My Banking Parody
I forever wonder why I have stuck with my bank for as long as I have; 6 years and counting. For one I could get at least a 2% return on my savings account balance at a rival, albeit much smaller institution. Or perhaps less exorbitant monthly fees, or less painful penalties for overdrafts (despite OD protection), or on the occasion that a check will bounce I am charged a ridiculous $34.
I wonder, maybe it’s the convenience of having over 5000 ATMs countrywide? I have never quite answered this question. I only use three ATMs in my proximity regularly. It’s not the customer service I can say for sure. Friendly customer service is good for some things; overly friendly customer service is annoying. I need to bank at an institution that when I walk in through the doors, I am not being stalked by a mildly attractive, smiley-faced woman with an almost automatic “how can I help you today sir”. Smaller banks are practical. No monthly fees, less junk mail and more personal without seeming fake yet I am still banking with the giant. To add insult to injury, I opened an additional account with this bank; I guess the customer service must be working. The nice lady walked me through a list of benefits in addition to the ones I “enjoy” already.
I opened the account because it costs me nothing and they promise to put money in my account each time I make a purchase on my new “VISA” card. I opened it despite my reservations and my growing resentment for this organization; I opened this account against my wishes almost! In reviewing my financials this year I realized I had paid $48 in interest charges on my credit card last year, I have only one credit card for all the obvious reasons, I hate debt, I hate debt and I hate debt. Add that to the monthly charges and certain penalties I incurred on my account my total payments to this institution were above $200. My credit card limit is modest by design. I can pay it off when I so wish yet I haven’t. I have not used my credit card in almost 9 months yet I still have it. It makes my wallet look good I guess (maybe I need a new wallet!). Maybe for the hard times I tell baby girl. I got an offer to increase my balance to $5000. Thank the lord that customer service agent wasn’t there to talk me into it. Yes sir, she’s that good!
Music Business
It is now much easier to buy Kenyan music online, gone are the days when you had to have someone send you CDs from Kenya. Fakii Liwali (of abXtrakt) and the Bernsoft team have combined to bring www.myMusic.co.ke to life. Like any other subscription service, you can browse hundreds of songs by artists and buy then download. This means more artists get their dues – rightfully so, and it reduces piracy. For my part, I think it is an excellent idea. I get to support them however I can. Visit when you have a moment.
AOB:
A serious brouhaha is about to be raised in Kenya by the excellent Ogopa Deejays after it emerged that South African pop group ‘Jamali’ re-worked Nameless’ song ‘Maisha’ from his ‘On Fire’ album without the artist’s or the production house’s permission. While Jamali can’t really claim this to be coincidence (the lyrics and the beats are so similar it would be borderline idiotic to claim lack of knowledge of Nameless’ song), it lends credence to the growth of the music industry I had alluded to in my earlier posting on deejaying. This is not the first time an Ogopa track is being re-worked somewhere in Africa. Afew months ago, the ‘Tattuu’ track ‘Teso’ was also re-worked by a Ghanaian artist and featured prominently on the BBC I believe though, with the production house’s permission. This time however, Ogopa Deejays are claiming that they were not informed or asked for permission to re-work the song. Nameless addresses the issue next week. Meanwhile Jamali’s album ‘Yours Fatally’ is out and selling, you can visit their site to listen to a sample of their ‘Maisha’ track at www.jamali.co.za and say what thou thinkest!
AOAOB
I haven’t bothered to post my predictions on the world cup but if Italy win it, it won’t be the worst thing in the world. After watching the world cup though, I have a new found low respect for professional soccer players whining and diving and crying theatrics. They complain about the officiating yet they make it hard for the referees to adjudge whether fouls are legit or not. I support having another referee on the pitch like Sepp Blatter says. Maybe we can watch real soccer then and not Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal’s ‘actors’.
UPDATE
On my statement earlier:
“This is not the first time an Ogopa track is being re-worked somewhere in Africa. Afew months ago, the ‘Tattuu’ track ‘Teso’ was also re-worked by a Ghanaian artist and featured prominently on the BBC I believe though, with the production house’s permission.”
It turns out that the group was “book-bak” and they also didn’t have permission according to this article from pulse magazine. whoa!
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About
Magaidi.com is the journal of the African kid. A diary of sorts, a collection of musings and a discussion point on the way forward for the motherland.
