Have a life vision and mission

I read on one international bestseller book by an acclaimed life coach that the best way to start toward change in ones life is to write down ones vision and mission. I believe I've always had a vision and mission although unarticulated but after reading about how important it is to cast it on paper, I somewhat got the feeling that mine had probably been uncompelling because I couldn't see it. It wasn't written. It wasn't pronounced loudly in my world as a compass that I could use to navigate myself to a fulfilling life I desire.

I think for many of us it's important to articulate our thoughts in writing and especialy when it's your life's vision and mission. For me, it's more than important. My success, my life, in fact, depends on it. And just to share, the following encompass what I aspire to and my future:

Vision
To go big on life through consistent action

Mission
Achieve, daily, personal integrity that is aligned with my goals

Mine may not be appropriate or understandable in relation to your life, it's desires and your future. But I've no doubt that if you tried to express your own in writing in the shortest words possible, you'll find it compelling even though you've always known them (your vision and mission). Who knows, that may even reveal your life's purpose. In it's own ways, it worked wonders for me and I feel ever better after that exercise of the soul's deeply entrenched desires.

_Email this to a friend by clicking on the 'envelope' below_

Greatness is an obligation, not a choice

Greatness is an obligation more than a choice. We all were born into greatness. With the unique DNA to be great and fulfil some purpose that brought us to traverse this soil. Alas, like all other obligations in the human day, this one too, although stupendously significant, can (and does) get blanketed with typical and habitual mediocrity which we choose by virtue of not taking action in our days, in our hours, in our minutes. And it is this very pattern of the days that becomes the source of my personal pain. I wish to turn this pain in to courage and answer to my call to greatness - a call we were all born to answer.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Adopt and model your best character

Been doing some serious thinking lately about character and traits. I'm sure you would be in concert with me that most successes in life and true joy is a by-product of character and and its traits. The reason many of us (me too) keep going round and round in circles regarding our personal growth and goals is that we're doing it with all the wrong character. The attitude isn't firing up the engine hot enough to last us even two days. We make a personal commitments today to make some life improvements, oopsy, they're gone tomorrow just as fast as they came. My recent battle with my habitual devils has revealed in me default-failure character traits.

To kill the habitual devils I kind of went on in silence in my head. I gathered the peace and quite in my mind and the best solution I could find in my deepest silence to date, was that I need to invent the ideal me. Character, traits, attitude, behaviour, habits and beliefs that are strictly aligned to consistent personal growth and a success lifestyle. Call it using the right gear to climb a high altitude mountain than going only with guinea mouse faith - running on the same marry-go-round hoping to get somewhere (Hah, what insanity in sane man!).

Adopting or even inventing a character that one really wants to emulate is the sure way to get it right. To get the marry-go-forward results. I decided to take the traits of a few successful people and implant them inside and adopt them as daily habits. This comes in the wake of my missing on some of my goals that I recently set. So most important things are going right since the clean sweep, but it's the significant moves that are not happening yet. The moves that could see my life witness a leap to what I've always desired to live. And I believe that could come only with shedding the sheep skin and wearing the lion hide.

I bet you could also try and create, invent, adopt or emulate a character that you believe most demonstrates what you truly want to stand for. This whole character invention thing came to my mind whilst paging through a recent Men's Health magazine: "After all, his success as an actor depends on his ability to inhabit the mind of another person and then stay in character for months," it goes. That piece was about Gerard Butler who played Leonardis in the epic movie 300. And that's what I admire about actors like Butler and Whitaker's character in The Last King of Scotland - they can stay in character for months. They eat, talk, breath and fart like the character they're emulating - they become that person.

If they stay in character for months and their lives don't depend on it, how about you stay in character for years? I know my life depends on it. I bet you'll have become that person you truly want to be - that characters habits, traits, attitude and beliefs will be deeply implanted in you within a year that you become that person. "Man's mind, stretched by a new idea, never goes back to its original dimensions, said Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Well, I'm going to give it a try and also live like that character - daily, until I become that character. It's bonding with the ideal me. After all, no tax to be paid in trying and I stand a damned good chance of stopping the marry-go-nowhere.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Like Gandhi, be slow to anger

Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mother Teresa are for me, the slowest of human beings. They’re people who maintain a snail pace – they’re not quick to anger, in fact, they’re very slow to anger. Read any of the official and authoritative texts about them, and you’ll get the same message I got, that these are ordinary man behaving and keeping themselves in extraordinary manners, particularly when it comes to interacting with others and even those who hurt them the most.

Today, there’re so many brazen pressures about us. Everything is quick quick quick and we’re busy busy busy and neglecting to nurture the best of character traits in us. To top that all up, our lifestyles (a rat race one at most) are burnout ridden. Day in, day out. We’ve adopted instant behaviours. Behaviours that are not at all cultivated and grown from within us with nurturing – like the six leaders I mentioned.

The result is that because they’re such instantly obtained behaviours, we’re instant and quick in using them – we lose patience fast. We’re fast to anger. We’re quick to judge. And by the same token, quick to lose things of value in our lives due to such instant, quick fix behaviours.

I thought to myself the other day that, when faced with difficult situations, especially ones where I’m interacting with others, I’ll ask myself: What would Gandhi do – would he be eye-for-an-eye about it? Would the Dalai Lama make swift, harsh judgement? Would Nelson Mandela put aside his ego and keep cool the situation and forgive? Would Mother Teresa throw a big tantrum in an instant outburst? Wouldn’t Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., instead of acting with force of anger, rather proclaim that he has a dream – that tomorrow this too will pass and the two would-be belligerents embrace each other? "Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that," said King.

Without doubt, these people have consistently portrait some of the best character traits we know, and stealing a leaf from the books of ‘rules of engagement’ isn’t a bad idea.

With that in mind, wouldn’t one slow down the anger in them? I’m not claiming that that’s what I do daily when faced with angering situations. But I sure try and I did get it right on rare occasion. And without doubt, I’ve the opportunity, daily, to try and be patient and slow to anger. For anger is rarely ever justifiable, even if it’s in retaliation – Mandela and Gandhi certainly thought so.

Let’s face it, Anger does more damage inside us by waking the devil in us and giving them time to exercise and get stronger – for what ultimate purpose, I shudder to know. But I’ll also be first to agree that, anger sometimes may be necessary to push forward what we couldn’t otherwise have pronounced – but in that nature, it has to be extremely controlled, (hence, be slow to anger).

Regarding character and anger, wouldn't you agree that Dr King had it right when he proclaimed: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy".

So next time when you get an invitation to engage in anger, respond patiently to it. Take time filling in your RSVP. Be slow to get to anger mode.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Life without any limbs but no limits at all, amazing

A friend emailed me pictures of Nick Vujicic this morning, an Austrailian congenital amputee who leads a normal life, at first I didn't believe them and thought they were photoshopped until I visited Nick's site. Nick has no limbs but goes on to achieve everything else that he sets out to achieve and his biggest goal is to be independent - regardless. And watching his video of his typical day, you'd say he surely is already achieving that as it is.

Then I asked myself a question: with everything that I have and more mobility, why is it that I always put for tomorrow what I could do today. Many of us do that. Day in day out, but Nick is not - he kills it today. We're waiting for the perfect day to come for us to achieve our goals - to start working on them. And that day isn't coming because it was yesterday and the next one is today. We're waiting for something extra to happen before we start working on our goals or living the lives that we really desire - and I'm hurting to be in that league although I'm working hard on it. But Nick doesn't wait for any extras. He kills it. And is leading his life there way he desires and helping others at that. See this video below and be inspired and check his site to very how realy it is.



