I write what i like

Whoo Saaah

2010-10-05T16:30:00.000+02:00

Last week while on leave, I was driving around the streets of Johannesburg's northern suburbs, from mall to mall, with no real purpose - anything to relax. The intention of my leave was to wind down, take some time off to watch some movies, play some Wii and not much else.

Now, most people who've travelled to Jo'burg know how uptight and highly strung Gautengers can be (This is the part where the readers who know what I'm referring to would go "LOL"). Anyways, while stopped at an intersection there was an accident right in front of me. I wasn't involved, though I couldn't move forward. I had to change lanes and kinda circumnavigate. The traffic lights continued to change a few times and I missed what would be my normal opportunity to cross the intersection. This was very difficult. I had no space to reverse and had to edge my way into the next lane. Eventually I managed to get in and slip behind a guy already crossing through - but, at the same time, the guy from the other side also tried to make his way through and my enthusiasm blocked him from going all the way.

This is the guy this blog post is dedicated to. The gentleman in the Hyundai H1 who swore me, told me to stop being a f**king c**t, gave me the finger and then sped away.

Whoo Saaah my good man. Take some leave and chill out. Maybe go to a nice beach in Cape Town. Enjoy some Long Island Iced Teas on Long Street. Nothing happened to your car. I didn't see you giving way to the car in front of me. If I had seen that, I assure you, I would have allowed you to pass. I would have tried my utmost best not to make you be late by an extra thirty seconds - Whoo Saah

Liking Gadgets

2010-08-23T17:41:00.001+02:00

I've always been a 'liker of gadgets' - and in fact, I consider myself somewhat of a 'thingie gay'. Recently at work, the temptation to buy gadgets and electronic devices has increased tenfold (amongst everyone in the office) in a 'keeping up with the Jones' ' type buying frenzy.

A few months ago it started something like this:

Guy one bought himself an ASUS EEEPC. He liked it so much, that he bought another one with exactly the same specs. He then bought another ASUS but this time a larger one with more memory and larger screen.

Guy two likes the idea of a netbook and decides that he too will participate in the 'gadgetry acquisition' competition for that month. He gets himself an IBM S10, small, fast and slim and sexy.

Guy three then wins a Dell Mini 10 NetBook - which is not fair coz everyone else had to buy theirs. His one, is small, fast, slim, sexy and shiny.

Guy two then buy an iPad while in the USA and also wins an Amazon Kindle (not fair either). iPad, by virtue of it being an Apple product, trumps all previously purchased netbooks by all other guys in the office.

At this stage guy two is the winner and I'm not even a player at this stage of the 'competition'.

I (Guy four) then change the game somewhat by getting myself a set of Bose Noise Canceling headphones? No one takes my entry into the game seriously, so I'm obviously the looser. To add insult to injury and to worsen my pain, I ordered a Kindle from Amazon and... to my surprise... they have no stock.

To date my gadgets comprise the following:

32" Sony Bravia (already obsolote - HD Ready...not even full HD)
Philips Home Theatre System (HTS 8100)
iPod (A necessary thingie gay gadget, in fact, I have two)
Bose Noise Canceling Headphones (so far the best gadget I have)
Krups ESpresseria XP 7240(Coffee/Espresso machine Combo)
Nintendo Wii

I know my collection of gadgets is not that great from someone who admits to being a lover of gadetry. My limit at the moment is due to money and not the fact that I have no creativity in choosing some thingie gay stuff.

I will soon update my 'still to get list'

Staying Cheap

2010-03-15T15:50:00.000+02:00

Several months ago I was writing about what I thought were some interesting techniques to save some cash. It was supposed to be a series on saving money - but that didn't happen as well as I expected it to.

I have the unpublished posts in drafts - if anyone would like to review them before I publish, let me know.

For today however - I want to talk about second hand stores such as "Cash Converters" and "Cash Crusaders".

I walked into Cash Converters last week and was surprised to see the amount of interesting items they had which were in such good condition (which I would buy). They had all the geeky stuff I like - Celestron Telescopes, Onkyo amplifiers, sports watches, laptops, etc..

Where I could see a definite money saver was at the vast selection of DVD's which they stock. I have quite a significant amount of money "invested" in DVD's, but I think that I could have saved quite a bit of money buying most of my DVD's at Cash Converters. I think the most expensive second hand DVD which was on sale was 50 bucks for "Hitch" (www.kalahari.net stock it for about R100). It's not a huge saving and you most probably wont find the DVD which you want, but in the long run, it will save you some cash if you are collecting DVD's and do enjoy watching an original and not a bootleg copy.

:)

Fragrant Red Wine

2009-07-02T19:13:00.003+02:00

I dont know much about wine. I know the basic fact that it's made of grapes, and apparently the older the wine is, the fancier! I don't often drink wine and when I do, it's seldom alone. I'm ignorant on the subject of wine. I don't know what a good blend is, I don't know what a sauvignon blanc is and how it differs to a cabernet.

Frankly, to me, a full bodied red wine tastes like the inside of the wooden cask it was kept in (thats probably the only taste I'm able to identify, after "grape juice". I have a suspicion that this however is a characteristic of the wine). If I am drinking wine, I prefer the cheap, sweet variety - I don't have any particular prefernce. By now, I'm sure it's evident that I'm not a regular wine drinker.

What I do like neverthless about the whole drinking experience, the single event which I enjoy the most, the simple thing which entices me - is the smell of the wine. I love to whirl the glass beneath my nose, while I inhale deeply and smell the rich, velvet sweetness of the grapes. I imagine the barrel that the wine had been kept in and the trees that grew closeby. I can taste the nuts and smell the oak.

A memory about a taste

2009-07-02T19:08:00.001+02:00

Remembering the taste of strawberries

I'm sure that before this memory, I had tasted a strawberry, but no previous memory comes to mind when trying to remember the first experience of a strawberry.

At the age of five, my grandparents and I went to visit my grandfather's sister, brother in-law and her family in a small town called Vreiheid. They lived on a small holding, in a house made of red bricks. Kobus was their youngest son, closet to me in age, older was his sister Lizette, who wore thick coke bottle spectacles, and her older brother Freddy, he was cool with a blue BMX which had no brakes.

I liked Freddy the most. No one in the family noticed that my granny and I were brown or that we didn't speak the same language. It was ok, Freddy was able to translate it into that fla flum fla.

One day, behind the house, we were playing in the garden. Freddy and Kobus said that we could pick strawberries. I had never seen them in their original form and so, was very excited. We crawled in the rich red soil looking under the strawberry patch, looking for the red fruit. I found one and tasted it, and experienced a strawberry for the very first time.

Back in Action?

2009-05-25T15:28:00.002+02:00

I'm not sure if I'm back in action or not. I've been suffering a sever case of bloggers block. I had some posts pre-created, yet I didn't ever post them, due to a slight anxiety.

My point for now however is this, I'm brave enough to expose myself once again and I hope that I continue to post every now and then.

About that time...

2008-11-25T15:35:00.003+02:00

Almost the end of a year, almost the start of a new one - looking back, I try to see what I've achieved, based on a list of 'Things I need to Achieve' in the beginning of the year.

I set myself some personal goals, health and well being, personal fitness, etc. being fairly high up on there. Education; registering with UNISA to study a Science degree part time

The fitness aspect has been ok I guess. I started kick boxing earlier in the year, it's kept me very motivated and I'm enjoying it. Cycling however has really come to a standstill though I want to start on that in the beginning of 2009.

Education - I completely missed the open period in which to register, so that didn't happen at all.I want to take a short course in creative writing, guess what, that didn't happen either. I had intentions of learning a new language (from a CD kit) but this also didn't materialise.

I won't say that it's been a bad year, however, I think I could have done a bit more.

Why Stubborn-Delon?

2008-06-14T18:41:00.002+02:00

Started thinking, why did I actually name my blog 'stubborn-delon'.

To be completely honest I think I named it that, due to a sheer lack of creativity. My right-side neurons were not firing, I knew I wanted to create a blog, but to name it 'stubborn-delon'... What was I thinking...?

Yes, I am stubborn, but that does not define me altogether. What else could I have called my blog? What other word could I have used to define my 'web presence'?

'Geek-Delon' perhaps - (initially my blog was going to be dedicated to technology)

Maybe something that doesn't contain my name at all - 'Empty and Alone', but that sounds too sad and kinda implies that I'm suicidal.

'Exploits of a Boy Genius' - I've always considered myself a genius, but without the extremely high IQ, kinda like 'Powder' but without the ability to summon electricity and use his other super powers.

With all these possible names however, nothing that I write ever seems to relate to my stubbornness, my boy genius ability, my geekiness or my aloness - so, this depresses me some.

I am unable to define myself - eish, know what i mean?

The Bond – a 'hands on' approach

2008-06-14T15:46:00.006+02:00

A bond is the negotiated amount that the bank will give you, the period of the loan and the interest rate. Like the name suggests, it’s a contract between you and the bank. A bank is less likely to grant you a bond if you have a bad credit rating or no credit history. They want to know that they will be able to receive your payments regularly. If they do grant you a bond despite your negative rating, it will be at an interest rate that is not favourable to you, i.e. several percent above the prime lending rate of the Reserve Bank (prime +). This may be your situation if you have been out of the country for a while or haven’t paid any loan or account on time or regularly, or had no clothing accounts(Clothing accounts are important to have to build a good credit rating).

