Thursday 30 October 2008
It's Not All Bad News!
According to SAARF's new lifestyle measures:
We Are Far Better Off 14 Years Later
14 Oct 2008
This is a staggering 264% and nearly 20% increase per year. And low and behold it is not the super rich that are pulling the averages up, it is the middle segment LSM 5 to LSM 9 that has increased.
In fact the percentage of the population in the LSM 1 -4 segment has decreased with a whopping 32% since 2001. This is a spectacular narrowing of the gap between rich and poor.
LSM 4 has increased but the significant drop is in the LSM 1-3 segments while LSM 10 has remained the same. 78% of the population are in the LSM 4- 10 groups, and 22% in the LSM 1-3 group. In 1993 the LSM 1-3 group represented over 40% of the population.
For more detail visit www.saarf.co.za
Saturday 4 October 2008
Friday 3 October 2008
Friday 26 September 2008
Wednesday 24 September 2008
Monday 22 September 2008
The Other Frontrunner: Kgalema Mothlante
The other MP tipped for the job of Caretaker President is ANC deputy prez Kgalema Mothlante, his track record is a bit better:
In February 2006, auditors revealed that a total of about R2 billion in loans by the Land Bank, a government institution established to help farmers, had gone sour. Earlier, a R800 million (about $112 million) 10 year loan was given to Pamodzi Investment Holdings, a company whose shareholders include Motlanthe. This amounted to nearly one-third of the Land Bank's total assets, and was a non-agricultural investment. There is no suggestion that this particular loan was non-performing. Pamodzi chief executive Ndaba Ntsele denies there was any wrongdoing. The government has since fired the Land Bank chairman and agreed to inject R700 million to keep the Land Bank operative.
Sources: ANC, Wikipedia
Baleka Mbete for President?
Chances are that Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete will be announced to stand in as caretaker President until the next election, here's a taste of her track record:
Mbete is a shareholder in Dyambu Holdings which is involved in building the massive Gautrain public transport project in the province Gauteng. Dyambu Holdings is reported to have had links with murdered magnate Brett Kebble.
In April 1997, Mbete was found to have received an improperly issued driver's license but not charged with any wrongdoing. This after investigators uncover widespread corruption in Mpumalanga regional driving license testing centers, where licenses are being issued in exchange for bribes. Mbete said that she had been "too busy" to stand in queues.
In 2007, Mbete suspended DA member Mike Waters after he attempted to ask what was being done about the Manto Tshabalala-Msimang scandal. Waters had asked about a reported conviction for theft of the Minister of Health, while the latter had been a nurse in Botswana.
Mbete was one of more than 200 South African parliamentarians found to have misused subsidised travel privileges in the Travelgate scandal. She is reported to have paid back all moneys due in the liquidation of the travel agency former providing services to parliament.
In 2006, Mbete chartered a jet at a cost of R471 900 (around US$60 000) to fly to Liberia for the inauguration of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as president. The only other passenger on the plane was a member of her staff. Then president Thabo Mbeki and foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma also travelled to the inauguration - Mbeki in his private plane and Dlamini-Zuma by commercial flight.
She has been a staunch supporter of Tony Yengeni, a former ANC Chief Whip in parliament, who was convicted of defrauding parliament in 2004, even accompanying Yengeni to Pollsmoor Prison when he reported to serve his sentence.
If the ANC is going to use the corruption card to redeploy Thabo Mbeki, not casting it's gaze inwards without prejudice is inexcusable.
Sources: ANC, Wikipedia
Friday 19 September 2008
New Kings of Leon
Somehow three brothers and a cousin from Nashville managed to insinuate themselves into our lives and provide the soundtrack to last summer with their second album 'Because of the Times', Ed O'Brien from Radiohead has called them 'the greatest band on earth'and I don't think he's far off. Moody Rock n' Roll that's as relevant in the South as it is in Oxford and Africa.
The Kings new album 'Only By the Night' is set for release in the States next week. Here's the first single, 'Sex on Fire':
It's dirty, sweaty, heartfelt and born of the humidity of some backwater swamp, but I like it, and so will you.
Check out the video here.
Wednesday 10 September 2008
We're all still here!!!
The biggest and most expensive civilian experiment in the history of science is finally underway.
Google are even in on it:
At 8.32am UK time, scientists at the CERN particle physics laboratory fired a first beam of particles into the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the £3.6 billion “Big Bang machine” that will open a new window on the Universe.
Fears of creating an earth-swallowing black hole and /or mysterious 'dark matter'can be put on hold for a little while.
Well done nerds!! now go find the Higgs-Boson!
V in SA
Richard Branson this morning confirmed dates for South Africa's own V Festival.
Here they are:
Jozi: 13 December
i-Kapa: 16 December
Check back here tomorrow for the Line-up!!!!!
Thursday 4 September 2008
Wednesday 3 September 2008
I'm a Desmond and the Tutu's kid!
It's the band with the coolest moniker in the whole world of Rock n' roll Indie Kwela Punk Pop!!
Here is the awesome video for the instant dancefloor destroying classic 'She Hangs the Pictures on the Wall':
Makes me wanna do the German Modern Swagger!!
In true fuck-you to the Big Labels Indie style, the Tutus have released their debut album 'Tuck Shop' on their own Awesomeland Records.(Cut to footage of slightly retarded A&R guy with a hearing-aid trying really hard to kick his own head.)
