protocolinpractice

Will South Africa be Ready for the 2010 World Cup?

2009-09-06T07:35:00.009+02:00

I've been trying to work out whether I'm a lazy blogger or if I just get so busy that my head starts spinning and sort of goes into a loop. I was horrified when I looked at the date of the last blog post on this blog. I've been so busy blogging for others, and keeping the Vuvuzela blog up to date, that I just let this one slide out of view.

2010 FIFA World Cup - How Ready Are We Really ?

When I was watching Bafana Bafana play Germany last night I realised that our national soccer team is probably more ready for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in spite of losing 2 - 0 than the South African tourism and hospitality industry.

And I'm trying very hard not to think about how the communications infrastructure is going to cope with 2010 - with all those visitors yapping away on mobile phones; typing on laptops (and netbooks) - eating up bandwidth - sending images, videos, live streaming...???

Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban

I'm sure our stadiums will be ready. Every time I drive past Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban my mouth hangs open because I can't believe the progress - it is almost like playing Sim City - you draw your mouse across a square and a building pops up.

So, Will South Africa be ready for 2010?

The one thing I know is that South Africans have quite a unique ability to rally in times of stress and crises and pull a rainbow of rabbits out of the hat. (Fortunately very few of us run away to Canada for political asylum! And they say Africa is not for sissies.)

And when we need to work under pressure; when we need to get together to rally under that multi-coloured flag - hey man, South Africans seem to put aside all their bickering and differences and work together as one.

So, in spite of all my unanswered questions, if anyone asks me, will South Africa be ready for the 2010 World Cup, I just have one word for them - well tow actually, well it only counts as one because the one means the sames other...

Yebo, Yes!

Vuvuzela Blog - Getting Ready for the 2010 World Cup

2009-07-21T10:44:00.003+02:00

My new VuvuzelaSouthAfrica Blog isn't just about Vuvuzelas. It is about soccer - local and international; about South African tourism and interesting places to visit and things to do and of course about the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

And I have a partner in this venture, Lantz from Afromedia, who is doing all the technical stuff, which leaves the writing to me.

Vuvuzelas Banned in Austria

Now, I know there are people who don't like the vuvuzela. They don't like the noise, they say, and recently we were told Austrian League Bans Vuvuzelas because they were afraid that the vuvus would be "used as missiles"

But, fortunately there are some of us who love these brightly colored plastic trumpets, and we don't care what the history of the vuvuzela really is. All we care about is the sense of excitement in the stadiums that they create and the support that the sound of the vuvuzelas give our boys when they are on the field.

FIFA will not Ban the Vuvuzela from the 2010 World Cup

We know that FIFA will not Ban the Vuvuzela from the 2010 World Cup .

“We approach this in a relaxed manner. I am convinced the vuvuzelas will be a hit at the World Cup. It will be a World Cup with African sound,” Hans Klaus, director of communications at FIFA, told reporters .

Shortened Links - Choose Carefully

2009-07-19T07:05:00.003+02:00

Shortened links have now become a way of life!

It amazes me how quickly we adapt to change and innovation on the Web - I mean it wasn't that long ago that shortened links didn't even exist, and now we all have our favorites.

I found this really handy post on my trusted resource Daily Blog Tips that warned Careful with those Shortened Links. I warned to be careful of shortened links because one couldn't see where they were coming from and as with most things in life, those with sneaky minds has already found a way to exploit this.

"Shortened links also have a drawback, however, which is the fact that you can’t see where the link is pointing. Bring malicious users into the picture, and you can see the security risks."

And they warn that you should only click on shortened links if you know who they are coming from - which is sometimes very hard on Twitter, isn't it?

Unshortening Tool

But they do offer a great solution, and direct me to an unshortening tool, if I want to check out a link - Sucuri. It supports all the shortening tools.

Wide Range of Shortening Tools

So what do you use to shorten urls?

At the moment I'm using tinyurl but I use bit.ly on tweetdeck

Cope is Better off Without Lynda Odendaal and Simon Grinrod

2009-07-10T07:15:00.006+02:00

Cope is not my party, I'll say it upfront. But as I'm interested in politics and feel like having a skinner, I just want to say that I think Cope is much better off without Lynda Odendaal and Simon Grinrod.

Now they need to regroup and organise in the "old fashioned way".

I looked at the Cope website - off course it wasn't updated!

Youth Sad to See her Go

The Congress of the People's Youth Movement (COPEYM) on Wednesday lamented the departure of party second deputy president Lynda Odendaal.

"After having been one of the most committed members and leaders that this organisation has had, it really is difficult to let go of her unexpected departure," COPEYM said in a statement.

This amazes me that anyone in the party feels any loyalty towards her because Ms Odendaal did not only leave the leadership, she also resigned as a member of parliament and has said that it is possible that she will be joining another party. And she is sort of trashing the party... making allegations that Shilowa is plotting to oust Lekota.

Lynda Odendaal leaves Cope

I can remember my amazement at Lynda Odendaal's election to such high office and I knew when I saw her that it didn't bode well for Cope. As far as I know the woman made no significant speeches or real contributions - I just saw her as a white chick with connections - people the party can hit up for donations and contributions - she certainly isn't any kind of IT specialist as is claimed.

Odendaal confirmed this week to the Cape Times that she had quit the troubled party.

"I've resigned from COPE. I've decided to move on and serve the people in another vehicle. I'm not moving out of politics, I'm going to take stock of the current political landscape and then take it from there," she said.

She didn't rule out the possibility of joining another political party.

Simon Grinrod on the Move

Party hopper, Simon Grinrod alleges one of the reasons for his leaving Cope is that former ANC members had abandoned the promise of a new party with their continued idolisation of former president Thabo Mbeki.

Cape Printing Business Sues Cope

In addition to having two of its leaders - second deputy president, Lynda Odendaal and elections head Simon Grindrod - resign on Tuesday, it has emerged that COPE is now being sued by a Cape Town printing business which claims the party failed to pay it for work done ahead of the elections.

Jail Bird - Durban Metro Police Abuse Power at Amphi Market

2009-06-12T13:03:00.004+02:00

People keep sending me pictures - here I am in the back of the police van - you cant see the handcuffs. At that stage I was more frightened than unhappy, although I always knew that the Metro Police and the SAPS had NOTHING to hold me on. I just took one picture of a police officer who would not identify himself. He did not have a badge on so I took the picture for identification.

I also don't understand why they had to break the trader's tables and incite violence. The Amphimarket at the Durban Beachfront is a "controlled environment" trades buy their space every week from the manager who is on duty all the time.

If the police had a problem, why did they even get into it with the traders - they were de facto employees of the market manager, Di Greenwood, so the cops should have spoken to her.

ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR OF SAPS AND METRO OFFICES AT DURBAN AMPHIMARKET

2009-06-12T10:49:00.004+02:00

Craig Perumal of Verulam writes:

ON Sunday 07.06.2009, I WITNESSED behaviour of both Metro officers and SAPS officers at the Amphimarket on the Durban Beachfront that was totally uncalled for.

The amphimarket is in excess of 20 years with most traders being there for the same period. One arrogant officer started what we can called abuse. He had a problem with a vendor whom pays rent for his allocated space to the fleamarket and has been trading on the same spot for many years. The officer in question wanted the guy to move from his allocated space.

The vendor rightfully refused and requested the officer to contact the flea market organisers.

Eventually the officer refused and decided to confiscate the vendors products.

The problem is the manner in which it was done.naturally the vendor was upset and was refusing . A few other officers the arrived a bagged the produce.

I must state at this stage the officers had no name tags on.

A media reporter as in the attached photo then took a photo of the said officer and the police action. The officer grabbed the camera and from the woman saying she cannot take photos and he was taking the camera. The lady refused and told him to contact the mayors office if he wanted to identify her as that is where she had worked as she was allowed to take pictures.

The lady was eventually arrested and handcuffed.The officer then summoned his colleagues of which 12 metro police cars responded, 3 motorcycles and a saps car. At This stage the vendors wife intervened as did the flea market management. The said officer then insisted on arresting the vendor as well for no reason and that is when the vendor's sons and wife protested.

Two saps officers then also arrived. The SAPs officer grabbed the vendor in a throttle and punched him. The metro officers then hit the wife and one son was also hit and went into an epileptic fit whilst in a fit he was handcuffed and thrown into a vehicle. A foreigner who was standing close by captured this on his cellphone camera.The metro officers then tried to grab him and tripped and kicked him and then arrested him.

Another policeman on a motorcycle the arrived and was calling on somebody to fight with with whom he had some problem .

This incident was viewed many many people. The cleaners from eThekwini as well a Hungarian visitors could only say Disgusting.

These officers need to be disciplined .The saps officers used excessive force/violence knowing very well that metro police would be to blame. One metro officer that used , also mention he was off duty but arrived there in a municipal vehicle as he said the other officer was his friend.

I would also like to state that the cities cctv cameras was focused on these happenings as I saw the camera being operated.

(I removed the names of the officers as well as the regstration numbers Craig provided - for his own safety, but I will forward his letter to the City Manager, in case the newspapers haven't done so) karen

Durban Police: Abuse of Power- A Slow Sunday in the Cells

2009-06-12T09:31:00.003+02:00

It was going to be a great day – my old friends Peter and Stevie Godson were here from East London and we were picking up Ros Sarkin and going down to the Beachfront to the Amphimarket Flea Market, which Ros started together with Margaret Winter about 26 years ago.

Section 21 Company (non profit)

The Amphimarket is a Section 21 company that has an agreement with the local municipality for the use of that space every Sunday. Stallholders pay a minimum amount and many are regulars. Some of the original stallholders are still there after 26 years.

Over the years, I’ve become involved in the Market via Ros and know many of the stallholders – for some the Sunday stalls are their only source of income; others have put kinds through university with the proceeds of the stalls.

I guess I was also smiling and looking at it through new eyes because I’ve just written a feature for African Leader Magazine on the boom of small business in KwaZulu Natal and I’ve seen the stats – these traders are poised on the brink of moving from the informal section into the smme sector which makes up over 50 percent of South Africa’s employed population.

Di Greenwood in the Middle of A Swam of Traders and Police

I see a commotion and go over to look and see Di Greenwood, the market manager in the middle of a swarm of traders and a blue cloud of police breaking down their stalls and shouting and pushing people around.

I tried to find out what was going on. I asked the guy who seemed to be in change what was going on and he said he didn't have to tell me, so I asked him who he is because he didn't have a name badge on his jacket (which I know they have to have) and he said he didn't have to tell me that either. So, I got my camera out of my bag and took a photo of him so that we could identify who the guy was who was in change if we wanted to lay a complaint. Which I was sure Di would have to do on behalf of the Market.