For you to get a good interest rate, you will have to have a regular income, some form of a favourable credit history (credit card, loan) and a reflection that you are a prompt payer.

A standard bond is 20 years which is exactly 240 months (12 months x 20 years). Without getting too technical, let me try my best to explain how to ‘make’ money on your bond. Bear in mind though, that ‘making’ money on a bond is actually ‘saving’ money in the long term.

Let me first point out the important factors which a home owner will need to know, n, i, pv, pmt. (some important terminology)

n is the number of months of your bond, the term of the loan.

i is the interest rate, which is possibly the most important factor to any home-, property-, or vehicle owner.

pv is the principal value – also the purchase value (or the value of the loan)

pmt is the amount you will be paying per period, ie., the monthly repayment

Again, saving on a bond does not provide you with immediate cash in your pocket; it’s not a way of earning an extra income, but a way to save money. The money you will make with this technique is realized when the property is sold or when you pay off the property in less time than anticipated and have that much extra cash per month to spare.

Because this is an equation, each ‘term’ bears influence on the others. However, PV is normally going to remain the same.

The quicker you pay the bond off, the more money you will make when you sell it. One way of doing this is to increase the value of ‘pmt’.

For example:

If your bond is for R500 000 (pv), with i=15% and n = 240, your pmt will need to be R6583.95. I would like to show the equation here, but I wont, due to font restrictions.

If you were to pay 10% more than required that is R6583.95 + R659 = R7242.95 your can reduce your period from 240 months to just 160, which is 13 years.

Do I have your attention yet?

Further to the above example, and for illustration purposes, if you were to double the monthly installment, your bond will be paid off in less than 5 years (52 months to be exact)

Ok, so that’s what happens when we vary the value of pmt.

Next, let’s look at how the interest rate influences your bond term (n) With the values as above, we know that i=15% means that n=240. It would be nice to show the equation with all of these values punched in.

However, if i were reduced from 15 to 14.5… n drops from 240 to 208, which is about 17 years.

We’ve saved ourselves three years by negotiating a better interest rate! If i were further reduced to 14%, n ends up around 15 years or so!

In all bond and loan repayments there is a principal portion (used to pay the bond) and an interest portion - The banks make their money on the interest portion of course.

When we make a payment to the bank, pmt = R6583.95, using the same values as above, in the first month, the value that eats into principal amount is R333.95. The value that is interest is R6250.

Let me expound on this. Your property is owned by the bank until you’ve paid it up completely. In your first month, all that you contributed to the R500 000 house is R333.95. The rest is all interest and goes straight to the bank.

In percentage terms 95% of your first bond installment is contributing to the banks share price on the JSE and a measly 5% is a contribution towards your house.

Now, this mechanism that the bank has does not work in your favour. The first time that the principal portion starts exceeding the interest portion is… wait for it… somewhere between year 15 and 16, that is ¾ down the line. For almost the entire period of your bond, most of what you had being paying was contributing to interest.

How I plan to get money back: Discovery Vitality together with FNB currently offers a home loan. This gives you a chance to re-negotiate your interest rate. Also, depending on your Vitality status, you qualify for up to 10% of your monthly bond payment back as cash per month, up to a maximum of R1000. That means that if I was paying R10 000 into my bond, I will get R1000 back to do with as I please – which for me is putting it back into my bond. :)

In Search of Wealth

2008-05-19T12:06:00.004+02:00

Being a home owner has made me aware of ways to save money in the home purchasing arena. There are definitely some things I would do differently next time around, some things that the banks don't tell you, some things you figure out as you go along.

My search for wealth is actually a process of eliminating unnecessary costs and trying to overcome credit card and other debt, searching for cheaper car insurance, life cover and the like, using a Discovery Credit card to get money back on my monthly purchases, etc., etc..

Following Amanda's theme of a series of blog posts, I will do the same and try to keep you coming back for more tips on how to save a few rands here and there.

The Bucket List

2008-05-19T11:58:00.002+02:00

I've been quiet, I've been busy, stressed, caught up, suffocating, lazy, pre-occupied and far too tired to blog in months.

In the beginning of the year I drew up a list of things I wanted to achieve for this year. Feeble things to others but significant things to me, health and wellness, language, learning, etc.

It's generally going well, though i have not yet got the 6-pack I wanted. Started kick boxing, cycling a little more though not much else -It's halfway through the year, though I need to start picking up and doing more of what I want.

Now in Orlando, FL

2008-02-16T22:42:00.003+02:00

My body is confused, jet-lagged, tired, exhausted. I'm not altogether sure how I feel right now, but its evident - from the bags under my eyes, to my lethargy and waking up at 3am, which would equate to around 10am in South African time.

Well - can you blame me? The trip from SA to Frankfurt was some 10 hours long. On my arrival, I had to set my watch back an hour. Even with this reset - the sun didn't come out until around 9am.

Thoughts on the German Pretzel
For the first time yesterday (at least I think it was yesterday - it could have been tomorrow, but I'm not entirely sure what today is...) I had a German pretzel. I walked around Frankfurt Airport for several hours, passed the same preztel stand numerous times and had been enticed - not by its shape, but at it's size. Let me describe the flavour - imagine rough sea salt on fairly dry bread. Or like pretzels that you find at the shops - but saltier. They make you thirsty and thats why Germans have beer!

Thoughts on Starbucks
Ok, ok, I had to try Starbucks coffee! I could not fly 20 hours and not have Starbucks, right. Imagine it like this - The finest coffee beans from Brazil, Costa Rica and Colombia - done to, what coffee beans have done to them - ground, then have hot water passed through them. No Sugar, no milk and really, very hot - lots of caffeine, cause I'm really buzzing at the moment.

Thoughts on Pizza
Pizza Hut right here at the hotel, sell personal pizza. It's a pizza for one, but really deep, lots of cheese with salami on the top. The whole thing is like greasy cheese on a deep oily donut without a hole, topped with salami.

Boiled Eggs and Chopsticks

2008-02-11T12:53:00.000+02:00

Boiled eggs and chopsticks seemed like a really nice title for a blog post. Now however, as I put finger to keyboard, good ideas seem to escape me.

Let me speak about the idea for a minute and where it sparked from. I was at the shopping centre the other day and felt a little bit adventurous. I wanted to try some Sushi. I have tried Sushi on a previous occasion, but, I lack the whole Sushi culture thing. I'm a small town coloured boy - and all I've ever known was bunny chows and fried chips. I don't know the names of the sandwich thingies, the seaweed things or even the rolled salmon things. So, being brave I decided to sample a random pre-packed selection of raw-fish Sush goodness. I ran off home, all very excited and hungry too. I dipped the first piece into the soya sauce and very delicately applied some wasabi using the chopsticks provided.

The explosions of flavour were awesome - yet still I couldn't see what all the hype is about - so I faked it!

That should explain the 'chopstick' part of the title.

The following day I thought that I would employ my culinary talents and create some mean boiled eggs. I did so, boiling those eggs to perfection.

I did the whole 'crack the egg open with the teaspoon move' mushed it all up and applied it to some bread. Boiled egg on bread, just like bunny chow, this is what I'm more au fait with. This is the life I know... :)

Hello World

2008-02-04T17:17:00.000+02:00

I know that I've been very scarce lately, looking back, I don't really know why. I did experience a tremendous amount of writers block, which I still seem to be suffering from, in spite of it however, i thought that I would just get this one post out.

More Travel: I want this year to be full of travel adventures for me. I was bitten last year, by the proverbial travel bug on my trip to Holland. I notice that the people with the most interesting stories are the ones that have lived out of the country or have done much travel abroad. I want to sit in a bar over a pint of Guinness one day, talk of tales of helping migrant workers cross the borders out of oppression... or something that sounds vaguely entertaining or even

Losing money: I have been trading forex online with some forex website i found last year. Things in this department have not been altogether successful. As i type this, I am US$ 8 down - not good, especially since i was down $ 25 dollars on Friday. I know and understand the risks, I am not the gambling type, but i remain hopeful.

Making friends: I feel a need to know more people. I like people and I like going out with people. Problem however, is that all my guy friends seem to be getting married. That means less boys nights for me, due to more romancing from them... Go boys...

Heres wishing a great 2008 (albeit Feb) for all those who may come across this blog, regualr and non-regular alike.

Sebagos

2007-11-23T20:44:00.000+02:00

As I walked in the shopping mall today, trying to change a pair of over-sized jeans, I couldn't help but notice a pair of Sebago Docksides. My gosh, an instant feeling of nostalgia as I walked back into the store that I had just exited from.

Sebagos were the epitome of 'cool kid'. Sebagos were like the cocaine of footwear.. in price that is!

It was a while before I got my first (and only) pair of Sebagos back in 95, wine red 'Classics'. I wore them for church almost every Sunday, with chocolate brown Dickies, brown check shirt and stretch Paris belt.

I was the cool kid for a while, while I could fit into a size seven shoe. I'll never forget the handmade craftsmanship, the smell of the leather, like a brand new car - the smell that never faded.

