No, luckily not something involving me, but rather a horrible live-on-air incident that happened on a show called Blind Date in the UK in 1997. We all know the format: a guy or girl chooses a partner for a blind date by listening to the responses of three “invisible” hopefuls. In Blind Date, the losers, […]
Lifestyle
Posted inLifestyle
How do you stop an exploding man?
Now and then, a TV series grabs my attention. Heroes is one such series, and it has an example of how TV series are only part of the story, with the internet providing interesting glimpses into other parts of the story. In print, there are comics showing the story. In fact, visually Heroes has the […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Sport
An hour with Gavin Varejes
Daily we are confronted with traumatic events that redefine our lives and bring home the sombre realisation that many things are beyond our control: 9/11, tsunamis and the unavoidable encountering of Sharks supporters. When the genius concerned lists the day the Sharks won the Currie Cup for the first time at Loftus Versfeld among his […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Margaret Legum: Thought Leader extraordinaire
In the traffic this morning, I was saddened to learn of the death of Margaret Legum. Margaret was an advocate for new economics. Her columns in newspapers provided a rare view that we could be doing better, and a view completely “out of the box”. In fact, her book is titled It Does Not Have […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Media
Get me a fake Springbok jersey!
Canterbury, the Springbok kit sponsor, is complaining that “counterfeit” goods are damaging its business and could lead to job losses. What hogwash! Canterbury’s argument, a familiar complaint by branded-goods manufacturers, is based on a false assumption: that people would buy the “official” goods if alternatives — the far cheaper “fakes” — were not available. For […]
Posted inLifestyle
‘She’s my Ma’am … and I love her!’
My brother, I don’t blame you for the way that you feel, I don’t blame you for doing things that you know, in your intellect, are not true to you. I don’t blame you for overlooking the blatantly obvious things that she does to hurt you, things that scream out foulness and stink of disrespectful […]
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Advice on the making of the world’s largest cupcake (please)
On December 15 this year I am attempting a Guinness world record: the world’s largest cupcake. Amazingly, nobody has thought to try it yet. I have all the necessary forms and documentation, and the Guinness World Records authorities have given me the go-ahead. It will be a vanilla cupcake with green icing, 1m in diameter, […]
Posted inLifestyle
The handmade revolution
One of the lifestyle trends that has continued to crack full steam ahead this year is the so-called craft or handmade revolution. With the good old US of A in the forefront, young, hip people are taking over what used to be considered our grandma’s domain. They’re knitting, crocheting, embroidering, quilting and sewing their own […]
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Welcome
Welcome to the Springbok Spaza Shop, where I’ll be taking a look at the world of home decor and design, and art and craft. From retro to modern, fabulous to functional, the Springbok Spaza will hunt down cool home accessories, keep an eye on emerging trends and find out if there’s more to South African […]
Posted inLifestyle
Bulletin: I saw God on Monday
This revelation occurred to me as I held my newly born son in my arms for the first time on Monday. I closed my eyes and made a serious attempt at convincing myself that I was merely a victim of the serotonins wreaking havoc with the synaptic connections between my neurons, giving me the illusion […]
Posted inLifestyle
Nothing for granted
Okay, I know that blog posts about my diabetes are going to start getting tired soon, and I promise that once I’m back in the real world (later this week) I will have amusing observations about other people (other people! imagine!), but there’s just one more thing I’d like to mention. One of the Big […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Spend the night in Kliptown
The historic area of Kliptown in Soweto was in the news on Monday when a swanky four-star hotel opened its doors — the first such establishment in Soweto. The Freedom Charter was signed in Kliptown in 1955, and the area — which includes Freedom Square — is now one of the attractions helping Soweto grow […]