World Famous for 15 minutes

Aaaah the joys of being famous, or is it really such a joy? When I think about fame, I immediately think about red carpet events, glamorous dresses and of course LOTS of money! But on the other hand, is it really such a joy to have ZERO privacy and to have your whole life splashed across tabloids? Would it be that glamorous to be followed 24/7 even if you just go to the shop to buy a bag of chips? And the following day you are featured on the cover of People Magazine in your sweats with the headline reading, “Should she really be eating that?” Not that exciting, is it?

If I were to be world famous for 15 minutes it would probably be for stalking Brad Pitt. Yes, I would be the girl who duck-taped herself to Brad Pitt’s car bonnet, to get him to talk to her, even if he just said, “I think you need psychiatric help.”

Fame, although I would have completely adored to be adored, is a little bit aver rated and to my opinion, not all that glamorous. But I will say, that for the amount of money those people receive, I would endure a little bit of stalking, bad publicity and no privacy!!

Boys prefer blondes, men prefer brunettes..

Well.....as a BLOND, and in the good name of all patriotic blonde woman, I am not going to agree with this statement.

Blondes have been, for thousand of years, the subjects of discussion. I mean, when you google the word blonde, you get anything from thousand of blonde jokes, to a “blonde keyboard” (which is pink and totally cool, if I might add) If boys prefer blondes...why have MEN, spent all of these hundreds of years, making such a huge fuss of blondes? Even going so far as to make a movie for goodness sake!!Did they spend all this time and energy because they think blondes are hideous or to make fun of them??I don’t think so!

Whether blondes have more “fun", is another debatable subject altogether. But for the time being, I truly love, love, love being a blonde. All the blonde jokes going around has made it sooo easy for us to literally get away with anything....but no- WE ARE NOT STUPID! Whether fake or real, blondes have the right to be extremely proud of their hair colour! And I believe GENTLEMEN prefer blondes...

What Motivates Me...

In short: A HELL OF A LOT

Personally, motivation plays a MAJOR role in my life. Without motivation, my attempts at well...anything would be extremely half-hearted.

What motivates me:

1.God: The presence of The Almighty in my life motivates me daily to appreciate each day as a gift and life everyday as if Jesus died yesterday, rose today and is coming to take us to heaven tomorrow. No matter how dull or dark a situation may seem in my life, I can always close my eyes, pray to The Lord and be motivated to face each daunting task head-on.

2.Potential: When I see potential in a situation or person I feel extremely motivated to push that situation/person to the limits.

3. DOUBT: When people doubt that I have the potential or needed skills to perform a certain task, I am more motivated than EVER to prove them wrong and do the task even better than expected.

4. Belief: People who believe in me, motivates me to be even better, and to do even more in the fear of disappointing them and letting them down.

On a lighter note, what motivates me...

5. $ Money $ : However vain it may sound, if the price is right I will make it work!

6. Good Food: With a tummy full of good food, I feel more motivated and willing to take on any situation or anything.

7. Sports: Watching a good game of Western Province, or Springbok rugby or by simply playing a game of netball, really motivates me to be even more passionate, enthusiastic, patriotic and to be fearless in whatever I take on

8. Music: Nothing amps me up more for a night on the town than a feel-good song, which at the moment is Black Eyed Peas, Tonight’s gonna be a good night...

9. HOT BODDIES: When I look at magazines or TV shows where Jessica Alba is featured in her bikini, I feel more motivated (and depressed in a sense) to hit the gym and train until I feel like I am about to throw-up!!

Motivation is important, without any motivation, how would you feel enthusiastic and passionate about a certain situation,task or person??

Personal Autonomy

Your personal autonomy refers to your right to be self determining and your right to choose how you live your life. I believe that personal autonomy is vital for your personal growth.

As an individual I believe that one should embrace your personal autonomy in order to "know" yourself and learn from your own experiences. If you are not self determining and have no way of expressing your feelings, opinions and beliefs, how would you ever be seen as an individual? I know that each individual strives to be unique, to be different in some or other way..this is what makes you, you!

Bearnice Johnson Reagon said that life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are. This statement rings very true when thinking about your personal autonomy and your personal growth. Taking charge of your personal autonomy and living life to the fullest, will ultimately make you the person and individual you are .Life’s experiences, and the mistakes you make during the course of life, will shape the perceptions and outlook you have on life, your personality and relationships and ultimately shape your being.