It's funny how I coveted those shoes until my dad bought me a pair one year. I saw them today and smiled. I can afford them on my own now, but if I were to buy them, I assure you, it would only be to feel like I did back in 95...

What the ...

2007-11-16T12:14:00.000+02:00

This being 25 is still rather traumatic for me. I'm a quarter of a century old for goodness sake. I should know by now what I like, I should know by now what I want to achieve. Instead, it seems that I am experiencing life in a rather hap-hazard way. I should accept responsibility and water the freakin' plants right?

When I was in high school and tech, I always told people that I thrived under pressure - that i enjoyed burning the midnight oil and cramming months of notes the morning before the big exam. Looking back, this was and excuse for laziness and flakiness. I'm just a procrastinator - why should I do it now, when I can do it tomorrow instead?

The reason I admit to this is because in recent weeks I've been feeling an over-whelming amount of work related stress and stress related to social engagements. It feels good to express this right now, so bear with me - hopefully I will get to the point soon. The thing is this, most of my youth was spent swatting, seldom preparing sufficiently but managing to get through. However, being and adult is different - life is not like a school test! The experiences are real. It's not about 'John bounces a ball, how big is the cow?' The tests involve peoples feelings, relationships, friendships. The sad part is, that the major development of who we are, who I am today has taken place a while ago. My characters has been moulded in those days when I was swatting for exams and studying late the night before.

I wonder if I can change who I am? Is it too late?

Round is a shape

2007-11-05T16:09:00.000+02:00

I'm trying to get in shape. I've got the gym membership, I've got the bicycle, I've got the time, damn it, I've even got the towel and sneakers, but I just don't have the motivation to do it. In the past few weeks, I've gained a quite a bit of 'meat around the edges' and I just about resemble a 'chunky monkey'.

I know that I've got to do something, just reading the mens health magazine doesn't quite cut it. I need those hours in the gym. I need to cycle, run, row, push some iron, eat correctly and kick the m&m's...

When I grow big...

2007-11-04T17:31:00.000+02:00

It's Sunday afternoon. This weekend is almost done. In twelve hours or so, I know I'll be battling to wake up, battling to dispel the sleep from my eyes. Tequila, Mojitos and Caipirinhas.

As I battle to find the performance related problems on my moms PC, I think back on the days of my youth. Particularly, what I wanted to be when I grew up - a scientist. I could not imagine anything more exciting than looking inside cells, cloning sheep name Dolly and ending world hunger. Professor Karrim kind of had a nice way of rolling off the tounge. At age twelve, I had a lab coat and a microscope that I took to school for career day. My speech was quite compelling, I'm sure it produced some actual scientists from that class, though not me.

Funny thing is, I don't exactly remember the point that this dream of mine changed. For a short while, I wanted to be a doctor, then it became following a career in computers - which it is today. I don't know if my vocation today really excites me. I'm not too old to change my mind altogether, start a soya bean farm and end world hunger.

my unpopular jersey

2007-10-03T11:35:00.000+02:00

As I drove this morning in traffic, something made me remember an unpopular jersey I used to wear in high-school. Unpopular for reasons I could not fathom.

The jersey was in fact a maroon Izod Lacoste cardigan. It had belonged to my great-grandmother; though it was a mens cardigan (she was a bigger than average individual). My friends hated this jersey, I don't know if it was because it had no shape on me, or because of the over-sized buttons or because of it's colour. Perhaps they were jealous of my almost original jersey... I still wonder.

My grandmother still has that jersey in my wardrobe. I'm willing to sell it to those who are willing to make an offer for it. The unpopularity will follow :)

Is TV worth watching?

2007-09-11T10:38:00.000+02:00

TV is not as it was several years ago. Remember the shows that would get the whole family into the living room between 7 and 8 pm? Remember the shows such as The A-Team, Airwolf, Major Dad, MacGyver and Telefun-Quiz?

South African broadcasters have lost the quality of its international content. Perhaps the revenue they generate is not enough for good, entertaining programming. Local TV is seriously suffering due to a lack imagination and creativity especially in the Reality TV genre. There are no new concepts it seems, which will bring the viewers coming back for more.

The first season of a local ‘rip off’ show seems to do relatively well – look at Survivor South Africa, Big Brother South Africa and The Apprentice – all did relatively well in the first season.

Series’ such as Lost, Desperate Housewives and Greys Anatomy all seem to do well, so much so that SABC is now airing the first season of Desperate Housewives as their rivals MNET did some years before them.

Locally produced documentaries, 3rd degree, Carte Blanche and Special Assignment, are worth watching - our investigative journalism still pulls in the few that are dedicated to local content.

I see a great opportunity for those adventurous enough to give us some new Reality TV, some new soapies and some new talk shows – locally ‘manufactured’ of course.

New Shoe Syndrome

2007-08-30T17:04:00.000+02:00

got a new pair of shoes the other day - black work shoes. wearing them made me feel so good about myself. it's an awesome feeling wearing a new pair of shoes for the first time. the way you walk, so as not to get the shoes all creased and you walk to try to preserve the sole...

Bachelor

2007-08-22T11:28:00.000+02:00

I’ve moved into my own place about two weeks ago – the bachelor life has finally begun for me. Initially, I was apprehensive – not knowing what to expect, the possible responsibility (switching the lights off, not forgetting the bath water running), fear, uncertainty and doubt. To be honest though, it’s one of the most exciting things I’ve done. It’s awesome being in a space that’s entirely my own. I’ve tried my hand at the cooking thing and surprisingly, it’s working out fine for me so far. Shopping for groceries is exciting but shopping for consumer electronics – even more so (Any excuse to by the new Sony LCD)!

In my stay alone so far, I see that food is expensive, that cooking involves more time and effort that I actually thought.

Snooze Syndrome

2007-08-14T12:46:00.000+02:00

Funny how easy it is to form a bad habit. I have a terrible habit, waking up in the morning, only to snooze my cell phone or alarm clock until the last second and normally until it's too late. I know for certain that I'm not the only one who suffers with this. It takes 7 days to develop a bad habit they say, 21 days to break it. I need to actively apply myself to breaking this... Looking for tips...

In Search Of Self - 404 error self not found

2007-07-30T13:25:00.000+02:00

I don't know what it is, I don't know how to handle it. There are somethings about myself that I've recently learned and some other things that I have not yet discovered.

I haven't found myself, I don't know who I am. I'm not comfortable around myself. Sometimes I even feel trapped inside my own mind. It's really very weird. One would think that in 25 years, I'd be OK with who I am - well, not yet.

I've had my own place for four months now and yet I still haven't moved out - kinda like the guy in the movie "Failure to Launch". I know that if I am on my own, I will have to deal with and come to terms with myself.

At some other stage in my life, back when I was at tech, I was completely fine with my being. I was confident and people could tell. As I grew, I thought that so would my confidence - but it hasn't. As we age, some events occur that so brutally dent our confidence, build and restructure our character traits and change our personalities. These events either make us stronger or make us weaker - but whatever they do, they teach us a little more about ourselves.

I don't know what it is, I don't know how to handle it, but I feel that I haven't quite come to terms with who I am just yet...

People Know People

2007-07-13T15:17:00.000+02:00

Ever noticed how when you're in need of a service, someone you know always happens to know someone who can help?

Example - I need to service my car, I tell Waseem, Waseem tells me he has an uncle named Ivan who can hook me up for half the price that the registered mechanics can do the job for. Or if I'm shopping for a TV, John tells me that he has a cousin who once worked for a shop where he still has a contact that can get cost price on said TV.

I don't know many people in the business of acquiring things - legally or otherwise. My point is just that if you ask around, you're bound to get someone who can hook with what you're looking for, for a little cheaper than at the shops.

Train The Brain

2007-07-11T17:26:00.000+02:00

I want to stop my brain from becoming lazy, but how do I do it? Do I read more, shall I study wikipedia? I've decided to start increasing my dexterity by improving the use of my right brain. At this moment, it simply involves using my left hand more often, more mouse clicking, more left handed cell phone usage.

When Last

2007-07-10T13:24:00.000+02:00

When last have you sat to watch the rain as it falls? When last have you taken a moment to smell a flower and appreciate it or even chase a butterfly? When last have you danced carelessly in the rain? When last did you pick a wild flower from the garden? When last did hop as you walked? When last did you skip with a rope? When last did you make a cardboard house? When last have you been absolutely free, uninhibited by your the opinions of others, uninhibited by your opinions of yourself? When you you last live, last kiss, last love?

Working

2007-07-08T01:07:00.000+02:00

So here I am, working at one of our bigger clients. It's more like I'm keeping the client company though.

The Secret

2007-07-03T15:55:00.000+02:00

Recently, my mom introduced me to a book called 'The Secret'. I'm not normally into the Depak Chopra type reads, but this teaches the philosophy of positive thinking, combined with the universal law of attraction. My problem was, until now, that I like to see tangible evidence of these philosophies and 'unproven' sciences. I got to reading it and it seems quite interesting. It teaches how 'things' are attracted to those who desire them... Sounds strange, I know, but credible people have all testified to it's efficacy. I gona give it a try.

