I’ve been coming across this warning more and more frequently but have no clue what to do with the problem. Henre, this applies to you as the example I am using is your blog.

Had breakfast with a friend who is moving to Australia today. Big move. Then misjudged my timing and thought it was 9:45 but it was actually 8:45. An entire hour early. Anxious and waiting for the tattoo parlor to open.

Eventually it opened and I was the first in. First come, first serve. And I was first.

I’m not going to blab on too much. I must say though, this one hurt, alot. I had forgotten how much it could hurt. And I had underestimated the pain relative to the size of the actual tattoo. So before I bore you, here’s the gallery.

What breaks me even more is when the people who are meant to be upholding those laws break them. It gives me a sense of powerlessness. It makes me think that I am unable to do anything or turn anywhere when others break the rules of the road. I hate it.

So when I was driving down Katherine Street the other day I decided to take a different course of action. It is possibly the worst part of my day, driving down Katherine and going under the Grayston Bridge. If you have ever done this trip in peak hour traffic you will know that two turning lanes (out of three) fast become three turning lanes with none to left to those wanting to carry on straight. This creates more congestion and frustration. And no, it is not just the taxis that do this.

There are clearly drawn lines (literally) on the road that define the lanes, which goes where and what lane you need to be in. I need to go straight, not turn right. However many cars feel the need to get in to the straight lane to cut out their time waiting to turn. I get screwed, they get through.

In front of me I found a metro police car who seemed to be going straight. I had a feeling he was turning right. He did. And in the process he crossed a solid white line and caused major congestion and a very dangerous situation for other drivers. As far as I know crossing a solid line is a R500 fine. Who’s going to fine those who hand out the fines? There was no emergency and he didn’t have his emergency lights on so I can only assume that he was blatantly breaking the law and thus allowing others to think that they can do the same.

Here’s the pic. Notice the indicator light on the right is on (at least he was courteous about it) just before he crosses the white line and goes through the red on top of it all.

Some may say I am being petty but I don’t think so. I think that if the metro police can’t obey the law we are headed for some dangerous times on the road. Keep an eye out for this car, check the number plate and if you know anybody who can do some good with this photo then send on this blog post to them.

Today is my last day working at Financial Mail and I can now announce that I am starting a new job at M&G Online on the 19th of May.

My official job title is business manager: mobile and recruitment. But I am sure that more regarding my actual day to day activities will come out as soon as I move in and get involved in the team.

Working with Matt and Vince is definitely going to be one of the great things about my new position. The job is innovative and in a market that is about to burst and is still fairly unconquered in the media sphere.

Obviously moving in to a new market and media house is a big leap for me and one that I am cautiously approaching (with some level of excitement). There are some nerves which should be expected but overall I can’t wait to sink my teeth in to the challenge.

Financial Mail was a phenomenal place to work and to gain some extremely valuable knowledge and experience. The people were sterling and I learned more than I thought I could in a year. But for my career, my brand and the moves I’m trying to make in the industry this is definitely the right move for me at the perfect time.

Things are hotting up in SA, the market is about to explode and I am itching to bury myself in it.

I am really becoming tired of the buzz around social networking. Don’t get me wrong there is value in it and I am not saying it is dead or dying, I am just tired of reading TechCrunch daily and feeling like I’m reading the same post with a different startups name plugged in.

Anyways back to my point. Google Reader (GR) is great, I love it and swear by it. It allows me to follow and read some of my favourite topics, streams, memes, bloggers, blogs and insights. I think that I make fairly good use of most of the services on offer at GR.

Why do I think that Google Reader takes the form of a social network?

Basically for me, in my little world social networking means networking with others. Whether it is friendly-friend sort of stuff or basic “this is what I am reading”, I would consider it a social network.

Thus, therefore and hence, I believe that for me Google reader can be and is a social network.

There are two distinct features that I use in the process of connecting with others:

1. The “Discover” feature that was recently added to the service.
This feature allows you to discover feeds that GR thinks you might like. You can peruse them at your own pace and delete ones you aren’t interested in. This allows me to discover things that I might like and really get rid of things that I don’t. Therefore allowing me to spread my network of subscriptions and giving me more to share with my friends. Which brings me to point 2.

2. Shared items

This is my favourite and most sociable feature. I have a wide network of Gmail chat friends that I interact with daily. I can never find enough tim to talk to them all about valuable things relating to the web. Instead I simply view their shared items. How is that possible? Easy, GR places their shared items in my GR homepage under the heading of “Friends’ shared items”. I can then see who shared what, when and why. I can then interact with them on an effective level targeting a specific topic with them that I know they are interested in.

I can also share items. These items will also be sent to my friends GR pages as well as a specific url that the whole world can see if they want to.

All you need to do to share an item in GR is click the little “Share” button at the bottom of any post in your reader. Simple, effective, networking on a targeted content basis. Too easy.

In his plea and sentence agreement with the state, James admitted that he had raped the girl in bushes on November 5, 2006, and sodomised her before stabbing her in her side, bashing a rock over her head and throwing her into a fire.

Let me list those things for clarity:

1. Rape
2. Sodomy
3. Stabbing (attempted murder)
4. Bashing a rock over her head (attempted murder)
5. Throwing her in to a fire (attempted murder)

For the above Abraham James received a mere 28 years in prison. He is 30 now and will then get out close to his 60th birthday. That is if he doesn’t get off earlier for “good behaviour”.

One thing I left out, is that the girl that this maniac attacked is 7 years old.

The only solace I can find in his sentence is that even lowly prisoners can recognise that child rapists deserve death and often put the convicted through a living death in prison. Let’s hope there are some fathers in that prison who have 7 year old daughters. Let’s hope it’s James’ cell-mate and let’s hope it hurts. Bastard.

source: IOL

Here’s a clip:

There are some definitive reasons that make me love this film. It integrates a few of my favourite things.

1. John Cusack is a phenomenal actor.
2. Quirky and fast conversation, dialogue and monologue. Brilliant.
3. Music and opinion about music.
4. Jack black as a supporting actor is incredible.
5. Scepticism and slight insanity.
6. The feeling of a cult hit, underground culture and subversive messages of disdain for society and pop norms.

If you haven’t seen this film, rent it. Now.

It’s not the usual things that I dislike about birthdays. I like the presents (ofcourse) and I like that I am getting older - I think that people are like wines, they get better with age. I think it’s the expectation that gets me.

I hate the expectation of having a party or getting involved or seeing people and trying to force contentment on yourself. I hate that.

I am excessively happy that I am now 24 years old. It sounds better, people might start taking me more seriously and not looking down on me when I tell them my age. But then again, who knows?

Basically I wont be having a birthday party for a very long time I don’t think. I haven’t had one since I was 19 and I know now why.

May is a busy month, so if it is your birthday soon or it’s already been and gone recently, have a happy day and see the people you love and who are close to you!

Image: emma.c

Charl posted this on twitter. Definitely worth hoping on the bandwagon. Found the video at Blueworld.

I just received an email about Coldplay releasing their new album. It’s coming in june. But for those die hard Coldplay techie’s you can head over to their website from Tomorrow at 11:15 SA time and download the first song off their new album.

They join the likes of Radiohead with this endeavour. It seems like the download era is beginning in all sincerity and bands are starting to realise the power that their listeners hold…online.