I generally enjoy Science Fiction movies and though I'm not a fanatic, it was an honor to meet and interview NASA Astronaut Bobby Satcher last weekend!

Friends who are Star Trek die-hards or Star Wars fans, this one is for you!

Surgical Oncologist and Nasa Astronaut Robert "Bobby" Satcher (@astro_bones) was in Accra as a guest speaker at Ashesi University's Engineering Program Launch. Gratefully eTV with J.O.T. Agyeman and +Y1079FM with E. A. Gamor, we had the exclusive interview for the +Mpwr Show

J.O.T. Agyeman Astronaut Satcher & Emmanuel Gamor

Prepping for the eTV interview Astronaut Bobby Satcher & eTV JOT Agyeman

Showing Astronaut Satcher my signature Selfie strategy - E. A. Gamor #Selfie

E. A. Gamor, Astronaut Bobby Satcher & Prof John Ofori

Recorded interview for Mpwr show with Astronaut Satcher & E. A. Gamor

So thanks to YFM you can listen to the interview full interview below, as usual #MosquitoClaps:

All pictures taken with my iPhone 5c mobile device.

Samsung out-doored the Note 4 in a grand fashion with a week of activities at the Accra mall. I got to host & engage with developers on day 4!

#SelfieCompetition

Participants from MEST, other developers

The homeboy//thorn-in-the-flesh Donald Ward put on the activation

Co-MC YFM family/team member Caroline Sampson

The Note 4 is the first Android device after my first iPhone (5c) that I've actually coveted...besides the Amoled display, the S-Pen was actually a joy to play with. Finally note taking on an electronic device was fun and productive. The price point for the Note 4 though...let's just hope the good folks at YFM give that early Christmas bonus.

On day 6 I stopped by to support with the Selfie Competition and ended up winning a Vodafone Mp3 Player. At least I'm getting a head start on the Christmas spirit. #GamorLegacy

If you've been following my blog and antics, you probably read or seen my numerous posts about Mpwrshow (my labor of love), then you'd realize we finished another set of episodes on Y 107.9 FM. Season 2 was about Collaborative Success, leveraging our individual strengths to promote a collective goal.

It was an amazing to start to 2014 resolution: Building Collaborative Success in finding partnerships that help us ALL get a WIN. The show is on break indefinitely, we'll do well to let you know when we're back on air. #MorePoWeR

Podcasts from previous guests on the show:

Pictures from the networking Soiree at iSpace, Osu Accra:

One of the things I enjoy about my new job as a Business Development Executive is the ability to help steer the month's programing to spotlight issues that have meaning to our young audience. Y FM's Health Month in July was the perfect opportunity to drive awareness a critical issue in the country - healthy living and making proactive life decisions. By offering daily health tips, engaging discussions with professionals on-air about healthy living, it was an opportunity to make a difference on Ghana's radio airwaves.

In partnering with the Rotary club of Accra-Ridge, the Rotaract club of Adentan & the National Blood Service, we  were able to encourage our listeners to participate in the monthly blood drive at the Accra Mall. Akwasi Agyeman, one of the bosses at Global Media Alliance participated in the drive.

After the month's event/activation, I sent a message to the Y FM team and shared what the month's programing meant to me.

"This Health Month was personal, I recently lost my father to treatable, manageable diseases that involved making healthier lifestyle/food choices. I pray someone staff/listener is positively affected by information shared this month/blood donated. Thank you."

More pictures with other Y FM staff and +Mpwr (www.mpwrshow.com) show listeners who participated in the drive below:

Two days ago I sent Samuel Darko - a fellow political commentary wonk who is a committed member of the Rotaract club in Andenta - an email to support a blood drive the club is organizing this Saturday. A day later Edward Tagoe - a blogger/entrepreneur and another school mate from Presec - brought up support for the same blood-drive and asked if I would be interested in joining the Blogging Ghana photo-walk for the event. I thought I'd do one better; create an honest, gimmick-free, compelling video why you should donate blood at Legon this Saturday.

Donor card | A friend watching the video I just made

So at Florida, my line brother and I, were awarded by LifeSouth for recruiting the most African American males to donate blood in one afternoon during a fraternity drive. They were super eager to offer us LifeSouth jobs. I was a serial donor as well as bone-marrow registrant and through Sammy & Eddie, I am interested in getting plugged in donating in the country as well. What I learnt from their testimonials was that, unlike LifeSouth, the need for blood donations is much dire than anyone could imagine. Maternity mortality rates attributed to blood loss was 50% in 2011! If two women were pregnant in a hospital bed, one would NOT make it alive. Check last August's MyJoyOnline News article for more shocking statistics: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201110/74774.php

Decided to share on social media through team 1000 words to create as much of a buzz as possible. If you're in Accra, come through:

Three days to election day and everyone is gearing up for one of the most hotly contested elections in Ghana's history. Since 1992, there has perhaps not been as much media fervor and anticipation for a presidential election as this. The reported 32 radio stations based in Accra alone, and dozens of television station allow more avenues for discourse for everyone to be engaged in the political debate. The nationally televised and online broadcast presidential and vice-presidential debates notwithstanding, there are still a number of  young people I met at the Accra mall who were not intending to vote come Friday, December 7th 2012.

video:

Some of the young people I spoke with were skeptical about voting. A gentleman who is an employee at one of the businesses at the mall, and wants to remain anonymous, lamented that he could not return to his place of registration in the Volta region and come back in time for work. I pressed him further and asked if his employees gave the impression that his job would be threatened because of his absence and he admitted to the contrary, he did not think it was worth the hassle and would consider voting if it was more convenient for him to do so.

photo credit: emmanuel a. gamor

Jeffrey Tetteh Obese, the Operations Manager at Barcelos fast food eatery at the mall, was pleased to pledge to vote. He shared that the management at the mall sent letters to all shop renters and employers that the mall will not be opened before noon on Friday to allow employees and workers to exercise their right to vote. Whether the notice about the mall's late opening was trickled down to all employees is another matter.

Jeffery Tetteh Obese at the Accra Mall photo credit: emmanuel a. gamor

A young lady with whom I spoke with at the MTN service center, hinted that though she lives in Accra and her registration/voting station is at Legon, she was not sure she would vote on Friday. She admitted she was a bit intimidated by the rhetoric between the NDC & NPP with a seemingly close election race may lead to violence. When pressed on what would make her more politically engaged and vote on Friday, she joked that a private chauffeur to the voting station without the wait in line would be best.

photo credit: emmanuel a. gamor

photo credit: emmanuel a. gamor

After the Arab Spring uprisings we are yet to see if the large demographic of young people in sub-Saharan Africa will affect or influence the presidential elections. The two dominant political parties have made a showing of employing young people amongst their ranks, and the NPP's main campaign promise revolves around serving young people with free Senior Secondary School education. Ghana Decides' Our Vote Our Voice campaign seeks to engage all young people, regardless of their political affiliations to go out and vote. Voting is a democratic right that should not be taken lightly as the opportunity usually comes once every four years with considerable implications to our collective well-being in the very near future.

Emmanuel A. Gamor for Ghana Decides