(I now want to find out why they decided to raid the Amphimarket -a section 21 company that has all that area on lease from the municipality -the cops are now lying and keep changing their stories, saying that they didn't have access and then saying it was a drug raid – they also allege that three policemen were hurt in this “riot”)

Policeman Grabbed my Camera

Anyway this guy I photographed grabbed my camera which I wouldn’t let go and told me I wasn’t allowed to take a picture of him. I told him he was nuts – of course I can take a picture of him and as he didn’t want to identify himself how the hell else would we know who he is.

He asked me for my card. I told him I had many cards but he wanted a press card. So I told him I don’t work for a newspaper I don’t have a press card but he can phone the mayor or the city manager- they know me well, I’ve worked for them for a long time.

He didn’t hear me and wouldn’t leave my camera.

I was Put in Handcuffs

Then he called someone and put handcuffs on me prised the camera out of my hands and put me in the back of a police van.

My friend Peter asked him what I was being charged with and he said for not identifying myself.

I was eventually charged with Public Violence, fingerprinted, and put in a cell.

About eight hours later the attorney walked in and got us off.

Captain Logan Govender Charged us with Public Violence

It took Captain Logan Govender ages to decide what to charge me, the poor American, and the other young trader with because he really had no charge, so he chose the one thing that the police couldn't release us on "public violence.”

They had to get a prosecutor there on a Sunday night. The father and son - the Khans who have been trading there for 17 years on that same spot and have never ever had any trouble with the police got R1000 bail each and have to appear in court on Tuesday for assault- they were trying to protect their livelihood - this is their sole income.

There is obviously no crime in South Africa - I spent from just after 11 – 8 in the evening in the main police station - besides us they brought in a few kids who were selling dagga but I saw so many cops doing nothing, filling in papers, hanging around. And most of them seemed to delight in shouting orders at us – wait there, keep quite, no you can’t do that. They wouldn’t allow me any reading matter.

Emotional Abuse and Waste of Time (and money)

Ros brought me water and a coke while they were charging us. I kept the water and gave the coke to the guys – they shouted at me about me having limited rights and they were being kind by allowing me to have the water! (Di told me later the coke and water came from the guy who sells brass goods)

The amount of time and papers processed to "arrest" us and get a prosecutor in on a Sunday night because I took a picture of a cop who wouldn't identify himself is beyond absurd. (I have the picture on my camera) the American lost his glasses when they tackled him and they removed him memory card and roughed him up. He is a PhD student from University of Virgina and his friend who was with him is from Yale. - the girl friend, mother in he US Congress, so news has even spread that far - he was just taking pics at the market and took a few pictures of the scuffle when he was assaulted and arrested.

Naively I believed that after liberation, the one thing that would improve is our poling, but sadly, the culture of brutality has either been passed down or is re-blooming.

The police are supposed to protect us?

May the Good Lord protect u from this lot.

I hope that we can get something done before 2010. The humiliating way they treated this young man who chose to do a Phd on a part of our history and who loves this country is too terrible. And the way they treat their own fellow citizens, is a disgrace.

Disposable eMail Address Services

2009-05-24T07:01:00.003+02:00

Disposable email services have always fascinated me. I've really liked the idea of the anonymity and "secret agent" kind of feeling, but I've never used them.

Most disposable email services work in a similar way, they provide you with disposable e-mail addresses which expire after 15 Minutes. You can read and reply to e-mails that are sent to the temporary e-mail address within the given time frame.

If you need to extend the time frame you are able to do so. Here are a few disposable temporary e mail services to try out.

Guerrilla Mail

Ten Minute Mail

Avoiding Spam

About.com says it is all about avoiding spam. "If you give Web sites and new contacts a disposable email address instead of your real one, you can selectively disable a disposable address as soon as you get spam through it, but continue using all other aliases," and give us Top 8 Disposable Email Address services.

How to Create a Perfect Twitter Profile

2009-04-21T15:50:00.004+02:00

I'm really intrigued with people's Twitter Profiles; what they do and don't reveal - sort of like Facebook Profile pics - but Twitter Profiles work on a different level.

You get 10 or 20 or even 50 follows a day - you flip through them, some are obvious fits for you so you follow them. Others you take a closer look at- what is the first thing you notice when you look at someones Twitter profile?

What Do You Look First on a Twitter Profile

Do you read the Tweets? And then think -Wow, I wouldn't mind having this kind of connection - or do you look at the Profile pic and the few words people use to describe themselves?

Like I really want to know he's a "devoted father" unless I'm writing about parenting issues; or that she is "petite and energetic" unless I'm looking for a date for the Prom who will keep me on my feet all night.

I found a great article 7 tips for the perfect Twitter Profile.

Use your real name (and don't use underscore)
Use a real picture (especially if it's a real name)
Think SEO when writing your bio
Include a URL
Consider a custom background
Don't protect your updates
Take it slow

Now I must rush off to fix up my own Twitter Profile, but read the article - it is great!

Best Global Brands 2007

2009-04-05T09:45:00.004+02:00

It so weird, I see a post saying Best Global Brands 2007 and I rush at it like I can't wait to see what it says.

As if I don't already know what the top ten would be. I think most people who read and write and spend time on the Web (and watching TV ) would be able to predict at least seven out of the ten Best Global Brands.

So no surprises that Coca Cola, IBM and Microsoft are the top three Best Global Brands of 2007.

I try to be an individual so I'll admit that I often drink Pepsi and I do use open source software at times, but I'm also just totally hooked into all these brands - I disgust myself.

Most White South Africans Still Just Can't Get Over 1994

2009-03-24T15:23:00.006+02:00

Most White South Africans just can't get over 1994 !

I am not prone to making sweeping statements and I know this is a helluva one!

But you know, it keeps on coming back and hitting me between the eyes. Take this whole debacle with South Africa not giving the Dalai Lama a Visa - now I'm big time pissed off, because I really dig the old guy, but suddenly all these people who don't give two hoots in hell about Buddhism or His Holiness are jumping up and down - owning the process, man.

I know there are a few things that possibly lead to this sad diplomatic fuck-up:

The ANC has long established links with the Chinese Communist Party
South Africa is China's Biggest trading partner in Africa.
A brand new China Trade Office opened in South Africa last week.
The 50th Anniversary of the Dalai Lama's escape from China has just been all over the media.
etc

And our foreign policy is often a bit shaky, like our vote on Myanmar at the UN wasn't exactly a shining moment! But, hey we are a new democracy and we try not to piss off our friends, rather than standing up for what we truly believe in. A lot of the time our government does ok.

Gordon Brown Did Not Meet HH at 10 Downing Street

So, instead of working something out and doing it in a more elegant way like the Brits did recently when HH visited and Gordon Brown didn't meet the Dalai Lama at 10 Downing Street, the SA Government blustered and blundered and came up with a series of patently stupid excuses for refusing a visa to one of the most respected religious leaders in the world.

Joined a Facebook Group

I happily joined a Facebook group to Bring the Dalai Lama to SA and invited almost all my friends to join, hoping to raise some consciousness - hoping that the government would see the error in this decision and reverse it.

Not 24 hours later this very group had turned into a mob - slanging and slandering; an anti government lynch mob trying to organise Anti 2010 FIF Soccer World Cup protests.

Withdrew from Facebook Group

I withdrew from the group and that is why I said what I began with: Most White South Africans Still Just Can't Get Over 1994. Whenever there is a gap; an opportunity even just the tiniest little glimmer of a chance - you see them pile in with insults, damnation, criticism, negativity.

But go to workshops on the city's Integrated Development Plan where public participation has been called for or other community initiatives or anything that requires participation, input and a positive spirit and ... surprise, surprise -slim pickings.

Oh, and the Peace Conference that was the focal point of the whole fuss, just seen on Reuters that its been cancelled.

100 Twitter Tools

2009-03-12T17:11:00.004+02:00

So what to you need most when you're a novice twit, building up a string of followers? Of course you need 100 Twitter Tools to help you achieve your goals.

Well you actually need a lot more than that, but it is a good start.

I was watching a tweeting a bit, checking it out, when I saw this post shimmy by across my tweetdeck and I decided to investigate. I mean what are twitter tools?

I've already got the Tiny URL goody and I found something called twhirl, which makes my life a lot easier and helps me search Twitter.

So I looked at the 100 Twitter Tools post. And I realised how little I know. My favorites are:

Tweetbeeps - like Google alerts - keep tack of keywords
Retweetist - Do you repost other tweets? RT today and be proud of it.
Twitter Local - see Twitter public in a specific locale
Who Should I Follow? Give you Twitter friend recommendations.

I feel dazed and confused as I look at the list. There is so much I need to do and need to know before I tweet again. How am I ever going to work my way though all 100 Twitter Tools?

50th Anniversary of Dalai Lama's Escape

2009-03-10T06:38:00.005+02:00

Today is the 50th Anniversary of the Dalai Lama's escape.

I met him once here in the City Hall in Durban and spent about two hours in his presence - we were showing him around an exhibition for Artists for Human Rights. I edited the Catalogue of the opening of the Human Rights Print Portfolio , so I had some privileges at the opening.

I was amazed at how ordinary he seemed and what a great sense of humor he has. He was laughing and making jokes, all the time.

But like Madiba, he just had that "thing" that made you feel so blessed and special and humble and happy and all kinds of good feelings, just to be in his presence.

Today, China is on the alert. President Hu Jintao yesterday called for a "great wall" of stability in Tibet on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the failed anti-Chinese uprising which led to the Dalai Lama's flight into exile.

Ratu Ngawang Remembers

Ratu Ngawang, now 83, then a hardened young guerrilla fighter who was responsible for getting the spiritual leader out of China, is celebrated among Tibetan exiles for his role in the Dalai Lama's epic escape across the Himalayas.

He remembers:"We killed many of their soldiers, and without regret," he said. "I was an experienced warrior and was unafraid. We were battling to save the Dalai Lama, so we were prepared to die. Many of my best friends lost their lives."

The Dalai Lama to Make a Speech in Dharmsala

The Dalai Lama scheduled a speech today (Tuesday) marking the 50th anniversary in the Indian hill town of Dharmsala where he is based.

His envoy, Kelsan Gyaltsen, said the situation in Tibet was "very, very distressing.

International Women's Day 2009

2009-03-08T08:53:00.004+02:00

So what does International Women's Day 2009 mean to you?

Nothing much?

Have we become so desensitized but all the "anniversaries, commemorations and awareness days" that we are just immune to much else other than our own survival - which seems to be getting tougher by the day?

I guess I'm lucky because my work and my life brings me into contact on a daily basis with a wide spectrum of people - most far less fortunate than I am as far as money, opportunities, education and all the other everyday building blocks of our live that Western people just take for granted.

It keeps my feet firmly planted on the ground.

So today, I honor the women of the world, especially the women of Africa who suffer a triple oppression - most are POOR, BLACK and WOMEN.

I was thinking of a song to play and so many came flying into my brain because I love female vocalists and I know plenty of songs, but then on VH1 which I have on came the song I want to play for today - No Woman No Cry

Link to Where you Want To in a YouTube Video

2009-03-07T05:52:00.003+02:00

Somebody once asked me what the World Wide Web as all about.

