Well now this is interesting. The Huggies ad that caused such a stink — no pun intended, but I’ll take what I can get — has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa. Having successfully* defended several ads subject to rulings by the ASA, I always follow their rulings with interest, but […]
2009
Posted inNews/Politics
Obama’s honeymoon period is over
With Reuters reporting a growing concern among Americans at US President Barack Obama’s government spending, automobile industry bailout and other economic policies, set against the backdrop of former president George Bush taking a swipe at his successor, perhaps it is appropriate to call time on Obama’s honeymoon period. Yesterday the president announced the overhaul of […]
Posted inGeneral
Dinokeng scenario points to truth of Blindness
By Coenraad Bezuidenhout Let me explain … The Dinokeng study, launched last month, suggests three scenarios for a South Africa of 2020. Together, these three imagined futures gesture that an engaged citizenry will be key to ensure a South Africa that shows sustainable progress through an effective state. We are fresh out of an election […]
Posted inMedia
How big can this Boyle get?
By David J Smith We live in a world of over-promise. What used to be described as good is now described as awesome. Long lasting now means a year. Seminal albums used to come around once a decade, now apparently they happen every day. The word icon used to mean images of Christ or God, […]
Posted inLifestyle
Should we open schools for parents?
It has been well documented through the ages and throughout the world that people are impacted by role models. We learn the same language as our primary caregivers, be it Spanish, English or Japanese. We speak with the same accents, integrate many of the same values, copy many of the same behavioural patterns and reactive […]
Posted inNews/Politics
North Korea: Don’t cough, we might get nuked
I’ve been keeping a careful eye on Pyongyang for a few years now and the more I see the more nervous I get. Their latest utterings, in response to US President Barack Obama suggesting that they are a “grave threat”, are the most ominous to date and indicate that where once their conduct might have […]
Posted inGeneral
Zuma’s promises melt in the global economic heat
A cynic was talking to me the other day about what he called “crippling the power of the delivery myth”. He was telling me that as much as President Jacob Zuma is a source of inspiration and hope, the poor and disadvantaged must resign themselves to eating the pie in the sky. He insisted that […]
Posted inMedia
Saving journalists and saving journalism
The shockwaves of collapsing newspapers in the US have startled everyone around the world, not least the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). It’s a body which represents some 600 000 media staffers across 120 countries. Or so it did, according to figures last year. Today, the crisis is cutting into those numbers. A think-tank, dubbed the […]
Posted inGeneral
I am sick of my anti-terrorism kit
So I am standing behind all shapes, sizes, colours and obviously nationalities at Dubai International Mall, otherwise known as Dubai International Airport, waiting to surrender my boarding pass to get on this Emirates flight to Frankfurt. In front of me is a small family: an old woman flanked by her two sons. The woman wears […]
Posted inMedia
A.c.kermans or Armani? Or both?
The other day I was walking around a local shopping mall when it occurred to me that perhaps I didn’t look as if I belonged in some of the shops where I happened to be browsing. My ensemble consisted of items sourced from Ackermans, Edgars (specifically, Edgars Kelso) and a pair of corduroys I bought […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Iranian protests confirm ANC on right track with media freedom
Iran is currently witnessing the most violent demonstrations it has seen since the Islamic Revolution itself. Protesters in Tehran and further afield are pouring out onto the streets despite the government declaring protests illegal. Foreign journalists, in the country for the elections, are describing police brutality and even deaths among protesters as hostility increases. The […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Get involved in the Constitutional Court debate
I am running a “competition” over on my Blog to try and stimulate intelligent debate on the looming appointment of four members of our Constitutional Court. There I invite all readers to propose their “dream candidates” for our highest court. In several judgments — including the Doctors for Life case and the Matatiele case — […]