Decision

2007-07-03T13:17:00.000+02:00

Due to an abundant number of comments and emails relating to my previous post (two in total) - I will no longer be resigning from blogging.

The Rumours

2007-07-02T16:09:00.000+02:00

The rumors are that I am dead, that I spontaneously combusted and my ashes were swept under the carpet. To all those who have been sending emails, wondering if this was true, I assure you, it's not.

The liver transplant was not successful. The bovine liver which was destined for me was rejected by my body. My health worsened and... forget it... I'm deleting this blog...

Indoor Cycling

2007-06-14T17:00:00.000+02:00

I impulsively purchased an indoor cycling trainer yesterday. It's been a while since I rode my bike and I've really missed it. Now thats it's winter, it makes good sense getting one. Check out my pictures.

Cheap Puffy Chips

2007-06-13T15:52:00.000+02:00

One of those days, feeling nostalgic, wishing for the chips that the old lady would sell to us, from outside the school, through the wire fences. The chips we all know, which were sometimes brown, sometimes red, but most often, bright orange. These chips contained too much preservatives and tartrazine and would make us a little 'weird' after eating them at break. The same lady would sometimes sell toffee-apples and sweets that were too high in unnatural sugars, the kind of sweets which induce addiction, yet we were still to young to notice. The sour sweets that were available on Tuesdays, helped develop the first of many recurring ulcers in many children, not forgetting the premature ageing and slight balding.

Altogether though, we were much more liberal in our eating habits than what we are now. We didn't get fat... our metabolism would just not allow that.

Furnishing Begins

2007-06-11T11:42:00.000+02:00

Saturday saw the arrival of my first items for my flat/town house - my couches. The bed was also delivered, but I had to send it back because the base of the bed couldn't fit into the room.

Liberated Soul

2007-06-01T19:07:00.000+02:00

Ever walk in shopping mall and felt like nothing could take away your good mood? Ever wander down the office corridors, without a care in the world, feeling free, happy and liberated? As you walk people look at you and think, "Why the hell is he so darn jolly?" Today, I had an extra bit of silly grin on my face, an extra bit of taste-for-life. Yesterday, saw me feeling kinda sad, kinda emotional, but today, I swept that sadness away, looked out the window and smiled! I feel liberated! It's no use wasting precious earth-minutes being sad,live life and experience it.

granny of the electonic age

2007-05-29T14:52:00.000+02:00

i was so very surprised to receive an email from my grand-mother, the mother of my mother. again, let me mention that this is an email from my granny, a woman who has never before used a computer, a women who watched movies at a place called the 'bioscope' and had to watch tv in black and white. shes 70 something years old and i think that it's amazing that she's getting with the times.

76% Nerd

2007-05-25T12:08:00.000+02:00

I took a test that I stumbled upon and it confirms that I'm a partial nerd. You can take the test yourself at www.nerdtests.com. My results were as follows:

Overall, you scored as follows:

23% scored higher (more nerdy),
1% scored the same, and
76% scored lower (less nerdy).

What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:

Mid-Level Nerd. Wow, it takes a lot of hard nerdy practice to reach this level.

Retraction - Save The Ozone - Eat A Cow

2007-05-23T10:24:00.000+02:00

Due to an anonymous comment posted in response to 'Save The Ozone - Eat a Cow' I formally retract that post. Vegetarians, Vegans, Hindus and Buddhists are upset and I would like to stabilise the balance that once was.

cool sneaks

2007-05-22T15:01:00.000+02:00

How cool are these sneakers? I wouldn't really mind the Goofey (non pun intended) ones.

Black Pants Phenomenon

2007-05-21T14:21:00.000+02:00

Are black pants like magnets that attract every little piece of white lint, fluff and dust in the universe? More specifically, is this a characteristic only of my black pants? In a shop, black pants never seem to have lint, fluff or dust stuck to them. So, is it only in my wardrobe that dust exists? How do I reverse the polarity of my pants to make them repel dust?

Save the Ozone - Eat a Cow

2007-05-21T10:00:00.000+02:00

Fact, cows fart methane. Fact, methane is a contributor to global warming. My solution, eat more cows. If we had the vegetarians, vegans, Buddhists and Hindus of the world on our side, we would be able to reduce lethal methane emissions.

Converging Products

2007-05-16T08:44:00.000+02:00

Fridges that have a TV in their doors have been around for some time now. It's really weird that manufactures have integrated these two things. Ideas like these, I believe were conceived by Dilbert and his fellow engineers. I have been thinking, trying to see what other completely useless ideas I could come up with for manufactures to develop.

Computers with a built in braai (I love to surf the internet while braai-ing)
Shoes with a built in polisher and shiner
A bicycle with a water cooler
A toilet with a submerged LCD screen

About Me

2007-05-09T09:31:00.000+02:00

I love life. I enjoy the outdoors, the feeling of being free, the smell of the grass after it's just been cut. I love waking up to fresh brewed coffee, the sound of birds as they fight for food. I like the sound of rain as it falls during a thunder storm. I like to look out the window and breathe mist and draw little shapes on it. I don't really like to sing in the shower, I like to hum and whistle though. I like to dip peanut butter and jam sandwiches into my coffee. I like hot chocolate on cold days, warm socks and blankets while watching movies with no story line. I wake up to the sounds of 5fm every morning and fall asleep when my eyes can't stay open any longer. I don't like the busy, morning, Johannesburg traffic, so I listen to music to soothe me. I like to wear sneakers on weekends, shorts and sweaters. I like my hair short, but I used to have an afro. I laugh and smile and cry sometimes. I like to write my own random musings sometimes and read those of others often.

Fever Blisters

2007-05-04T09:39:00.000+02:00

In three weeks, I woke up with my fourth fever blister...

Funny Pepsi Ad

2007-05-03T16:44:00.000+02:00

Perfectly Proportioned Donut Hole - A reply

2007-05-03T15:06:00.000+02:00

I sent an email off to a Statistics lecturer. He was helpful in letting me know that I was completely off track...

Original Letter:

Hi Lecturer

I wonder if you could point me in the right direction please...

I've been trying to find some information relating to donuts on the internet and particularly the mathworld.wolfram.com website. My question is this, "Is there a perfect proportion between inner and outer donut circumferences?" I found information regarding the torus at http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Torus.html but nothing on in relating to what I search for... I think.

I know that this is a geometry type question, but I hope that you can help in some small way.

Reply:

I’m not aware of any ideas of “perfection” relating to tori. There has been a lot of work (both mathematical, psychological and artistic) on the aesthetic preference for geometric figures divided according to the “golden ratio”. I’m not sure if this ratio has any influence in respect to tori. Certainly there are aspects of topology that distinguish different tori according to the difference in proportion of the circumferences that you mention but that isn’t my area at all! I wonder what a doughnut with a golden ratio of the outer to inner circumefrence would look like? My feeling is that it would probably be quite fat. Not sure. Maybe read up on the golden ratio (or Google both) and see what you find!

Lecturer

Hectic Social Life

2007-05-01T12:29:00.000+02:00

Already a new month, already almost halfway through the year. Oh boy, time flies...

Of late, I've found my social life steadily increasing. It's been great going out, staying out late and sometimes, even on work nights. Cocktails, shooters and wine, toasts, celebrations! Things are not as hectic as they were during the time that I was 18 or and at tech, but way better than a few months ago. Even though winter is looming, we still find time and opportunity to go out and have us a good time...

Where Metro Borders Homo

2007-04-30T13:26:00.000+02:00

Question posed, can a modern day guy be a metrosexual man, without being ridiculed and called a homosexual? If a man uses a dedicated brand of face cream instead of body lotion, goes to a hair-dresser instead of the barber-shop or knows the difference between aubergine and purple does it imply something about his sexual orientation?

Mens magazines, in fact, advertise and market themselves to encourage male grooming. Anti-ageing face creams, post shaving cream are now more popular than ever before. GQ magazine, May 2007, page 25, shows a man holding a Louis Vuitton satchel (man-bag). Media encourage metrosexaulity yet society distort this an make the poor guy seem gay. A nice frilly shirt is now regarded as a 'man blouse'.

I know that the end of your neck-tie should be midway through your belt-buckle. I know that your tie should be two shades darker than your shirt and that under no circumstances should your socks be white Michael.

Going to enjoy my body massage now...

Perfectly Proportioned Donut Hole

2007-04-30T11:12:00.000+02:00

I've been thinking about donuts again, about the caramel topped ones, with the sprinkles on them, the iced ones and the chocolate ones... mmmmm... mouth-watering goodness with all the unhealthy toppings that we've all come to love and expect.

My affinity towards donuts comes from the hole that gives a donut its unique appearance. I want to know if there is any particular size that the circumference of the center hole must be, in proportion the the outer circumference.

If anyone can help, please post a comment.

shouts to Darren

2007-04-26T09:22:00.000+02:00

Congratulations buddy on achieving your BComm Degree. It's a great achievement and you should be very proud. Heres wishing you great success in the future. It's been long and I wish that you now reap the rewards and bennefits

The World Before Technology

2007-04-26T08:35:00.000+02:00

Imagine life without the internet, cell phones, computer and instant messaging... Well, imagine no more, all you have to do is remember...

