The so-called Browse Mole Report presumably provided all the head honchos of the ANC with worried bedtime reading, and for all of us yet another twist in the succession politics. Another worry for the leadership is that a seditious poem has been written, which reads as follows: What future is there for the young? What […]
2007
Posted inTech
Calamity! SA and Egypt slip in Facebook race
Calamity struck South Africa in the Facebook regional race on Tuesday (September 18): Sweden came from way behind to push the southern-hemisphere upstarts from sixth to seventh place in the rankings of the biggest regional networks on Facebook. On Wednesday, the South African network stood at 286 000 users — a nice leap from the 250 000 […]
Posted inLifestyle
The Nightmare Series: Aeroplane rides
Ladies and gentlemen: welcome to what you will come to know, hopefully fondly, as the Nightmare Series. I hope that you will come to wait eagerly for each addition to the series with bated breath and overwhelming anticipation. From time to time I will throw in these pieces, which will be insightful explorations of the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Condi apologises; will Iraqis expel mercenaries?
Condoleezza Rice has “apologised” for the civilians killed by the American mercenary force known as Blackwater USA. She was trying to prevent the expulsion of all the Blackwater employees from Iraq, as has already been ordered by the Iraqi Interior Ministry. The Iraqi government decision followed an incident two days ago when Blackwater operatives — […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
The cut-throat method
In an attempt to rein in critical media, the government has embarked on a new trend: the withdrawal of advertising, an important avenue of income for most media. If we don’t like what you write, we’ll suspend some badly needed cash. Within the past few months, at least three South African newspapers have found themselves […]
Posted inGeneral
Can paedophiles be funny?
If you haven’t ever heard of Chris Langham, you’re missing out. He was the comic genius behind the toe-curlingly-delicious spoof documentaries People Like Us. In that series he took the role of investigative journalist Roy Mallard, and made “documentaries” about seemingly normal people and situations. It was understated, nuanced British comedy at its best. He […]
Posted inSport
English cricket: T20 semifinal still possible
Despite all the doom and gloom in the English press, England can still make the semifinals of the Twenty20 World Championship. They just need a few things to start going their way. Firstly, for the love of all things holy, whose idea was it to leave the strip clubs open on the day England were […]
Posted inLifestyle
The top five ‘fu** you’ songs of all time
A bad day demands an anthem. You’re waiting patiently at a red light for the turning arrow to start flashing so you can start your journey home, and five selfish bastards across the intersection keep turning after their arrow has long ago faded to nought. Or some client has driven you to the brink of […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media
Cliff Jennings, lonelygirl15: We’re all playing characters anyway, so why the fuss?
I must have been napping during the class on ethics in marketing, because I don’t understand the reason for the furor over the Cliff Jennings/Idols saga in South Africa. This has happened before, is happening as I sit here and will certainly become more prevalent in the future. In May 2006, a 1:32 webcam video […]
Posted inBusiness
Where is South Africa’s Muhammad Yunus?
I was at an event the other night that featured Jay Naidoo as the guest speaker. In his talk he told the story of Grameen Bank — a bank in Bangladesh that focuses on micro-loans to the poorest and most destitute members of society. The bank, jointly with its founder Muhammad Yunus, was awarded the […]
Posted inLifestyle
A love for Darfur
So this is how it’s going to go down: Artist A comes in and says a bit about why he or she is here and why the audience is here, performs a couple of tracks and then we run with the celeb-studded public service announcements and hey presto! We have raised awareness about the plight […]
Posted inSport
English rugby: Enter the ten-eighth
Before I start with this analysis into the disastrous state of English rugby, I want you to bear in mind that we are all ambassadors for South African rugby. Don’t let me catch any of you lot sniggering. Would you mock Portuguese or Georgian rugby? Of course not. Accordingly, I expect the same courtesy to […]