I’m so relieved. This week, I have managed to get my dirty hands on a [much needed] driver’s licence. After all the blood, sweat and tears, it has come my way. My eleven months of trying to get it has finally paid off and it has been a life-changing experience.

I don’t like the traffic department. In fact just thinking about walking into a centre anywhere in the country makes me cringe. I guess you could say that this is my attempt at reviewing their behaviour and work ethic [or lack thereof]. Here in Somerset West, where I passed my licence, they have a very blunt approach to the masses that pass through their unattractive premises, day in… and day out. You expect service, but you get none. Little, if any at all. It’s no wonder that people get fed up with them. Without the licence, you are limited – socially, in finding a job, your education, and in your independence. I know the feeling… and I’m glad that those setbacks are behind me now.

It was my third attempt at this hell. My third time, and R3000 later… I got the good news. Not a cash bribe – but R3000 of which includes lessons, application fees, and processing fees. It’s the news of my life, because really that is how important this is to young people in South Africa. I don’t at all rely on public transport, how can I? I don’t risk trains here…!

And the proposed “K53″ method of driving is just plain ridiculous. It involves a series of robotic movements you have to constantly engage in… to such an extent that your eyes are off the road most of the time. I guess because it was my third attempt… I had casual driving under my belt. That was to my advantage – don’t go into this without general knowledge of the road. I became a K53 junkie, I really did. And now I will never think about that method ever again. You’d think driving was rocket science… when it actually isn’t. It’s a technique you learn but which becomes eventual second nature. Easy.

I won’t go into detail about how I managed to fail twice before I managed to nail it the third time. Recalling it depresses me. And now I can be a happy driver… and hopefully not become a culprit for road rage. Mind you – with South African taxis on the roads, it isn’t at all hard to become impatient.

All I know is…  I got me my driver’s!

Later.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Fashion experts gathered at the “old” Durban Club, now known as The Manor House, on 15 October 2009 for the annual Sanlam SA Fashion Week Summer Collection. Though the Durban Club used to be a gentleman’s club it was strange that this venue was specifically selected to host a show where beautiful models could be seen on the catwalk.

Among the fashion designers, well known Durban designer Francois Vedemme’s collection revealed an amazing range with his usual attention to detail, beautiful crystals, vibrant colors and textures all adding a modern twist to his garments.

Francois Vedemme’s collection consisted of 16 garments, each one individual and unique in its own way. The collection captured the audience, and was received with great enthusiasm and respect for his creative talent.

East Coast Radio’s Terence Pillay gave a great review about the show and nominated Francois Vedemme as his winner of the week…. “an amazing iconic designer who could show his ranges on any catwalk in the world…..London, Paris, New York…what an achievement for a local designer!”

Popularity: 85% [?]

What a weekend.

Event-wise, I am completely satisfied. I had no doubts about not having a potentially CRAZY time away.

Namely, “The Village”, held in a remote, picturesque venue is just the perfect location for a wild, wild trance party. No limits, no working, no haters and just complete, ultimate psychedelic euphoria.

Needless to say, it was one amazing time.

Let me attempt to describe or paint a picture of what a trance party is. And can be.

Set outdoors, these party’s happen in Cape Town during the Spring time. When the weather warms up, the dams start to fill, the weather starts to warm up and everything starts to glow. One thousand people [perhaps a quarter hippies] escape with their tents [booze] onto a protected piece of land and a stone’s throw away is a colourful dance floor.

The Village was held at Flenterskloof Farm, about 25 minutes outside of Stellenbosch. A great group of friends, great vibes and good attitudes all make it really worthwhile.

These types of events are so well co-ordinated and props go to the organizers for selecting the perfect venue, the BEST local trance DJ talent, the best artwork, great stalls and top facilities. Even though I was inebriated for most of the one-night two-day party, these small perfections I could pick up behind my stupor. Shweet.

Now let’s not go confusing a trance party with a “rave”. Unfortunately, these party’s have attracted the likes of real youngsters.

