By Stanley Kimuge
Some weeks ago, I
stumbled upon one of those Facebook pages meant to bolster insanity.
“Kama haujawahi chapana exile ukiwa campo wewe uko down” (If you have
never chased out your roommate you are dumb). In campus exile means
being chased away from your room. And the person will be left to square
out their business in bed without fear of interference. I did some
research and found out that there are six types of exiles that can
befall anybody.
NORMAL EXILES
In this category are
guys with partners who live miles away. They slap you with a prior
notice, say, two weeks to D-day or even a month. Victims will attest to
this fact. They are given ample time to sort themselves out. The host
will make sure that they have pestered your ears with a "hope umewahi
place ya kudoze" chorus every now and then as a reminder. When the
visitor arrives, the room remains out of bounds. The exile will be left
to their own devices!
IMPROMPTU EXILES
I have noted
that these are so common. A lady walks into your room. Maybe she came to
catch up on a popular soap opera or the latest happenings; or possibly
to hand in an assignment to you as the group leader. Fortunately, you
own a TV, or if your pocket is fat enough, you have installed that which
uses a white basin on the roof. You just hope that you are not
interrupted for the better part of the session. You will cross your
fingers that your nagging roommate will extend his time in the library.
BUSINESS EXILES
They are an innovative lot who exploit anything on this planet.
Naturally, these are the guys who are lucky to find themselves. That’s
how exiles have gone a notch higher, money talks. A roommate will
stubbornly allow you to enjoy the space after parting with some token.
You may think it is a lodge. But this too exists. After all scratch my
back and you definitely smile all the way to bed for as long as you may
want!
BUSH EXILES
Nowadays you wouldn't be surprised
to catch a glimpse of a used gadget staring at you on your way to
lecture. But just walk at night you will hear hushed voices from the
bush. Either the roommates are stubborn or you're a victim of
circumstances.
I am talking about those guys who reside in common
rooms or hapless enough to live with 8 roommates. No wonder those guys
from C Houses cunningly invite their girlfriends for discussion in the
library then ask them to accompany them to the room, only to strip off
the girl's pants inside the bush.
HARD-CORE EXILES
This is involves a roommate, usually a senior with two roommates, his
campus "wife" and a junior guy. The cohabiting lady rarely sleeps in the
room she hustled for at the beginning of semester. The junior to the
real roommate will normally be forced to take piritons to ward off
regular interruptions to his dreams! Each day, he smirks at the
oppressive roommate.
CONTRACTUAL EXILES
I must admit
this is a new trend in campus. It is a well-tailored deal. Probably, you
had persuaded the roommate to allow you to accomplish your business. He
bluntly scoffed your request. You leave your roommate hoping that when
he harvests one, you will pay back. That’s the consolation you have. A
quick idea comes to your sight. You remember your neighbour. His
roommate went home. He too has taken a short holiday from the
bed-dancing competition. He reluctantly allows you to sweat on his bed
for one or two nights. But you have to place in your diary that he will
terminate the contract any time.
Disclaimer: The writer of this article is not in any way advocating for exiles in campus.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Difference between Dual-Core, Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7
By Isaac Meso
The other day I was chatting with a friend of mine and he was really excited about how his new toy that had been shipped from U.K was all powerful. One thing that caught my attention during our chat was when he said that his laptop had a core i7 processor. So I played dumb and asked him what that meant and to my dismay he went completely blank.
My friend is just one of the many people who have little or no idea what these features that are inscribed on our laptops really mean. To shade more light on this topic I would start first by briefly explaining what a core is.
All computers come with processors. The core is that part of the processor that actually performs the reading and executing of instructions. This means that a multi core processor would execute more than one instruction at a time on the same piece of silicon. In addition your computer will read each core as a separate CPU. For instance if your PC is dual-core it means that your machine has two cores in a single processor. The computer reads this as two separate CPUs meaning you can handle multiple tasks at a time.
Now that we have a rough idea what a core is, what is the difference between Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 and what do they really mean? First of all let us erase this fallacy that is common with most computer users; that the numbers beside the Cores reflect the number of processors in your PC. Core i7 does not have seven processors nor does Core i3 have three processors. On the contrary the number is usually indicative of their processing powers.
The relative processing powers of these cores is usually based on a collection of criteria including, number of cores, clock speed (in GHz), size of the cache, Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading.
The main difference however between these processor technologies can be pegged on three major factors:
Number of cores
The more cores there are in a processor the more tasks (known as threads) served at the same. For instance Core i3 CPU has the lowest number of cores. It comes with only two cores thus the name dual-core processors. On the other hand Core i5 processors come with 4 cores meaning it comes with 4 processors.
Turbo Boost
The Turbo Boost technology common with Intel products allows a processor to dynamically increase its clock speed whenever need arises. However the maximum amount that a Turbo Boost can raise clock speed at any given time is dependent on the number of active cores, among other factors such as the estimated power consumption.