How to meet Mr Right

Aaaaaahhhh, the joys of being in love. What is better than that feeling of butterflies in your stomach when seeing that special someone in your life? Well maybe a credit card with no limit during fashion week in Milan...but for the sake of this article, NOTHING!

How does a girl know that the man standing infront of her will take care of her, love her, not cheat on her, be considerate of her feelings, put her first? Is there a simple, miracle test to finding out if he is everything you want in man? Well, NO!

Now don’t head to the convent just yet!!There are some more fun ways of finding that hunk.

1. Take up Golfing. Now ladies’, golfing is a sport which men of ALL traits play. This is an easy way in which you can meet men in a relaxed and yet competitive environment. Men use the golfing experience to network, or in our case, this networking can be flirting. And if you did not find Mr Right, you would at least have built up some potential business contacts.
2. Go to Coffee Bars. This is where people usually go to relax, read a newspaper or a book and casually chat with other coffee-junkies. This is a place men go to take a break from their everyday lives and not worry about work, money etc. This is an environment where one could easily initiate first contact, by seeing someone sitting on the couch reading a newspaper or book you have just finished. So heat it up over a hot cafe late.
3. Go to a sports bar. ALL MEN LOVE SOME SPORTS. What is it all men talk about? Sports, Fast cars and you know what. This is an easy way to chat up cute guys by showing interest, and knowledge in a specific sport.
4. Go to a Speed Dating Night. This is a VERY easy way to meet men that you know are also looking for that someone special. And yes, it might be a VERY painful experience, but hey who ever said finding love is easy?
5. Join a Gym. Gyms are basically like night clubs, without all the drinking and standing around. And even if you don’t find Mr Right, you may find a hunk with abs of steel to take you on a very HOT date.
6. Cultivate a LARGE circle of friends. This way you will meet people you would never have before.

Ok, so this is not working, well STOP BEING SO DESPERATE AND OBSESSED! All good things come to those who wait, but in the mean time, follow some advice I got from a girlfriend. Look for a guy with:
A great smile, nice personality and HOT ass. Because then at least when he leaves you will have a GREAT vision instilled in your mind!

Happy Hunting Girls......

"Bunch of Animals" is one comment on CPUT strikes.What is your opinion?

“CPUT student strike turns violent”, “Violent CPUT students get attacked by Police”, “and Management closes CPUT”, “Violence at CPUT protest”
These were some of the headlines splashed across newspapers during the time of the CPUT strikes.

GREAT publicity for our institution isn’t it? What parent would want to send their children to CPUT after seeing that this is the manner in which our institution handles a problem?

Personally I think this was a strike that was handled in completely the wrong manner. I personally do understand the reason for the strikes, but why did students turn so violent? Was it necessary to start vandalising the CPUT property??Raid cafeterias? Put the lives of fellow CPUT students in danger??Ruin the reputation of CPUT for potential students? A simple answer, NO!!!!

There are definitely two guilty parties in this whole strike, the SRC and Management. The SRC firstly did not take the time to involve all students in the strike process. They took the liberty to act on behalf of all the CPUT students, but never bothered to involve or even inform students of what this was all about. Management on the other hand was wrong for not communicating with the SRC and did not take the time to “read” the document presented by the SRC, which resulted in their violent response.

Striking has become a regular event at our institution, in my four years of studying at this institution, there has been at least one or two strikes a year. What is the lesson behind all of this? If you want something, STRIKE??Well, then I feel that I have the right to a strike of my own. The striking students violated my right to education. They took away a week of PAID for education. Does this give me the right to start a strike??????

My feeling about all of this, ALL could have been avoided by COMMUNICATION

10 Most unexpected consequences of being ONLINE

1. You might just meet your very own prince charming (On the other hand you may think you met him and upon the first date realise that he is a 65 year old freak)
2. You might enter an unprotected sight and unexpectedly download a MONSTER virus, which totally seizes your computer
3. Finding the PERFECT, once-in-a-lifetime, million dollar a month, over the moon, amazing job
4. WIN THE EUROPEAN LOTTO
5. You might realise that you Blog has more followers than President Obama himself and become a world acclaimed journo!!
6. Logging onto facebook only to find yourself tagged in photographs that you would rather have burned!!!
7. Writing on your BF’s facebook wall only to find that he is single????
8. Sending a nasty email only to find it was sent to the wrong person....
9. Buying a GHD on ebay and when it arrives it is a hairdryer and not a straightner
10. Making a GREAT friend

Our greatest strengths are our greatest weaknesses

“Success is achieved by development of our strengths, not by elimination of our weakness”. Marilyn Vos Savant

It is very difficult to decide whether I agree with this statement. I do believe however that it is more important to know your weaknesses than your strengths. If you realise your weaknesses you minimize the opportunity for people to optimize on those weaknesses. The most important thing is to be able manage your weaknesses. By admitting and acknowledging your weaknesses you are identifying them.

