How many does it take to screw in a lightbulb

(via Narike)
Goodness it had me laughing! We had to add the graphic design one in tho... as per usual it seems they forgot we were part of the process...

• Q: How many sub-editors does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
• A: We can't tell whether you mean "insert a new lightbulb" or "have sexual relations inside a lightbulb". Can we reword it to remove ambiguity?


• Q: How many art directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
• A: Does it have to be a lightbulb?


• Q: How many proofreaders does it take to change a lightbulb?
• A: The last time this was asked it involved Art Directors. Is the difference intentional? It seems inconsistent.


• Q: How many writers does it take to change a lightbulb?
• A: Why do we have to change it?


• Q: How many editors does it take to change a lightbulb?
• A: It was supposed to be in place last week!


• Q: How many publishers does it take to change a lightbulb?
• A: Three. One to screw it in and two more to hold down the editor.


• Q: How many graphic designers does it take to change a lightbulb?
• There's not enough time to change it a 3rd time - we'll just have to make it look better'

• Q: How many marketing directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
• A: It isn't too late to make it neon, is it?


• Q: How many advertising directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
• A: We're not sure because the client might change it tomorrow. Cut some editorial anyway.


• Q: How many sales directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
• A: (pause) I get it! It's one of those lightbulb jokes, right?



Also i really should have read THIS!
How to be a graphic designer, without losing your soul by Adrian Shaughnessy

Lekota love...? a bit of a back and forth note

I was listening to 5fm this morning (Gareth always has something to say that i find interesting) and they were interviewing Lekota.

What a well-spoken, calm yet passionate, sincere-sounding, dedicated man.
He seems clear in his thoughts and pretty reasonable.

In response to a question regarding opinions that what he is doing is fighting for a job and his current lifestyle, he spoke of his fight for equality for all South Africans, all of our people, and how it ended up landing him in prison not once but twice...
Why then, he said, would he now be fighting for something of less importance like a job.
Hasn't he really proven twice that his passion and hunger lies in seeing South Africa reach the vision that he, and many people who died, believed in?
Wouldn't that be a betrayal of something they together swore their whole lives to?

I completely agree with what he said about that vacant clown Julius Malema as well. Man, that boy needed some kind of hiding when he was younger...*sigh* What an embarrassment.

Maybe I'm gullible. Maybe I'm being caught up in drama?
Maybe i just really love a good story and always hope for the happy ending.

Oh i don't know... politics are always messy and it's tough to find someone i completely agree with in day-to-day "real" life, let alone a whole party or a political leader.

Anyways. It's a good feeling to find more than one politician who inspires me even for a few minutes in my day... and in the last while I've found 3.

Perhaps this break-away party will be more of the same ol' "closed patronage party seeking the spoils of office". Perhaps Barack Obama will be a let down and topple off the pedestal that he's managed to climb so quickly onto in the eye's of millions across the world...

OR maybe not.

Hey, there may yet be more Mandela's... maybe we're becoming depressed and disillusioned and not looking hard enough to give some people credit they deserve.
All we can really do is give honest thought to our votes and watch the direction we're lead towards by our instincts and from observing the chess-moves happening all around us.
Try to at least be excited by these interesting times!

on the note of stories:
(via swiss miss)
You might not be a supporter of Obama, but you might appreciate a typographic waterfall by Jonathan Hoefler.

That was close...*shudder*

Maybe I'm truly boring. Or maybe I'm just not adventurous when it comes to colour?

I have no idea what happened this morning!
After 2 years of working here and being promised "this year we're renovating" for both of those, we became very excited when some men-folk were spotted walking around carrying ladders and the like. Turns out we're still not really renovating in the "fix-it-up" sense of the word but we ARE going to be painting on a nice coat of new paint to make us all feel better apparently.

Let the madness ensue.
First we weren't given a real choice - we were just told that we were having our walls painted boring white and we could choose 1 feature wall to go a different colour.
Then after stomping our feet a little we were told we didn't have to go white we could keep our current neutral light taupe colour and choose a nice accent colour for it to go on one wall.

THIS i was actually very happy with.
*sigh*

But then someone made the "mistake" of mentioning, "No, you can choose any main colour and then one highlight shade..."
Have you ever been stuck in a room with 4 other graphic designers who then have to choose 2 colours out of about 30?
Note: Should you ever find yourself in that unlucky position. Just excuse yourself and don't come back. It's not as fun as people think.

The chances of everyone agreeing in the first 20min on one colour is very slim indeed.
There was even a horrifying moment where it looked like they wanted to paint the room lime-green and red? I think if that had passed through i would have had to resign myself to a daily migraine, or just plain resign.
*shudder*
Other options mentioned were:
• blue walls with a red feature wall (anchors away! eek!)
• green walls with a blue feature wall (bad aquarium decor...)
• green walls with a white feature wall

the last option being my desperate attempt at keeping some kind of light and fresh feeling in my head... i dunno...
I think you have to understand the rest of what is going to be in the space to feel me here...
They are already putting in scary grey office carpets (the ones that come in "tiles" and get plonked down), we have blue wheely chairs, your typical light wood desks and then our windows roof and shutters are all going to be white.

This is turning into a rather long post. About colour and paint.
yes. boring to everyone else. ok. :)

End result:
• blue chairs
• grey carpets
• light wood desks
• lime green walls
• white window frames, skirting and shutters
• black feature wall

wish me luck.
bleh. at least it's not red and green! *pheeew*

Holy Hat... my first tag?