Think back to the 80's and 90's, when cellphones were the size of bricks, computers were IBM gray, monitors had up to four colours and were too expensive and IM existed in the form of 'Win-Popup', if you were fortunate enough to have Windows 95 and not MS-DOS.

Things have changed dramatically and yet most people don't even use most of the applications at their disposal.

Shouts to my homies from Durban

2007-04-25T14:53:00.000+02:00

Shouts to Klonks - He know the score to the Man game, 3-2! Go Klonks.
Shouts to Waseem ,he knows how to program and he has a nice office and his boss is lazy. Good thing lazy boss is resigning.

Over-enthusiasmness

2007-04-23T09:07:00.000+02:00

Has anyone ever got to work on a Monday morning and said, "Geez, that weekend was too long. I wish I could've come back yesterday morning"?

If yes, then that person suffers with 'over-enthusiasmness' - a sad and debilitating disease which leads to premature hair loss, greying, aging, extreme caffeine addiction, and irritable-bowel syndrome.

Watch out for these symptoms. Over-enthusiasmness is treatable and curable.

Dynamic Young Individual

2007-04-20T10:17:00.000+02:00

What exactly do employment agencies mean when they require a "Dynamic Young Individual" for a certain job offer? What causes confusion for me is the term dynamic. Dynamic is defined as (according to www.answers.com) 1) "Characterized by continuous change, activity, or progress" and 2) "Possessing, exerting, or displaying energy" among others.
So my findings are such, that a young guy or girl must be a bit off the rockers, bounce off the walls but must progress... I think...! I'm gona try it out and see what happens.

Cloning And Gene Splitting for Dummies

2007-04-19T13:53:00.000+02:00

Just an idea of a book I want to write - 'Cloning And Gene Splitting for Dummies'

MCS and OCS - yet another random thought

2007-04-18T08:36:00.000+02:00

Do Middle Child - and Only Child Syndrome really exist? Do older siblings often get the greater amount of love and affection? Do middle children really have to bite the ears of their younger brothers and sisters for some attention? Do middle children really care?

Youth - Revisited

2007-04-17T17:12:00.000+02:00

Ok, I'm safely back in Joburg since Saturday already. I've kept on forgetting to make this post, maybe even putting it off. I started a new job yesterday and so far, so good.

Being in Durban gave me a chance to re-awaken my youth, to rejuvinate my spirit. I saw many old friends, enjoying life, living recklessly and irresponsibly; just as a 20-something year old should. I looked and compared myself to my mates and realised how I've matured, how I've lost touch with my youth. Like everyone in Joburg, work becomes an obsession, a distractintion, a neccessary evil (right now I'm at the office, typing over my new IBM T60 (hehehe)). I can't imagine going out on a Thursday night anymore, yet my friend Clyde did it - with no regrets. He played vast amounts of house music, in fact, only house music while we were in his car. He drove without a seatbelt and encouraged me to do the same, something I haven't done in ages. It felt great... as the bass pumped out of his single sub-woofer in his VW Golf 'Velo'!

House music, bass, some beers, we went to a pool hall with Karaoke! I ended-up humming to some slim Shady track I don't recall.

Oh ja, not to forget the vast amounts of slang we through around.
'Ekse bra, I'm at the pozie, kla dressed, waiting for you to pick me up. Gaai me a missed call when you almost here. Lukker'

All in all, Durban was great. I had a chance to let my hair down and realise that I'm still a kid at heart.

One Last Word Before I Go

2007-04-10T18:57:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow I leave in search of redemption, a lost innocence, inspiration, happiness and fulfilment . Incense will burn as virgin maids dance, sing and chant my name and wish me well on my voyage. This is not the journey foretold about monkeys and kung-fu, but a time out in search of peace, balance and the understanding of this life we have in this vessel that is our body, with breath, a heart beat and a soul. I feel as if I've been divided my zero, so some time out would be nice.

Watch this s p a c e !

Desparate Times - Trying to make a mil

2007-04-10T11:14:00.000+02:00

I need some cash! I've decided to sell some things that are of sentimental and a cash value to me. They will be auctioned to the highest bidder or sold for fair price. The items are:

Abrown leather, Italian wallet (made in china) containing R82.55 and various receipts
A Samsung D500 cell phone battery
A Norton Internet Security 2005 CD + Expired License key
A wet wipe (in silver packaging) and brown sugar from News Cafe (both have never been used)
A single golf sock
A leather bound diary from 2006 - never used, good condition
A stone from a copper mine in Zambia

These items have a great history and also some amazing stories behind them. I will accept all email offers and will try to place them on an online auction type store.

Good Friday and Pickled Fish

2007-04-08T12:08:00.000+02:00

In respect of the crusifiction of our Christ and keeping with tradition, on this Friday past, many families ate fish and seafood. We were lucky enough (as we are every year) to have had pickled fish - hake with pickling things, like onions and vinegar.

So we ate well on Friday, went to my cousins place and had prawns, calamari rings, line fish, and more pickled fish. We had left-overs on Saturday, but by then, flatulence had caught up. Not a single soul who ate fish could say that he or she did not FART! I'm talking crazy amounts of fishy, smelly gas, with a hint of onion flavour. It was terrible. Everyone was in denial, but we all know that "The one who denied it fried it"

Night at the Drags

2007-04-08T11:57:00.000+02:00

I went to the legal drags on Wednesday night, well, only legal to the point of it being regulated. The entire experience was awesome, the cars, the bikes, the crowds of people, donuts, drifting and racing. It's a Wednesday night gathering of cult proportion. A frenzy of people cheering and screaming for who they believe will emerge the victor or the favourite to melt his engine in the BMW donuts.

For the first time I saw with my own eyes how a guy spins a car, gets out of it and stands away from it, while it continues to spin in a precise, controlled motion, making the donut shapes on the floor as tires melt and screech as the rubber disintegrates. He then jumps back into the car through the sun-roof, into the back seat, out the rear door, then back into the drivers seat. Crowd goes wild!

It was quite an exilerating experience - even though I did not partake in any activity myself.

Police and Donuts

2007-04-02T17:38:00.000+02:00

I'm sure its just a stereotype that police enojoy donuts. I've never actually seen a local police person eat a donut, though I have seen them scoffing down a Nandos' half-chicken meal. Although donuts are easily available from Pick n Pay or Checkers-Hyper, it's probably too time consuming to get out and buy some (from the po-po's point of view). It's much more satisfying harrasing innocent old ladies into buying them some Nandos for driving in the yellow line instead.

I'm gona keep my eyes open and look out for the po-po either eating or buying donuts. I'm not gona dedicate my life to following this cause, though I think it will become an interesting pasttime.

Making money on the internet

2007-03-29T16:30:00.000+02:00

I've read numerous articles about making money on the internet. A wise guy (not to be confused with a made guy) comes up with some new idea to make a stack of cash, buy selling pixels on a website and becomes a millionaire overnight or something else ridiculous. I think that it's my inablity to think outside the 'proverbial box' that limits my wealth (considering the pixel idea ridiculous).

So, I'm open to suggestions on how to become an internet millionaire. Is there some generic code that I can copy and paste then upload and manage to draw countless people to buy my invisibiluty potion or what ever I have to sell? Perhaps I'll sell my profound knowledge of google to some internet addict not willing to learn the tricks himself. How do I do it? How do I manage to pull it off and complent my income? What idea, technique, method or secret works specifically for the South African waiting to become the next rich kid on the block?

There's lots of books on making money on the internet by clever marketing but nothing specific to South Africa. South Africans are not such liberal spenders as their North American or European counterparts. They are all so afraid of marketing a buiness on the internet. Look at Kalahari.net (not a programming language) or Bid or Buy for example. Half the time you never get what you want. So in that case I just order from Amazon.com or Ebay making several Americans wealthier.

So, patiently I wait for the idea to present itself to my minds eye - the money maker.

Fighting the Proxy

2007-03-28T11:42:00.000+02:00

It seems that when I'm not battling with Google to get a better page ranking, then its my companies proxy servers that I'm battling with. I think the guys that administer the network here are afraid of Firefox. I installed an addon called foxyproxy to allow me to change and fine tune my internet access. It's working but it's given me grief since 9 am.

Thinking too much

2007-03-28T10:07:00.000+02:00

As a youth, I always thought that I thought too much. I wanted to grow up to become a thinker, a philosopher. I had great dreams of being paid vast sums of money for my opinion and my thoughts. I thought that my ideas were so extraordinary that i could become an academic. Unfortuantely for me however, I soon realised that there were people smarter than me... much smarter than me. I abandonned my dream of philosophy to persue a career in Information Technology instead. Now, as a 'normal' citizen of society, I search for fullfilment in my career. My job is rewarding, but I'm still in search for an extradordinary idea that will change the lives of the others.

Time for coffee...

Panic at the Music Store

2007-03-27T18:21:00.000+02:00

I was recently at the music store. After moving from the Rap section, I entered the Rock section only to find that what I was looking for, doesn't exist in the rock section, but in the Alternative section. I wondered why this was - I sincerely thought that "Foo Fighters" and "The Killers" would be classified as rock. Goes to show how little I know.