This video material is not my own and is entirely owned by Life Without Limbs, www.lifewithoutlimbs.org. Visit Nick's site to see more pictures, audio and video clips - and may be even recommend him to come speak at your organisation.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Lose yourself, like Slim Shady, lose yourself

"If you had, one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, one moment, would you capture it, or just let it slip."

I play Slim's "Lose Yourself" a lot more than any other song on my laptop. I fire up my day with it. When I'm stuck whilst writing, it panelbeats the writers block for me, because I lose myself. There are other songs that raze my fears and inhibitions to the ground. I’m sure you also have. If you don’t you better start having. It can make a lot of difference between a shit day and one beautiful, productive day.

Slim's words of "If you had one shot…" reminds me that we always get our shot. No. Not just a shot, but our best shot, then we don’t capture it, we don’t own it, we let it slip. Often. That’s why we go in circles about our dreams and bad habits - that's why I do. For now!. In Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World (which I wrote about yesterday), Hafiq says ‘habits are good. Just replace all the bad ones with the good ones’. For me, the baddies are being replaced with the goodies since some time last month. But I know that I let it slip a bit. And it hurts me to see it slip of my own cause.

"The moment you own it you better never let it go, you only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow, this opportunity comes once in a life time."

When that moment comes to make it all right. To change it all after a lot of struggle. After the big opportunity comes to make it better for yourself, own it. Like I said I slip a bit (not for long), but I know that the time has come for me to own it once and for all. And so far, so good (notwithstanding the small procrastinations here and there - which are being ironed out).

"This world is mine for the taking, make me king."

I wrote before about shortliving our lives, ourselves. And always settling for the smaller, safer, risk-less dreams or habits or life. What happens with that, I realized for me, is that you shoot for the tree to hit a bird, you hit only the tree. But you shoot for the sky, you hit a star. A damned bright happy star.

"I've got to formulate a plot or I’ll end up in jail or shot. Success is my only motherfucking option, failure is not."

For most of us, failure is an option we go with. It doesn’t happen because it’s part of the puzzle. It’s because we didn’t formulate a plan. We went on with hope of getting what we never planned to get. We believe in luck too much than we do in planning the goals toward our dreams. Charting a path to our desired life’s is necessary. Leave out failure as an option. Formulate your best plan, then go for the kill with massive action. If you aimed high enough, sure one star will be hit – and that’s not failure. It’s a different outcome of success, for even the best laid plans can take a different course and result.

"You can do anything you set your mind to man."

I believe Slim on this one. Yesterday I did an op on my tooth after having missed my appointment seven days ago (yes I got late – bad bad habit). On arriving late, Dr Sic, the dentist, told me that he will not be held liable should the temporary fill in my tooth cause trouble since its date to be replaced by a permanent one is due. He said the pain I had experienced would all come back. My mind, at that very instant, made me believe I was in pain when I left the office. I could feel the pain. Not because it was there, but because a pro told me it may come back. Now isn’t that the infinite power of the mind? That it believes what it's told and can't tell the real from the unreal. I plan to tell my mind other big, less painful things. In short, I’m going to lose myself.

Say hello to someone different today and tomorrow

Try something new today. Try to do anything that you haven’t done yesterday or you don’t normally do. In fact, say hi to someone you don’t really know. Someone you’re not close to or even acquainted with. Humble them. May be that security guard at the gate/door. That other ‘dreaded’ colleague. That cashier at the hyperstore and when you say it, back it up with goodwill – mean it. As people we’re not use to a bonus out of the blue – well, give that person a bonus and bade them a good day. You’ll make their day. Trust me. (In the village where I was buttered for the 18 years of my life, everyone says hi to everyone).

Last week, I pulled out my cellphone and started dialing stagnant numbers one at a time. “I just called to check on how you doing,” I said. “It’s been a long time since we spoke and wanted to make sure you’re still kicking ass on that side.” The reactions I got from some of the people were totally humbling – in fact, they were more humbled by my small gesture than I was by their reaction. But it said to me that as humans, as friends, we always need to feel like we matter. That somebody out there does care about us. They do wish for us to be doing good.

So go humble that stranger and say ‘hi’ to them and wish them a ‘good day’.

These thoughts were inspired by an old white men who always beams a smile to strangers in a lift at work and starts chatting them up about anything – the last he chatted me up about was the Barcelona/Sundowns match, and that lighted up my day. And on average, it’s the older (wiser) people who engage in such small, beautiful but humbling gestures, but the youthful will not be charged tax for doing so.

Try it. I’ve arranged with the revenue services for a tax exempt on this one. So your pocket is dent-proof.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Take stock of all your dreams, ever

Create an inventory of all your dreams. Yes all of them. All the dreams you’ve ever had since you had the tax-free talent to dream. If such sounds like a life’s impossible project as all those dreams, then list all of those dreams and goals which first come to mind as the most prominent and important. Why take stock of all your dreams? I believe that in them, there lies a majority part of the DNA of who you really are. The lost map to follow. The person that you still are dying silently inside to become – but you’re always falling short because you’re busy being busy living (at least I’m). Living to do what, I asked myself four hours ago, if not toiling to achieve those deep sitted dreams.

Last night. In fact, these early hours of the morning at 1.30am I felt tempted to re-read one of the most compelling books I ever laid my paws on – but overwhelming slumber forbade me. And now the hour is just 5am and here I sit in the same study burning to get better at my life by adhering to my brand new morning ritual of ‘up at 4.45am, start writing at 5am’ what matters most to you and which you should attempt to live out the day ahead.

This book, the only book to date I read uninterrupted from cover to cover (yes it’s not a tome, but extremely punchy and significant than most large works).

The Greatest Salesmen in the World by Og Mandino, speaks of us not as mere mortals. But kings and queens – within – in our own unique way. That we’re cut from a perfect cloth of the spirit of achievement and not destined for mediocrity as sheep are. But the condition is one to realize such dreams: that we chase them with brutality take failure as a signpost that we’re nearest to the loot. “My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action. I will act now,” it proclaims.

Now, isn’t it that we’re deeply wounded by the lack of action towards our dreams than anything else? For me, that is. But yet we keep creating for ourselves more dreams and goals and less action. And we never take stock of the old dreams. In those dreams lies the person that we truly die to be (although we’re not toiling towards that). And with all stock in order. The long list complete, then action must follow – action of the outmost and unapologetic brutality.

For me, with the inventory of my dreams, the complete list of all my dreams ever (to the best of my knowledge) I will start from the smallest one at the bottom and climb up towards the beginning of the list to the biggest most challenging dreams, achieving them, as the ancient scrolls in Mandino’s book suggests: One at a time – and with the confidence gained from the previous smaller achievements, I will see that it’s all not impossible and I’ll prepare to GOB!G on the number one dream.

My GOB!G list of all those dreams (edited and in no order) - an example

• Write my debut novel – (Kopano Matlwa did it) starting next month
• Meet Nelson Mandela in a private conversation – within next six months
  Prepare my women’s magazine business plan – finish before end August (in time for the FNB business plan competition for a whopping R20mil)
• Do what I always wanted to do for my father (gratitude gesture) – by end of the week
• Launch my two venerable projects at work – next 30 days
• Forgive those who hurt me the most – next three months
• Visit Zimbabwe, the land of my grandfather – by end August
• Design a personal discipline ritual/cult list – by end of the week (the 4.45am and 5am writing time is already perfectly in act)
• Travel far and wide – initiate by mid-2008 (a tour of Europe is already in the works with university contacts and friends out there)
• Spend quality time with the family – starting yesterday (the wife hasn’t complained yet. Just stepping up the benchmark)

The list continues… (just a taste of my stock list). Here's a trick: Try and sell all those dreams to yourself and see if you buy any of them. Then separate those that you believe from those that are just air. Then take immediate action on the ones you believe. Be your own salesman and try and convince yourself to buy those dreams.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

The moment we stop dreaming, we stop living

At some points I stop trying to onslaught my bad habits and going for the big kill at my goals and dreams. And every time I stop, a day wouldn’t go by without misery of having lost some part of my reason for living. I believe our goals are the thread that holds the fabric of our souls closely contacted to our minds and the world. That our dreams are the green (read: growth) blood in us that give us hope and meaning to our lives. So why stop dreaming and, in fact, setting and acting on daily goals that get us closer to that dream.