Right. so. how do i do this again?

you know I've seen a few of these happening around on other people's blogs but till now had scraped by without having to puzzle one out! heehee

Okay so first things first? Link to your tagger and list the rules right?
love Maegan
check!
List 7 random facts about yourself
check!

hmmm now following it's not as easy... boo

1. I still have dreams of taking up tap dancing and discovering it as my true hidden talent... aaah day-dreams. love them

2. I'm a chronic day-dreamer. They're vivid and unstoppable and have happened for as long as i can remember

3. I really do love learning about my family tree! It's not just something i say to scare away boys or embarrass myself believe it or not

4. My family will always come first in my life. But it's pretty much expanding with time. Friends become like family. There's always space for new members and you know who you guys are *hug*

5. I have to chemically straighten and use a hair iron for my hair to resemble that of a normal person. ok... maybe i could live without the hair iron... but trust me the other is a MUST!

6. I think i will always miss Lindsay. She's still my conscience about a lot of things in my life

7. I'm leaving all my journals to Katherine. :) it's a whole lotta nonsense but who knows...

ok! maybe it wasn't toooo tough!

I'm going to post this in the meantime i think as the next bit is to tag 7 other people...and ahem...
not sure i have 7 other blogger-pals! *blush*
As soon as it's up 'n goin tho! prepare yourselves... a tag awaits.
(mwahahahahah)

hope that doesn't scare ya'all away *grin*

and how do you like that??

Looksee looksee!
Our mayor won international recognition? what did yours do this week huh?

"14 October 2008: Helen Zille, Executive Mayor of Cape Town and leader of South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance, has been awarded the 2008 World Mayor Prize. Commentators supporting her nomination said that in a country devoid of present-day role models, this amazing lady was making a difference and giving people there hope: 'Her only equals are Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela in Southern Africa.'"

If you'd like to read a bit more on our super-hero, head on down-town to this here link

Only one...

You know, only one person would wake me up at 1:30 in the morning with the sweet question

"Would you like a scone?"

and THAT's just another reason why they're so very special

Why I LOVE Cape Town

Yes, the country is in a little bit of turmoil again.
Yes, people are panicking and yes, there is faith being lost in the market. blah blah blah

But there are great people around staying positive!
Seeing change as an opportunity and a good thing and expressing themselves left and right!

Whoever made this poster, KUDOS to you! It got me to let out a BIG smile



Also on this note let me "Helen love" again for a while...
Only you could make a comment like you did on Morning Live today, on the dawn of our new president being announced!

For those who missed it...
When asked whether she had lost any faith in SA Politics her reply went something along the lines of this:
(don't quote me as i can't find the clip anywhere and am going on personal memory)

No i haven't. There's a saying that if you like sausage, you should never see how it's made. That's where we are in SA at this time... we're still making sausage...

wow i laughed! Great analogy for the day after Braai Day...

WE NEED MORE HELEN'S!

Why I LOVE Lucy

I think I would do almost anything for Lucy!

I would have helped her for nothing in return this morning but then suddenly *ding*
Who's at the door?
Flowers for me?!

And they're beautiful! And I appreciate her! And that's what makes Lucy one of the greatest people I know...

*hug*

thank you Luce!

See? so preeeeeeety!

Happy Extraordinary Huge Hadron Collider Day!

Yay!

Yes i know I'm a nerd but i've been quite excited about this for a bit of a long time now and this morning is it!

9.30

Possibly the moment we arrive a step closer to unlocking some amazing doors! Possibly a step closer to proving some brilliantly imaginative people right!
er... and only very slightly possibly proving some scarily cinical people right too :P

(nah! it'll only be a tiny rip! black hole?? pfft! honestly! some negative stuff flying around out there... heh ;)

Traffic Spotting

Spotted on our great N1 this mornin!

Aaaah the greater Kraaifontein metropolis and the pride that you're filled with when you see things like this!

*grin*

little cutie-pie!!

Aw man! i don't often fall in love with dogs n puppies on first site...
and yes i know this may make me a possibly eeeevil person or some such thing

BUT this kid was just killing me on the spot!
what an adorable, precious little fluffy thing! He has that circle around both of his eyes and looks as tho he'd been the victim of a binocular and shoe-polish trick.

I was literally about 5 seconds away from breaking my bank and bringing home a new family member when the petstore counter-teen came along to pick him up and hand him over to his new owner *sigh*

Ah well
My cat would probably have never forgiven me anyway :)
x love you always little Prank.

The Lagdolls!

Or at least I'm pretty sure that's what the lead singer said their name was? Earlier i could have sworn she said the Ragdolls but corrected herself later towards the end of the set!

But WHAT an awesome performance we saw last night!
Not as BEE as the last band i watched at Mercury but still open minded and working in the new SA spirit!
"Everyone's going down on me" is brilliantly belted out and undiscriminating!
Who was she talking about?! I dunno but it sounded good and she seemed pretty OK with it? kinda?

The majority of the fan-base appear to be women!
I'm just going to say it...
it's obvious!
The bassist and the guitarist... Good looking fellows so it's really now wonder? Am i wrong?

Also confirmation that the bassist does indeed have a medium firmness to his bottom was established. He seemed shocked.

signing off
Nicky Plume

8 People Who Will Ruin Your Party

Via HolyTaco.com.
and passed on by Laura

(only edited this sliiightly *grin*)

I'm pretty sure I've met one or two (or more) of these characters at flat parties hey guys? aaaah memories :P

8. Person Who Insists On Cleaning Up Your Party While It's Still Going On

WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM: Right in front of you, asking if your drink is finished. Or, methodically moving through the party with a white trash bag and a look on their face as if they've been hunting Osama Bin laden for the last 6 years and have narrowed down his whereabouts to somewhere in this party.

WHY THEY WILL RUIN YOUR PARTY: Drinking a beer, is far less enjoyable when someone is asking you if you're finished every five minutes. It's great that they want to help you clean up, but if you've decided to have a party, you've already resigned yourself to the fact that when it's over, your house is going to probably look like the bathroom that Cary Elwes and Danny Glover woke up in, in the first Saw movie. It's believed these people also decide to wipe their bottoms in the middle of toilet trips, just to "cut down on the work that has to be done when it's all over!"

