.
Lo and behold, I got my own share of how it hurts to feel that way. I was practically charged GH¢35 as delivery fee for GH¢ 20 meal I ordered from Adenta to Airport.
Honestly, I complained bitterly and called the food vendor to express my displeasure about the ridiculous fee though they reduced it to GH¢15 in the end, I paid feeling pained.
Note, it was not as if I could not afford the fee but it just did not make sense paying that much. And knowing how much they charge for deliveries in and around Accra, I just could not wrap my head around why this had to be so expensive.
On this note, I decided to conduct a social media survey on my personal blog, Kuburah Diamonds on Facebook just to be sure I was not over reacting about this particular delivery charge.
Below are the responses I sampled:
Hajia Faa Alfa said: “I think I had the worst experience ever. I bought waakye from Newtown GH¢30 and when the delivery guy got to me, he said delivery alone was GH¢50. So I asked him if what he was delivering was gold, I was so upset to the bone but I gave him the money.”
Another respondent, Jumai Abayor, ordered veils and decided to pick them up herself but the vendor gave them to delivery person and asked that she pay GH¢18 for delivery from Fan milk to Darkuman.
“I bought Jollof rice at GH¢40 from East Legon to be delivered to me at Labadi. He charged GH¢45 for delivery. I was very sick and hungry so I had no other choice but to pay never again,” Abdulai Fakiha said.
It is clear that some delivery fees charge by some business owners are becoming more expensive than the item itself.” There are similar experiences of other patrons who make orders.
Zulfawu Muntari, also an online shopper, explained “Because of high prices of delivery fee I have stopped buying online, their prices need to be regulated.”
Meanwhile others have found better ways of lessening the burden on their customers.
Muhammed Mijin Zealatu, a business owner, said: “When I started producing my own cereals, I did the deliveries myself. It was very stressful honestly but I got the chance to come to a negotiation with my customers so if the location is too far, I bear half of the delivery fee and the customer pays the rest so it wouldn’t cause any problems between them and the delivery guy.”
Another trader also said she had negotiated with the delivery company she worked with in order to manage cost incurred by customers. Others are asking their customers to pick items up themselves if the item does not require too much packaging.
I believe this issue is of much concern to many people especially in this pandemic era. It is not appropriate for business owners to take undue advantage of their patrons in the name of delivery fee.
Undoubtedly, most start ups – small to medium scale businesses fall largely on delivery services to run their day to day activities. However, they need not fleece their patrons. I suggest they take a second look at their charges.
Adizah Kuburah Braimah
Social Commentator @Kuburah Diamonds
Features
Preventing the brain’s melting point with BOS
The human brain is a complex and delicate organ, susceptible to damage from various factors, including extreme temperatures.
The brain’s melting point, also known as the temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade, is a critical concern for individuals seeking to maintain optimal cognitive function.
Fortunately, the Brain Operating System (BOS) offers a revolutionary solution to prevent the brain’s melting point.
Understanding the brain’s melting point
The brain’s melting point refers to the temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade, leading to irreversible damage.
This temperature threshold varies depending on individual factors, such as age, health, and environmental conditions. However, research suggests that the brain’s melting point is approximately 104°F (40°C) to 107°F (42°C).
The role of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point
BOS, a cutting-edge technology, plays a crucial role in preventing the brain’s melting point. By leveraging advanced neural interfaces and artificial intelligence, BOS monitors and regulates brain temperature, ensuring that it remains within a safe range.
How BOS prevents the brain’s melting point
BOS prevents the brain’s melting point through several mechanisms:
1. Temperature regulation: BOS continuously monitors brain temperature, adjusting neural activity to maintain a stable temperature.
2. Heat dissipation: BOS enhances heat dissipation through increased blood flow and sweating.
3. Neuro protection: BOS protects neurons from heat-induced damage.
Benefits of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point
The benefits of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point are numerous:
1. Prevents brain damage: BOS prevents brain damage caused by excessive heat.
2. Maintains cognitive function: BOS ensures optimal cognitive function by maintaining stable brain temperature.
3. Enhances brain resilience: BOS enhances brain resilience to temperature fluctuations.
Real-World applications of BOS
BOS has various real-world applications:
1. High-performance computing: BOS enables high-performance computing by maintaining optimal brain temperature.
2. Medical applications: BOS has medical applications, such as treating heat-related illnesses.
3. Space exploration: BOS is crucial for space exploration, where extreme temperatures pose a significant risk.
Conclusion
BOS is a revolutionary technology that prevents the brain’s melting point, ensuring optimal cognitive function and overall well-being. By leveraging advanced neural interfaces and artificial intelligence, BOS monitors and regulates brain temperature, protecting against heat-related damage.