Links and linking, I said it is about creating a web, like a spider web where everything is interconnected via a series of links.

Link to a Specific Part of a YouTube Video - Minute and Second-Specific

Well with video, that has been a bit of a frustration, one could link to the URL of a YouTube Video, but you couldn't like to a specific part of it. Now you can.

Well, my cyber-intelligence has just jumped a few points since joining Twitter and finding the right people to follow.

(Lesson to myself: Do so in life as you do on Twitter - only "follow" the right people!)

Anyway, Matt Cutts has posted this very interesting bit of info about linking to certain parts of YouTube videos .

It is just so easy to link to s specific part of a video down to the minutes and seconds.

Twitter on Facebook? Almost Real Time Web Capabilities

2009-03-05T07:48:00.007+02:00

No, not quite, Facebook has not bought Twitter, I know they tried and failed last year, but with their enormous numbers, it was just a matter of time before they surrendered to real-rime web capabilities - or almost real time.

More than 5000 Friends on Facebook

I noticed yesterday when I went to Facebook that they were announcing the changes to Profile pages and feeds, so I browsed around a bit and found a few posts with interesting info.

Yay for those with Messiah complexes! Like Twitter, you can now have more than 5000 friends on Facebook. With Pages being removed and everybody having Profiles it is going to be interesting - and hard work from an SEO perspective promoting a business or celebrity - but hey challenges are cool and we just adjust and move on.

Facebook is also speeding up the updates that populate the news feeds on everyone’s personal page.

Twitter Envy

Gigaom describes it as Twitter envy: "For starters, Facebook announced changes to its home page that would allow streaming of “posts from your friends in real-time.” Facebook also changed the status prompt from “What are you doing right now?” to “What’s on your mind?” — a blatant attempt to prompt a more real-time interaction, and bringing it one step further than Twitter’s “What are you doing?”

FaceBook Conference Marc Zuckerberg Explains

Eric Schonfeld blogged live for Tech Crunch yesterday from the Facebook conference:

Marc Zuckerberg explains: "What we’re talking about today, is that there’s a philosophical change in that we want to converge these public figures (which are one way) and friends (two way connections). People asking for 5,000 friends, don’t necessarily want to connect with 5,000 people, they want to let 5,000 people connect with them. Pages are now similar to user profiles, but profiles are similar to pages in that people can have 1 sided connections.

We’re seeing an interesting trend that a lot of people are open to sharing information to specific people. A big part of what we’re doing is sharing information in a safe way."

Smart Marketing in a Downturn

2009-03-01T07:12:00.005+02:00

Right, so our government here in South Africa says we're not in a recession, but we all know that things are much tighter all around and the squeeze is on - there is most certainly a downturn in the economy.

According to Business Day, "SA’s trade deficit hit a record R17,4bn in January, swelled by plunging vehicle and precious metal exports as a global economic crisis hits demand."

For us with small businesses the knock-on effect will ripple down, so we need to work smarter.

Smart Marketing in a Downturn

Debbie Weil is one my online sources of inspiration and information. She recently wrote an excellent blogpost called Digital Cupcakes: Smart Marketing in a Downturn Whether you are Out of Work or Not.

Debbie Weil says: "Smart marketing in a recession is about building relationships. Most folks are not ready to buy - or hire. Everyone is ready to connect. That's the secret of social media marketing."

So for those of you who think you can still do all your business on the golf course or the "power breakfasts" - the playing field has changed. You need a solid online reputation to succeed in the market today.

You need to be able to connect with people online and establish a presence, and you need to be able to do it smartly.

Ronald McDonald as the Joker?

2009-02-28T15:11:00.004+02:00

Ronald Mc Donald is a red and yellow clown for a fast food place I don't visit because trans fats freak me out... and I'm vegetarian.

But I came upon this blog of The 20 Most Terrifying Pictures of Ronald Mc Donald Ever, and I thought, come on how weird or scary can that get?

Most clowns are quite scary. They rate right up in the top ten of people's biggest fears, believe it or not. Fear of clowns is called Coulrophobia.

So I look at the first picture on this Ronald Mc Donald post and it is one of Ronald as the Joker. Now I really don't like clowns at all anymore.

The Sad Story of Carl Niehaus

2009-02-23T08:31:00.004+02:00

Unlike many people, especially those critical of the ruling party, I don't see the story of Carl Niehaus as a sign of "endemic corruption" or a "breakdown of morals" in the ANC.

I know the excited, baying crowds, jumping up and down on the sidelines have been waiting since 1994 to say "We told you so!" (Of course they will deny that they are racists or that they really believe that black majority rule can never work).

They will spew lofty words like democracy and morality and leadership and rule of law. Wonderful, noble and great goals to strive for and exactly the kind of stuff I would love to have in place if I lived in a perfect society.

But I don't.

Do we forget so quickly? We live in South Africa.

It has been a VERY short time in history since we have been a FREE country.

I have Jewish friends who still won't buy a German car and when did the war end? (WW ll)

Does a soldier with post traumatic stress ever not duck and hide when he hears a car backfire? Does a beaten dog ever not cringe when you put out your hand towards it? Does an abused child, when grown, up ever "get over" the trauma?

This generation of South Africans and maybe the next will be too close to the horrors of apartheid - the "Crime against humanity" - to always function in the nicely packaged acceptable Western normal way.

Some escape with less scars, others with more.

We just have to deal with it. And not throw everyone under the bus.

I feel sorry for Carl Niehaus. I wanted to klap him when he went on and on, on TV like this was his last confession. I can only imagine how embarrassing it was for the ANC.

I thought Carl should have got himself a therapist long ago and sorted out his problems. Hopefully we will do so now, and find some peace.

Capitalism and Socialism in the New York Times

2009-02-22T07:55:00.003+02:00

I'm a lazy blogger, but I've made a late-February resolution to blog more.

That a look at this diagram, it illustrates the words 'socialism' and 'capitalism' appearing in the New York Times as a timepiece visualization. 12:01am is January 1st 1984 and 11:59pm is January 1st 2009. By Jer Thorp of Vancouver, Canada.

Why Vote? Get Registered

2008-12-21T09:19:00.003+02:00

Why Vote is an Internet initiative to encourage South Africans to take responsibility to their lives, to make sure they are registered and to vote in the coming general election (whenever that may be)

WhyVote.co.za is not affiliated to any media organisation, group, government organisation, political party, business initiative or conglomerate. WhyVote.co.za is an initiative run by citizens of this country, for citizens of this country.

Go on check it out. Download posters. Get web banners. Download videos.

If we want change, if we want things to be different, then we the people of South Africa have to act differently. We have to elect the politicians we want and hold them accountable.

So check out Why Vote?

COPE Leadership? Lynda Odendaal - Who?

2008-12-19T07:38:00.004+02:00

I had to smile - obviously COPE is influenced by beauty pageants that have a first runner-up and a second runner-up. (first deputy and second deputy president)

Elected in Bloemfontein were multilingual, Terror Lekota as president with former Gauteng premier Mbhazima (Sam) Shilowa as its first deputy president and a political unknown from the same province, business woman Lynda Odendaal, as second deputy president.

I hadn't heard the results when I came in from a meeting and switched on the TV. I saw this blond chick hugging Terror and blowing kisses to the audience so I wondered what pop star they had with them up on stage, obviously to endorse the party. Then I saw the ticker tape and couldn't believe my eyes.

I watched her closely while they were singing the National Anthem and she doesn't know all the words - 15 years into liberation! (Maybe she was just overwhelmed or exhausted from "black power" salutes and blowing kisses).

The only mentions of her company on the net are a few media releases.

I know some COPE members. Some are women. Some are white. Some are both. All are infinitely more qualified than Lynda Odendaal for national leadership in a new political party that is promising to challenge the ruling party.

No Political Profile

"She has no political profile, but it will be built," Lekota said in an article in IOL.

Is the top echelon of a Party, three months (or so) before a general election a good place to build a political profile.

Well Sarah Palin did OK out of her VP spot, so who knows how Lynda Odendaal is going to shape up?

How will the ANC COPE with Transformation?

2008-12-15T09:13:00.003+02:00

Unlike many of my friends, comrades and countrymen (and women) I haven't ushed of to join the Congress of the People (COPE).

I'm watching with great interest how the political scenario in South Africa is evolving and developing and how the African National Congress (ANC) is reacting to a potential real opposition.

I hope the leaders of COPE and the ANC are going to a bit more responsible in their rhetoric. The vote of the "masses" that they are competing for is like a Freestate veld in July when a high wind howls and someone throws a stompie out of a car window.

I'm afraid that if they throw too many stompies out of car windows we're doing to have casualties.

The masses are politically aware but maybe not sophisticated enough to understand the robust rhetoric of their leaders and the wild metaphors - it would be a tragedy if some decide to take matters into their own hands to ensure the security of their party.

I don't know whether COPE will last or not, but I believe that it can only be good in the long run for South African democracy, although a right centrist opposition - I don't know.

The ANC has to transform from a liberation organisation into a political party. It has to shake off its arrogance and get better organised, and with COPE nipping at it's heels - it might just emerge stronger.

Will the Congress of the People be just another splinter party or the beginning or a new look opposition - time will tell.

What I do When I not Sleeping

2008-10-28T06:43:00.004+02:00

The reason I like my work is also the reason I hate my work sometimes - I just do so many different things; often at the same time. You know those pianists of keyboard players who play two keyboards - well there are days when I want to set up my laptop next to my pc... no that's just as crazy as Palin!

Some of the stories/articles I've written in the past ten days:

Volunteer Tourism in Colorado Build Trails and Protect the Eco-system in the Rocky Mountains

Profile: Mia Michaels Modern Dance Choreographer, Teacher and Dancer

Red Flanders Poppies in Queensland Red November in Glen Aplin in Australia's Granite Belt

An article on Carpet Cleaning for my client AFM Cleantech.

Some profiles and a media release for Tradepoint.

Two book reviews for Africansway.

I've probably left out some but it's quite strange that I think that I don't do much writing. I always feel that I send more time building websites or optimizing them or taking pictures.

But this is probably not much of a blog post but it has been an interesting exercise for me to see what I do. Also it may be handy one day when I go completely crazy for people to be able to see why?

A Dance in Time at the 2010 Stadium in Durban

2008-10-08T07:33:00.009+02:00

I've been watching the 2010 Moses Mabidha Stadium and documenting it from before the fist pick dug into that soil. I love awesome structures and I know this one is going to be one of them. While the rest of the world holds its breath to see whether Africa can pull of the FIFA World Football Cup in 2010, we, here in South Africa just shrug and carry on with life - we know we can do it.

Anyway, yesterday I received my friend's latest novel, A Dance in Time. I had the book with me when I was taking the pictures of the 2010 Stadium. So, I thought I'd just show Aine the book had arrived in Durban.