7. Guy Who Gets Wasted In The First Hour

WHERE YOU WILL FIND HIM: "Right by the fridge, bro, cause that's where all the beer is!"

HOW HE WILL RUIN YOUR PARTY: From the moment this guy shows up, everything he says has an exclamation point at the end of it. "This party rules, dude!" "I am ready to party TO-night!" "Let's shotgun these, bro!" "Tits!" Then, one hour and 13 beers later he's incoherent, weaving on his feet and saying stuff like "Paartyyyygjlskdvm…" So, instead of kicking back and hanging out with your friends, you have to spend the rest of the night making sure he doesn't puke on your couch, pee in your plants or drool on your coffee table.

6. Person Who Only Knows You

WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM: About two feet to the right of you, standing silently, staring at either you or the person you're talking to.

WHY THEY WILL RUIN YOUR PARTY: You invited them because during the four and a half minutes a day you talk to them at work, they seem pretty cool. Except as soon as they get to your party, they tense up like Alex Rodriguez's ass during a game in October. You have two options at this point, 1) entertain them and include them in every conversation you have the entire night, like they're your wife or husband even though you probably don't know their last name, or 2) leave them on their own which leads to them standing in a corner by themselves, staring at you, causing your friends to ask you "Um... I think that guy in the corner is planning on killing you."

5. Crying Girl

WHERE YOU WILL FIND HER: She's usually holed up in the bathroom (taking up valuable toilet space) with three of her bestest girlfriends—all three of whom are overweight.

HOW SHE WILL RUIN YOUR PARTY: The worst part is that this girl isn't crying because her parents just died or she lost a limb. She's sobbing into a fistful of tissues because she always needs to be the center of attention. If everyone's not focused on her and all her problems, she just starts crying louder about her job or some lame guy who won't date her. If possible, pair her up with the super wasted guy. She'll think he's listening and he'll think he's going to score.

4. Person Who Just Got Dumped By Their Girlfriend/Boyfriend

WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM: In any corner where they were able to trap and force someone to listen to them talk about how they "don't know what happened," and how it "seemed like things were fine and then all of a sudden she just said that she thought that we were different people now. What does that even mean? Do you know, because I sure don't! I just miss her so much. My name's Brian by the way."

WHY THEY WILL RUIN YOUR PARTY: If you wanted people to get depressed at your party, screen a copy of Schlindler's list. The problem with these people is, they don't care who they talk to, and no excuse you give will stop them from talking to you. "Hey, I gotta run to the bathroom," "No worries, I'll just wait for you until your done, unlike my EX girlfriend, who wouldn't wait no matter HOW important it was to go to the bathroom and would just leave you with NOTHING while you were in there."

3. Creepy Dude Who Tries To Score Chicks At The Very End Of The Party

WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM: Towards the end of the party, he'll be wherever he hears the words "I can't believe my friends left without me, they were my ride!" or "I'm so (hiccup) fucked up (hiccup) I gotta lay down or something."

WHY THEY WILL RUIN YOUR PARTY: There's a reason why this dude waits till the end of the party to try and score; he's way too creepy to do so when someone isn't in some sort of desperate situation. Thus, although he's there because he's either family, a neighbor, or someone else invited him, you now have to hope to God he doesn't take advantage of someone at your party, otherwise your party will not be remembered as "That Fourth of July Party at Bill's house," and instead be remembered as "that party at Bill's house where that creepy guy tried to score Michele while she was puking."

2. Couple Who Brings Their Baby

WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM: Off to the side, on their knees, pleading with a 6 month old child to stop screaming, or right next to you, asking you where he can dispose of a poo-filled diaper.

WHY THEY WILL RUIN THEIR PARTY: Nothing says party like the sound of a screaming child and the stench of talcum powder and baby oops! If there was a guy throwing up and crying at your party, would you be cool with that? No, you'd either be like "Who the hell brought this guy?" But if you say that about a baby that makes you an asshole. Meanwhile, the party dies because everyone is being super-cautious and attentive to the baby, as if the other 99% of the time that they're not there the baby is barely eluding death due to lack of supervision.

1. Politics Guy

WHERE YOU WILL FIND HIM: At the beginning of the night he usually stands right next to the front door where he overtly shows off his political button or T-shirt that says something like "Once You Go Barack, You Won't Go Back" or "McCain = McStupid." Then, after everyone shows up, he stealthily mingles from group to group while nonchalantly dropping lines like "Did you see what those fatcats tried to pull?" anytime there's a lull in the conversation.

HOW HE WILL RUIN YOUR PARTY: No one in the history of parties has ever changed their political beliefs based on some guy screaming about health care reform in the kitchen of a two bedroom apartment. His endlessly tiresome factoids and statistics about how much oil we consume and how the death penalty doesn't work will make your guests either leave or kill themselves where they stand.

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Fun fun! silly boys!

Extra, extra cute no?

Nobody can call either of these lads unprepared for their rainy-day putt putt adventure! Go team blue!

*sigh*
i wish my dangerous fondness for croissants hadn't ruined my ability to join them. Next time... i shall be ready!!

NEXT TIME i shall also manage to catch them BOTH in their rain-coats! *grin*

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Welcome! New fishy friends!

Well finally!
Please join me in welcoming our new editions to the design studio!

Keverne & L.m.n.o.p!

They're only just settling in but we hope they are feeling welcome and stay with us for quite a while! I even bought a plant and Gary i must say is looking MUCH more cheerful since their arrival.

(round of applause!)
Thank you and goodnight

Gary looks up clearly in awe of his new tank-mates...

Keverne eyed out the castle right away...



one new happy family!

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Follow-up on freaky feathered friends

clearly the Jacobin is NOT bred for flight! lol!