Glossary:
1. BOS: Brain Operating System.
2. Brain’s melting point: Temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade.
3. Neural interface: Connects human brain with digital devices.
Contact Information
virginvtech@yahoo.com
Additional resources:
1. BOS research: Explore scientific studies.
2. Neural interface resources: Discover books and articles.
3. Brain-computer interface communities: Join online forums.
Future directions
As BOS technology continues to evolve, we can expect:
1. Improved temperature regulation: Enhanced temperature regulation mechanisms.
2. Increased cognitive enhancement: Advanced cognitive enhancement capabilities.
3. Expanded applications: New applications in various fields.
By harnessing the power of BOS, individuals can safeguard their brain health and maintain optimal cognitive function, even in extreme environments.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
Features
Lotto wahala and Tuobodom palaver
In Sikaman lotto is not a game. It is a profession, a noble career which people aspire to. It is the highest paying profession after armed robbery and the most widespread job on this side of the Atlantic.
In places like China, lotto is a disease that has no cure. Once you are infected, no doctor on earth can cure you. May be Kofi Larteh, Ghana’s most celebrated magician, can help ease the symptoms, but no definitive cure will be forthcoming.
Coming back to Sikaman, lotto has been the financial messiah of many. That is how people look after their large families, pay school fees, marry two wives and do their own ‘monkey things.’
If you are very poor and you win a lottery, chances are that you will die before you even collect the money. You’ll die out of excitement or you’ll start day-dreaming in the streets and an articulated truck will hit you.
As such, very heavy wins are not recommended for poor people, lest they get listed too soon in the obituary columns.
The sad story is told of a heavy-duty caterpillar driver who had a very heavy lotto windfall of several millions, his first big win after several years.
CATERPILLAR
He was driving the caterpillar home when he saw his son running towards him, shouting. “All your numbers have dropped! All your numbers have dropped! He could not believe his ears.
All the four numbers he had staked had dropped and his son, who had gone to stake them for him, was himself over-excited. The poor caterpillar man just could not handle the good news. He suddenly stepped on the brakes and the caterpillar jolted him a trifle too violently, throwing him off. He landed right in front of the still moving heavy-duty machine and it crushed him flat.
I don’t think the bloke would have died if he had won a smaller amount. Sometimes too much cash is not good for the health.
Seldom, people get too confident and that can also result in a wake-keeping, like that of a man who used his lifetime savings and borrowed extra money to crack the machine with a two-sure that the compiler must compulsory drop or the world will end.
Even the shadows of the numbers or their counterparts were nowhere near the winning numbers. His shock-absorbers crumbled under the weight of the heavy disappointment. He crashed to the floor and started foaming at the mouth. He was declared dead on arrival at the nearest clinic.
WINDFALL
Recently, there was a countrywide lotto windfall, and in Kumasi it was more than a festival. Most stakers had between ¢30m and ¢40 million on two-sure that the lotto magicians had predicted at least three weeks earlier,
Kejetia chop bars were besieged with overnight millionaires, carrying huge appetites induced by Opeimu Bitters popularly called Opeimu Peters. All the meat and mudfish got sold out within an hour and procurement agents had to double up to restock.
While some were celebrating, others were weeping and gnashing teeth. The problem was that, three weeks beforehand, the two sure numbers were declared by all the lotto sorcerers, dreamers, magicians, tellers and all the self-appointed and self-promoted forecasters.
Everybody including 10-year-olds, who staked and lost. The following week, they were advised to continue staking. The faithful did continue but the faithless stopped. All of them lost. In the third week or so, a good number of confident stakers had lost faith in the two numbers. That was when the number landed.
So the windfall was for only those who had the unshakeable faith in the numbers. See what faith can do? It can move dollars. Don’t waver, so saith the holy scriptures.
The faithless indeed gnashed teeth. The winners on the other hand celebrated with a song that is as controversial as the business of lotto. It is a song played by the group called Nkasei and has something to do with a town in the Brong Ahafo Region called Tuobodom whose capital we hear is Jinijini.
I hear it is a derogatory song and the queen mother of Tuobodom got charged and breathed out electric current during her protest on air. She allegedly ended up demanding a mobile phone from Nkasei so that she could communicate with them to settle the matter peacefully, lest wahala.
Well, the song is rising up the charts and Nkasei are making the dough, but should it be at the expense of a whole townsfolk, their forebears and generations to come?
WATERPROOF
Waterproof, the famous comedian, was allegedly given hefty slaps at the Kumasi rail station by some Frafra jingoists who felt he was deriding their tribe. And Bob Okala had to run with his tail between his legs when he was confronted and realised that slaps were going to be visited on his lean face.
Let’s not use words and lyrics to cause discomfort to others.
This article was first published on Saturday July 9, 2005