Aine is a really, really good Irish writer who writes under the name of Orna Ross. I couldn't wait to get stuck into this book because I read her first novel, Lover's Hollow two years ago in Dublin, when I spent a month there, taking writing lessons from her.

I also watched the last World Cup in Ireland. As a beer drinking South African I had a really good time in the pubs all around Ireland watching football with the locals, especially as none of us had a dog in the fight - now if it were rugby, that might have been another story...

I started reading A Dance in Time last night and I know it is going to be hard to do any work this week - I just want to get back to to the book.

And the 2010 Stadium, well I'll keep driving past it to record the progress.

For more pics of the Moses Mabidha Stadium, check my flickr pages

New Obama Video: American Prayer

2008-09-22T07:45:00.001+02:00

This great song by Dave Stewart and a host of stars is destined to become a new Anthem. Stewart explains why he wrote it: "People long for a connection-- whether it is to music, to their country, or to a big idea. Regardless of what happens in November, Senator Obama has reminded millions of people that they have the power to connect to bigger ideas. He is, in essence, the embodiment of a new anthem for change."

read more | digg story

Workshop for Democracy

2008-09-18T07:49:00.005+02:00

Captions: Top - DDP's Manju Marimuthu with presenter Martin Challenor, project co-ordinator Pinky Naidoo and Marlan Padayachee of GreenGold Africa Communications, facilitator of the KAS DDP Multiparty Media Workshop for KZN political parties at the Kingfisher Conference Centre, Mount Edgecombe from 9-11 September.

Above: Me - "working the room".

With a general election looming in South Africa, multiparty cooperation and networking (even if it is behind the scenes) is essential.

What is also necessary is that the political parties and their designated players learn to establish better relationships with the media.

The Democracy Delvelopment Programme (DDP) a partner project of the Konrad Adenauer Trust in Germany, has been running multi party programs since the early 90's, "supporting capacity building on governance and civil society levels to ensure that both are empowered for meaningful participation in South Africa’s social transformation"

I recently enjoyed participating in one of these three day workshops through the involvement of my old speechwriting colleague Marlan Padayachee of GreenGold Africa Communications.

New Browse - Google Chrome

2008-09-02T14:40:00.002+02:00

Is this exciting or not - Google has just released a brand new browser in a pretty saturated market called Google Chrome.

Well actually it launched the beta version of Google Chrome in 100 countries.

Google Chrome has a blog and a comic book that explains it.

So why are they launching Google Chrome? "Because we believe we can add value for users and, at the same time, help drive innovation on the web."

It all looks very exciting, but you know - I think I'll just stick to Firefox for the meantime.

Google has a New 404 Error Page Widget

2008-08-22T07:46:00.004+02:00

Well maybe Google's 404 Error Page Widget isn't that new, but I'm getting on in years and my journey across cyberspace isn't quite as swift as it once was. But it interested me anyway, because I know how pissed off 404 Error Pages make me.

Especially when they just pop up and hang their shouting blahhhhhh at you!

Of course the 404 Error Page Widget can be found in Google's Webmaster Tools.

This new "Enhance 404 Pages" allows you to embed a widget into your error page which will provide your user with suggestions and search functionality. That way your website visitor is less likely to leave your website, and more likely to continue browsing your website to find what they are looking for.

According to Expand Marketing, where I found out about this, this feature is experimental at this stage and will most evolve and develop as Google gets suggestions and comments. Get more information about the tool on Google Webmaster Blog

10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer

2008-07-17T06:24:00.002+02:00

by Brian Clark

1. Write.
2. Write more.
3. Write even more.
4. Write even more than that.
5. Write when you don’t want to.
6. Write when you do.

Read more about 10 Steps to becoming a better writer and other copywriting tips for online success at Copyblogger

The end of journalism: Associated Press encourages bias

2008-07-15T18:58:00.001+02:00

AP has decided that "fair and balanced" reporting is out. The new head of the Washington bureau encourages reporters to write in first person and make personal analyses of the story rather than just reporting the facts.

read more | digg story

Rock Star Website Review: Madonna.com

2008-07-08T06:35:00.001+02:00

As Inviting as a Candy Shop. Spend more time than 4 Minutes.Whether Candy Shop or 4 Minutes is your favorite, Madonna.com has been transformed into a Sticky & Sweet theme park with the bold look and feel of her Hard Candy Album.

read more | digg story

Top 10 Fatal URL Design Mistakes

2008-07-04T08:12:00.005+02:00

When I saw this blogpost I knew I had to have it, I didn't just want to read Top 10 Fatal URL Design Mistakes, I wanted to own it, because I am one who has made one of the mistakes, and my clients make URl Design Mistakes over and over again.

Sure it is important how your URL is designed, "A bad URL means your website or page won’t be found, clicked, visited and linked or submitted to social media. Without proper URLs most of your other great web design, usability and SEO measures get wasted."

For most of us the question is simply "How well can I be Googled?"

I work with Joomla and I know that some of the PHP stuff isn't pretty - but hey, you win some you lose some.

Anyway, Top 10 Fatal URL Design Mistakes is certainly worth reading - and thinking about!

Amazon Bans South African Post Office

2008-06-18T09:19:00.005+02:00

If you're like me and you regularly have books sent over from Amazon.com, forget it, because Amazon has blacklisted the SA Post Office.

According to SAPA, rampant theft by Post Office workers has infuriated internet retailing giant Amazon so much that it will no longer send goods to South Africa by post, Business Day has reported.

Anyone wanting to order directly from the US-based website must now pay for a private courier service adding about R420 to the price of a DVD.

No one from the Post Office would comment.

No other African country's postal service had been blacklisted by Amazon, Business Day said.

When I read this, I first checked the date to see if it wasn't April 1. I mean I know that theft is bad from the Post Office, but the fact that Amazon.com would blacklist the Post Office is terrible, how am I going to get my new Kindle?

Times Online Offers 20 Million Articles for Free

2008-06-17T07:44:00.003+02:00

Times Online has rolled out an elaborate digital newspaper archive stretching back more than 200 years. The archive includes more than 20 miliion articles from every edition of the Times, bar a small number of damaged issues, from 1785 to 1985.

It includes the Thunderer's coverage of events such as the Battle of Waterloo, the first convicts arriving at Botany Bay and the execution of Marie Antoinette, the sinking of the Titanic. Other issues cover the 1851 Great Exhibition, the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888 and Amelia Earhart's solo flight across the Atlantic in 1932.

The archive also includes letters to the editor, photographs and adverts, with each page presented as it was printed in the paper on a parchment-coloured screen. Anne Spackman, the editor-in-chief of Times Online, said that the Times wanted the project to set the gold standard for an online newspaper archive for 'arguably the most famous newspaper in the world'. The archive is currently free, and Spackman says no decision will be taken about whether it will remain free or require a subscription until it has generated a solid user base.

Pages are scanned using 'optical character recognition technology', which means articles can be tagged and searched more easily. More than 150 topic pages, such as 'war and revolution', are designed to make content easier to search.

For me, the interesting articles are the coverage of Crime in the UK over the years - Jack the Ripper, the Moors Murders, the Kray Twins, the Great Train Robbery and then from the USA, the Gang Feuds in Chicago and the arrest of Al Capone.

Viewdle - Search in Video

2008-06-07T09:37:00.002+02:00

If my therapist had to see these posts she would wonder why I'm feeling so lost. It seems to me I'm writing all about searching and being found.

But it is really exciting the search is progressing from word search to images and also to video.

Viewdle is a video search method/engine. " It is a facial recognition powered digital media platform for easily indexing, searching and monetizing video assets".

Viewdle technology recognizes actual appearances of people on screen., so you'd better go over and take a look for yourself.

Image Based Search Engine - Tineye.com

2008-06-07T09:13:00.004+02:00

At last, an image based search engine that doesn't search by words - yes, it truly searches by image.

Toronto, Ontario-based Idée inc. has authorized over 12,000 beta testers for Tineye, with a waiting list that grows longer by the day according to CEO Leila Boujnane. Idée's goal with Tineye is quite simple: to be the image search engine. And although you'll never hear anyone from any company (think Google and Photoshop) officially admit it due to trademark diminishment concerns, it's a safe bet that Tineye is secretly hoping to be "verbed" in the image-search space: "Can you Tineye yesterday's lead photo to see which blogs picked it up?" And there's already a Firefox extension, making it easy as a right-click to launch a Tineye image search.
Well I got all this from a great article in PopPhoto.com, so read it there.

But I went to have a look at Tineye and registered as a beta tester and installed the Firefox plugin. Now all I need to do is right click on any image and tell it to "fetch".

OK at the moment the database isn't very big, but imagine what it will be like in a year or so - just imagine the potential for an image based search engine?

Firefox Dowload Day 2008 - Let's Break a Guinness World Record

2008-06-05T06:03:00.003+02:00

Firefox wants to set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours, so they've planned a massive campaign to download Firefox 3.

Firefox 3 sets the innovation bar very high with exciting new features, including one-click bookmarking, the smart location bar and lightning fast performance. Firefox 3 also includes phishing and malware protection, plus new instant site ID info.

With features like built-in spell checking, session restore and full zoom, Firefox 3 makes it possible to work faster and more efficiently on the Web. With Firefox 3 you can choose from over 5,000 add-ons that help you customize your browsing experience.

I took the previous two paragraphs from the Firefox website because just can't list all the good things about this web browser.

So sign up and await the date for the biggest download fest in history and become part of an entry in the Guinness Book of Records when you install the new Firefox 3 browser.

Dr Cyril H.Wecht - High Profile Forensic Pathologist

2008-06-01T06:57:00.001+02:00

Controversial Dr Cyril H Wecht has been one of America's most high profile forensic pathologists since he testified in the JFK shooting. Today he is still in the news.

read more | digg story

101 Most Useful Websites

2008-05-31T16:39:00.003+02:00

It is quite odd how we make lists, isn't it?

I often wonder why we have a Top Ten or Top Five or even a Top Hundred.

Recently I read Amanda's Top 26 Favorite Books of All Time.

Why 26 - well this author, writing teacher explained - there are 26 letters of the alphabet!

OK, so I guess that's as good a reason as any to decide on a specific number, but where does the hundred plus one come from? Why 101 most Useful Websites?

It is indeed a very useful article and pretty interesting too but why not 100 most useful websites or 99?

Street Artist Banksy's Rise to Fame Tracked on Google

2008-05-27T07:37:00.003+02:00

I am very partial to street art - wall murals, graffiti. I even write articles about it. And I guess when it comes to graffiti, Banksy is right there - A number One at the Top of the Heap.

So I was really interested when I got a post from Digg-buddy Colin Mc Dermot tittled Banksy's Rise to Fame.