Ahem! mutated rats of the sky!!!

Here are the pigeons i was tellin ya'all about! :)




well, SOME of them anyway

This is just for anyone (probably that covers everyone else i know! hehe) who didn't catch the same riveting documentary on the genetics and abilities of these birds!

Turns out not everyone feels they are swooping, evil vermin of the sky? Some believe them to be the "fighter jets of the bird world"!

i kid you not.
I'll admit to being fascinated.

(but only that one time!! honest!!! :P)

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Anyone for a game of wiff waff?

London mayor Boris Johnson
This guy is great!
his speech reads pretty much on the same entertainment level as an Onion article :)

"Virtually every single one of our international sports were either invented or codified by the British, and I say this respectfully to our Chinese hosts who have excelled so magnificently at ping pong," the Mayor said in a tongue-in-cheek speech.

"Ping pong was invented on the dining tables of England in the 19th century and it was called wiff waff.

"There I think you have the essential difference between us and the rest of world.

"Other nations, the French, looked at a dining table and saw an opportunity to have dinner, we looked at a dining table and saw an opportunity to play wiff waff. That is why London is the sporting capital of the world."

"And I say to the Chinese, and I say to the world, ping pong is coming home."

those were the days...

With my daily e-mail came a rather fantastic quote! I'm adding it to my favourites :)

Word of the Day

hyperbole \hy-PUHR-buh-lee\, noun:

Extravagant exaggeration.

Hyperbole comes from Greek hyperbole, "excess," from hyperballein, "to exceed," from hyper, "beyond" + ballein, "to throw."

Those were the days when I still liked hyperbole, before an excess of real drama killed my taste for the manufactured kind.
-- Katherine Russell Rich, The Red Devil

my sentiments exactly!

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Finally went to the Assembly!

and let me say, considering we managed to go on an electro night of all nights, and we STILL had a great time... THIS place is sincerely worth your time!

Whats weird and kept popping into my head the whole time as i saw him walking around, checking up on things and chatting to people is that the person who seems mainly responsible for this great great venue, is the same guy who seemed to have such gawd-awful friends back in high school and who seemed to be SO on the side of the popular, current, cool and just socially eeevil meanie-meanertons that Tracey, Mel and I encountered on the infamous Bergvliet ovs tour :)

It's weird to see, uncomfortable to remember, but also GOOD to realise how much time can change things!

your very first shortly realised perceptions of people could often be wrong and some people CAN seem to change and so can you!

I think this is my major lesson I'm learning in 2008.
People can change.
Some for good, some bad.
But i personally have to learn to let go. Try let go of the things people did in the far away past to hurt, but also let go of those who become hurtful :)

darn balance!
so hard to achieve :)

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hmmm bad news for Saffa's?

isn't this the main reason for half of the people i know moving to london? :P
surely it was a perk tho...

ah well... i think personally that they should RAAAAATHER ban smelly hungover people from the trains.

The stench of that one single man that overwhelmed our whole compartment on Lucy and my train journey still haunts me... and probably will forever.
I have NEVER felt that ill from smell or wished myself further from any human being.

*shudder*

well... maybe one or two other hehe

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Oooooeeeeoooo! looksee what i did!

Yes ok so it's not the most astounding design in the whole world but i think it's quirky, fun and a little bitty of... me!

I created it this afternoon after stumbling apon a forgotten folder lying gathering mac-dust on my desktop

Ya'all are welcome to make comments!

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Bills in Context

see now this i think would be MUCH harder to do with our notes... hmmm

"yes! wait! hold still mr lion! ok... a little to the left and if you could tilt your head down just a tad?"

but an awesome idea anyway!

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A different view to the one i usually hear

I love Noodle's blog and try to visit it almost everyday.

I thought i would re-post this as Gaylin and I were having a very unproductive conversation about this the morning of the strike.

Makes me feel better :)

"Power to the people

Whilst driving to work today through empty roads in the comfort of your car. Spare a thought for the trade unions who are on strike today in protest of rising food and electricity costs

I'm not sure what we would do without the trade unions, for it seems without them our nation would not have a voice. They simply demand answers from government. They don't sit at home whinging about how bad things are, they go out and make a stand. Coz that's the only way to make a change."

Bits and pieces i loved from this article

By Lisa Kogan from "O, The Oprah Magazine," March 2008


Cybil sent me this fun article! Great advice and good laughs!

In 1977, my friend Brenda and I went for dinner at a little Chinese restaurant called Empress Garden. She had the lemon chicken, I had the shrimp har kow, and we each had an egg roll because in 1977 you could eat sugar and fat and deep-fried everything without its signifying that the apocalypse is at hand.

Our waiter placed the entrées in front of us and ceremoniously lifted the shiny silver domes. Brenda's chicken was crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, lemony all over, and I knew in an instant that I'd made a hideous error in judgment --I should've gone with the chicken.

I tell you this story to illustrate my willingness to admit when I've made a mistake. In fact, I've rarely ordered a breakfast, lunch, or dinner I didn't regret; at this very moment, I'm wishing I had an iced tea instead of a Diet Coke.

But aside from the food thing and one very adorable guy in the early '80s who was all you'd want in a man except for the fact that he was also looking for all you'd want in a man, I am never, ever wrong.

Now, I'm not saying I always take my own advice or trust my own instincts. I'm merely suggesting that the world would be a much better place if everyone else were to do exactly what I tell them to do. Arrogant? You bet. Narcissistic? I suppose. But c'mon, admit it, you've had the very same thought kicking around for years. Still, I'm the one with the column -- so now without further ado ...

Everything I know about the world and how you (yes, you!) should live your life:

• If your outgoing phone message is longer than, let's say, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian of the Year segment of the Oscars®, it's time to rerecord.