People who suddenly have a profound interest in the “Rasta Irie Vibe Bru”, like to gatecrash these events. I’m not defaming anyone here, what I’m trying to state is that these events unfortunately go commercially mainstream. Think Vortex or Earthdance. I’d still probably go to these, but they’re way too wide scale. I suppose one could blame Facebook for something like this.

“Log into Facebook – “Ooo, 1 new event invitation!” – R.S.V.P. “Attending” – Signed, sealed and delivered!

Something like that.

I’m not being a rebel either. It’s just a  human observation. Probably my sixth sense kicking in or something. Who knows.

My babble aside, it was a party to erm… remember. I look forward to the next one!

The Village had [has] a really intimate feel to it. With not too many people, a comfortable venue and a time away from civilization… it’s a great treat. Tickets costed R130… but I ended up spending substantially more [like the insidious fool I am!]… no regrets here.

Time to revert! Dam!

Jaydogg out.

Popularity: 44% [?]

Crime in South Africa has reached unprecedented levels, which includes “white-collar” crime. In fact our own Police Commissioner – Mr. Jackie Selebe – has been associated with white-collar crime.

Though the financial costs of white-collar crimes far exceed the value of street crimes, it is logic that “street crimes” have priority to that of “suit crimes” – as the former has an immediate threat to our safety. Truth is that our prisons are “over stocked” with those who have committed violent crimes. As such white-collar criminals are often given a mere slap on the wrist. What is interesting is that white-collar crime threatens the relationship of trust between citizens and government as well as employers and employees.

Cognizance should be taken that all criminal behavior, whether violent or deceit and concealment, requires a motive and opportunity. It is, however, difficult to understand why trusted and well paid employees would jeopardize their position by stealing from their employers. We must assume that white-collar crimes are committed due to the desire for financial gain or alternatively an unexplained psychological disorder.

White-collar criminals, on the other hand, may justify their behavior by claiming that nobody has been hurt by their actions. This statement is debatable as in the case of embezzlement the continuous action thereof can ultimately lead to retrenchments.

The general perception of the South African public is that the police and criminal justice systems are simply not equipped to attend to such cases. In actual fact our police have admitted to this and called for an alliance with the private sector in addressing the matter.

It is imperative to comprehend that the effects of white-collar crimes are filtered through society. As a result insurance premiums rise significantly due to false claims, tax policy amendments due to tax evasion may be implemented, possible retrenchments due to the erosion of funds and most important the loss of trust between individuals or entities.

White-collar crime is to be dealt with in a serious light. As such a proactive crime prevention strategy is required. This may be time-consuming, difficult to implement and require changes to an existing organizational structure. In the business world, ethical behavior by a company’s personnel is determined by the example set by top management. It is thus necessary for the top structure of an organization to create a code of ethics which includes a commitment to expose fraudulent action. In addition and environment of transparency, integrity and accountability must be created which will assist organizations in combating white-collar crime.

Popularity: 36% [?]

Your socioeconomic status is based on income, education level, occupation and social status within the community.  This will obviously have a direct effect as to your suburb of residence and yes… the vehicle that your drive – which most probably is owned by your financial institution.  In democratic countries, socioeconomic status is typically categorized into three categories: high socioeconomic status, middle socioeconomic status and low socioeconomic status.

It is a well known fact that individuals who enjoy a high socioeconomic status often have more success in preparing their children’s development as these individuals have access to a wide range of resources to encourage various children’s activities.  This generally contributes to the child’s social, emotional and cognitive development.

Individuals who “suffer” from low socioeconomic status often lack financial, social and educational support structures.  As such these individuals have limited access to resources which would have assisted in their children’s future growth.

However having said this, controlled focus groups have documented that children from a high socioeconomic status tend to express more detachment behaviors, such as fidgeting, than their less fortunate peers.  Children who originate from low socioeconomic background tend to make more eye contact, head nods and signs of happiness when placed into an interactive social environment.

