Shingirayi Mandebvu's Blog

Hey guys. So as promised – I will give a brief breakdown of the gold standard. The gold standard was based on valuing money based on the quantity of gold. The standard was largely dropped in 1976- spearheaded by US President Nixon favouring neo-classical economics.  It is worthy of note though, that most countries still hold large gold reserves. Here’s a somewhat random quote that will hold much more meaning as we delve more and more into the fall of the gold standard. “All paper money returns to its intrinsic value.” – Voltaire. When gold was found at Sutter's Ranch in 1848, it inspired the Gold Rush to California and the unification of western America. In 1861,  U.S. Treasury Secretary  Salmon Chase printed the first U.S. paper currency. In fact, by the mid-1800s, most countries wanted to standardize transactions in the booming world trade market. They adopted the gold standard . It guaranteed that the government would redeem any amount of pape...

The fiat money system came as a solution to the so called ‘problems’ of the gold standard.  We, at the time, thought we are now too cool for neo classical economics and started to vouch for classical economics (smh as if it raised us). But wait whoa! What am I talking about? I’m talking about money. Let me start off with a brief history of money. So we get on the same page. Let’s get into our imaginary time travel pod and let’s take a sneak peak of the past. By definition, money is a generally accepted medium of exchange. We started this medium of exchange by bartering. Bartering is a direct trade of goods and services - I'll give you a stone axe if you help me kill a mammoth - but such arrangements take time. You have to find someone who thinks an axe is a fair trade for having to face the 12-foot tusks on a beast that doesn't take kindly to being hunted. If that didn't work, you would have to alter the deal until someone agreed to the terms. O...

It is no secret that the rand is falling like there is no tomorrow. This year alone it has fallen by over 18%. And if you look closely, at the last 3 years- it has fallen by 35%! This is not neglecting the economic setup where the slightest thing leads to ‘ toi toi. ' This trend of continuous striking and pay rate increase bargains has created such a vicious cycle. Prices rise, people strike, economy starts going through stuff. And we back at square one. We all know for sure that this cycle is bad. Zimbabwe and South Africa might not be different soon, only difference being that Zimbabwe chased the farmers, South Africa is chasing stabilisation. (Maybe the paradox of thrift  (prompted by the large population) will save them! Hope so.) In Zimbabwe 2008, a lot of people made a lot of money from ‘burning money’. This was whereby people took advantage of the bank rate versus the ‘streets’ rate of forex. The streets rate for forex was lower than the bank rate. Problem wa...

I am writing this article which is based on my experiences, queries, etc. Tips for working and finding work in Dubai I’ve put the following list of tips/ odds and ends together for anyone wanting to work, or currently looking for work in Dubai/ UAE based on my past experience. It’s by no means complete, and I will answer and include good comments or postings if I feel they are valid and add to the content of the post. I have tried to put as much general information together as possible to cover most eventualities; some of the items may not necessarily relate to a specific job/ career group or labour category. Tips for working and finding work in Dubai Where to start a. Use the Internet to look for prospective employers before you get to Dubai, the Dubai Yellow Pages http://www.yellowpages.ae/ as well as the various Free Zone websites http://www.uaefreezones.com/ contain listings of businesses. b. First look at businesses which have a related internet site depicting their pr...

If you don't make a conscious effort to visualize, who you are and what you want to become in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape your journey by default. Your silence makes you reactive vs. proactive. God will bring people in your life that can take you on many different journeys that will bring about different outcomes to your life mission. However, if you are not proactive and define your dreams you will never know where “you” need to be and who needs to be with you to fulfill what God is asking you to do. Your life is your own. You must define your dreams, not live someone else’s vision of a good life. What is it that God is asking you to do with the talents and hobbies you enjoy? What were you blessed with a desire for? A good life is one spent in the service of helping others. Find a life partner that will help you reach God’s highest potential—service to humanity, service to his Kingdom, service to building others up. Also, begin any choice w...

This is how it starts, the need for thrill- the stories we get to share at the end of it all, the experiences. It feels like a win-win right? Well actually, it does far more damage than good. Promiscuity affects the victim externally to the victim, but internally to the promiscuous one. Let me explain, did you know a study was done some time ago and it showed that the one who is left in a relationship moves on faster than the partner who has quit on the relationship. That being said, the one who has left gets to see the damage done from the breakup. But then the one who does the breaking up (propelled by promiscuity) might not see the effects there and then. I remember hearing someone saying that promiscuity is wrong for it kills the feelings. I barely understood that comment back then- at that time all I wanted to do was to have no feeling, no attachment whatsoever. (Yes I was a victim of movies!) But now I finally get what that statement means now. And today I have decided...

So today I decided to be a little vain, I made an app for me ;) Feel free to check it out.. http://bit.ly/1KSqiek