No he wasn't waxing lyrical on the beauty of street art of Bristol Born Banksy. His blog post show via an analysis of Google search engine data a remarkable pattern between some of Banksy's press activity and his rise to fame over the last five years.

According to Colin:

"This represents another landmark for Graffiti's acceptance into popular culture.

Banksy's artworks have huge value - and forward thinking councils / property owners that understand this value (money talks!) are now actually maintaining these pieces of art.

Once it was the the job of councils to remove ALL graffiti.

Now they are starting to see that perhaps not all of this wonderful artwork can be classed as mindless vandalism."

Check the YouTube Video

Watch John McCain tell Ellen De Generes: "You shouldn't have the right to get married"

2008-05-23T04:36:00.004+02:00

Well, whenever my countrymen and women want to change our wonderful Constitution and ban gay and lesbian marriages or bring back the death penalty or outlaw abortion I cringe.

I know many people feel very strongly about the above issues - for and against. That is what a democracy is about - our right to be able to differ, for every voice to be heard.

But the Constitution stands above it all, upholding values higher than we are higher than our society and the times we live in; higher than our fears and prejudices or our personal religious convictions.

I saw a bit of this clip on CNN an hour or so ago and I became frightened for the USA should John McCain and the Republicans come to power in October.

Ellen de Generes, who recently announced that she plans to take advantage of the California Supreme Court’s recent gay marriage ruling and wed her longtime girlfriend, actress Portia Rossi, pressed McCain on his stance on gay marriage.

So, have a look and watch John McCain tell Ellen De Generes: "You shouldn't have the right to get married"

10 Reasons why "Tech Speak" is the Best Language to Learn

2008-05-23T04:03:00.003+02:00

Like many people, I keep on making New Years resolutions to learn a new language. I've been making them for many new years!

For me, living in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, isiZulu would be the obvious new language to learn, after all it is the most spoken language in South Africa. But although I know plenty of words and phrases and can pick up conversation when my friends talk, I've realized it is very , very difficult.

So I was really stoked (Durban surfer speak for "excited) to find this blogpost, 10 Reasons why "Tech Speak" is the Best Language.

Written by Andrew Gonsalves "Halx" www.tfproject.org the Tech Speak story explains that:

"While knowing how to speak Spanish will secure you a customer service job in Los Angeles, knowing how to speak French will make you sound sexier, and knowing how to speak Japanese will make all of your hentai games more interesting, if you know "Tech Speak," you're already 10 times more versatile than all those other bilingual show-offs. By Tech Speak, I don't mean to imply that there is some secret code that you haven't heard of before, and I certainly am not referring to any glossary of buzzwords that make you look more of a blow hard for reciting them. Tech Speak is simply the language of technology; the understanding of where the world is going and the tidbits of knowledge needed to stay adrift."

If you want to know the ten reasons, you'll have to click the links and find out.

Get more Productive on your Keyboard

2008-05-12T07:19:00.002+02:00

I'm a hack, so my typing skills are the two finger type - I'm quite fast because I've been doing it for years, but I've always envied the typists, who do amazing things with alt and ctrl keys.

So I was pretty excited when a Digg buddy "shouted" me this article called Productivity Ninja: 101 Ways to Rock the Keyboard.

Not that my keyboard needs any physical rocking - I sit with it on my lap, but I'm sure that's not what he meant, because his belief is that if you use the computer a lot, you have to stop using the mouse and learn to "Rock the Keyboard".

(I guess he can't remember a pre- windows era when we laid out publications in Dos on keyboards...)

But for those who want to become Productivity Ninja's, he lists plenty of keyboard shortcuts for programs ranging from Firefox , G-Mail, Google Reader, Windows, Mac and more. (Good to know when the mouse's battery is flat).

So for those among us who enjoy keyboard shortcuts - this Productivity Ninja article has plenty of stuff to explore.

Diigo - Supercharged Social Networwking Tool

2008-05-09T07:58:00.003+02:00

Well I've just got on to Diigo and I guess it will take a while to play with all the features and explore, but it looks really exciting.

Yes, Diigo is another one - a social networking tool/site. But this one is different. It is more of an Internet Research tool.

And for those like me who spend a lot of time picking up scraps of info here and there on the net - Diigo is going to be invaluable.

Emily Barney of Illinois is a member on the Facebook Diigo group and she says:

"I just did a profile/tutorial piece on Diigo for a class, you can view the video on youtube here:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcecBgRd3ig

So check it out and sign up!

Brush up on Your Email Etiquette

2008-05-07T07:52:00.001+02:00

All users of electronic communications need to understand email etiquette in order to enjoy more streamlined and efficient workplace and personal communications.Workplace communications often turn into a Tower of Babel, with everyone speaking in different languages. There is no doubt that business communications, especially electronic communications can be made more professional and more effective with better email etiquette.Why is Email Etiquette Necessary?Companies and organizations need to implement etiquette rules for these reasons:Professionalism: by using proper email language the company will convey a more professional image.

read more | digg story

Introducing a New News Agency - SACSIS

2008-05-05T07:41:00.001+02:00

SACSIS -- the South African Civil Society Information Service -- is launching as a news agency to channel social justice news and analysis of South Africa's policy dialogue to the media.

Articles are targeted at policymakers and other decision makers who need exposure to new perspectives that challenge conventional assumptions about how best to make South Africa's economy and social policies work for the poor.

South Africa has just celebrated 14 years as a democracy, which is not much time to reverse centuries of prejudicial policies and practices that created the massive underclass that this country has inherited.

But, despite the gains, South Africans are more anxious about the future than at any other time in our democratic history. There is huge concern about the high levels of poverty and associated crime.

The question is, are policy makers doing enough to resolve the problems facing this country, so that in future we don't find ourselves looking back and feeling just as anxious or worse about what is to come.

Mainstream critiques have so far failed to analyse the drivers of poverty and to question the effectiveness of South Africa's socio-economic policies as instruments for change. Of most concern, is that the discourse about inequality has not yet entered mainstream debates about democratic governance.

SACSIS will highlight this debate by testing the relationship between democracy and governance and the realisation of socio-economic rights. We seek to promote the idea of the fundamental right of the poor to a higher standard of living and better quality of life.

The central thesis is that we live in a dysfunctional democracy. Public policy in South Africa does not adequately address the issues of inequality, so the question that will drive the articles released through SACSIS is: How do we make democracy work for the poor?

Their columnists are drawn from the ranks of civil society. They are people who are grounded in socio-economic issues through their work, who can offer analysis underwritten by rigorous research and practical experience.

They are all experienced writers, with established publications records that include popular writing.

The work of SACSIS will be released under a Creative Commons licence, which means that journalists can copy, republish or adapt the agency's work, as long as they are acknowledged as the source.

Emphasis is on quality as opposed to quantity. SACSIS will only release between two and five articles per week.

The SACSIS news agency has been established as a nonprofit trust and is launched on 05 May 2008.

Visit the website at www.sacsis.org.za to view the news and subscribe to their services.

For more information, please contact:

Fazila Farouk
Cell: +27(0)82 921 2562
Email: fazilafarouk@sacsis.org.za

How to be a Hero in the Digg Universe

2008-04-24T07:19:00.002+02:00

OK, so the headline is misleading - I don't have a clue how to be a hero in the Digg universe, but I'm getting seriously into Digg and I'm trying to learn.

It is actually quite difficult to get an article you are championing on to the "front page" of Digg. You have to have a lot of friends and do a lot of shouting - Digg terminology.

So you'll understand that I was over the moon when I found this 21 page .pdf called Breaking the Digg Code.

It has a nice, easy-to-follow step by step approach. But if you want Breaking the Digg Code you'll have to subscribe to their blog wither via RSS or email.

I guess it's only fair to say that I was made aware of this on Digg, by a friend who gave me a shout. This led to another really interesting blog called Daily Blog Tips, where I read about Breaking the Digg Code.

One Hundred Years of Converse

2008-04-19T06:31:00.001+02:00

This year Converse celebrates 100 years of manufacturing best selling sneakers - half the history is about basketball; the other about really cool urban footwear.To date over 1.1 billion pairs of shoe laces have been made just to meet the manufacturing requirements for Converse’s "Chuck Taylor" All Star sneakers.

read more | digg story

Blog It - Facebook App

2008-04-17T07:15:00.002+02:00

Now, I'm big time into blogging - when I get some time and I love all the Web 2.0 things like Facebook and Stumbleupon and all the news aggregators, but as an older person I think I have to admit - I'm too just old to Twitter!

As it is, I somehow feel I'm running out of time all the time and because my thumbs are not quite as agile I text slower, so when I find an app that is going to save me time I'm over the moon.

Blog It (powered by Typepad) is a free Facebook application which focuses on making it easier for you to create content no matter the blogging platform you use. Blog It brings some of the best social aspects of Facebook to blogging, making it easy for you to let your friends and colleagues around the web know what you're up to and what you're writing.

Blog It can be used to update all your blogs - it supports a whole lot of platforms - from your Facebook Platform, so why not give it a try? I know I'm going to try Blog It as soon as I have a moment.

Photos of Zimbabwe Currency (banknotes)

2008-04-13T08:28:00.006+02:00

All the time we read about inflation in Zimbabwe that is it running at - goodness knows how many thousand percent but I don't think it really hit home for me until I saw a real genuine Zim banknote. A note for 10 million Zimbabwe dollars - with an expiration date on it - 30 June 2008. (Do they know something that we don't know?)

I believe it is worth about R2,00 or $0,25. It is a beautiful note - well designed and feels substantial, not a cheapie -with a watermark nog, and immediately I wondered how much it cost to print the note and how many of them they printed.

I'm sure the printing costs per note were more than the face value of the banknote. So I had to get out my camera and take a picture of the Zimbabwe currency so that I could share it with everyone else who wouldn't believe me when I showed them these beautifully made banknotes with the expiry date.

We sure live in interesting times.

Taking a Look at Human Bite Marks

2008-04-07T06:56:00.001+02:00

How reliable is forensic bite mark analysis? Everyone knows that a bite mark on Lisa Levy ended Ted Bundy's crime spree, but many convictions are now getting overturned.

read more | digg story

Facebook Chat Launches

2008-04-07T06:45:00.002+02:00

That's right, for those who can't already do everything that they ever dreamed of on Facebook, they now have Facebook Chat!

It is only available in a few networks at the moment, but Facebook Chat will be rolled out across the whole spectrum over the next couple of days according to Inside Facebook, where the whole Facebook Chat process is explained in great detail and screenshots.

Conclusion:

"Facebook Chat is a very compelling experience that will spell trouble for legacy IM networks that haven’t built vibrant social networks around their friend lists (i.e. AIM). By making Facebook more real time/presence oriented, Facebook session length should go up a lot. Facebook will become an important player in IM very soon."

Well, I'm not much of an online chatter, but I can't what to try out Facebook Chat!