A person’s weakness is not something that can always be fixed or eliminated, but it can be managed. By emphasizing you strengths you are minimizing the threat of your weaknesses.
Your strengths is something that already differentiates you from the pack, it makes you different and in some cases even better that other. It can become a weakness when these strengths are ego-driven and you think you are invincible. My greatest strength is my passion and drive, but this has also been my greatest weakness in many occasions. This passion and drive is perceived as arrogance and ignorance by some.

"To excel means to reach beyond the best you have ever given because doing so matters to you personally, for its own sake. It means to run your own race—as an individual, team, or organization. To excel is to know your greatest strengths and passions, and to emphasize them while honestly admitting and managing your weaknesses." Robert Cooper

Feelings FOLLOW Behaviour

Does it?Should it?

When one thinks about this statement, it just does not sound right.Can you control your behaviour? Can you control your feelings?

You can control your behaviour, but you cannot control your feelings, you can only suppress it.I both agree and do not agree with this statement. When you do behave in a certain manner, your behaviour has some consequences and you have feelings about those consequences. Helping an old lady across the street makes one feel proud, hitting someone in the face in the midst of a catfight makes leads to the feeling of shame.(for those of us with a conscience anyway!)

That behaviour was triggered by some emotion or feeling. Those feelings or emotions made you act or behave in a certain manner. Before you helped the old lady across the street you felt concerned and sorry for her. Before you hit the girl you felt angry and enraged and wanted to scratch her eyes out.

This leads me to believe that a more accurate statement would be: Feelings/emotions leads to behavoir/actions which are again followed by feelings/emotions.

"If feelings follow behaviour, they cannot be the causes of behaviour, since causes must precede their effects." James D.Laird

It is better to PRACTICE a LITTLE than TALK a LOT

YES, YES and again YES. It is a known FACT, by everyone and anyone who has a little bit of intelligence or half a brain that ACTIONS definitely speak louder than words!

This statement is a Zen Proverb that belongs to Muso Kokushi, a Japanese Zen Master, Calligrapher and Poet. This Zen master dreamt that he was told to protect a portrait of Dumara Daishi and thereafter knew that Zen was his destiny. He proceeded to study Zen at a temple. After which he proceeded to become famous.

This life story of Muso Kokushi “speaks” of the statement he makes. He did not talk too much about his dream of becoming this Zen Master, but he went out and did it!

Kokushi’s statement is relevant to various aspects of daily life. It can also be tied in with numerous other sayings and idioms which all come down to the same thing: DO MORE AND SAY LESS!

People so often say things, usually to impress others and prove you are better than them. But
90% of the time, these words cannot be backed by your actions. If you want people to believe what you say (your words) you should “speak” with your actions.

What is the use of saying that smoking is unhealthy and leads to an early, slow and painful death, but then these marketers smoke up to thirty (or even 40??!!) cigarettes per day. How is this message then supposed to be taken serious by the various audiences???

Practice what you preach, this is the only way what you do and say will be respected and trusted.

It is a poor idea to lie to yourself

"False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil." Socrates

Lying is something you do by choice. You think about what you want to say and then act on it. It is a conscious decision made. Thus it is controllable and utterly WRONG!

Well, some white lies may be justified! When your sister is pregnant and she asks if she looks fat, you cannot reply by saying, “Yes, actually you look like Shrek’s wife Fiona!” You are obligated to tell a little white lie and say,” No, you have never looked so beautiful.” If you refrain from doing so, you may end-up losing your sister indefinitely and be cut from any duties as aunt of the unborn baby!

However lying to yourself is a very different story. What is your favourite lie about yourself? Is it that you are a fun-loving human being and the truth is that you hate life and would rather commit suicide? The reality of it is that lying ALWAYS backfires.

By lying to yourself, you are trying to justify something which is wrong or not true. You never learn to deal with the truth and certain issues efficiently and you obtain a mental state of “there is nothing wrong with lying.” It is like being an alcoholic. The first step to recovery is admitting that you are one, and then taking various measures to recover. Lying will only set you back, and escalate into something more serious.