Because, at least for me, like a damned human, I’m taught to have my cake and not eat it all – and I live out that small truth in a big way believing things to be impossible.

I’m reminded of some passages in two books that I read yesterday before bed. In Tom Peters’ intriguing Re-imagine, he quotes what Robin Sharma (of The Greatness Guide international bestseller fame I reviewed here) also adores quoting: “There’s no use trying,” said Alice. “One can’t believe in impossible things.” She lamented.

“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

Those are the insightful words from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. The Queen didn’t miss the mark a bit. I’ve been missing it just like Alice. And like Alice, I’ll take the Queen’s advice and believe in my goals and dreams.

Richard Branson in Screw it, let’s do it in a chapter labeled ‘Challenge yourself’ says, “Everyone needs something to aim for. You can call it a challenge, or you can call it a goal. It is what makes us human. It was challenges that took us from being cavemen to reaching for the stars.

“If you challenge yourself, you will grow. Your life will change. Your outlook will be positive. It’s not always easy to reach your goals but that’s no reason to stop. Never say die. Say to yourself, ‘I can do it. I’ll keep on trying until I win’.

Dreams, and their goals are beautiful things, but nasty to stick to or achieve. At the same time, the reason we keep, I keep, having them or creating them is that we need them. ‘They make us human’, the big dreaming billionaire Branson says. That’s why we can’t be separated from our dreams. By the same token, that’s why on many occasion we are so sad and miserable, left feeling that something is missing. That there’s a void.

For me, that void is created by the lack of action and drive I don’t put behind my goals and dreams. It’s that whole personal integrity dilemma thing again.

Ever really been hard on yourself? The result is that you become miserable that very instant. And the main reasons we get hard one on poor us is because we didn’t stick to that goal of losing some weight off our bodies. That we didn’t visit that such and such we’d been planning to visit. That we didn’t say that daily prayer we been meaning to say or didn’t go to church as planned. We didn’t kick that bad bad smoking habit in the butt. We didn’t forgive our parent, or whoever else, for something we made a big deal out of. That we didn’t make that phone call we put on hold for long. We keep postponing that important project. We didn’t take that trip/holiday we always promised ourselves. That we didn’t do this one thing and that other as we had wished and planned to. Not so ironic, when we do just even a small bit towards our goals and dreams, we become happy that instant.

The music and the dance are different – no jelling together. Then misery abounds. It beholds. It takes over. And, well, like me, on occasion – I’m being modest here – I’m happy on the outside, but miserable from within (in respect of my personal development). And it’s about time one took a stand. Aluta continua!


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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Personal integrity

I've been slacking a lot on my big dreams/goals. And for some reasons, it's only lately that I get worried about it. Perhaps because my life has reached half-50 and I wonder: will I be able to to do in the next 25 years what I couldn't do in the past same period? The thought races my heart, to say the least. But it all boils down to my integrity. My personal integrity. That I haven't been honest with Izz regarding his committments and desires.

They say the simplest things in life are the hardest to achieve. And it's the simpler goals that I've always had for some time now that I'm not putting serious effort and action behind. And those goals, although small, cost me the opportunity of getting closer to the bigger dreams - and personal triumph (more like inner bliss).

A goal as simple as waking up at 5am to have my 'me' time for 30 minutes - thinking, reflecting, introspecting, meditating, appreciating and laughing at myself (silently of course, lest my wife things I've gone bollokous on this whole 'my enriched life thing' - can inject serious positive energy that can lead to better consistent action. I could shed all the bad acid in side me with that alone.

I think a struggle with making ones actions integral with ones goals is that it's always easy to not do than to do - mainly because we don't believe in the reality of our own big dreams. The incentive doesn't seem tangible. Again, it's always easy to not honour something at its due date and time, because 'it's my goal,I set it, so I can postpone it for later on'.

But at work, if the boss set a goal with strict deadlines for us - no matter how novel and difficult the task - we always deliver, for fear of being penalised and labeled incompetent, with incentives compromised.

But with our personal goals, there are really no visible, tangible penalties, hence the constant procrastination. I pity myself for being in that league - which I'll bade farewell soon. And hopefully, with this expressions, mine will be a changed goals lifestyle with repacursions if I don't stick to it. Ones my dance goes with my internal tune, once the two are congruent, I believe I'll shed the bad load and be happier. Now that's personal, inner harmony. It's integrity.


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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Ten top advices from my mother

10 advices that came from my mother during my grow up and recently. And it's now that they really start to sink in, and I start to get the message.

1. Don’t make it a big deal and forgive
2. You’ll do it fine next time
3. Be thankful and do say thanks
4. Eat (properly)
5. Do your work and finish it
6. Respect them they'll respect you back
7. Focus on your life - it can only get better
8. keep one job for at least more than 12 months (I try. I really try and for the first time in three companies, I did more than a year on 1 June)
9. Brush your teeth at night (I try. And since last month’s bad bad toothache, I know what mama meant)
10. God wills. Just put in the effort

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

What's the meaning of your name?

The historical meaning of my name, Israel, means the one who rules with God and the dictionary meaning goes thus: "From the Hebrew name (Yisra'el) meaning "God contended". In the Old Testament Israel (who was formerly named Jacob; see Genesis 32:28) wrestled with an angel. The ancient and modern states of Israel took their names from him."

I like that. It carries a lot of weight and internal mystical power. I like the sound of that and the metaphors conjured up by this meaning. It speaks, to me, of great responsibility and a purpose beyond myself. A cause that is bigger than personal. A love that extents to many that may not even know. As part of my clean-sweeping my life so I can focus my energies better, I decided to re-look at my name and its meaning. And if I can, live up to it.

In Setswana, they say ‘leina le ya borellong”. Which, essentially, is to say that we live up to our names. And I find that, in random, to be true that the name maketh the man.
Our names silently craft us before we even start on our journey of life. And empirical research done for an academic paper by Roland G. Dyer Jr at Harvard University proved this too whilst going a mile further to state that our names can set us for failure. And that names with bad meaning can motivate us to prove the opposite.

I’m happy with the meaning of Israel. But with the re-focusing my life plan on, I feel that I’ve been shortliving that a lot – by more than 100%. Not getting close to ruling with God. As in being great and achieving big things whilst sharing the love and spreading the peace-virus. And now that I’ve revisited the meaning, I intent to make attempts to live up to it with tenacity. I view this as a window of opportunity to make better of me and my ways once more – and rub that off whoever I come across.

So, what about you. When last did you check on the meaning of your name. What does it stand for. What are its metaphors. Does it hold you to some responsibility. Does it carry some call to greatness or silently command you to act in a certain noble manner and to achieve big things?

Perhaps yours speaks of kindness, nobility, charisma, inspirator, leader, energizer, partner, commitment, dedication, achiever or leader. But whatever the meaning, isn’t today that day when you just decided, how about for the rest of this day and tomorrow I try and live out my name? I bet it is. I’m a little late, but am going to start yesterday.