Arch Nemesis

2007-03-27T17:49:00.000+02:00

In the underworld of blogging and the fame that follows, my high priest Waseem has started his blog. My converts are now becoming his. He learned the internet well, but is now passing this information onto them - at no charge!

Do not make this a competition Mr. Sinister... for I know where you once ate your lunch! I link Ever Great!

Driving to Durban

2007-03-26T17:03:00.001+02:00

As all South Africans know, the drive to Durban from Johannesburg is around 600 km long. I drove down to see my grandparents after work on Friday, arrived at 01h30 on Saturday morning and returned late on Sunday night.

I was thrilled to be back home, I hadnt seen the old folks in a while. I was not able to contain myself at all... not that I cried, but it was a feeling of utter happiness - like the dancing penguin in Happy Feet, yeah, thats how I felt.

I saw my dad, cousins and aunts. I 'met up' with some friends who had dropped out of touch. We laughed and sat around on power boxes and leaned against street poles.

Pictures to follow...

Tips to a better bowling game

2007-03-21T11:49:00.001+02:00

After a great and awesome bowling victory, I thought that I would publish my tips on how to beat others at bowling. As my loyal readers know, I am a cyclist by heart. I haven't ridden for a while now though, but anyways, thats beside the point.

Here are the rules

Rule 1: Don't be fancy - use orthodox bowling technique

My brother Ryan lost because he was trying to be too fancy. He had combed his hair into a little Mohawk and he was trying to impress the ladies in the next lane. He lost!

You may ask, "What is the orthodox bowling technique?"

It's the technique that I use! I learned it watching '70s style comedies.

Rule 2: Become one with your lane

A simple self explanatory rule. I learned this one from an episode of "The Simpsons" where Marge was considering an affair with a pro-bowler.

Know how you lane pulls your ball left or right, so when you bowl you can compensate for this. My girlfriend Mummy did not follow this rule and her balls ended up in the gutters (but not as often as Ryan's - go baby)

Rule 3: Don't let the celebrities of local sports shows and his entourage distract you

Kerwin's game went from A to J. It was the ladies in the adjacent lane. Don't get fooled - just don't look!

Rule 4: Keep confident.

This rule is one I took from a "Shield" antiperspirant ad. Bowling is a psychological game. Mess with the minds of your competitors. My girlfriend thought that I jinxed her. This lowered her confidence and allowed me to win easily with four strikes.

Rule 5: Play with a ball that fits you nicely

As Kerwin discovered, your technique is nothing if your thumb cannot be promptly released from the ball. One of two things can happen in this situation - both involving Newtons laws of motions. Your thumb goes with the ball, so does the rest of your body - or your thumbs snaps off as in a horror move would portray.

Ok, so those are my rules, which probably will not work. I've only ever used them once and they are also very dependant on whether there is a local sports prsenter with an entourage in the adjacent lane.

Being less than the poop under a shoe

2007-03-16T13:44:00.000+02:00

Ever imagined what it would feel like to be less than the poop under a shoe? Well, I have imagined that what it would feel like. Today is such a day. Two weeks ago to the day, I resigned from my 'new' job at Dimension Data. I have a two week notice period, so, this is the day that I am due to leave. Funny however, that in this two week period, I have become as popular as haemoroids (or hemorrhoids). People don't socially engage me, just to chat. Occasionally there will be the morning greeting, but mostly out of guilt.

I'm waiting now for the exit interview, which I requested via mail some days ago. However, it hasn't happend yet or even been acknowledged, I mean, why would 'poop' request a meeting?

Well, thats just my feeling, at least I still have my.... um... ability to transform myself into different shapes and colours depending on the situation and my ability to transcend to alternate areas plains of existence at will.

Can't wait to get home.

Words to sweep the ladies off their feet

2007-03-14T16:26:00.000+02:00

The Rosetta Stone for some of the sexiest things to say, to get a lady to notice you

My girlfriend hooked me up with these pickup lines that are very well know in Soweto and apparently also generally very successful. So, to impress the ladies, you don't need a shiny medallion and chest hair. Just use these lines...

While talking to the lady of your choice, include these words:

Thambo lam' le Kentucky - my Kentucky bone

Ngiya qwala ngawe - With you I get full

Sumbrela sam' se langa - My umbrella for the sun

Ngik'thanda nom'uvhutha baby - I love you even when you are in flames baby

S'tofu sam' sama lahle - my coal stove

Ku chitekha ama dus'bini - Dust bins just fall by themselves (in your presence)

Shumi lam' (my 1 Rand)

Dudlu Dwadla - a phrase used to get the attention of a chubby, sexy lady...

Slender never gets tired, tired by mistake, mistake by people, people with jelasi (just a saying, not to sure what context this is used in)

Scotch never die - The ladies retort if a guy is wearing a check shirt, girls will tease him by saying this!

So, hope this helps...

Things in progress

2007-03-12T14:11:00.000+02:00

I started reading Hitlers Mein Kampf last night. I didn't get very far, though it's a start. I want to understand why he thought it smart to persecute and entire race of people. On this list of my current reads, goes A long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela as well. These are the serious books, as well as a whole lot of Bicycling mags and a stack of various study manuals.

I've also being considering completing my BTech this year. I've been asking around for information as to how this can be done. However, it will only be in June that I can make a start.

I called my father last week to express my excitement at buying my own house. In his heart, I'm sure he was happy for me, but it wasn't the type of excitement that one would expect from a father. I wasn't too disappointed, but was kinda hoping that he would be a little more proud.

Restoring Sanity

2007-03-08T08:57:00.000+02:00

I wish that life would be as simple as we’ve all become accustomed to. I wish that we could highlight a situation, right click, cut - and the problem would go away. On pay day, we would simply highlight our pay-slip and use the ‘make bigger’ function.

Sanity could easily be restored in a hectic office with the ‘Restore Sanity, or ‘Make My Boss Disappear’ button function.

Come to think of it, this would be similar to the movie click. I didn’t watch it, but from the previews I’ve seen, I imagine it to be quite similar to Restore Sanity function I wish I had!

Ranting and Raving

2007-02-28T14:00:00.000+02:00

It is indeed a cruel world! Firslty, I had to use internet explorer to log in to my blog today. Normally I use Firefox 2.0 but unfortuantely i keep getting "HTTP Status 503 - Servlet NewFrontend is currently unavailable" errors. I don't really know what it means, but I'm certain that it is because of an Apache Helicopter or a Tomcat Fighter Jet - the F-14! The error is along the lines of Apache Tomcat/4.1.24, so that is what I base my assumptions on. It's the American Navy.

I did say 'firstly', so I guess you're waiting with baited breath for a 'secondly'. Sorry to dissapoint!

Number 2 on the list of why this is a cruel world, is because of the parents of the abandoned kids that we visit over the weekends. It's really sad that parents leave their kids sometimes withouth ever having seen their child - sad!

Finally and thirdly - is the De Larey song. It drives me nuts, wink wink!

My Girlfriend

2007-02-26T16:48:00.000+02:00

Here is a picture of my girlfriend that I always mention - Baby, this is your moment of glory. I was kinda hoping to show her broken and beaten up toe - but I realised that some readers may be sensitive to that type of gore, snot and tears....

Exploding Calves

2007-02-26T10:02:00.000+02:00

In my fight to become a world class athlete and win the Le Tour de France, I spent some time at the gym over the weekend. Anyone who has seen me wearing short pants, know how thin and frail my legs are. These people will tell me that I'm crazy to try to become a cyclist.

At the gym, overcome with enthusiasm, I overworked my calves. Today, I had to drag myself into the office with my arms. I'm in so much pain, I think that I'm going to the chemist to go and pop some voltaren.

Cheers for now.

Waiver of Cult Membership fee

2007-02-21T08:00:00.000+02:00

To all who may have been interested in joining a cult, considered mine, then changed their minds due to the fact that I was asking for a monthly subscription fee, good news - the fee has now been dropped.

I was hoping to use the money to substitute my income - but that is no where near my target... in fact its still zero... tying in nicely with my blog viewership/readership numbers.

I have not been writing for awhile, give a guy a break for going down the road less traveled.

Taking up all applicants now - without a fee...

Become a Delonist - Follow the cult of Delonism!

Green Tea and Blue Pee

2007-02-20T18:04:00.000+02:00

On a recent out of body experience, my mind wondered to the Himalayas where I met with the Dali Lama. I was very surprised at his plush and lavish lifestyle – one that would embarrass the Sultan of Brunei. ‘Dals’ as he’s more affectionately known, got one of his child labourers to make me some chai green tea with a hint of cinnamon and some lemon. Traveling through the ether solely with mind power can be quite tiresome, so the tea was most welcome.

As I was sipping my tea, there was a knock on the door – it was the Pope (the one who replaced John Paul II – and no one can remember his name). He came to ‘Dals’ seeking advice. Apparently he had upset some Muslims. Now ‘Dals’ did not take to this lightly. This Pope – lets call him Benny, was about to start some ‘sh** up in here’ and have a Jihad on his hands. So, ‘Dals’ presented him with two options – kinda like the options that Neo was presented by Morpheus.