For instance none of the Core i3 CPUs have Turbo Boost. Core i5 processors on the other hand are equipped with Turbo Boost 2.0 technology. This means that core i5 processors can outrun any Core i3 while Core i7 can outrun any core i5 processors.
Cache size
Last but not leas, cache is that memory inside the CPU that stores data that the processor keeps using over and over again. Cache function like RAM, only that it is faster since it’s located within the processor itself.
With a larger cache more data can be accessed quickly. Core i3 processors have 3MB cache. Core i5s come with 6MB of cache while Core i7s come with 8MB of cache. This is clearly one reason why an i7 will outperform an i5 and an i5 outperform an i3.
The other day I was chatting with a friend of mine and he was really excited about how his new toy that had been shipped from U.K was all powerful. One thing that caught my attention during our chat was when he said that his laptop had a core i7 processor. So I played dumb and asked him what that meant and to my dismay he went completely blank.
My friend is just one of the many people who have little or no idea what these features that are inscribed on our laptops really mean. To shade more light on this topic I would start first by briefly explaining what a core is.
All computers come with processors. The core is that part of the processor that actually performs the reading and executing of instructions. This means that a multi core processor would execute more than one instruction at a time on the same piece of silicon. In addition your computer will read each core as a separate CPU. For instance if your PC is dual-core it means that your machine has two cores in a single processor. The computer reads this as two separate CPUs meaning you can handle multiple tasks at a time.
Now that we have a rough idea what a core is, what is the difference between Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 and what do they really mean? First of all let us erase this fallacy that is common with most computer users; that the numbers beside the Cores reflect the number of processors in your PC. Core i7 does not have seven processors nor does Core i3 have three processors. On the contrary the number is usually indicative of their processing powers.
The relative processing powers of these cores is usually based on a collection of criteria including, number of cores, clock speed (in GHz), size of the cache, Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading.
The main difference however between these processor technologies can be pegged on three major factors:
Number of cores
The more cores there are in a processor the more tasks (known as threads) served at the same. For instance Core i3 CPU has the lowest number of cores. It comes with only two cores thus the name dual-core processors. On the other hand Core i5 processors come with 4 cores meaning it comes with 4 processors.
Turbo Boost
The Turbo Boost technology common with Intel products allows a processor to dynamically increase its clock speed whenever need arises. However the maximum amount that a Turbo Boost can raise clock speed at any given time is dependent on the number of active cores, among other factors such as the estimated power consumption.
For instance none of the Core i3 CPUs have Turbo Boost. Core i5 processors on the other hand are equipped with Turbo Boost 2.0 technology. This means that core i5 processors can outrun any Core i3 while Core i7 can outrun any core i5 processors.
Cache size
Last but not leas, cache is that memory inside the CPU that stores data that the processor keeps using over and over again. Cache function like RAM, only that it is faster since it’s located within the processor itself.
With a larger cache more data can be accessed quickly. Core i3 processors have 3MB cache. Core i5s come with 6MB of cache while Core i7s come with 8MB of cache. This is clearly one reason why an i7 will outperform an i5 and an i5 outperform an i3.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
SUICIDE, NOT ME!
By Boaz Onyango
‘A third year electrical engineering student at Moi University commits suicide’ reports the 3rd Eye. The reader reads and then sighs absent-mindedly and then flips to other stories. The news spreads quickly, everybody talks about the sad incident and marvels but two days down the line the story is soon forgotten and fades into oblivion like the Nyayo milk. Nobody takes a second to remember or try to find out who the unfortunate student was! Moi University will, as a routine, send a eulogy to the family and then proceed to say that until his death he was a third year.
‘Suicide, not me!’ We often say this, thinking that we are immune to this menace; that it can only happen to others but not to us. It’s like road accident death tolls that remain statistical figures to us until we lose a limb and escape death by a whisker. Then we became part of that statistic and know that accidents are real and claim lives!
The truth of the matter is that even those who end up killing themselves never contemplated that they would, one day, cut their lives short by hanging their necks on a rope. This evil act respects no boundary and we cannot afford to be indifferent because it claims lives of both the young and the old daily around the world. The educated and illiterate, the poor and not even the rich are spared! It’s like cancer.
Well we might be lucky to escape but our beloved brothers and sisters, friends, cousins and parents can all fall victim. Wouldn't it affect us? I don’t know the answer to that question but what I know is that funeral services are enjoyable if attended only in the neighbours’ homestead!
I knew the late Chester Katuva and I am sad to write this article in honour of his memory. He was my neighbour in C Houses before he went home. We would exchange greetings whenever we met in the corridor of the house. I didn't get to know him on a personal level but his quietness and humility could not be lost on any person who happened to meet him. Like most, he didn't look like the suicidal type. My heart bleeds for his family. We lost a potential engineer who could have helped to construct Konza or Tatu City in pursuance of vision 2030!