Think of the following names and be inspired at what their call is and how they really live up to them knowingly and perhaps, unbeknownst to them:

PEOPLE
Nelson Mandela – Greatness, larger than life and a leader with compassion (add to that personal sacrifice, courage and humanitarianism)
Martin Luther King Jr - Unselfish leadership with no credit expected. Humbling humility and inspiring speaker.
Tiger Woods - Panache and flair in what one does. Tiger swings mastery one notch higher.
Oprah Wimfrey - synonymous with compassion, dreamweaver (who makes them come true as well) and friend of the world.
Desmond Tutu (Archbishop) - Absolute love and forginess through understanding.
Mahatma Gandhi - Harmony and peaceful approach.
Steve Biko - Liberation of the mind
Franklin D Roosevelt - In short, it means 'freeman' and he did live up to that with the compassion to free American people out of poverty brought by the American depression.
Mark Shuttleworth - synonymous with big character, big dreams and onslaught on such dreams
Donald Gordon - ruler of the world. Donald Gordon's achievement changed the insurance landscape in South Africa and truly rule in that field
Raymond Ackerman - advicer and protector.

Brands
Nike - JDI (Just Do It), a brand that says why not?
Apple - Simplicty, elegance, beauty, different and non-conformist
Google - Big on everything. Serving the world on a platter and fingertips. Entrepreneurial.
Virgin - All rounding michiavelli and extreme risk appetite. New at everything but bold at it too.
Louis Vuitton - Exceptional class and taste with perfection achieved. Separating the owner from the rest.
Rolex - Exclusivity and high quality. A total rarity.
Dubai – A melting pot of big ‘impossible’ dreams meeting big believers who innovate and make dreams a reality. Think of the first hotel in a man made island.
Zimbabwe (dzim dze mabwe) – Meaning houses of mud. And ironically, Robert Mugabe is working hard to make sure that such an imagery is achieved.
New York - A city that never sleeps. Why? Because dreams and time wait for no man and you'll have all the sleep when you're dead.
Hollywood – Global fame/plastic surgery/early sell-by date and stardom.

Again, what's in your name?

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Plan, plan, plan then plan again

I like this video, courtesy of break.com (got it through a friend's viral email). It demonstrates better the necessity for planning in most things that we do in life, or else we will fail, and might even hurt ourselves during our failure. With planning, unecessary failures will be avoided. Personaly, I'm trying to plan things in my day in way that I can hold myself accountable - attempting to stop some of my sloppiness and laziness. Meaning that my plans - daily or weekly - includes deliverables. Plan, plan, plan then plan again. And then, assault!

Just click play.



Courtesy, Break.Com

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Public strike is about the presidential race, full stop

I was making a small comment on Dominic Mahlangu's podcast (Sunday Times politcial writer) on the public strike in South Africa. I got carried away in a good way and ended up giving some insightful opinion on the matter.

See quote, verbatim, as I wrote on the Sunday Time's podcast page:

QUOTE:
My take on this public strike issue is that it is dichotomic in that it has two purposes and the one dilutes the other.

Purpose one is that the strike is a silent political war charged at the presidential race. What with rumours abundant that Cosatu doesn’t support Mbeki on many policy issues and that it is the ‘dissenting’ voice in the tripartite allience. That its commanders want to break away and go for their own big steak at the next national elections come 2009.

I suspect that Vavi and the gang are not coming out straight that they are strongly attempting to assault and discredit the Mbeki regime by showing or painting a picture non-compliance by government regarding incentives for the labour force, which is in fact the bigger voting force. The motives are beyond the teacher, nurse and policeman out there and these goodwilling people who just want better pay, are being exploited to settle political scores - and as a by-product, they may get their pay hike.

Purpose two. The strike may have good intentions to up the pay of the labour force. But at the same time, Vavi and the gang are attempting to help boost brand-Cosatu in line with purpose one. PR wise, Cosatu is now taking prominence more than any other issue in the country and the commanders at its chambers are ensuring that it is portrait as fighting for the good of the ordinary man, which, such a motive by the way, can be directly converted into a big voters pool at a later stage for the elections. For the followers who got a raise, 7.25 or 10% (of which the latter will not happen), will most likely side with Cosatu faction than with the ANC that, as unfortunately seen as the party in government unlike part of the tripartite in government, will be losing out.
UNQOUTE

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Take your relationship for service

In life, anything that gets used (that has utility) needs to be serviced. It needs to be serviced especially to avoid a point where it needs to be fixed. For things that need fixing are broken things. And when things are broken, like your car, they need major major service, new parts and longer work time - and the bill is denting. I wonder then, if relationships, since they do 'serve' a purpose - as in they get used - ever need service. Or whether we wait for a break-down and get reminded that we should have been servicing them all along every so much distance to avoid an expensive and dirty overhaul.

It hit me last morning that relationships, like cars and everything else we use or depend on for our life during our days, need service. And as part of that service, they need energy injected constantly in them to carry on for the next few hundred kilometers before another service.

I was thinking last night about what could make (or already makes) good service for a relationship. I won't claim to get it right. But on recalling my observations from different conversations and go-abouts, I figured the following qualifies, at least, as good service depending on whether the relationship is of lovers or just-friends:

• Going out together. Be it for a walk, eating out, partying, visits and shopping - call it taking out the relationship for a fresh breeze.
• A no-nonesense period, say a week, a month or may be less or longer, depending on where the relationship is. A no-nonesense period could mean that during that period, all the troubles, the baggage, the bad and the ugly (if any) don't show up at the door at all. Only peaceful time gets to dance. Here's a metaphor: When people mourn, they respect that time and keep all the over-excitement and shouts off. In reverse, with a no-nonesense period, all the smiles come out - deliberately. After such a period, you may be so revitalised that there may be no need for going back to square one.
• A nonesense day. All the baggage, as opposed to the no nonesense period, comes out (more like you bring it out). All that which was held inside and hidden and not communicated, has a platform to take the spotlight and shine. Then, as it is about to shine, it gets panelbeated before bed time. No panelbeating, no sleep 'til morning comes. Call it a forced clean sweep - spring cleaning the relationship throghout the four seasons.
• Conspire against monotony. Anything that gets overused in the same way over and over again, bends in a certain direction and takes one dimension. And to bend it back to any other direction, you need to break it. At that point, you may be breaking a once beautifully adored relationship. How about conspiring to break the monotony all the time instead. Otherwise, "I find that we have become boring and I think we need change in our lifes. I've found someone. They make me laugh the way you use to". Ooops! I guess as humans, we are creatures of variety and change, as much as we are of habit.
• Install an external mechanic to the relationship. When all 'shit hits the fan' so hard that egos and personal pride cloud common sense in resolving issues, then take the relationship to the external mechanic who will obviously bring in a fresh and different view on the issue. And from that, things may cool down.
  
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  "Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Preservation grows better relationships

I was having a great time in the village with my kids and the wife and my parents. It was fun and fulfulling. But one thing that lingers on in my mind even in this strange hours of the night is an unsettling mention by my father. As we circled the fire for some warmth, he mentioned that a buddy of mine has just divorced. He married a mere 12 plus months ago. I'm talking youth couple here. And being in a youth marriage, something like that concerns me - especially if it hits so close to home.

I married young. I was 24 and my wife was 22. It was exactly a year ago (yesterday). And it was ironic that my father's mention coincided with the eve of my marriages anniversary. With that in mind I did some serious thinking about what I have to do in order to avoid the misfortune that miscarried my buddies marriage.

Everytime I think of my relationship with my wife, or with anyone of prime and platinum importance in my life, I think of preservation. Everytime I have a shortfall in my relationships, I always tell the other party that "fine, we have to do this. Fight and all that is. But let the ground rule. The guiding principle be one. That whatever craziness comes of the fight. However ugly it turns out to be. We must agree that this relationship is being preserved. That after the war. After the fight. Preservation prevails. The relationships must still stay. Then let's go. Round one please.