• Calling to let your friend know you're running late does not excuse your constantly running late.

• I'd like to say a few words to every crabby traveler who responds with disgust whenever a baby cries on an airplane. Perhaps you don't know how babies work, but there's been a study, and it turns out that giving a 4-month-old the stink eye doesn't actually accomplish anything. Either have a little compassion or a little Ambien.

• Here's something for any gentleman who may be reading this: If you look good in a Speedo, you will look even better in virtually any other kind of swimsuit.

• I am a cynic. I am a pessimist. I came of age with the Watergate hearings playing on the tiny TV in our avocado green kitchen. But every four years, I wrestle my apathy into submission, read up on the issues, and cast my ballot. You must vote. I don't care who you vote for (that's not really true...), but you've gotta get in the game.

• One word: Floss.

• Any man who begins a conversation with, "I don't want to hurt your feelings ... " is about to hurt your feelings. It's the kind of phrase that's never followed by, "... but I just don't think you're eating enough. Please have more lasagna while I get you a brownie." Other opening gambits that pretty much scream duck-and-cover include: "Don't take this the wrong way... ," "You can feel free to say no ... ," and the always popular "Look ... "

• Get so excellent at something (long division, friendship, Parcheesi, removing cranberry juice stains, decoupage -- it doesn't matter what) that your genius will be impossible to ignore and your legendary expertise at removing cranberry juice stains while dividing six-digit numbers by 37 will either bring you glory beyond your wildest dreams or, at the very least, help you feel vaguely competent as you make your way through the world.

• I like a plastic bag and a bottle of water as much as the next self-involved me monkey, but it takes 430,000 gallons of oil to manufacture 100 million grocery bags, and if I were capable of doing even the most basic arithmetic, I'd say -- well, who are we kidding? I'm not capable of doing even the most basic arithmetic -- just know that we're in great danger of making Al Gore really, really mad.

• Words matter. It's time to stop prettifying the ugly stuff. Spousal abuse means wife beating. Global warming means the Earth is toast. Enhanced interrogation means torture.
  And here's a bit of trivia for you: The Bush administration did not coin the phrase enhanced interrogation. Nor did it come from Jack Bauer on "24." Nope, it was the Gestapo that originated that little bon mot back in 1937.

• To quote Elmer Fudd, "Be bwave, widdoe wabbit." Take a chance, wear your heart on your sleeve, ask the most attractive man in the room to dance, say what you want, demand what you're entitled to. There's a pretty decent chance that you won't get it, but who will you be if you never even try?
  Note: Only attempt the dance invitation if there's actual music playing.

• Sometimes I worry that we've all become workaholics -- because getting through life can be really hard work. But (with apologies to the fine people who pay my salary every week here at the fabulous Hearst Corporation) we need to log off, go home, and remember what it is to have dinner, conversation, and sex ... not necessarily in that order.

foot in mouth... doh!

hmmmm... it's in some ways GOOD to become a bit more vocal in your office.
Or at least that's what i think? because if you don't ask for things how will anyone ever know you want them?
I mean if people in charge (in general i mean) can get away with ignoring you... I'm pretty sure they would?

But i think my new weeks resolution is going to have to be this...
Maybe i should just hold back a LITTLE on how vocal i get. :P
Ultimately if you're running things by your colleagues first about a particular problem you're having... trust me... that will be the moment the offending party walks in to hear you!
and all you'll sound like is a moaner. doh!

I'm going to hopefully find this balance between not being a push-over and just another one of the minions, and just sounding like a whiny worker!!

in the meantime tho I've found this convenient site!
http://www.bureauofcommunication.com/compose/apology

here's mine to make up for what happened Friday :P



*sigh...

two things i'll just always love

• my little ponies
• cornflakes

always!



perhaps they may even get me through this incredibly trying work day... :)

Some fun stuff from Women24 newsletter

How to fight becoming fiscally challenged in winter apparrently :)

I was pretty grateful when this newsletter arrived so thought i'd share these useful and some of them pretty funny tips on my blog!

"The intrepid staff at Women24 have come up with some useful tips for countering this problem. Most are a little silly, but hey... for serious, go to Fin24.

• Abandon dinner parties and simply have more sex instead. (The vleis kombers option we mentioned a while back.) It's free and if it isn't, well, you have other problems you should attend to before reading this list.
  
• Make friends with lots of PR people. They will invite you to launches and things where free food and booze are usually on tap.
  
• Develop a witty, slightly risqué personality and a reserve of amusing anecdotes, so that you will be invited to other people's dinner parties rather than having to throw your own. Be prepared to make a lot of stuff up.
  
• Pretend to like people who tend to throw lots of dinner parties. (This was suggested by the Food24 Deputy Editor, Ilze, and as she has eaten at my house twice in the last month, I am feeling less bad about feeding her my chilli both times.)
  
• Play more Boggle, because it is always makes for a fun night, even if you are by yourself. (This was from our gossip columnist Jenna. We worry a little about Jenna.)
  
• Get really good at soup, and then cover up your inner cheapskate by saying that you are seriously into the slow food movement.
  
• Throw DVD parties. Popcorn is even cheaper than beans.
  
• Freewheel down hills on the way to dinner parties.
  
• Bring empty wine cooler bags to dinner parties, but busy yourself at the fridge as soon as you arrive. Assuage your host's suspicions as to your lack of contribution by sidling up to her later, and pointing out that Tom at the end of the table has been REALLY knocking it back.

well like i said i know it's a little late as most friends i know have already been suffering winter blues but i hope this gave you a laugh anyway!

Woe is me!

minutes after writing a quick note to Keith about how "if i had quite a lot of money lying around this afternoon i would" blah blah blah (it involved jumpin on a plane and goin dancin in jozi)

Deon let me know that Tokyo Star is no more...

what?

sigh.
it was the one place i went to that i rilly rilly liked on our crazy night out! and no... i don't thiiiiink it was because we'd already spent about R200 each on alcohol? don't be silly!

