Features
Vikings stir up
The Viking Spirit is Holy Spirit. It is a cool, quiet, powerful spirit. It descends like a dove on official residents of Mensah Sarbah Hall and they prophesy. The tutors are likely to speak in tongues and the honourable hall master may do signs and wonders.
Unlike the Holy Spirit, however, the Viking Spirit can be rebellious. The Vandals of Commonwealth know it. The only hall Vandals are uncomfortable with is Sarbah. The Vikings have often used wits and chicanery to tame the wild Vandals.
When I was a young Viking, I was a strategist of the hall. I was also the hall astrologer and told the fortunes of the hall when it came to war with the Vandals. My room-mate, Akortey Anaara, was at the time a numerologist who used figures to read the outcome of conflicts.
It often turned out that sometimes the Vandals saw it fit to sue for peace. And peace was granted. I must admit, however, that when it came to football, the Vandals thrashed us bad.
Today, we can all be grateful that the Viking spirit is still intact. A little sign of it emerged recently when Vikings rose against their senior tutor. It is rebellious and unacceptable. But it means the spirit is very much alive.
Anyhow, it was not exactly a coup d’état. Far from it. Just a stir, a harmless mutiny. They’ve been asked by the senior tutor to send out all refrigerators from the rooms of the hall. Wallahi! You lie bad!
Well, in our time, the students would not have over-reacted, probably because life was a bit more manageable. Today life is difficult for the students. They are over-crowded, they have to get their own food, and there is no romance because one student cannot ‘narrow’ five or six others without precipitating in a civil war.
The last time I visited Legon, I was sad. No breathing space! When students were paired, life was good; today, the rooms are like secondary school dormitories, when some students are senior citizens with children and grand-children, and even great grandchildren.
To live with five or six others in a tiny room can have its own social, religious, economic and political implications. For all you know, there can be political alliances formed, and this can be interesting until it degenerates into a boxing showdown in the corridor or balcony. The NDC guys are specialists in upper-cuts. With the NPP ones, you certainly have to watch your balls. Asee ho!
However, the most dangerous is religion. A Muslim student must wake up at 5:00am to say his prayers. Allah Ku Baru! Allah Ku Baru! The guy next to him might be a Bahai who enjoys his sleep only at dawn. Moreover, he is macho and does not tolerate nonsense. The other guy on the far east may also be a born-again who can only catch the Holy Spirit over-speed at exactly 4:00 am. When he speaks in tongues, the building shakes.
The paddy-man sandwiched somewhere in the mezzanine west has a problem with his alimentary system. He easily develops gas in his colon, and he is only comfortable when he releases the gas on regular basis. So the rook is always air conditioned in a manner that can cause nausea, vomiting and nightmares.
So it turns out that every student contributes his quota to the general discomfort, and this is bound to affect academic work in a very radical way. When some of the students want their peace to sleep, others want to cram throughout the night. The next morning everyone is restive, sleepy-eyed, furious and ready to punch. And the good news is that Madam Amoakohene wants all refrigerators out, defaulters to face revolutionary action.
Well, students are supposed to be obedient. In our time, we were very obedient. May be, it was because we were not ordered to send our refrigerators out and we were not as frustrated as today’s students. We were very nice with the hall tutors and often shared lagers with them.
I am sure the senior tutor means well, except that she did not understand the viewpoint of the students and, of course, their frustration with life on campus. One refrigerator could be allowed in every room for the common use of the inmates. Of course, more than one refrigerator per room can create space problems, and every student cannot bring his own refrigerator.
I hear the hall is thinking about a common room for refrigerators. The students aren’t pleased with that. You can’t trust others – stealing and poisoning are cited as possible.
Whatever it is, the hall tutors will have to sit down with the students and find a compromise bearing in mind that the students are already suffering and need some comfort to cope with academic work.
Fact also is, some of us old Vikings aren’t pleased with the bad publicity about the hall. It went to the extent that, the issue had to be discussed on a radio station with Madam doing a lot of elaboration and some damage control.
She is intelligent, very articulate and sounds like a Beijing activist. May be she is the best person for the job, after all. A bit of patience on her part would do, though. The students need it. They need love and understanding because they are highly-strung and in tight corners.
If you hear them complaining you’d be sad. A Volta girl was complaining to me the other day. Her mates are just not neat at all. They are noisy, unkempt and disgusting. Some bring their boyfriends to the rooms. Sometimes the boys sleep and snore hard. Jesus Christ of Nazareth! If the girl fails her exams no one should blame her.
The university needs lots of hostels to cope with the current situation, I bet.
This article was first published on Saturday April 7, 2001
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