And surprisingly, we would fight knowing that at the end of it all, we must all win. We must keep this friendship/relationship. It forces us to engage each other in the interest of keeping rather than of spiting each other and feeding our egos to be more montrous.

Preservation. That word alone, has gotten my relationship to where it is today. Even relationships with associates and friends whom I never thought I could stand at all - that I just had to walk. But with preservation, it all is there today. And most of it is not just there, but is shining too.

So when you go to war. When you pick up those warring arms. When you walk into that bloody warzone - be it in your marriage, in your relationship with the VIPs of your in your life, set the ground rule (the underlying rule and compass) as that of preservation. You may be amazed by the results. I wish I had shared this with my buddy before he went with the drastic decision of destruction. But he is yet to inform of his misfortune.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

A leaf out of the chutzpah of June 16 youth

I was making a comment on the entry by Kefilwe, one of my favourite bloggers. And since I always admire the spirit of the youth of June 16 1976 and the motives for taking to the streets. For having a goal and charting a map on how to get to that goal. Holding their own until their chutzpah could be felt like a raging ripple, a cry for a better life - I thought I must share my comment to her story. Because that that spirit, I will always fight for within myself that I someday have so that I can be able to use it to also push for change in my own personal wars in which I constantly fight, or wish that I can let the Izz within me, the one who is great, be! And I have no doubt that once that happens, those around me will also benefit - and the ripple effect could be amazing.

Read on this comment:

QUOTE
Hey you. Insightful entry. I wish the lot of youth of today saw things the way the 'war hero' conversant of yours sees them. That we can somewhat adopt their spirit. Which is not such a difficult thing to do had we not been spending all our time perambulating between clubs in town or on weekends in endless house parties discussing Khanyi Mbau and Mandla and how sorry they are and what they have materially.

I wish for all of my peers, Izz included, to turn the spirit of the youth of June 16 into a personal fight within themselves to become great in other ways. Especially in ways of personal development and achievement.

We can never get close to June 16 youth spirit and chutzpah, but we can wage wars within ourselves to win over our weaknesses. You inspired me with that story to write this comment, and forgive me but am also posting it on my blog. I'm feeling the spirit I guess. Mmmmm, Amen. Hallelujah! (that stands for aluta continua I know).
UNQUOTE

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Procrastination solution, sorted with my grandmother

The answer to my progressive problem of common procrastination, a chronic lifestyle disease shared by so many of my generation, lies where I never thought. With my unsophisticated grandmother. You see, grandma, 'Bamma', as we admiringly being referring to her since we could speak, never procrastinates. She never puts what she could do today for tomorrow. Or what she could do now, for later.

'Bamma' - shangaan for mothers (yes, in plural to pile that respect) - is of a generation that toiled. A nation that got it right when it came to the work ethic, to personal triumph, to meeting those goals, to delivering, to commitment - personal loyalty. The old woman was born in 1933.

I'm not surprised that the old woman wakes up nearly at the same early-bird-catches-the-fattest-worm hour each day (unless ill-health pins her down to bed - genuinely). She often says, "I can't just sit around with my hands and do nothing. I need to do something". More like her hands are itching, that she must scratch them with some chore. Some work.

She is just like my wife's grandmother, Mmalasi, of the same generation, who died three months ago at 97 - born in 1910. She was still keeping her early bird lifestyle and work ethic. She mantained the zero-procrastination, zero-laziness attitude to her last days.

My generation. Me to be precise. I postpone on my big dream today, chronically. That defining work. I put it off for tomorrow. And like grandma always says, "tomorrow is promised no man". And in deed, that tomorrow to assault on my dreams, to put in the work ethic, the hours, the sweat, never comes. Because it is not promised me. Not in the sense that I would die today. But in the realistic sense that what I couldn't do today. What I'm postponing today, I'll just as much procrastinate tomorrow.

But it is definitely promised my grandma because she itchces everyday, every hour, to get hold of something she can work on. She will either be sewing something, grabbing that broom and sweeping up the crab in the yard and more. And it is this sweeping, as I saw my mom sweep this morning, that I thought I should do what Robin Sharma said in his international bestseller book The Greatness Guide: 'Do a clean sweep of your life'.

And that's exactly what I've started doing since I came to the village yesterday. Reflect, intro-inspect, preserve the good, burn the bad, and sweep 'em. Then attempt to duplicate the spirit of the generation of 'Bamma'.

And perhaps I'll start on writing that first novel. Write that business plan on my women's lifestyle magazine. Go on my first international trip. Buy that dictaphone to do research on my novel. Buy that business plan writing book. Wake up at 5am as I always aspired to. Go to gym as much as I desire to. Go on those runs the way I use to at Rhodes. Do that Postgrad Diploma in Marketing Management. Do that MA. Make those calls to lure my first PR clients to my company. In short, to demonstrate some commitment to my best life by doing today, what I could do today. Doing now, what I could do now.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Don't be ashamed of who you are

"The moment you become ashamed of who you are, you lose yourself" - Reuben Tishkof (portrait by Elliot Gould), Ocean's 13

I just love that quote. In general, I'm fond of quotes. They tell me I'm on the right track to getting 'there'. You know where 'there' is right? For me, 'there' is that fulfilling space where I will feel that I've become one with my deepest aspirations. My elusive dreams. My ultimate self. The me that I work so hard (yet so procrastinatingly slow) to become.

So which and where is 'there' for you?

The Reuben-quote, I heard it today on the big screen at the premiere of the franchise Ocean's 13 at Menlyn Park. One of Danny's boys (an oldie in fact) was down and out of the game of 'life' and wit and had rolled down on bed waiting for dear death. Yet the greying old man kicked the blanket, brushed himself up and said: "The moment you become ashamed of who you are, you lose yourself". And yep, lots of money they did make from the egomaniac Banks (brilliantly played by Al Pacino) coffers.

Thrill and exciment from this movie. Honour yourself with a ticket, so you can hear the quote from Reuben, the man himself.

I have collected both Ocean's 11 and 12. Can't wait to add 13 to it all.
=========================================== "Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire
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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Some smart cyber thoughts on free education

When something is exciting and good, you spread the word. I like what Szavanna had to say about "Free university education" and that in fact, she and her team are already doing great work at Potchefstroom regarding free education. I'm sharing her thoughts, verbatim, below:

QUOTE
Szavanna said...
Hi there, I am from Hungary so a lot of these issues are completely new to me. Issues around race and also issues around the cost of education. In Hungary education was free (I don't know the situation right now) from primary to tertiary level. I was actually given money monthly so that I could study without having to work as well in the same time.

Healthcare was also free. It's unbelievably difficult to get by here - I wonder many times how people survive with the little they have. I don't think the government will be able to fix things in the near future - even if they really really wanted to - it's all up to each person to contribute towards a solution (and I believe eveyone can contribute regardless of background ).

We have been running a small initiative called the OpenCafe (www.opencafe.co.za) here in Potchefstroom - which is based on open source principles. Open source projects are based on the fact that the Internet provides us with big databases on info, training manuals, etc. all "open licensed", all you need to do is - print it out, go through it - then do the exam or project. In other words it completely leaves out the idea of formal education. (Which is important here since a lot of people cannot afford it.)

I approached a lot of teachers (from different backgrounds) from primary to tertiary level locally and discussed possible projects that would help put lesson plans, and other material online and create big databases that could be used by smaller schools and even those that can't afford formal education. I haven't heard of the teachers again.