Happy Madiba-day!!

Could there be anyone left who doesn't know who Nelson Mandela is?

But more notably if there is anyone left who hasn't been inspired by him i think we should see to that!

"Happy 90th birthday sir,
You're possibly the most inspiring man of our times and our country is more than amazingly lucky to have had you lead us through dark times into a brighter more tolerant and sane future.
Times are still tough some days in SA but there is so much potential for growth and change and we have you largely to thank for our inspiration to keep trying.

Personally i hope you have a nice relaxing birthday and that you can feel the affection that a whole country has for you!
and also that you get some nice yummy cake and just have an all round great day!"


• Lucy this is your postcard that should be on it's way to you soon :) Travels and big days always deserve postcards!

Popcorn and Snails

ooh! there is a new edition to the office!

After weeks of preparation, a full year of faffing and then a lecture from Neil...
Meet our Gary!

he is the first resident of my desk's fish tank and we hope he'll stick around to welcome one or two more to the neighbourhood!

I'm very excited! but then I'm very excitable. point is I've been wanting fish again for a long time. I did initially want fishes for home but maybe we should all face that we spend more time at the office than we do at home these days and at this point in our life? Maybe my fishes will be better looked after here :) i will bring them home somehow for the holidays tho i hope!

Gary unfortunately landed upside down on arrival

Gary heads straight for the Castle! Happy Bastille day Gary!

and on a completely different note... When did popcorn ( a fun snack with it's roots in frivolous places such as carnivals and circus tents) become so serious? i suspect neurotic dieters are to blame. we should stop pandering to them :)
I mean really..."A wholesome snack for a sustained release of energy"...

perhaps not such a Tall Order after all!

I'm taking this moment to say congratulations!

granted i'm pretty sure i've told them before but it never can hurt to say so again.
Well done Tall Order on the Zula Bar gig last night!!

It so good to see close friends doing well after all the effort and love they've put into a project.
It's also good to see friends who haven't seen them live yet looking so impressed!

I will hopefully post the link for their interview they did after the gig here once it's available

(it's later! and here it is for you! :) http://overtone.co.za/musicblog/interview-tall-order)
Next stop, recording a single, photoshoot, music videeeooooo and then... the woooorld!
*grin*

eeeets a smaaall world aaaaafter all!

and now for weirdness and small worldliness and such!! On sat neil and i went to go and support the keith in entertaining those englishmen/mess and to see chantelle who also was out! She is lookin still very thin but quite a bit better since the last time i saw her i must say!! anyways i was sitting and chattin with her i think at the time when the wedding party people arrived that the thakes are actually here to join. When this REALLY friendly guy steps up and says "Hey!! How are you??!?"
I have to admit the way he said it was as if i should maybe know him so there was a moment of reeeal awkeardness as i squinted at him trying to place him. luckily he then asked what my name was!
*pheew*

so then i thought ah well it's rare you meet someone THIS friendly! may as well chat to the guy! and so i asked where he was from as he had an accent? and he confirmed yes! he had relatively recently returned to south africa after his family had immigrated to Oz about 9 years ago... at which i started squinting at him again... he definately thinks i'm weird at this point... but NOT as weird as when i suddenly burst out "WAIT!! don't tell me!! you're in graphic design!!! you're joel's arty older brother?!?!?! aren't you!!!"

aaah i'm so subtle :P

heheh luckily it was him but i think i officially frightened him with that behaviour and he'll warn his brother not to befriend such a mad raving loon! hehehehe it just kicked in when he said australia in a way hah! and also i suddenly remembered Tracey and joel talkin about his sideburns?? they ARE big!!! :D

heheh i was very much excited by my terrific skills i must have picked up from all the csi watching i do :P

just a fun silly story but these are important as well

Cool thing!

Melanoma Bracelet
My Daily Candy newsletter popped up this cool bracelet created to raise awareness about early melanoma detection & prevention!It's called an "I Will Reflect" bracelet.
It changes color when exposed to harmful UV rays.
:)

Not sure if they ship to SA tho but it's a pretty cool idea i think!

It's dangerous to drive with Danie

wow. He is Danger Dan... not because of his driving oh no... because it gives me the very bad option of getting rather ge-smashed! doh!
Last night was tons of fun considering some small difficult things!
This is my mini apology in case neil and i drove you batty my dear friend but thank you so much for taking us out! I had... a... BLAST!

My only regret that i can recall right now tho is I still think the barman should have let me name his cocktail the Mean Dean tho... *sigh*
why won't people listen :P
and perhaps reacting a little harshly to a pretty nice guy grabbing my ass... heh... but it's mine, and once is forgivable but 5 times is seriously pushing it...

Word of the Day for Thursday, May 29, 2008

schadenfreude \SHOD-n-froy-duh\, noun:

A malicious satisfaction obtained from the misfortunes of others.
The historian Peter Gay...has said that it "can be one of the great joys of life."
-- Edward Rothstein, "Missing the Fun of a Minor Sin", New York Times, February 5, 2000

oooh. ok i'm coming clean with my guilt.
... i DEFINATELY have felt this...
*sigh*
but doesn't everyone just once in a while? maybe?

I love "word of the day"!

How useful!!?? but weird.

WikiHOW is a site that keeps popping up on my stumble and today it was this?