Check out the Tutu's blog for remixes by local and international artists, news and sweet merchandise.
and
Show some love on the 'I'm a Desmond and the Tutu's Kid' FB page.
Monday 1 September 2008
Tuesday 5 August 2008
Wednesday 16 July 2008
Friday 13 June 2008
The Mighty Boosh
Check out the BBC's Mighty Boosh page for games (animated), clips (absurdly hilarious) pics (mainly Noel's hair) and more from what is possibly the greatest absurd comedy show about two guys who work in a zoo of all time.
Thursday 12 June 2008
Religulous (2008) Trailer
Bill Maher + Larry Charles = Religulos an hilariously scathing documentary!
Friday 30 May 2008
Dubai
No 3D, no CG, no Tilt Shift, taken from the tallest building in the world, most of the buildings visible are more than 70 stories high.
Volcano!!
Just came across these amazing pictures of the Chaiten volcano in Chile that has been errupting for the past month.
AWEsome!
Tuesday 27 May 2008
i'm not crying - flight of the conhcords
The best comedy is tragic, I swear I'm not crying as I write this!
Thursday 3 April 2008
Friday 7 March 2008
Cars 2.0
Ten of the best cars from the recent Geneva Motor Show including a Maserati, a 700HP Hydrogen powered Pininfarina beast and the stupidly beautiful convertible version of Alfa's 8C (pictured above) , bellisima!!!Source: Wired
Tuesday 4 March 2008
HOWZAT!!!!!
Under the International Cricket Council Code of Conduct, any physical assault on a spectator or any act of violence during play is a level four offence, which can carry a ban of 10 or more one-day matches.
Symonds is likely to argue that the streaker veered in his direction and his lunge was made in an act of self-preservation.
That's what it looked like to me!!!!!!
Monday 3 March 2008
Fuck You Delilah!!!
A Parody of the unfortunately popular "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's:
Friday 29 February 2008
Friday 22 February 2008
New Jocob Israel Album
The new Jacob Israel album 'Birthright' is out.
More mature and refined than 'My Paper Nautilus', yet it retains the original sensibility.
Jacob has offered the album for free download at the following links:
* Part 1
* Part 2
In total the download is about 142MB.
Download it, make a donation, have a listen and be informed, this is South African electronica at the bleeding edge!!!
Thursday 21 February 2008
Awesome Animation
An experimental animation in a technique being called “stratastencil” devised by Javan Ivey. Each frame is one piece of 4x6 card stock. The result is quite mesmerizing.
Johnny Knoxville Nearly Loses It, Literally!
"I almost lost my own balls"
"Just got back from Oklahoma where I was shooting “Mat Hoffman’s tribute to Evel Knievel.” Had a ball, too, even though I almost lost my own balls in the process. Don’t want to give too much away because the tribute airs Feb 23rd on MTV, but let’s just say before letting Travis Pastrana teach me how to do a backflip on a motorcycle I should have had him teach me to ride one first. Heh-heh…bad for me, good for our viewing audience at home. Have to go now. Have to empty the piss bag on my leg that I have to wear for the next two weeks until my torn urethra heals. Ouch, and see you on the 23rd. By the way, lots of great stuff in the Evel Knievel tribute besides my trip to the hospital—lots!"
—Johnny Knoxville
Here's the video:
Wednesday 13 February 2008
Demetri Martin Finds Clearification
Demetri Martin's spreads his wings from innovative stand-up (above) to heartfelt storytelling about his journey through the agonising depths of the rare condition that is HANDTOSS (below).
View all the episodes HERE
Imitation: The Sincerest form of Flattery
Sean Penn and John Krakauer team up for a series called, yes you guessed it, ICONOCLASTS.
Tuesday 5 February 2008
Friday 1 February 2008
Tube Thriller
I know it's been about five years since my last post, I'm sure all seven regular readers will forgive me though, love you all!!
I won't bore you with meaningless drivel in the shape of excuses though, you'll notice that there are still no ads for fat-loss programs or penis enlargers on this blog and that's the way it's going to stay, so my conscience is clean.
Anyway, loads of mad shit has happened in the time of my hiatus and I plan to bombard you with it in a barrage of crazy , often mis-directed, beautiful and amusing posts until I get bored of it, starting right now:
Anyone who has had the unfortunateness of travelling by tube in London will know the absolute misery it inspires in all it's regular patrons. Below is a rare example of tube entertainment, one of the most beautiful spontaneous interpretations of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" through the medium of dance ever performed. Absolutely magnificent, so good in fact that it actually roused a clap from one of the passengers!!
I won't bore you with meaningless drivel in the shape of excuses though, you'll notice that there are still no ads for fat-loss programs or penis enlargers on this blog and that's the way it's going to stay, so my conscience is clean.
Anyway, loads of mad shit has happened in the time of my hiatus and I plan to bombard you with it in a barrage of crazy , often mis-directed, beautiful and amusing posts until I get bored of it, starting right now:
Anyone who has had the unfortunateness of travelling by tube in London will know the absolute misery it inspires in all it's regular patrons. Below is a rare example of tube entertainment, one of the most beautiful spontaneous interpretations of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" through the medium of dance ever performed. Absolutely magnificent, so good in fact that it actually roused a clap from one of the passengers!!
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