We started our project back in 2000 - since then we have met a lot of people - young and old - we tried to make sure we reach everyone - and told them about the projects we do (these projects are completely free - participants must agree to a specific weekly program to participate) and a few people (very very few) took the opportunity of the free lessons (computer skills, typing skills, web design, book publishing lessons, graphic design, small business skills etc.) however most others didn't see an opportunity there.

So my question is - to what extent does one depend on formal education - I think a lot can be done by the individual to learn skills, take exams (I have seen it work even with people from real difficult backgrounds) and many times it's the will that is missing to change and come up with solutions where the government doesn't provide one. The OpenCafe project has been experimenting with lots of ideas, edu-projects of all kinds (one of them specifically is providing free education)- we are still in the beginning, lots to be done - any feedback and suggestions are appreciated.
June 13, 2007 12:31 PM
UNQUOTE

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Free university education

Black people in South Africa will continue to struggle economically. I was reminded of this when I came across an overwhelming mass of strikers who were planning to storm Pretoria Academic Hospital demanding better percentage increase on their wages - everybody who was inside working had to duck for cover.

Now, everybody in the overwhelming crowd was black. All the strikers - black. No one in that crowd was white. I wondered if all public servants in South Africa were black, and I subjectively concluded NO!

Perhaps it's not in the white man's style to strike. But a black man achieved all that he has achieved by far through mass marches. And wage hike is no different. But the black man is still poor in this country. And just why am I thinking that the black man will be poor in South Africa for many decades to come?

It's because we get ripped off by our very own government that we support at the voting station.

The black kid (and some white kids) are nailed to a coffin with the monumental TEFSA/NSFAS tertiary education loans that never end. At the same time, the majority of their parents have to make ends meet with meager salaries that are so distant from the government bosses in this country.

My wish, to the above, is that the many millions of rands wasted in this country be spent to subsidise tertiary education to a level such that the student leaves university not owing a thing - but good toil and sweat for his country. Free higher education.

The monies that are squandered from the taxpayers coffers surely can contribute a lot towards such a cause. And the loss, if any made, will surely be offset by a mass of an educated generation. I have no doubt there are many black kids out there who can cut it at university but are prejudiced because their parents can't get a mere 10% wage increase on their already peanuts income to put these kids through tertiary.

I wish this mass strike could be emulated by youth in this country joining forces and demanding zero corruption, free university education (on merit), wipe-off of current TEFSA/NSFAS debt and more free education. There's nothing wrong with that cause since the country is suffering from a haemorrhaging skills pool anyway.

I say free higher education in South Africa, zero debt to all graduates owing government institutions and 10% increase to all my parents, uncles, aunts, cousins and more out there. Lest we all black people stay poor for many generations to come whilst our government leaders are getting obese with taxpayers money. Our money. And remember, the wealthy do not pay taxes - they merely just recycle it. It's the lumpenproletariat who religiously do.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Vodacom's internet card gives me pain

I wrote excitedly about my Vodacom mobile data card (internet card) when I bought it, some time two weeks ago. I was quite excited that the internet will be at my finger tips regardless of where I be. Well, I guess Vodacom is not really one of the best companies around. They've managed to turn my data card-imagined-convenience into appalling frustration.

From the second or third day of using my card, I experienced serious technical problems with the card - pointing out one error after the other, if not just simply not responding. At times, I just get disconnected whilst busy with something online, risking losing my work. On many occassions, I have to reconnect more than five times in one surfing session of less than an hour. And, when it gets bad, and it often does, I have to remove and reload the software.

The after service I get is not so great either. One of their technicians at Menlyn, said to be the 'best' in the rest of Pretoria, simply pushed my problem to be attended by a trainee technician (she excused herself for the lack of skill) whom I had to tutor on what's what with the card the whole time, and whilst at it, she messed up all sorts of files on my laptop - disorganising my music which took hours to arrange per category. On my second visit, after the problem had persisted, the technician diagnosed that the problem was the software, as opposed to the card and replaced the latest version with an older one. The replacement never worked at all once I got home.

Now I'm so tired of all these frustrations and the run around that I'm returning the data card tomorrow, and am sure it's going to be a fight as they're going to try and refuse to exchange the product or refund my 2 grant. Perhaps Knott-Craig is punishing me for refusing to take the binding 24 months contract.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Dialogue on Mxit: it's uses and abuses

Perhaps it's because at the heart of Mxit sit entrepreneurs. Entreprising individuals who have as their foremost interest, to innnovate. Be it in solving a business or social problem. I was rather caught off-guard that Chris Coetzee, a keen researcher on Mxit, invited me to air my thoughts on the social networking technology. This was following my two open-ended entries about Mxit and its impact on the social fabric.

I'm always one who believes that dialogue, when facing any sort of problem, is extremely good and can lead to solutions never thought of by separately thinking parties. The following is my are my further thoughts on Mxit that were invited by Chris on this blog:


"Dear Chris,

Thank you very much for your interest in inviting and hearing my thoughts. Such dialogue is much appreciated.

First, I must let you know that, contrary to the impression that may have been created by my blog entries, I, like many others, am impressed with Mxit as a technology and a tool for empowering the consumer, especially in the backdrop of steep, rip off prices from the three corroborating oligarchs. And the many positive uses of Mxit are obvious and adored.

My views, as invited, are as follows:

• Mxit has a higher chance, in its current use-model, of side effects that outweigh the economic and social benefits it provides.
• It transforms the time that was previously devoted to other necessary activities, such as reading; studying; in-person conversing and 'living' of such teenagers, into wasted time chatting.
• It halves the efforts of the paedophiles and provides them with an easy access to the many innocent girls.
  It's model, of a near-free access, makes it all that easy to aquire and therefore increases the scale or scope of the potential victims that paedophiles can access.
• With the latest 'multimedia' enabled version of Mxit, I have no doubt that more nude, and pornographic pictures of both young and innocent boys and girls will circulate.
• Parents are touted to be the solution. That they must police their kids. This will not work towards a long lasting creative solution. The solution must lie within the technology and its model (or access), if not with greater social responsibility program.
• As I've wishingly suggested, attaching an adjusted but fair price (yet cheap) to Mxit can somewhat entice responsible use.
• Another thought is that, what you pay for, you will not abuse freely. In a way I must say.
• For the solution, or just an adjustment, one could look at the reason why SMS doesn't experience or attract as much abuse.
• As part of Mxit social responsibility, particularly since it enjoys such wide and pervasive support, you may embark on an intensive public awareness campaign.
• The above can be done in alliance with other technology-interest groups - social or business.
• Depending on the potential dent to your coffers, one could embark on popular media campaign, PR (to target parents) various, road trips to schools and other places.
• The above would be done in the interest of educating both the user and the parent, teacher, guardian, relative and friends of such a user, of the potential abuses and side effects of the technology and how members of the community can spot changing behaviour in the user.
• At the same time, one could make them aware of the need for the users independent responsibility, that ultimately, they must police themselves.

Nevertheless, I still believe that a different pricing model would have better results although I'm concerned about the viability of that for your business. My further suggestion is that the latter should work together with the awareness campaign so that the user can be aware, especially at their tender and 'gullible' age, of the potential dangers of their abuse (or gullibility thereof) stemming from lack of responsibility or proper awareness.

The aim, rather than to be anti-Mxit or any other consumer-benefit driven technology (like government is), is to be socially responsible. This is imperative because the amazinly unscrutinising users of such technology are at a stage in their lives where they are absorbing many teachings that must build them into the responsible and smart leaders of tomorrow. A tomorrow which will be dominated by technology that must, again, be used in a socially responsible manner that must yield its benefits for the good of society than the other way around.

Please note that I focused this specifically on the age group of the popular user of Mxit, which the Sunday Times claimed to be 12-17.

Thank you for this opportunity for dialogue Chris. Much appreciated once again.