By adopting such a state of mind, you may also feel comfortable lying to others. All trust in you will be lost. With no trust, you can have no relationships. And like Abraham Lincoln said: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”

Not ALL who wander are lost

According to the dictionary a wanderer is defined as; “To proceed in an irregular course.”

The statement suggests that some wanderers are in fact lost...but to me to wander means to search. To be lost suggest that you will not be found. But, in life wanderers who search do find their destination in life.

People search all their lives for their little niche in society. The place where they fit, a place where they feel comfortable and where they can be themselves .It is part of human nature to be uncertain in some aspects of life. You date a skater-boy only to find that you actually prefer a jock, you eat steak only to find you are a vegetarian, you participate in sports only to find that you are only interested in poetry. Ultimately you find your destination.

The wandering stage of one’s life is not always a pleasant stage. You may be teased for dressing like Madonna (you thought you looked like her and thought people would find you interesting) .You may be ridiculed for singing in the school choir (you are a boy who want to impress the girls, and they all seem to like the singing sensation of the Backstreet Boys) This is a stage of uncertainty, a stage of unknown.

This wandering eventually brings you to your destination, the place where you want to be...a place where you are allowed to be YOU and accepted for it.

How do you step from the top of a 100-foot pole?

HOW DO YOU?????I suppose very, very carefully and with extreme caution.

For a superhero this would be a very easy task.

Spiderman would...simply shoot out a web and swing from this pole to another

Superman would...point his arm upward and fly

Batman would....spread his bat-wings and fly

Captain America would... simply belt out “because I am Captain America” (and he would be on the ground)

Inspector Guru would...just extent his guru-leg and walk on

Wolverine would...jump and fall the living daylights out of him, but will heal in about 30 seconds

The HULK would... get angry, turn green, become the size of the Big Ben and the 100-foot pole would seem like a 1-foot pole

Silver Surfer would...never be in this position because he is always off surfing somewhere

Magneto would...attract a large magnetic figure, step onto it and from there proceed to the ground

Ironman would...beat the pole into the ground

Storm would...create a flood of some sort and swim to safety

Catwomen would...jump because cats always land on their feet

Wonderwoman would....jump, fly, walk or whatever (she is wonderwoman and can do anything)

To be very realistic I would...simply SLIDE (yes like a fireman) and NOT step from the top of a 100-foot pole, unless I am trying to commit suicide off course!

You ARE what you DO

“You are what you DO, so why not DO the exceptional.” This slogan is splashed across the SANTAM building in Durbanville, and gets one thinking.

What we do defines our being. It is scary to know that all my accomplishments and failures defines my being....I want to be perceived as extraordinary.

If I lied to my mother about breaking her new vase, does that make me a liar?

If I took my brothers chocolate out of his drawer, does that make me a thief?

If I did not tell my sister she looked fat when she was pregnant, does that make me untrustworthy?

If I feel hatred towards rapists, does that make me a hater?

The things I do out of anger, frustration, fear, anguish and heartache forms part of this ‘being’ .But is it fair to be judged and defined in accordance with these acts. These actions are mostly irrational reactions to something negative that occurs. These are actions I would not want to be defined as. On the other hand, there is no such thing as a perfect human being, this is a concept with which I myself sometimes struggle. Because:

I want to be perceived as good

I want to be perceived as extraordinary

I want to be perceived as honest

I want to be perceived as trustworthy

I want to be perceived as loyal

I want to be perceived as loving

I want to be perceived as hardworking

I want to be perceived as a energetic

I want to be defined as a friend

I want to be defined as a Christian

I WANT TO BE EXTROARDINARY!!!!

And yet, my actions do not always portray these characteristics. Does this mean I am NOT extraordinary???

Are we afraid of the wrong things?

F= Foolish
E= Emotional
A=Anguish
R= Ridiculous

It is part of human nature to be afraid. But what does being afraid mean? Why are we afraid of the unknown? Why are we afraid of things we know we cannot change or predict? I am afraid of the dark, afraid of being raped, afraid of being mugged, afraid of small spaces, afraid of having my heart broken, afraid of never knowing the true meaning of love.....

Fear changes people. It limits your capabilities. It changes personalities and diminishes aspirations. When you allow fear to take over your life, you are not living. We have adopted a culture of fear.