40 years after Martin Luther King Jnr's death

2008-04-03T05:13:00.003+02:00

Jesse Jackson(above on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel the day before the assassination with Dr King) has no difficulty remembering his last conversation with Martin Luther King. He was in the car park of the Lorraine motel in Memphis and King was standing a floor above him on the balcony outside room 306.

read more | digg story

Also Read

Dr Martin Luther King Jnr

40th Anniversary of his Assassination in Memphis, Tennessee

40 years ago civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King Jnr was assassinated by James Earl Ray at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

On 4 April 1968 at 6.10 pm, a sniper assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jnr while he was standing on the balcony of Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee. Dr King had come to Memphis, to support striking sanitation workers.

Free Adobe Photoshop Express Available Online

2008-03-31T05:54:00.002+02:00

What great news for people who want their digital photos to look better, Adobe Photoshop Express Available is available for free - an online version that is, where you can upload, polish and store up to 2 GB of photos.

Photoshop Express a beta version released last week, is completely web-based so consumers can use it with any type of computer, operating system and browser. And, once they register, users can get to their accounts from different computers.

Photoshop enters the online photo-management arena many years after such services first appeared. Some companies have already made a big name for themselves, like nine-year-old storage solution Shutterfly, photo-editing service Picnik or image-sharing site Photobucket.

Adobe Photoshop Express even has a selection of galleries to please and enchant the user.

How Bloggers Covered Kenya Violence

2008-03-26T07:11:00.001+02:00

Within 24 hours of the outbreak of the post election violence in Kenya, Kenyan blogs were posting hour by hour reports. On December 31st there was a complete shutdown of the mainstream mediaKenyan bloggers were the first group of African bloggers to create an online community, first with a webring and later in March 2005 the Kenya Unlimited site was launched. This was at a time when blogging in Africa was in its infancy.

read more | digg story

Fax to Email

2008-03-25T14:14:00.002+02:00

I read about this on one of my groups - Fax to Email. It sounded self- explanatory but almost too good to be true and I wondered why I hadn't heard of it before, so I had a look.

Overview of Fax to Email

Fax to Email is a leading South African web-based Fax Solutions Company.

What is Fax to Email ?

Fax to Email is a company offering an innovative, cost effective solution to the current and somewhat cumbersome method of receiving and sending faxes. Fax to Email earns revenue through a rebate system from Telkom, for calls made to the allocated numbers which is sufficient for Fax to Email to distribute this fax reception service at no charge to the end user. Fax to Email has changed the way faxes are dealt with by aligning it closer to email than to traditional faxing.

So there you have it - this is just one of the smartest things I've heard - and Fax to Email is Free!

Profile: Dr Henry C Lee - Forensic Scientist and Criminalist

2008-03-25T06:12:00.001+02:00

Dr. Henry C Lee is one of the most popular instructors in crime scenes, forensic evidence and criminal investigation in the law enforcement field.Crime Scene Processing - Reconstructing a CrimeA giant in the field of forensic science, Dr. Henry C. Lee has assisted law enforcement agencies in over 6,000 major investigations and cases around the world.Dr. Lee believes that with 40 years of experience, his major area of specialization is putting the case together; reconstructing a crime. He is quoted as saying that the success lies in how you interpret the results

read more | digg story

How Much is Your Blog Worth?

2008-03-24T06:41:00.004+02:00

My blog is worth $7,903.56.
How much is your blog worth?

How much is your blog worth? Well I guess that's a bit of a strange question to ask because we can never really say.

Do we quantify the value of our blog in the amount of PV's or whether it has won awards or been nominated? But that still doesn't really tell us how much our blog is worth.

Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog can give your a dollar value!

He has created a little little applet using Technorati's API which computes and displays your blog's worth using the same link to dollar ratio as the AOL-Weblogs Inc deal.

So if you want to see how much your blog is worth, just type your url into the little box and prepare yourself for the surprise!

13 Uselful Email Addresses

2008-03-23T12:39:00.003+02:00

I'm becoming a Digg junkie. I have belonged to it for ages, but have only recently started getting involved in the whole Digg community aspect and it is really lots of fun - and and extra stream of information.

Anyway, that' where I saw this article: 13 Email Addresses that can be useful.

Well first of all they're not all email addresses, some are urls and 13 is a strange number, but this little list on 13 Email Addresses that can be useful is worth finding and keeping because it is some really interesting and ... well useful information.

E.G. Useful Email Address No 7

upload@upload.slideshare.net

If you have (one or more) PowerPoint Presentations and PDF documents that you quickly want to share with friends, just email the files to Slideshare and they'll instantly turn them into a web slideshow.

Useful Email Address No 10

..@prod.writely.com

Google Docs provides a unique email address here - you can upload your documents, spreadsheets and presentations to Google Docs through this address and read them on your mobile phone using the newly launched Google Docs mobile at docs.google.com/m. [Google Docs Upload]

Dr Martin Luther King Jnr - 40th Anniversary of his Assassin

2008-03-19T17:42:00.001+02:00

40 years ago civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King Jnr was assassinated by James Earl Ray at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

read more | digg story

Formula One 2008 Season Calendar - Two New Street Races - a

2008-03-16T06:20:00.001+02:00

As the 2008 Formula One Season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne it is time to look at the Calendar - with 18 rounds this year.

read more | digg story

Belfast, Northern Ireland Wall Murals

2008-03-13T09:16:00.001+02:00

Taking Photographs of Wall Murals in Belfast, Northern IrelandBelfast, Northern Ireland was a wonderful surprise. After a month in Dublin I hired a car and drove up to Belfast where I knew I’d have to try to remember to use pounds instead of Euro for just over a week until I drove back into the Republic via Derry.

read more | digg story

Tradepoint South Africa Durban is Launched with a Bang

2008-03-10T06:40:00.001+02:00

On 7 March 2008 Tradepoint Durban South Africa (TPSA Durban) became one of the over 100 Trade Points of the World Trade Point Federation all around the world, which will help small businesses to access global markets.

read more | digg story

AmaRadio - listen to South African Radio Stations on Broadband

2008-03-07T06:28:00.004+02:00

For all those expat South Africans and people who can't just switch on to their favorite South African Radio Station, the launch of internet radio programme - AmaRadio is going to bring great happiness

AmaRadio is a little program which enables you to listen to most of the South African radio stations over your broadband connection! Furthermore...

You can download it in under two minutes.
It's very stable.
It does not depend on any other components.
It runs on Windows 98, XP, and Vista.

So, i you sitting there working in the cold northern hemisphere at the moment, open up a little window on you PC and you'll hear the warm sounds or East Coast Radio or the Jozi vibe of 702 Talk Radio on Amaradio.

Diakonia Durban Good Friday Easter Service 2008

2008-03-06T08:23:00.004+02:00

"Diakonia", a Greek word meaning “service”, is a shared ministry to serve God in suffering people, in the poorest, in those most in need.

Theme: "Who is my Neighbour?"

Human Rights Day and Good Friday combine in Easter Service

In a long-standing tradition established by Diakonia Council of Churches in 1985, the Good Friday Service 2008 will be held at the Durban Exhibition Centre on 21 March commencing at 06h15.

It is a remarkable day as this date also coincides with Human Rights Day, and in keeping with the theme, the guest preacher, Fr Albert Nolan OP, will be preaching on "Who is my Neighbour?".

Over the years the Good Friday Services have become a landmark event in the life of the city and our member churches, with many thousands of people attending and joining in the procession which follows through the streets of Durban and ends at the front steps of the City Hall, with a flowering of the cross.

A gallery of images from the 2007 Good Friday Service.

Camera Phone Pictures Online Instantly

2008-03-06T08:07:00.002+02:00

The blurb on the website tells me that Red Zebra Mobile is "the easiest, fastest way to send pictures from your camera-phone to your online gallery."

The best thing is that Red Zebra is free and it requires no software for you to create an online gallery of camera phone pictures that you can share with your friends.

Although the online camera phone picture hosting service is free at Red Zebra they "specialise in feature rich solutions for business, government and organizations who need the full range of features " for which they say they charge a "modest fee".

Why not check Red Zebra Mobile out?

Arts and Craft Trade Directory for KZN

2008-02-18T15:17:00.003+02:00

The Department of Economic Development in KwaZulu-Natal in partnership with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) has recently produced a comprehensive and beautifully designed KZN Arts and Craft Trade Directory.

I saw it at Tradepoint Durban in the Resource Room and judging from the response from the crafters, artists and people who do business in this field, the new KZN Arts and Craft Directory is already a great success.

Networking and resources is one of their biggest obstacles, and this Directory has a detailed, well directory of companies and organizations working in the field of arts and craft.

The Master Crafters' Section can do with a bit of beefing up for the next issue - I think the art dealers should be put in a separate section.

But overall, the relevant authorities must be applauded for a very handy, and well produced workbook for the arts and craft industry.

ICD to Add More Corrupt Cops to the Tally

2008-02-15T07:00:00.006+02:00

Well, what else could they say? The day after the story hit the press about 830 KwaZulu-Natal province cops being under investigation, the ICD came back with a BIG denial - well not quite a denial, but they seem to be determined to boost the crooked cop numbers - they have launched an investigation into their own department.

In this morning's M&G - headlined ICD orders probe into "so called statistics leak", Patrick Mongwe, ICD Acting director said that statistics could not be released without being "audited and verified" - I read that as the well known "spin-and-cook."

The release of figures showing that 830 KwaZulu-Natal law enforcement officers were under investigation would be probed, the Independent Complaints Directorate boss announced on Thursday.

Patrick Mongwe, the ICD's acting executive director, said: "The statistics must come from here [the head office]. There are policies within the department."

He said that statistics could not be released with out having been "audited and verified".

"I have initiated an investigation and who has released those figures must be held to account," he said.

Well well so let's see what comes out in the wash - if they catch the culprit, maybe the number of cops under investigation will climb to over 830!

Killer Cops, Corrupt Cops - What is The Solution?

2008-02-14T05:35:00.008+02:00

More than 800 KZN cops under investigation is the headline on a 13 February Story in the Mail & Guardian online I knew it was bad, but that bad??

"At least 830 of KwaZulu-Natal's (KZN) law-enforcement officers are under investigation for a host of crimes ranging from assault through to rape and murder, figures released by the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) revealed on Wednesday.

Of the 830 officers -- which include members of the South African Police Services, eThekwini metro police and other municipal police services -- only one officer has been convicted."

Don't they realize there is a problem somewhere?

"KwaZulu-Natal provincial head of the ICD, Tabisa Ralo, on Wednesday said that of the 830 officers being probed, 174 are being scrutinized for deaths in police custody or as a result of police action.

Another 289 are being investigated for misconduct, while 351 are under investigation for failing to carry out their duties.

She said misconduct cases include assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, rape, indecent assault, extortion and corruption.

Up to 16 police officers had domestic violence cases file"

And how many police officers are committing suicide or family murders?