The dialogue that followed was exactly this:

“You take the blue pill, the story ends here, you wake up and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill you stay in wonderland and I'll show you just how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

Suffice to say that Benny chose the blue pill and issued a public apology.

I returned to my physical body and proceeded to urinate a pale shade of blue…

The Occult

2007-01-24T11:54:00.000+02:00

The Vision
In my quest for greatness, glory and recognition, I have decided to start my own cult. I have had a vision, brought upon me by the 'Prophets of the Ether' while I was browsing a Deepak Chopra book in the philosophy section of the bookstore, and foresee great power, wealth and greatness to all who follow me. I require a syndicate of followers who will be loyal to the cause and open to new ideas.

So, what is the cause?
The cult encourages creativity, intellectual stimulation, education and dedication.The cult does not look favourably upon dumb people or people who have never used the internet.

Requirements
We encourage free thinking, the willingness to learn, a level of litercay and also require you to join a library and pay monthly $1.00 subsriptions to me via bank transfer. Details will be provided upon joining.

Joining
Joining is done by clicking on 'Post Comment'. Join the cult, feel the enlightenment.

In the words of the cult - there is no knowledge that is not power...

(Evil laugh goes here)

Writing what I like

2007-01-18T15:22:00.000+02:00

Writeres Block
I'm puzzled. For weeks I've been suffering with writers block. Often I find myslef struggling for interesting content, for content that other people would enjoy reading. And in this writing slum, comes the constant dissapointment when I receive my weekly web stats, and see that my readership is down (honestly though, its never been above 6 views on any day) or worse - nil!

The few loyal readers I've had have asked me to change the content, to move away from talking about technology too much or things that other people don't find interesting. 'I write what I like' but then no-one will read. I write what other people want to hear about any maybe, just maybe readership will improve - let's see how that goes?

Major Annoyance
I've been receiving spam mail from across the world. From Netherlands, India, Turkey and Poland to name just a millionth. Only recently have I started trying to determine where they come from. I'm like the HAM radio folks who plot a map of the origins of people they communicate with.

Night At the Pub
Last night my buddy and I decided to do the hectic night at the pub on a weekday night thing. Oooh, it was bad! My buddy and I were going well, drinks were flowing. The last drink was a very Long Island Ice Tea - woooo weeee. It did the trick. This was the one after having had it, you realise you shouldn't have had! I went to my girlfriends place thereafter, with drunken 'expectations.' All i got was to hug the toilet bowel. Not a pretty experience.

Due to the street lights being out in every part of the city today - I'm going home now. Hopefully it will be a pleasant experience.

The Online Gambler

2007-01-15T20:50:00.000+02:00

As I sat upstairs, looking out my bedroom window, trying to draw inspiation from the moonless night sky, a fly buzzed around my head, so annoying, that I was hardly able to concentrate!

I recently installed some casino software on my PC. All the fun without the risk of losing real money - So far, I've taught myself to play Video Poker, Blackjack and Baccarat. I'm not the gambling type, so, this little suite of games suits me well. Growing up for several years as an only child (my brothers spawned from pumpkins later on), I was only used to playing Solitaire and Rubicks Cube.

I've been considering playing real gambling games online, but I don't have the courage, especially when considering that I'm practicalyl broke. Perhaps I'll try after someone gives me the tips to making big money on the internet.

Cloak and Daggger

2007-01-15T13:03:00.000+02:00

Fisrtly, I just thought that I would mention that my exit from BCX draws closer. My manager just contacted me to schedule the exit interview, something I believe is customary when an employee decides to move. Tension mounts, with my colleagues, with my management and with myself.

My weekend was what i had hoped it would be, relaxing and nothing else. I got a chance to chill with my girlfriend, ride my bike and do all sorts of stuff that would consitute a lazy weekend. I watched a teen movie and slept.

Now, to the 'Cloak and Dagger' stuff. My friend whos name I'm not going to mention (due to certain legalities, legislations and what nots) was being the victim of hate mail. He or she (it's so damn secret, I can't say) was recieving the emails from someone who had claimed to be in the UK. After some forensic investigations, similar to what you may be used to if you watch CSI South Africa, it was determined that the purveyor of said 'hate email' was not in the UK, but in fact at a local site. Futher to this, the site of the criminal was also the person that 'friend' suspected it to be originating from. Mmmm, all very intersting methinks.

Well, writing that story just caused me imense amounts of confusion... Think I'm going out to get myself a berry smoothie.

Untitled until I find an interestingn title

2007-01-12T16:00:00.000+02:00

Since its release I've wanted an Apple Ipod video. That has'nt happend, mostly cause I'm unable to afford it and I haven't been disciplined enough in my saving habits (or spending for that matter).

Now Apple are realesing the iPhone, I want one too, but i can't afford it. But if I calm down, take a deep breath, pick my nose, fart and then reflect - i remember that my entire CD collection consists of only 5 or so CD's. So whats the point, I ask myslef, of having maybe only 20 tracks on an ipod?

I don't like to do the whole bootleg-illegal-rob artists of their income-thing, so i listen to radio instead. It's free and it offers variety, though it doesn't always play my favourite tracks, in which case, I can just change the station. I grew up listening to East Cost Radio (www.ecr.co.za) and Metro FM (www.metrofm.co.za). I now listen to 5 fm (www.5fm.co.za), who offer greater music variety and 702 Talk Radio (www.702.co.za) for talk topics.

Altoghether I guess I'm pretty clued up with the latest music and current affairs.

Send me a link of a non South African radio station to listen to online and broaden my horizons.

Rather the devil you know, than the devil you don't!

2007-01-11T11:29:00.000+02:00

Late last year I handed my resignation letter to my boss. My decision to resign had been an emotional one, but it had to be done - for reasons such as growth, knowledge, change and challenge. My grandfather, retired and old in his beliefs, advised me otherwise. He was the type of guy who had been in the same job for 25 years.

The devil that I'm moving from is Business Connexion. The devil that I'm moving to is Dimension Data. Both very big organizations here in South Africa.

My manager has been trying to get me to reconsider - A futile attempt, but don't tell him that I said that.

Anyways, these are exciting times. the doubt has passed and I look forward only to the new opportunities now.

A Post that is Banned is a Post worth reading

2007-01-10T17:43:00.000+02:00

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The Attack of the Terrorists...

2006-12-19T12:44:00.000+02:00

After having slept at my girlfriends place last night, I was shocked to see that my home had been violated on my return. Some terrorists had successfully managed to throw three half-bricks through my room window. At this point, I would like to mention that I live at home with my folks, so, technically it is their house.

I call them terrorists because their intention was malicious. One brick landed on my bed, one just beyond my my little desk and glass shards (shrapnel) lay everywhere. The brick thrown through my moms office window was just as devastating.

In the movies a note is normally attached to the brick, not this time. The terrorists were obviously having a round of target practice with a hope, just a hope that they could inflict injury. I just say "Thank you God that I'm ok."

The Season to be jolly

2006-12-16T12:40:00.000+02:00

So unbelievably fast Christmas is here once again. Celebrations of jubilation as people begin to get together with families and friends, while the cash flies out of the wallet for the season as people abuse their spending power and purchase all things electronic. What would christmas be without a battery operated toy?

My jubilation comes from my recent aquistion of a property. Technically and honestly speaking, its not altogether mine just yet. Though the seller has accepted my offer to purchase, I still need to wait for my bond to be approved. Ten comes the wait for the legalities to be processed. So, I may only take delivery next year round about March or so.

My cycling was on hold for some time now. I've become so incredibly unfit to the point where i just ride about 2km or so. My intention is to start racing next year, but if I don't pull up my socks, then this is an unrealistic wish.

I should also add that this is my most enthusiastic post for quite some time now. My recent post were only there so that my reader(s) would know that I have not abbandoned them (him). So, hopefully I will be adding content more regularly, it all depends on the season, what transpires that will be interesting enough to post.

Be jolly and in the words of the old country "L'Chaim"

The Italians

2006-12-11T14:34:00.000+02:00

This is a shout out to the Italians for bringing us Italian Coffee, fine tailored clothing and of course, highly engineered, beautifully constructed motor-cars - the Ferrari and the Lamborghini.

Fiat and Alfa-Romeo are, as far as i know, part of the Ferrari stable. Lamborghini however, is now owned by Audi, a German company, who still manage to produce a beautiful Italian sports car.

Ferrari is an icon - it represents the Italian culture. Lamborghini is a beautiful car.

Playing Catchup

2006-12-08T09:17:00.000+02:00

Hello to all my loyal readers and patriots. I have been quiet of late, due to the lack of motivation and interesting content. After my gruelling exams, I guess that I just lost the desire to add any content to my blog.

Nothing interesting has transipired since then, besides my girlfriends toe, which was kicked by an unknown assailant, Mr. X, to pieces, though not literally, but her toe-nail had to be removed!

I aquired a new MTN 3G Data Card, though Mac is too old to recognize it. I complained to my management and they gave me a new IBM T42 instead. That did not work either as I do not have the recovery CD's.

Thats about it - I'm listless. Perhaps I'll find some inspiration on the way.