This culture is very much influenced by the media. The media has the rest of the world convinced that our country is taken over and ruled by crime. We tend to be most afraid of the things that are publicized the most. We are more afraid of being mugged than we are of dying from a terminal illness. Yet Africa has the largest number of people infected by HIV/AIDS and its death toll is almost quadruple the amount of people who get mugged. We tend to more afraid of containing the mad cow disease than we are of getting a heart attack. And yet, we drive at high speeds while under the influence of alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and do drugs.

This means that we as individuals do not think for ourselves anymore. We believe that which is told to us, and cast it in stone. It is time to start thinking rationnally about fear.

Colour of the wind...

The wind is BLUE....it brings calmness and rejuvenation as is blows gently over you, the wind is youthful

The Wind is RED...it takes action and is confident

The wind is YELLOW...it brings joy and happiness

The wind is BLACK...it is vigorous and fierce, it symbolizes stability

The wind is BROWN...it is conventional and earthly

The wind is ORANGE...is brings vitality

The wind is PURPLE...it is magical and truthful

The wind is GREEN...it symbolises new life, nature and well being

The wind is WHITE...it is heavenly and pure

The wind is PINK... it is loving and beautiful

The wind is GOLD... it is wise

The wind is grey....it is mature

The wind comes and goes, sometimes more intense than other, it teases you, making you wait for more, wanting more. The wind has a heavenly feel but it is fierce. It is unpredictable and exciting.

Its soul is one of love and hate. It has an honest soul, expressing its feelings. Its verbal nature makes it trustworthy and friendly. The wind is a friend.

If I were the BOSS...

I would NOT:

· Have different office hours than my employees
· Treat my employees as if they are my slaves
· Be unreasonable
· Have a “chamber of secrets”
· Punish my employees for creativity and a pro-active attitudes
· Pass my work down to employees, just because I feel like it
· Accuse without knowing the facts
· Take leave just because I feel like it
· Tolerate attitude towards any member of the organisation

I WOULD:

· Believe, trust, support and motivate
· Listen
· Care
· Be honest
· Participate
· Encourage patriotism
· Explain as many times as needed
· Discuss
· Be approachable
· Laugh
· Be adventurous
· Firstly praise then discuss mistakes
· Have a four day week (for all employees)
· Create a ‘friendly and fun’ organisational atmosphere/culture
· Reward performance
· Be a friend, confidant and someone who deserves respect

I would NEVER:

· Be the stereotypical egocentric maniac that thinks employees should fall to their knees every time the boss walks in

Just because once upon a time I was that “CEO fearing” employee who hated every moment of working for that company.

Just because I know that respect, trust and friendship will contribute towards MY organisations bottom line which would be my ultimate desired future state.

''Designer PR'

Public Relations clearly has a chance to set new trends and industry standards.

Marcus Brewster a trend-setter and leader in the PR industry stated in an article featured in the Weekend Argus on December 13,2008,that Public Relations is giving itself a bad name because industry professionals are losing their originality and creativity by following the norms of industry. Maybe this new era of ‘Designer PR’ will breathe new life into PR practitioners and the industry because we now have the opportunity to be trend setters and be leaders of the pack. The obligation of taking this phenomena of ‘Designer PR’ to new frontiers now lies with us, the industry professionals. Our inter-personal relationship and communication skills will know be put to the test. PR belongs in the innovation culture!

South African bands suck?

Home-grown South African bands are emerging on international markets. Bands such as Prime Circle, Seether, Just Jinjer, and Parlotones have acquired local and international fame and is household names in numerous foreign counties. Their music is featured on radio stations and music- televisions internationally. These bands have performed on foreign soil, all with great success!

Seether, formerly known as Saron Gas, has sold over 5 million albums worldwide. Their music was featured as the soundtrack of the film “The Punisher” .Their album “Karma and Effect” debuted at number 8 of the US Billboard 200 album charts and was certified gold in the US and Canada. The biggest selling rock act in South Africa has been Prime Circle in 2003, 2004, and 2005.The band has shared the stage with international greats such as Live, Metallica, The Rasmus, Simple Plan, Collective Soul and Paul Rogers (Bad Company).The Parlatones had tremendous success locally by winning the SAMA award and is touring the UK regularly.
Just Jinger is the best selling SA rock band in history and have toured with U2, Counting Crows and Def Leppard. The band recorded their international debut album with Grammy award winning producer David Bianco.

Having seen two of these bands in action, I can definitely say that their live performances justifies their international status. Local performances of these bands are mostly sold out and our local flavour is all over South African radio stations. With all this said, it is evident that South African bands is definitely a force to be reckoned with on the world stage. Local is most definitely “lekker”.