How to Fall Out of Love

Actually it's all pretty good advice too!?? I can't think how often Kat and i used to sit around while i sat sobbing and trying to figure it all out on my own, berating the universe for not handing us all a manual at birth!! lol! well maybe it's just arrived a little later than expected is all but in case anyone else might need it I'm posting this link.
I'll sum it up as this: A very useful link of good advice for those who will listen to it seriously and don't have a handy Katherine to tell you all this stuff in person :)

I want it! :D

it's called a Neil USB port! Mine!!! Want!! heheh

Einstein Quote i enjoyed

If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.

noooooooo Jake! just say nooooo!!!

omg... i am soon to be devastated.
There goes a 5year day-dream! if ONLY i'd stalked him till we had a chance meeting while he was in sunny SA March last year...

I don't think i was close to this upset when my actual ex got engaged...

:P

but seriously... is there life after Jake?

and THEN! 2 yrs later your friend starts blogging!

Well!
How do you know at one stage you had a mild problem with online profiles?
when a friend starts up a blog and you go "hey... wait just a cotton pickin minute?? didn't i have one of those as well?"

tada!
man, was i in a bad place tho the last time i wrote here tho?
The good news is that things have since gotten a lot better in life.
a LOT better.

It's not that nothing bad has been happening (friends passing away, friends health failing, breakups etc.) it's just that maybe i eventually dug myself out of my slump and stagnant pond thing i was always complaining about?
Good things happen, bad things happen and life keeps on moving so you choose to stand still or move with it.

I'm NOT in control of everything in fact, i'm in control of very little in my life, but the decisions i have been able to make have been positive lately instead of harmful, tipsy, or completely emotionally induced nonsense :)

ONE of the things i would like to mention is that i removed a friend.
I've having second thoughts about writing this somewhere for a while now so i won't write too much about it at all... but when something that should be sad, instead has such a positive impact on your day to day life, maybe you should acknowledge it.

I said goodbye to a 4yr close relationship mentioned in an earlier post.
In fact when i wrote the last thing about her 2 yrs ago things had already become very toxic.
Yes i'll miss the good person she was... but that person is hidden away very very far down now so i can't see her anyway. As soon as you can accept that not all people grow or change for the better - the better you can look after yourself i guess.

I'm happier now than i was with her around.
And should i actually remember that i have this blog and write here again i hope my new posts reflect this *grin*

SEVERELY addicted to design, craft, tech, film, music and the wwworld

If the small blurb beneath the blog title wasn't enough and you've found yourself curiously clicking it... then here you are! You have reached a page containing a little bit more about me.

Currently I'm a self confessed web addict, who's found herself in the world of magazine publishing while she sits daydreaming about how, perhaps, she really should have studied programming and all things interwebs.
This is, of course, till I realise that I'm relatively good at my job, and that I should truly be grateful for what I have, before I turn another love into a career and possibly, "the daily grind".

When this blog first started, it was more a way for me to write about things that happened in my days. More of an online journal since my actual physical journals were starting to leave little space in my cupboards for clothes. Somewhere along the lines it morphed into a way for me to hoard images, stories, projects and people I found interesting and make little comments about what I've found so that I can always have a quick way to find them again and remind myself of how much I enjoyed them.
Leaning one way always feels a bit self indulgent and a little uncomfortable, and the other leaves me feeling a little silly just dishing out opinions if I never really share who I am and what I do...
For the future, the goal will be trying to strike a balance between these two.

Wish me luck! We'll both need it since I wouldn't want to chase any of you away or myself grow bored of what I'm doing :)

Nice to meet you!

and then you just don't feel like writing...

like about a party that started out brilliantly with much excitement and merriment and good friends.
But which ended weirdly with some parts definately counting in there as aweful.

list of things I'm letting go of hopefully and some I'm going to learn from:
girls kissing girls
falling asleep when you don't know everyone (you might not be able to trust them :( )
drinking impairs people's judgement of friend boundaries
friends sometimes let you down when they drink
people have different ideas of what loyalty means to other girls
some people might not have changed

ugh... I might sound angry but I know that it applies to me too on several occasions... DRINKING MAKES WOMEN STUPID! and I'm tired of it meaning they end up liking or possibly even falling for some boneheads or means they'll obey some stupid guy and do stuff just because he asks them to!and I'm also tired of it meaning they forget to remember how they'd like to be treated by their girlfriends if it had been their ex and someone else in their position :( SIGH!
rant rant rant.

right. it had been bothering me for over enough time now... I'm going to do the whole forgive and forget thing now hopefully :)

EXCEPT for ADAM... no forgiveness. I don't care whether you can remember or not. there would have to be so much grovelling to the girl you would never make it up.

there. my peace

How to make a Sydney Key

At Mercury there is a friendly barman called Sydney
often a crazy dancin' girl named Keyna arrives
together they made this... :)

still 25 *

ooooh! so Saturday!

(just in case anyone was wondering...no I don't have any work to do today! JOY!)

Saturday I got to sleep in a little which was wonderful! then woke up and opened all my prezzies and answered all my sms'!
Linni gave me some sun for my birthday which was pretty darn spectacular!
I got some other brilliant prezzies! like:
- long gloves which reach my elbows
- a top hat
- LUFFLY badges!
- a cute little chinese piggy which I luff!
- a beautiful stripey top from kimbo
- a great hilarious top from lu ("go team Aniston!!")
- pretty cards
- bodyshop stuff from trace! luff luff!
- popcorn maker
- black beads! and beautiful earrings
- beautiful blazer from sisters!
- stripey jersey and braclet from work peeps
- DVD player from Neil!!! don't think I've gotten such a big present!!!!
and lots and lots of coolthingies in general!
THANK YOU EVERYONE!
(oooh oooh! and there's more stuff in the post! - can't wait!)

Then we went for pancakes!!!! (we have a brilliant secret pancake place in Tableview...ssshhhhhhh)

ok so after that we just sat around and chilled most of the day! Some might find that boring but I like to think now that i'm 25 I needed the nap *grin*
we made up for it in the end by heading out to mercury that evening!