Shalom

The BCX Christmas Party

2006-11-16T07:03:00.000+02:00

Allow me firstly to welcome myslef back. Having written my last exam on Monday, I now have a little more time on my hands to desparately deliver my blog from the quagmire of unread despair.

Last night my girlfriend and I attended the Business Connexion (BCX) Christmas party. BCX by the way is the organization that I work for. The theme was supposed to be that of a Masquerade Ball. All that I found it to be was drab and dreary. On stage, was a live performance, in the form of 'Denim' - a local South African trio (one member shy of the original quartet). They rocked for a little while before the Steve Hofmeyer type 'treffers' and the songs relating to 'Ek wil huis toe gaan' came on.

The party was a dreary, dull bore from which my exit was swift and earlier than I had planned.

In the colloquial: BCX don't know how to rock a party!

Good Ol' Weekend

2006-10-23T10:13:00.000+02:00

What a weekend! (Don't you find it odd that I started my introduction with a word that insinuates a question, though I end it with an exclamation mark?)

Apart from Michael Shumacher's extraordinary grand finale, I saw my Hindu and Gujarati friends celebrate Diwali (or Dipawali), a celebration of lights, their equivalent to the Christain Christmas. Quite correctly though, I didn't actually see and of my Hindu and Gujarati friends.

Tomorrow, the Muslims celebrate Eid - again its their equivalent of the Christain Christmas. I've always found it quite fascinating how the Muslims judge the position of the moon to the begining of a 30 day fasting period prior to Eid.

We had some friends over for the weekend and had a braai (the South African equivalent of a BBQ [for all my international readers]), enjoyed some exceptional weather and brilliant socialising.

For now - gotta get some work done.

Cheers for now.

My Girl Mummy

2006-10-19T20:33:00.000+02:00

My girlfriends name is Mummy! She's a real hottie! She's taught me some Zulu, though not much. Shes smart and funny, though she says that my jokes are boring. She is currently employed at Nashua Mobile - no, she doesnt fix cell-phones, neither is she going to get you a special deal on the New Samsung D900 with 3Megapixel camera. Oh no, she is a training facilitator. Thats right - a trainer.

For now I'm outie!

Google Page Ranking

2006-10-16T22:10:00.000+02:00

I just cant take it anymore - google page ranking is driving me nuts - one would expect that if one were to type into the google text bar "stubborn-delon" and then click the "I'm feeling lucky" button, one would arrive at this blog space - not so!

Google has for some reason not even listed my blog in the normal search. This is upsetting.

So where exactly do you end up when entering "stubborn-delon" and then clicking on the "I'm feeling lucky" button - well, you end up at my old friend Waseem's Stumbleupon link to my site!

Props to Waseem for getting me recognized - google does'nt like me!

Much respect hommie!

No Chance to Cycle Today

2006-10-16T21:36:00.000+02:00

Day 2: I did not get an opportunity to ride today - I feel odd about it, I did however manage to buy a water bottle for my ride - which I should once again mention is a Raleigh RC 8000, Shimano Tiagra equipped.

My short term goal is to become fit, to pedal effortlessly, to ride tirelessly. My long term plans are to complete a 100km race next year (the Highveld 94.7 more correctly, which is actully 94.7km long).

In the iterim, I must become acustomed to drinking more water and reamaing hydrated. I think it's too soon to start using supplements like whey protein and the like.

Oh yes, another short term goal is to get a pair of fancy-tight cycling shorts with padding for the croch. I must say, sitting has never been such an intersting occasion - trying to redistribute my weight on alternate cheeks after even a short ride - great fun as I'm sure you can imagine! Have you seen the width of the average racing seat? If the seat were any narrower, I bet that Lance Armstrong or the Landis guy (Floyd) would have to have it surgically removed from below his tonsils!

For tonight, I dream of my girlfriend - then my bike!

Adios, Au voir, ciao and Good-bye!

Bike Ride Alpha

2006-10-15T16:30:00.000+02:00

Today marked my maiden bicycle ride. It was a thrilling experience, adrenaline coursed its way through my viens, perspiration collected on my back, my manhood ached as I still need to get some padded tights, an item I don't believe will add anything to my important street cred.

I don't think that I completed anything more than 5km's today. My stamina was quickly depleted, I'm now feeling lathargic as I type. The problem that I had was trying to figure out how to properly and effectively change gears for maximum efficiency. There was a point when I assume I was riding at a speedy 30km per hour - this could be wrong - I don't know.

To end, it was very exciting. My bike, my helmet, my freedom. My new hobby, sport and developing passion. Lance Armstrong yellow "Livestrong" band on my right hand, implies that I belong to a certain sect of sportsman - the cyclist.

My new bicycle

2006-10-14T14:16:00.000+02:00

I've just puchased a new bike yesterday. If you recall in a previous post, I mentioned that a good sport for me to persue would be cycling. I went out and did it - I purchased a road bike.

It's a Raleigh RC8000 - Shimano Tiagra Equiped, front forks and rear posts are carbon fibre. I believe that this is a good thing, because it provides for a more comfortable ride and makes the bike lighter (mine weighs 7.6kg).

Altogether, I'm elated. I took it for a bit of a trial ride around the block - I'm so unfit. I do however believe that I've made a wise choice.

D

Boring Guys; Monotonous Ties

2006-10-06T15:13:00.000+02:00

Looking back at my deciscion to pursue a career in IT haunts me. The people I work with lack wit and creatitivity. They wear monotonous shirts, with screaming ties. I'm the only guy in the office who greets everyone in the monrning and who has an incling of style. I wear the multi-coloured, socially acceptable shirt and tie - the type of clothing that doesn't cause myself any embarrasment.

Not my colleagues though. Their male dominated IT industry, blue shirt on a daily basis, job suits them well, though they will all admit that it's hardly gratifying. My work bores me on most days - it's only the new customers I look forward too. But once that is mastered, it becomes a bore.

Anyways, I'm going down to the gazebo now for bit of a social with the colleagues. I forsee lots of fun - yeah, right!

Ciao

Waseems Advice

2006-10-03T18:06:00.000+02:00

Following a recent discussion with my friend Waseem, I realised that my blog was primarily about technology. He pointed out to me that technology doesn't appeal to the masses - it doesn't provide them with content intriguing enough to return and read my blog again. So, I'm on a mission to bring some new and intriguing content, related to actual life experiences. Let me know what you think.

I celebrated my birthday last week, I'm now 24 years old. This partially entitles me to a reduced insurance premium on my car. I was in Durban for the week of my birthday, we went kite flying on the beach at Umhlanga Rocks and attended my best friends wedding. It was great, especially when my girlfriend and I danced the marangay. We did it perfectly, "no flops."

Tonight I go with my girlfriend and my family to Soweto. My grandmother is here in Johannesburg from Durban and she thought that dinner in Soweto would be a nice cultural experience. Besides that, my girlfriend is from a suburb in Soweto. I will post some pictures as soon as I can.

For now, I need to prepare for tonight.

Skinny little me

2006-09-19T15:22:00.000+02:00

I've been a member the Virgin Active gym for some time now. I've also been trying to find a sport that is appropriate for me. The possibilities currently are cycling, golf, squash or tennins. I've considered swiming, but this is not an option, due to the fact that i swim with the very same poise and gracefullness that a stingray doesn't.

What i have determined is that my physique has not changed since 1999. I have gained a kilogram or two, nothing major though. I used protein powders and various shakes. Nothing however seems to work. This i believe is hereditary. My mom is rather slender, so is my dad. I came across an article which outlines the three major standard issue physiques. Ectomorphic, lean and thin; Mesomorphic, muscular with low bodyfat & Endomorphic, normally short and stout . I'm ectomorphic - I've tried to trick my metabolism into believing I'm buff, but I have not been able to gain any mass.

Bearing all this in mind, I tried a bit of golf practice on the weekend, hitting some practice balls over the house and into the pool. It went rather nicely - with my youngest brother the ball catcher under the 6 ball torent.

highly successful ipod

2006-08-28T11:06:00.000+02:00

Last years most successful Christmas gift was undoubtedly the Apple iPod, the music and mp3 player that has set a new precedent by changing the personal entertainment market. The iPod’s distinctive milky white color (in most cases) makes it an aesthetic masterpiece, its compact size make it convenient for gym use, for strolling around campus or during those long inter-continental flights, without ever hearing the same song twice. (The 6O GB model holds on average around 15000 songs.)

This year it seems that the most popular gift items are iPod docks, a micro-hi-fi system into which the iPod plugs. This is specifically for home use and turns your iPod into a high powered sound system. It seems that many of the electronics and audio component manufacturers have jumped onto the dock bandwagon, JBL, Bose and Onkyo to name a few.

In-car audio systems now have an iPod connectivity feature built in, implying that you never need to have another CD in your car again. Eliminate the clutter, purchase an iPod compatible CD front loader from JVC or Pioneer.

I can only imagine that this is a multi-million dollar industry. iPod sales continue to increase and the iPod accessories market is growing proportionally.

In just two years the word iPod has become a household name, it’s joined the big-brand club. Even in developing countries iPods are well known, as I discovered during my recent trip to Blantyre, Malawi.

My conclusion, by an iPod – an apple a day makes Steve Jobs a very rich man.