Regards,
Israel Mlambo"

The two previous entries here:

• http://izzonline.blogspot.com/2007/05/mxit-is-like-inescapable-crack.html
• http://izzonline.blogspot.com/2007/04/mxit-culture-fcuked-generation.html

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Life's tough

I wonder if the meaning of life is 'up and down. Bad and good. Happy and sad. Hot and cold. '

It seems, from what I'm feeling now, that it's all about such contrasts. And it is for us to strike the balance. To keep on fighting for an equillibrium. But yes, it's not that easy. Easier said than done they say. Your life is life because there's a host of other people around. And that's why it's hard most of the time to strike a sound equillibrium.

Life life life. I'm gonna live you anyways.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

The all time only traffic solution

Traffic is bad. Traffic has economic costs. It has emotional costs. It has time costs. It has all sorts of costs including messing up your car as it snails at the lowest gear each day guzzling more than the fuel it should had it been faster. But traffic, on South African routes to work, is part of our lives and is here to stay. Costly, drama queen-styled solutions have been invented to cap it to no avail and still some are being undertaken which, unfortunately, will fail too. Well, I propose a cheap and saving solution that can nip traffic for good.

The solution, ironically, lies in a problem. The problem of office space. Whilst I worked at the Sunday Times, there was constant talk about the lack of well accommodating office space. At the Sandton PR agency I worked for, there was some hussling and squeezing about fitting in every project-religious worker comfortably so they can be productive. At my current company, Unisa and the Centre for Business Management, space is a mother of all headaches, amidst the humugus buildings arrayed on that hilltop.

Let me cut to the chase. Imagine that at least 50 percent of the office workers were given the non-cost attached incentive of working from home? Imagine this was done on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly rotational basis to allow the other 50 percent to swap the incentive. They only come to the office when they need to, and this wouldn't be at the religious time that everyone heads on the extremely clogged roads - it may be at 10am, at 11am or any given time just to come to a team meeting or to pick up a new project on delivery of another.


Such a scheme would work wonders. Traffic would be nipped in the butt. Production would be upped in some way. Hell, in my company of the future that I'm sitll wet dreaming about 80 percent (if not all) of the workers will work from home, from coffee shops, from their mothers homes, from hospital canteens, from gym from anywhere you can get network access to the internet to fast track communication.

I don't see any reason why this is not done already. On a larger scale at least - for I suspect it may be done by other companies ran by smarter CEOs and HR Directors.

Why would it work:

• Because people love incentives that taste like this and working from the comfort of their home would be far more exciting than in the office. Just hand out mobile internet cards and a laptop to them, if they need them
• Bosses can get more production because somebody left on their own - experienced Tom, Dick and Marry of course - will be compelled to feel more obliged to submit work on time than somebody feeling that having come to the office means you have come to work, whereas we know most have just come to galavant and drink coffee
• It could have a tremendous savings both on the running resources of the company and reduce the meaningless chatter that achieves nothing
• There would be less piggybacking. You work from home, solo or co-ordinating with anyone via new communication technologies, you become more accountable and feel you can't let down your team
• Because it would simply be a lifestyle of the future for such a company

Counting on the Gautrain and other montrous politicians wet dreams that only cause waste and sow a perfect corruption platform will not kick the bad traffic phenomena. And with the rapid development of stacked townhouses everywhere, we are bound to experience the India type of traffice on our non-developing, non-widening South African roads .

It'll be simple ideas and methods that safe the day. Just get the workers to show their project timeliness and deliverables, then let them go work from home. You may be amazed at the accountability production - it may be the same as at the office or even better.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

South African economy built on cheap black labour

South Africa is built by black foreigners. Cheap immigrant black labour. The very foreigners that we are xenophobic towards. The area that I live in, Mooikloof Ridge (Pretoria East) is under hefty development of countless security complexes, including golf estates and the like.

The labourers that work the erection of new complexes in my estate and the surroundings are all but South African. I've personally interacted with a number of them. They speak, predominantly, SeSotho of Lesotho, Shangaan of Mozambigue and Shona of Zimbabwe - languages which I grew up around. They build our South Africa. Our beloved country and our bounty-full economy - which, us all South Africans benefit from in so many ways.

But the conditions they live in are, if not non-existent, appalling. In Pretoria East, adjacent to Mooikloof Ridge, they live, literally, under trees in a veld inside makeshift dog-fitting plastic 'houses'. I just find that disgusting that somebody hired these willing, laborious and dedicated black people and then never bothered to consider providing them with livable humane accomodation - even if it was some of those for-hire shacks. They get water from a near-by stream to drink, cook and that's where they also wash - as we see them naked in the afternoons as we drive by cozzily through these ripping cold.

I can't doubt that the employer couldn't procure the labour of some of the lazy South Africans who would be dead first than seen laying a brick (I'm generalising here). I have no doubt, again, that the employer is holding a gun to these foreigners' heads as they know they are (most of them) in the country illegally and have no recourse. At least the one thing that they don't rave about is going on strike endlessly whilst the economy kneels down. The exact reasons why they should be treated better than they are.

I worry about this for one reason: The way one treats others, or their guests, is a reflection of their moral fabric or the non-existence of it. So if these bunch of South African contracting companies treat this fellow neighbouring South Africans in this inhumane fashion - albeit shocking underpayment - what does that make of them? What does that make of us South Africans? Especially when looked through a foreign mirror? I bet as better, more powerful African country we wouldn't care less right?

I'll be first to admit that illegal immigrants should be helped back home for flouting the rule of law. But at the same time, I'll support the development of the South African economy but not at the inhumane exploit of others, especially if such people are just helpless and willing to do the work that some unemployed South African wouldn't do.

Build on SA. Bouy on SA economy. But this brothers will one day despise you as they do that other super power.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Cheaters, damned cheaters

I hate Simba. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. But will still buy them - especially if Willards is not available as an option. Simba has gone despicably devilish, and still, they wear their lion smile with pride. I don't mean to rant. I hate ranting. But I've got to express my anger at Simba.

They more than reduced their bag of 30g chips. I bet, and I'll weigh them soon, that the 30g pack of chips that I buy everyday of the work-week doesn't really weigh 30g. To confirm the suspcions of my big piercing eyes, I paraded the near-empty bag to friends and colleagues, and some confirmed that the featherlight bag is no longer stacked to the same level as in the past years. Cheaters they're. Simba thought no one would notice if they replaced that with colourfully hypnotic packaging. 'Damned liars' - as Gollum of The Lord of the Rings fame would put it.

In the past, if my visual memory serves me right, the Simba 30g chips bag was near to full, if not beyond half. Now all their packets, specifically Tomato Sauce and Smoked Beef flavours, carry only a few crumbs. I bet all the more chips baking money went to the branding and the top quality high-gloss packaging - which I immediately tossed to the bin once I finished to TKO the 25 dried chips in it.

Today, just now, I popped open a Willards bag of 30g and munched on countless chips - endlessly. Not as distinctively tasty as Simaba's, but I munched for a longer time. And it was a real snack. So next time I go on a chips hunt, Willard it will be. Unless I'm left no option but the empty high gloss package of Simba - perhaps for decorative purposes in my cold office.

Also see this about being robbed daylight: http://izzonline.blogspot.com/2007/05/helsmall-consumer-helplessness-but.html

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

The Times daily: Is it piggybacking to gain dear life?

Is it me or is new tabloid, The Times, a hyperactive version of the Sunday Times? I would like to bet that it's not me. I went on to the The Times online yesterday and today several times. As is daily habit that I get morning dose of the news from the Sunday Times online, I was left wondering and surprised when I landed up on The Times online pages.


