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