How many more lives shall we continue to lose? All of us are at a risk and we cannot afford to turn a blind eye and play ostrich politics of burying our heads in the sand while this monster continues to claim innocent lives every day. Like a small spark of fire normally causes a big inferno, and small things generate into big things, suicide starts like a joke, triggered by small things like a nasty comment from a close person like sweethearts or parents. This nasty comment then finds a place and settles in your mind! It then begins to prick your conscious and nag your thoughts, and then the devil comes uninvited and takes it from there. The incident hits headlines in media stations. It gets to be reported as breaking news!
Factors that trigger suicidal thoughts include, but not limited to, bad relationships or breakups. My advice to you is; go slow when it comes to love because there is danger in loving someone too much! Don’t neglect your brain. Let it also love because unlike the fragile heart it can’t be broken. Financial constraints, academic failures and slaps of life also rank high in causing suicides.
And when suicidal thoughts knock on your door never ignore them by saying ‘Suicide? Not me!’ Talk to someone you trust such as a friend or pastor. Never undermine the power of opening up. A problem shared is always half solved. Remember to also pray to keep the evil spirits at bay. And when the thoughts persist think about reasons why you should live and not reasons why you should die!
‘A third year electrical engineering student at Moi University commits suicide’ reports the 3rd Eye. The reader reads and then sighs absent-mindedly and then flips to other stories. The news spreads quickly, everybody talks about the sad incident and marvels but two days down the line the story is soon forgotten and fades into oblivion like the Nyayo milk. Nobody takes a second to remember or try to find out who the unfortunate student was! Moi University will, as a routine, send a eulogy to the family and then proceed to say that until his death he was a third year.
‘Suicide, not me!’ We often say this, thinking that we are immune to this menace; that it can only happen to others but not to us. It’s like road accident death tolls that remain statistical figures to us until we lose a limb and escape death by a whisker. Then we became part of that statistic and know that accidents are real and claim lives!
The truth of the matter is that even those who end up killing themselves never contemplated that they would, one day, cut their lives short by hanging their necks on a rope. This evil act respects no boundary and we cannot afford to be indifferent because it claims lives of both the young and the old daily around the world. The educated and illiterate, the poor and not even the rich are spared! It’s like cancer.
Well we might be lucky to escape but our beloved brothers and sisters, friends, cousins and parents can all fall victim. Wouldn't it affect us? I don’t know the answer to that question but what I know is that funeral services are enjoyable if attended only in the neighbours’ homestead!
I knew the late Chester Katuva and I am sad to write this article in honour of his memory. He was my neighbour in C Houses before he went home. We would exchange greetings whenever we met in the corridor of the house. I didn't get to know him on a personal level but his quietness and humility could not be lost on any person who happened to meet him. Like most, he didn't look like the suicidal type. My heart bleeds for his family. We lost a potential engineer who could have helped to construct Konza or Tatu City in pursuance of vision 2030!
How many more lives shall we continue to lose? All of us are at a risk and we cannot afford to turn a blind eye and play ostrich politics of burying our heads in the sand while this monster continues to claim innocent lives every day. Like a small spark of fire normally causes a big inferno, and small things generate into big things, suicide starts like a joke, triggered by small things like a nasty comment from a close person like sweethearts or parents. This nasty comment then finds a place and settles in your mind! It then begins to prick your conscious and nag your thoughts, and then the devil comes uninvited and takes it from there. The incident hits headlines in media stations. It gets to be reported as breaking news!
Factors that trigger suicidal thoughts include, but not limited to, bad relationships or breakups. My advice to you is; go slow when it comes to love because there is danger in loving someone too much! Don’t neglect your brain. Let it also love because unlike the fragile heart it can’t be broken. Financial constraints, academic failures and slaps of life also rank high in causing suicides.
And when suicidal thoughts knock on your door never ignore them by saying ‘Suicide? Not me!’ Talk to someone you trust such as a friend or pastor. Never undermine the power of opening up. A problem shared is always half solved. Remember to also pray to keep the evil spirits at bay. And when the thoughts persist think about reasons why you should live and not reasons why you should die!
A DAD, A FATHER AND A MAN
Whenever I looked at my father,
You know what I saw?
I saw a dad.
I insist I saw
I wasn't told, you know.
He was a father in a man.
Further into being a father,
He was a dad.
In the outer world,
A man, he was
But in my world
A dad, a father and a man -
A true one.
At least in my childhood eyes.
You know what I saw?
I saw a dad.
I insist I saw
I wasn't told, you know.
He was a father in a man.
Further into being a father,
He was a dad.
In the outer world,
A man, he was
But in my world
A dad, a father and a man -
A true one.
At least in my childhood eyes.
C.N. Leakey.
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