The statistics for the whole country are absolutely frightening, but for someone who lives in KZN, the blood runs ice cold at the following statement:

"More people died at the hands of KwaZulu-Natal's law-enforcement officers than any other province."

Now that's really cool!!!

As if the social pressures of transformation in our society and the associated crime aren't enough, I'm more likely to get get killed by a cop in KZN than anywhere else in South Africa. I'm sure that's not a fact Tourism KZN will want to trumpet at the next Tourism Indaba.

However, Ralo assures the public that :"The role of the ICD forms part of an ongoing commitment to transform policing in South Africa ."

But what I want to know is what are they doing about screening applicants; training and skilling them; providing psychological counseling and paying them better? Isn't that easier than investigating and court cases and ...

eThekwini Metro police spokesperson Superintendent John Tyala says he believes that less then ten metro officers were under investigation by the ICD. (Ralo says 28).

He assures the public that :"Our management has committed itself to clamp down on corruption and this has served as a deterrent to other members."

Then Tyala urges members of the public not to attempt to bribe his officers. (And listen to this)

"Don't bribe our members because you will be enticing them ... they too have families and if they lose their jobs what will be their future?" he said. "They will be unemployed."

Oh wow, and this is the spokesperson for the eThekwini Metro Police?

Do I care about the future of corrupt policemen and women? If they are corrupt they should not only be unemployed they should be behind bars, Superintendent Tyla.

But as I said before, if they are better screened and trained and paid and counseled (because they really have dangerous jobs), but hey, as the saying goes... I'm pissing into the wind.

I just hate to think what these kind of statistics and this kind of press does for the good cops, and yes there are many of them.

Report Corrupt Cops

In KZN one can report a complaint against a law enforcement official to the ICD on 031 3101300 or visit its offices in Kingsfield Place, Field Street, Durban

And if one of the Metro Police Officers in Durban steps over the line, you can report him/her to:

Mr Bheki Mkhize, Ombudsperson and Head: Investigations of the eThekwini Municipality

e-mail: Ombuds@durban.gov.za or download a form.

Wikia - Human Powered Search Engines

2008-02-11T10:31:00.000+02:00

Open source search engines like Wikipedia's may not kill Google, but they could bring us closer to search nirvana. Here are some pros and cons.

After much hype, Wikia has finally unveiled an alpha version of its "human powered" search engine. Many in the blogging community have been quick to post scathing reviews on the launch, criticizing the engine's shallow inventory and highlighting the fact that many of the much trumpeted social components haven't been incorporated as part of the initial launch, says Alex Vlasto at iMedia Connection.

Although the integration of social elements within search is a good thing, the biggest problem will always be fraud - spam.

He concludes with the thought that open source search is definitely an exciting development. "For me, however, the really exciting component is not so much the transparency of the algorithm but rather the way users can rank, and in turn influence, listings that are displayed."

Read: Wikia, Google killer or dead in the water?

Polygraph Testing - Lie Detection Methods in the Criminal, P

2008-02-06T05:46:00.001+02:00

Polygraphs or lie detectors are most often associated with criminal investigations, but they are also used in the private sector under strict guidelines.What is a Polygraph or Lie Detector?A polygraph is also often referred to as a lie detector. The underlying theory of the polygraph is that when people lie they also get measurably nervous about lying.

read more | digg story

St Valentines Day Massacre - First Crime Lab in USA

2008-02-02T10:31:00.001+02:00

The St Valentine's Day Massacre on 14 February 1929 led to the establishment of the first crime detection laboratory in the United States of America.

read more | digg story

Toolmarks at a Crime Scene

2008-01-25T05:24:00.001+02:00

Toolmarks examination is an important discipline of forensic science. When tools are used at a crime scene they can be linked to the unique toolmarks.

read more | digg story

Food Company Annual Report that must be Baked

2008-01-20T08:58:00.000+02:00

Your eyes are not deceiving you the headline does read Food Company Annual Report that must be Baked. It is just so clever I couldn't stop smiling when I read it.

It is one of those really smart ideas that probably has no uses.

Croatian creative agency Bruketa & Zinić have designed an annual report for food company Podravka that has to be baked in an oven before it can be read. The secret is thermo-reactive ink.

It's a little bit like the magic trick we used to do with the invisible writing when we were kids - remember, writing something with lemon juice and then only being able to read it if you held a flame under the paper and the lettering showed up brown.

Adopt an Acre of Rainforest

2008-01-20T06:26:00.000+02:00

Well this is a new one - Adopt an Acre of Rainforest. I've adopted plenty of other things like a star and a piece of sky and..., but an acre of rainforest, never before.

Obviously these Adopt-schemes work well and are good for raising awareness. As the website explains: Adopt an Acre® is a program of The Nature Conservancy that provides critical funds for rainforest protection and restoration.

Every year, Adopt an Acre® chooses an imperiled rainforest site that is in critical need of protection.

Since its beginning, the Adopt an Acre® program has protected hundreds of thousands of forested acres worldwide.

Once you adopt your acre(s), you'll receive a personalized certificate, more information about the program, a car magnet and a subscription to our quarterly magazine, Nature Conservancy.

But don't take my word for this virtual adoption program - no, you don't ACTUALLY own the Acre of Rainforest you adopt.

The also have an update on last year's Adopt and Acre Africa program . During the 2006 and 2007 season this program resulted in the adoption and preservation of more than 24,000 acres in East Africa's Rift Valley.

Ek is verlief op die kind

2008-01-13T14:55:00.001+02:00

Dankie Joy-Mari van Brokencats

One- Letter Words

2008-01-12T18:48:00.000+02:00

Ok, so the concept of One-Letter Words can sound a bit strange until you really go into it and explore the concept a bit.

Think about: I haven't been playing my A game lately or He's got it down to a T.

Craig Conley is a curator, benefactor, philosopher, author, music producer, and documentarian. A former college teacher of writing and literature, he left academia to pursue his research into one-letter words, two-fold deities, and ancient technologies for using harmonics to heal and to facilitate spiritual transformations.

He says: "Sometimes you do have something to say, but “the words get in the way.” You can’t find the precise word for what you mean, and every word you can think of gives the wrong impression or is misleading."

The solution is to get back to basics. Put your trust in the ABC’s. With this dictionary of one-letter words, you have the power to fight jargon and to simplify modern communication. It’s now up to you.

For each letter in the one-letter word dictionary, , Conley gives dozens of meanings, which he often supports with citations from literature, science and pop culture. The definitions are arranged in groups like “shapes and sizes,” military and “people, places, things,” some of which are common to most letters and others that pertain to only one, like “exertions of power,” which has two entries under “d.”

African Path leads to a Village

2008-01-11T07:32:00.000+02:00

I've been a fan of African Path for a long time. Tun by Josh Wanyama, a Kenyan living in the USA, the African Path website had a great mix of news, sport, politics, music, arts and opinions about Africans by Africans. I look forward to the newsletter.

Now African Path has created a virtual African Path Village where you can connect with African Culture. There are forums, photos, groups and all the social networking goodies as well as some cool badges and widgets- even a slideshow one for Facebook.

Check it out and join the conversation!

What is Mitochondrial DNA?

2008-01-11T07:06:00.000+02:00

Well I guess this has nothing much to do with protocol or with public relations unless you're trying to trace your maternal lineage or you were caught up in a Tsunami or an earthquake and and your remains need to be identified, but Mitochondiral DNA is really very interesting.

I've started writing on Forensic Science, which is why all these rather off-topic articles are popping up and one of the fascinating things I found while researching the Mitochondiral DNA article was the whole Mitochondial Eve theory - you know, that we are all descended from one mother, right here in Africa - well you'd better read more:

What is Mitochondrial DNA? Inherited from the Mother, mtDNA is Perfect for Cold Cases

13 Facebook 2008 Predictions

2008-01-01T07:36:00.000+02:00

When I saw this article 13 Facebook 2008 Predictions, I couldn't wait to read it. I am a facebook addict - actually alarmingly, according to the Facebook widget, I'm 67% addicted to Facebook.

But it is such a good and fun way to keep in touch, to make new friends, to network, to get to know business associates better - and to promote my work, which is after all, mostly to do with internet and internet writing.

So back to the 13 Facebook Predictions for 2008 - here are the top three:

1. Facebook will break the 125 Million User Watermark
2. There will be over 37,000 Different Facebook Applications
3. Facebook will license it’s platform to 3 Major Social Networking Sites

You'll want to see the other 10 Facebook Predictions for 2008 so read on

Importance of Broadband Access

2008-01-01T06:20:00.000+02:00

In South Africa we will only grow as an Internet community when Broadband Access becomes more affordable and more available to the masses.

I've been to cyber cafes and they are expensive, but then they have to pay for broadband access, which we know isn't cheap.

Government keeps on making noises about supporting small business development, but how are emerging businesses supposed to become established and grow without people being able to have cheap or free broadband access so that they can at least learn internet skills and establish a presence on the internet.

We know that it takes more than a course or workshop or two to get comfortable on the World Wide Web. One needs to spend time, surfing, playing, setting up a blog, investigating social networking, learning how to search.

I found this really interesting article about the importance of broadband access . It explains that Americans are turning to the Web for solutions, but poorer people, with out broadband access, were in trouble - their access to information and hunger for it diminished.

"Once you get broadband, you see what's available and pursue more of what's available," Rainie said. "The Internet has taught people to be even more hungry about information and to be even more aggressive about hunting it down in a variety of places."

Read more

The Lighter Side of Forensics

2007-12-28T10:27:00.001+02:00

Forensic Science isn't just about blood and fingerprints and DNA, it is also about real people and sometimes one needs to look at the lighter side.

read more | digg story

Zesty Ginger, Fresh and Dried

2007-12-28T08:07:00.001+02:00

Ginger is often used as a staple in Indian recipes and is enjoyed as much for its hot aromatic taste as for the anti-inflammatory healing properties of the ginger root.Fresh Ginger in Indian CuisineIndian cuisine is as diverse as it is delicious. Ginger adds a wonderful zing to all types of dishes, from salads and chutneys to main dishes. Garlic and ginger are often minced together to form the basis of a variety of vegetable, lentil and meat curry dishes.

read more | digg story

Chemiluminescent Luminol

2007-12-21T05:55:00.001+02:00

Luminol glows in the dark. This chemiluminescent compound is an essential part of crime scene investigation as it detects blood, even invisible blood.

read more | digg story

Checkout Google Zeitgeist 2007

2007-12-15T04:37:00.000+02:00

There are five categories in Google Zeitgiest 2007 , including the main one: Newsmakers, Showbiz, All the Rage, and Top of Mind.

As Google says: "To get a glimpse of what's been on our collective consciousness, we mined billions of search queries to discover what sorts of things rose to the top. We encourage you to check out our findings to see if you, too, reflect the zeitgeist — the spirit of the times."