I sms'd people pretty late at about 11:00 and some randoms heard from me that i probably haven't contacted for almost a year but I'd already had a few "Sydney Keys" so was well into the spirit of things by then! YAY!
lots of people replied and I continued to harrass others well into the night but luckily for them I managed to used up all the rest of my airtime by phoning Aimee from my bag and leaving a nice half an hour voicemail heee heee.

They played out favourite songs! Lovecats! Funky Music!
We sang lots - "we didn't start the fire, it was always burning since the worlds been turning"
and of course there was MASSIVE amounts of boody shakin goin on! Clemens was GREAT! and boy can that Gaylin dance!!!

We met a rather odd couple: Blonde 31 ex stripper who REALLY seemed to want to get together with Neil... or Gaylin...not sure... she seemed quite taken with them both
Her boyfriend I think tried to explain that he was a New Zealand Rugby player who owns a club in cape town now...BUT none of it was really making any sense.
(very scary)

anyway...FUN FUN FUN! i HAD SO MUCH FUN! THANK YOU EEEEEVERYONE!!!

(sorry to Trace tho for trying to pimp you off to a certain DJ? teehee...I'm trying to cut down on that I promise! I luff what he said tho! have been giggling about it now for days!!!
- "so, do you feel like breaking all the rules?" -
I mean c'mon! tis brrriiilllliiiant! however did you resist?)

we even made the most spectacularly quick and dramatic exit I've ever made! all of us gathering ourselves up in about one minute and singing our Bohemian Rhapsody out the door and into the street.

aaah 25... you didn't let me down at all... I loved you

25 *

and no photos taken :)

so the nervousness that i was feeling about this intimidating age suddenly disappeared! "who cares"! yay!

Friday it was roaring down with rain but having promised leeetle Tammy for the 2nd time that Kimmi and I would come through we thought we best not let her down again? we do after all value our lives you know *grin*

So we grabbed dear Aimee for the gal's car and tortured her all the way there with as many 80's hits as possible and threatened her with Goldfrapp should she get the directions wrong! mwahah Cruel you say? well don't worry she got a GOOD moan in about it!

The Genitalia gig was great! with Tam niiiice and tipsy on stage! THAT'S rocknroll! go tam!
Kat, the Ror, Danie, Brett, Aimee, Kimbo, Jen and myself (plus more o tam's friends) cutting a nice rug!
lots of raucous shouting and cheering!
I even got a birthday shout out from the band! Thanks Tam!!!! that was a really cool present!
except for random drunken people trying to bash into poor kat things were a lot of fun with several nipple shows from the Ror!

We then went on a Neil hunt as we'd been receiving odd sms' about some kind of test tube UCT party but by the time we got there it was over so we went off to try ol' Gandalfs for a change.
= more dancing + more shots + wedgies courtesy of sliiightly drunken Keyna + MORE SHOTS and Aimee drinking vodka....turns out she should never do that? whoops heheh

well that was friday :) shall write about actual birthday later!

oh almost forgot...kimmi's car did smell like luffly yummy lemon and herb potato wedges... and still does days later! *grin*

the year ahead? hehehe

TAURUS20 April – 20 May

LIFE: Luck comes with greater effort this year – as if you're walking through a blizzard to reach your destination. But you'll get there – and be even prouder of yourself when you do. Besides, you're attempting big things – so the challenges are bound to be greater. Be kind to yourself – and proud of each little step.

LOVE: What are you after? Is it friendship, love, romance, affairs or marriage? Send out your orders now. And accept every invitation (there'll be many!). One word of caution: let love grow at its own pace. There's no rush.

WORK AND MONEY: You have friends in high places – all of whom are happy to help. Even so, money comes in many different ways this year – often through partners and relatives. You'll probably change jobs after September, finding new opportunities to explore your talents. Watch any deals done in March, July and early November – they're not always what they seem.

aha!

it's another one of those days where I suddenly go " oh good!!! :D I can put off this ulcer thing till september due to promises and commitments! why on earth and how can I be worrying about it right now? just relax and be normal for a bit *pheeew*"

well... as normal as I usually get!

funny how you can worry so much about stuff that you forget how little you can do about it all!
why do I feel like I keep telling myself this? must actually read back and check that i haven't written this all too many times
if someone else notices I'm droning before I do... tell me :)

good flipping gracious

DO YOU KNOW WHAT DOESN'T HELP???? :) hmmmmm???

being born on a cusp!!!!
so you think you're getting things worked out in your head about your job, life, blah blah watching manga again, seeing old friends.

so but then you check your horoscopes and they're of course completely different and give you even more to think about because clearly you're one of those nuts who sometimes can't help listening to them? the problem with haveing two is that its even more worrying when they both tell you things that seems to certainly be happening in eeery kind of way.
So which one do you ignore?

also.. whatever you do... don't look at the love horoscopes of 2006 of the people you care about! it's craziness and all rather odd.

yay to being crazy! and to think this mail comes right after my other blog's entry about none of this having to be such a big deal? hope I can just keep asking myself whether I'll care about any of this when I'm 80 or whether I'll just be so happy because my luffly goldfish are still with me and happily making bubble faces to remind me it's feeding time!
*smile*

preeety lights!

aaaaah... winter is here!

this morning was horribly windy and cold but when I finally hit the veiw from lover's lane the lights were so so beautiful. I think I do actually enjoy winter?
there will be lots of challenges definately what with everyone supposed to not be using their heaters and eskom realizing that everyone will so warning of power cuts... but as long as I have my wonderful feather down duvet and some hot chocolate I should survive it!

I am currently wishing I could move Tamsin's gig to another less windy rainy night tho? brrrr.... I'm cold just thinking about it :S

ooooh but my head is more filled with dreams of being able to afford this beautiful corset I found this afternoon *sigh* I'll have to sacrifice the impossible wish of changing the weather :) .... and not fix my poor little broken car this month...