For a moment I thought it was just my PC with ill-functioning history tool. But I was right. I punched in www.sundaytimes.co.za and was let to The Times. I figured that it must be a launch mis-strategy. But I felt the following during my demand for my Sunday Times morning coffee dose:

• That the guardians of the Sunday Times brand would permit the confusion between their brand and The Times brand (sisters I know, but different skins)
• That I, the reader, has to wonder where I'm online -whether The Times or Sunday Times
• That as an online reader of the Sunday Times, The Times is forced on me
• That The Times online is in fact nearly or entirely the same as Sunday Times online - the content is the same, the branding is the same, the site structure and navigation is the same, the columnists are the same, the commentators on podcasts are the same.
• Felt lost in transition when I clicked on the Sunday Times site link and I was still within The Times - kind of in the Sunday Times as the content is the Sunday Times'

Shouldn't you notice any of the above, it means it has been corrected.

I haven't gotten hold of the hardcopy of The Times as yet. And just hoping that it is not, marketing pitch-wise, a hyperactive baby version of the Sunday Times. I must say, I still got to find out, online, where is The Times (content-wise), but the brand of it, the masthead, I'v seen and it looks pretty.

Vincent Maher got hit by surprise when he discovered that: "The web site is also live but, given that it’s the same architecture as the Sunday Times site I am not going to comment until I know whether this is a temporary solution or the real deal."

In the words of one blogger, Uwe Gutschow The Times "...sounds a lot more exciting than it actually is". His views are in concert with mine. He continues to say that: "Their newspaper will definitely interest a slightly more savvy and exciting audience, at least in the beginning".

I'll do long verbatim for once on my blog as Uwe also had some interesting tips for The Times:

1. let users and bloggers create content
   
2. turn everyone with a camera into a journalist and reward them for relevant, valued content
   
3. learn from wikipedia
   
4. employ content producers, not a newspaper editor to run the show
   
5. conceptualise with marketers and companies as to the best way to produce content that will aid in marketing brands
   
6. be bold, innovative and pioneering - we've offered to work with them to do some innovative campaigns for clients to become part of their sales tool and case studies
   
7. print newspapers based on people's profiles by interest, such as international finance, soccer, etc. - pay only for the content you want
   
8. change the business model
   
9. advertising will provide the most revenue, but collaborate with innovators to profit from other forms of marketing techniques

I just wish the new daily, and its brand for that matter, had been created; marketed, and launched on the back of its own neo strenghts and weaknesses rather than of a leading weekend paper. I know it would cannibal up a pint of the strength of the Sunday Times, but potential is there. Especially online.

However, I can't wait to get my hands on a different read from the print version of The Times, for as Israel, I love things new.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Beauty and the goose, or is it the beast?

The tooth fairy is still having a go at my front teeth. Like really giving them a serious goose, kicking it to the middle of the nerve - which Dr Sic said will be operated into numbness tomorrow at 10am.

And here I'm. Instead of saying a prayer over the forthcoming op, I'm having joy salivating over what The Seatle Coffee Co. beautifully called a 'Triple Chocolate Chilli Tart'. What a sugarrative and prettily designed cake it is - unfortunately, it doesn't taste as beautiful as it looks (talk of beauty outside, isn't beauty inside reflected).


Anyway, I'm washing it down with a tasteful Caffe Latte as my ever wondering mind perambulates (as Fred Khumalo would put it) about how ugly I've been for the past seven days. Ugly as a goose trying to stage a dance in muddy waters - it will end up looking uglier.

That's not to suggest that ugly people are like geese. But surely, I hated my face when it was disfigured by the tooth fairy. This made me wonder then, how do people who, compliments of conventional wisdom, are dubbed ugly feel for the rest of their lives. Especially knowing that change is not near, except for those with fat credits cards and medicacl aids to afford them aesthetological refigurement. Ok sorry, that means plastic surgery.

I don't even have a right to tag anyone as ugly or liken them to a muddy goose. But capitalist TV producers have taught me that there's 'in deed' the beautiful and the beasts in this world. And that's a pity that everyone looks at people through the eyes of the pop-tv images - make it American images at that.

Before my triple dose Gen Payne prescription from the anti-tooth fairy kind doctor, I looked horrible. Ugly. And my smiles didn't stand a pint of chance in a monkey or goose contest. That's when I realised that being ugly can really confine you down the lower radar of the social ladder.

Let's face it. As people, on average, we succeed due to our looks. We got our looks to thank for the pretty partner we have. The cute kids we are blessed with. The bigger upmarket houses we occupy in those 'golden corridor' suburbs (as David Bullard put in his weekend column). This also goes for the the uber-friends we enjoy, the less laboursome jobs, associations and all that uber-blah blah blah crap that we define our lives with.

And in our lives, first impressions last long right? Isn't it possible that the beautiful people - the non-geese - enjoy the quality of the incentives of the first impression that is forged by their beauty? And by the same token, that the ugly people, the goose, get punished for looking less than the blessed? In my mind, as sensitive a topic as this is, it is true. It holds water - not an ocean I know. But some good drops of liquid. And all these thanks to the television imagery of beauty vs the beast - wherein beauty carries the praise flay, and beast the laughable stalk.

I wouldn't, and you shouldn't pretend to, doubt that beautiful people get often promoted at work. Get hired faster than the goose. Get hotter hubbies or wifies. Look better in any masterpiece or crap cloth they wear. In my mind, and yes the latte and the triple chocolate chilli tart are speaking in concert with me, it does hold.

Why did I choose this topic today? Well, I just didn't have a good past week as I thought that I would be disfigured for life before that Gen Payne prescription - and I was trying to ease and acclimatise to the less pretty boy/beast tag. At the same time, I had drawn parallels between death and the healthy life. And again, I had thought a lot about happiness.

Which draws me back to the latte. When I served it, I popped my sugar sachets open and my attention was interested by the quotations at the back. Those Hullets sachets confirmed what I always pondered about regarding happiness:

Happiness is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen as by little advantages that occur every day - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Happiness is a direction, not a place - SYDNEY HARIS

Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination - RAY GOODMAN

From contentment with little comes happiness - AFRICAN PROVERB

My own: Happiness is not beauty of the body. It is beauty on the inside.

So hey, regardless of what the looks are. Goose or pin-up masterpiece, beauty won't follow automatic. Beauty rages from the inside and will show on the outside, sizzling like the foam of a perfectly boiled caffe latte. It we shouldn't be fooled by beauty or tricked by ugliness - you'll be surprised of the ocean of happiness soaring from the inside.

That's why I wasn't really sad about my disfigured face.

Beauty and the beast? Beauty and the goose? I think don't draw your reality from the television images of what is beautiful and ugly. Draw your own. I just did.

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Master photographer unveiled

Out of vanity, I'm going to assume that Izz is a great photographer as much as he writes in a masterly manner. See the masterpieces taken in my village and home whilst my wife was hibernating there on maternity.

Talia and her grandmother in the background

Extra booze bought for Talia's traditional ceremony

The last breakfast at the village. Yes. It's a bit un-lighter for breakfast - that's village for you

Princess Tinyiko in a 'cake-cage' - compliments of grandfather

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire

Tooth fairy kicked my ass, no jokes

I'm still aching like hell from that toothache, which, the dentist, Dr Sic, informs me it's infact a naughty nerve that must be cut out.But nevertheless, I believe the tooth fairy wasn't laughing when she kicked my ass. The above is unfavourable pics that my wife hates so much. I hate the fact that I just can't smile even if I tried.

That's as far as my award winner smile goes. And after the nerve op, which I hope never happens since the pain has subsided (yes, heavy cocktail of painkillers - so not really gone, the Dr warns me).

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"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." - Voltaire