It may be interesting to know that the Top of Mind reflects the three most asked questions during 2007 on Google- they are are:

Who is - God ?
What is - love?
How To - kiss?

Social media most captivating topic in Google Zeitgeist 2007 says Gino Cosme on Cosmedia.

Who Owns Facebook?

2007-12-11T04:48:00.000+02:00

I guess that's a question many of us ask especially when we see stories about takeovers and buy- outs and the like. So, I was really interested when I found this blog called WallStreet Fighter that has a post on this very topic of - Who owns Facebook?

"We all read daily how Facebook has now been valued at $15 billion after Microsoft bought a 1.6% stake for $240 million. This past week Li-Ka-Shing, the world's 9th richest person, bought a .4% stake for $60 million with rights to double his investment, further verifying the valuation."

Read more

Forensic DNA

2007-12-10T04:44:00.001+02:00

DNA plays an important role in modern forensic science. Today, DNA fingerprinting has become one of the primary methods of identifying people.DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid. It is the genetic material of a cell. DNA is can also be described as the blueprint of an organism.

read more | digg story

You can Digg pics on Photobuckcet

2007-12-05T07:14:00.000+02:00

Did you know Photobucket now has a dedicated Digg channel?

Here you can fine the pics people have given the most Diggs, which invariable end up on your Facebook Superwall. I recognized quite a few from the first one or two pages.

Now Photobucket for me is a place where I upload images I need urls's for - you know those you' can't download directly to websites. I've never thought of using it for any other social networking.

As the blurb says: "See our new dedicated Photobucket Digg channel, with the most popular images on Photobucket, as voted by you! Let's see what you come up with when you "Digg" on Photobucket"

According to Mashable: "The new “Digg Images” feature will automatically crawl a submitted web URL and allow the user to select from thumbnail images to choose the one they would like to submit. Additionally, a mosaic view will allow users to browse submitted images. Digg has partnered with Idée for image recognition to prevent duplicates of the same photo from showing up on the site."

How Digg works on Photobucket

Next to all images on Photobucket, you'll see a Digg it button. Images with the most Diggs appear near the top of this page. If you see an image you like, click the Digg it button. You'll need to be a member of Digg to Digg an image. The registration to Digg is quick and easy. If you have questions about Digg, go to http://digg.com

With recently launched competitor Mixx offering an image section and gaining some fans since launching, Digg needed to make a big move, and with Photobucket on board this announcement certainly has some meat behind it.

The Oprahbama Phenomenon

2007-12-03T14:16:00.001+02:00

Will the Oprahbama Phenomenon become one of the features of the 2008 election or is it just another celebrity flare-up? Watch out for Oprah on the campaign trail.

The Oprahbama Phenomenon - Another Celeb Uniname with Real Power

There was Bennifer, Brangelina and Tomkat and now the latest uniname is Oprahbama, probably one of the most potent mixes of African American power and celebrity ever to hit Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina and who knows where else Barack and Oprah will travel on the 2008 election campaign trail

African Path launches The Cheetah Index

2007-11-29T05:00:00.000+02:00

I subscribe to many newsletters. Some I just delete when they come in, others I file away, but African Path, is one I read every time, usually from top to bottom.

The beauty of African Path is that you get mostly really well written and smart articles and opinions on various aspects of Africa, which you certainly are hard-pressed to find in the traditional media.

My Africa knowledge has increased bigtime and I have made contact with some very interesting young people across the African Continent. Now African Path has introduced a business site in beta called The Cheetah Index.

The Cheetah Index derives both its name and inspiration from Ghanaian economist Dr. George B.N. Ayittey, author of Africa Unchained. A central topic in this book is the new generation of young African professionals who look at Africa ’s problems from a different and revolutionary perspective. Dr. Ayittey believes that this group of professionals plays a central role in re-vitalizing African economies. This group of progressive, problem solving and action-oriented Africans are called the “Cheetah Generation”.

African Path will build the Cheetah Index into a leading online resource for Africa ’s current generation of decision makers. These will include managers, entrepreneurs, government officials, educationists and other people who influence Africa ’s development. The Cheetah Index site will provide breaking business news, profiles on African entrepreneurs and industry news while making it easier for business people from Africa and other continents to connect and network.

Ubuntu and the Busy Durban Arts Scene

2007-11-28T14:32:00.000+02:00

You know, I never thought I'd use the words Ubuntu and Busy Durban Arts Scene all in the same breath.

But sometimes things happen that just make you smile.

We live in a cut-throat competitive world don't' we? Well the media are always telling us so. So then an email popped into my in-box from Karen Bradke at artSpace Durban in Umgeni Road - this is where the Ubuntu and Busy Durban Arts Scene - bit comes in.

Hello,
As Murphy's Law would have it there are 3 events happening in Durban tonight! So what I suggest is this: first go to the Elizabeth Gordon Gallery in Florida Road at 5:30pm to see David Wheildon's paintings, then come to artSPACE durban by 6:30pm for the Annual Affordable Art Show, and then on your way home stop in at BeanBagBohemia for their 12th Birthday bash!!

We have been hanging artworks for the past 2 days with the rest going up today, so please do stop in and see the results!! And remember no artwork sells for more than R2500!!

Cheers,
Karen

Now, see what I mean about Ubuntu and Busy Durban Arts Scene?

I guess the message is that here in Durbs we share. There is plenty to go round.

Official 2010 Slogan Revealed

2007-11-26T14:01:00.000+02:00

Robert Marawa and Jerome Valcke participate in the Asian Draw with Kaizer Motaung at the Preliminary Draw show.

The 2010 Preliminary Launch yesterday was great. Once again I was so proud to be a South African. Durban looked desirable as a holiday destination. The set and the ceremony was faultless for me and I like the new slogan - “Ke Nako. Celebrate Africa's Humanity”.

Ke Nako” means simply "it's time". And, indeed, Africa's time has come to use the 2010 FIFA World Cup to change perceptions of Africa and reposition the continent in a positive light with South Africa as the theatre and Africa the stage.

Said Khoza, “Given that we have been granted this huge opportunity to stage the FIFA World Cup in 2010 by you our friends, many of whom are here today, we felt it appropriate that we develop a message, a theme that would resonate with the objectives of the global football family as well as the intentions and ambitions of the African diaspora.

“In the development of this slogan – our 2010 message – we were also inspired by the outpouring of excitement and joy that we witnessed from villages and cities across the continent when president Blatter announced the name ‘South Africa' on 15 May 2004. To best capture these sentiments we as the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa have decided that the slogan of the first FIFA World Cup on the African continent should be ‘Ke Nako. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'.”
bizcommunity.com

Read all about the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup Preliminary Draw

Alternative journalism in hostile environments

2007-11-22T09:10:00.001+02:00

An alternative weekly celebrates two years of business in South Carolina, after being banned from a dozen locations and having an editor's home set on fire. Unfortunately this is nothing new to this journalist.

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Great list of Web 2.0 Africa sites

2007-11-22T05:59:00.000+02:00

When I saw this post about Africa's Web 2.0 sites - with links I was really happy. I always try to take notice of them, but I'm never sure I've got them all.

So here they are Africa's Web 2.0 Sites with thanks to Erik Hersman from White African. For those who don't know, Eric is kind of and "honorary African, having grown up in Kenya and Sudan. He now lives in the USA, but his interest is in technology and how it is changing Africa.

Go to Flickr, where each logo has the link to the Web 2.0 Africa website.

The “To Be Added” list:

MyVideo
TWAC
Fring
iJol
MyGenius

Personal Security Products

2007-11-17T05:42:00.001+02:00

Air Tasers, C2's, concealed weapon handbags, these are a new generation of personal security devices and products on the market, especially for women.

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Free Rice Programme Passes Billionth Grain

2007-11-15T14:25:00.001+02:00

Free Rice. That's right, Free Rice. All you've got to do is play this word game and for each word you get right they donate free rice through the United Nations to help end World Hunger.

Word games are fine and the Free Rice bit makes me feel better about wasting my time with word games, so I went to the UN's World Food Programme Site to check it out and found that:

Rome, 9 November 2007 - The head of the UN’s World Food Programme Josette Sheeran has acclaimed the phenomenally successful internet-based vocabulary game FreeRice as an example of the Web’s power to mobilise millions of people in the fight against global hunger. Yesterday marked the one billionth grain of rice donated to WFP through an innovative, dynamic online campaign – enough to feed more than 50,000 people for one day.

Come on, the word games are fun and the Free Rice feeds the hungry.

South African Construction Industry gets Net Savvy

2007-11-15T08:24:00.001+02:00

Construction Communication Network - Imagine an efficient, cost-effective and secure electronic communication platform focusing on the construction and property industry that will allow professionals as well as advertisers and suppliers a wide range of benefits including: freeing up of time, opening new channels of distribution.

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Free Screensavers for All Seasons

2007-11-14T17:29:00.001+02:00

Screensavers are as much part of our lives as the computers they decorate. Downloadable free Screensavers for all seasons are available to satisfy every taste.

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Advertising on Facebook, should Google have to worry?

2007-11-13T06:51:00.000+02:00

Well it's always fun when there is some competition. The pot gets stirred a bit and things get turned on their heads. It was really just a matter of time until Facebook jumped into the advertising fray and went head to head with the mighty Google. But who will be the winners, and who will be the losers.

Gino Cosme of Cerebra writes:

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg earlier this week announced the launch of Facebook Ads, an advertising system that lets businesses connect with their target audience, roll out viral social ads, and track social activity on the site.

According to this statement, Facebook Ads now makes it possible for “businesses to connect with users and target advertising to the exact audiences they want.” Some of the companies already on board include Sony Pictures, The Coca-Cola Company, Microsoft, Verizon Wireless and BlockBusters.

Essentially, this is a very logical step for Facebook, and one that makes a lot of sense for advertisers. Think about it. Social networking sites have access to an almost unlimited amount of data about users. This includes their interests, friends, demographics, favorite on-site applications and groups, to name just some. Arguably there isn't a better way for advertisers to reach their target audiences with advertising that speaks to users on a very individual basis. Read the rest of Gino's story

Erick Schonfeld of Techcrunch was there when Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement, and in a liveblogging report stated:

"I am at Facebook’s social advertising announcement in New York City, where Mark Zuckerberg is about to take the stage and tell us all what we already think we know: Facebook is getting into the advertising business in a big way. Much of what will be announced today, such as projects code-named Beacon and Pandemic have already leaked out."

In this great demonstration of skilled liveblogging Erick goes on to tell us:

"Facebook is announcing three things: Social Ads (ads targeted based on member profile data and spread virally), Beacon (a way for Facebook members to declare themselves fans of a brand on other sites and send those endorsements to their feeds), and Insight (marketing data that goes deep into social demographics and pyschographics which Facebook will provide to advertisers in an aggregated, anonymous way). These three things together make up Facebook Ads. Here are the press releases for Facebook Ads, Project Beacon, and its launch partners."

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