Though this content may sound like a sweeping statement, it is unfortunate that most case studies do not seem to follow through to adulthood, thereby allowing an overview of the full picture.

Popularity: 36% [?]

The possibility of human cloning, raised by the creation of the sheep “Dolly” brought a global interest and concern because of its scientific and ethical implications.  When reference is made to the term “cloning” we usually associate it with reproduction.  The truth is that the reproductive aspect is merely one facet pertaining to cloning.

The following exists under the umbrella of cloning: DNA Cloning, Reproductive Cloning and Therapeutic Cloning. 

DNA Cloning is the transfer of a DNA fragment of interest from one organism to a self-replicating genetic element such as a bacterial plasmid.  As previously mentioned “Dolly” was the result of embryo cloning – Reproductive Cloning, which was specifically intended to study human development.  Genetic material from a specialized adult cell could be reprogrammed to generate an entire new organism.  Reproductive Cloning can also be used to repopulate endangered species. 

Therapeutic Cloning is the production of human embryos for use in research.  With this process the intention is not to create cloned human beings, but rather to harvest stem cells that can be used to study and treat disease. 

Though all sounds well it must be noted that cloning is expensive and highly inefficient.  The majority of cloning attempts fail to produce viable offspring.  In addition to the low success rates, cloned life stock tends to have more compromised immune functions and higher rates of infection, tumor growth and other disorders – causing limited life expectancy.  This is the greatest problem which faces scientists. 

Apart from the above many individuals, including Greenpeace, believe human cloning to be ethically irresponsible.  However, the pros and cons of this topic will have to be considered carefully before passing judgment.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Gone are the days for “boy meets girl” in the local pub. Internet dating is considered to be a legitimate way of meeting new people in the search to a life partner. Previously, during the dark ages, it was frowned upon if you hooked up with an individual via the Net. In modern day’s society there are no more stigmas or society outcasts classification associated with Internet dating. In fact, Internet dating is considered to be one of the safest methods of meeting new people.

Having said that, there are dangers pertaining to Internet dating. The anonymity of Internet dating has afforded con artists a new playground for scams, and has allowed people to be anyone they think you want them to be. It is also a very “easy” way to be unfaithful to your partner or promote promiscuity. The list is endless; register a fake e-mail address, get an unregistered cell-phone number and create your own persona. Once all is in place, the scammer is set to prey on the individuals seeking long lasting love.

Quite a number of Internet dating websites are free, and contain testimonials of romantic successes. What the Administrator omits is the countless horror stories that may exist. Should you strike it lucky and meet somebody be sure not to provide your personal contact details immediately. Rather communicate via the website facilities. During this period you will most probably be able to identify the character trades of the individual you are corresponding with and notice if a hidden agenda exists.

Don’t let your heart lead your mind. Should you wish to meet the person you are corresponding with, be sure to arrange a meeting in a public place after having received a picture of the person. If the individual arrives and does not resemble the person in the picture, excuse yourself and walk away. If the person lied about his / her picture, chances are that everything he / she told you about their life is a lie.

Apart from the many decent and honest people, there are many with a dark side to their character. These shady people can be found everywhere. Use your sixth sense coupled with some intelligence to guard against them. As such you will be able to use Internet dating sites as safely as any other forum.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Man has always been fascinated by possible existence of extra terrestrial life. During the eighties, scientists discovered a meteorite in Antarctica and believed it to be from the planet Mars.

Closer examination indicated hydrocarbons which are the same as breakdown products of dead micro-organisms on Earth, mineral phases consistent with by-products of bacterial activity, and tiny carbonate globules which may be microfossils of primitive bacteria.

The conclusion was that the rock solidified within Mars 4.5 billion years ago, approximately 100 million years after the formation of the planet. The rock then fractured where after water permeated the cracks, depositing carbonate minerals and allowing primitive bacteria to live in the fractures.

The bacteria and their by-products became fossilized in the fractures. A large piece of the rock was dislodged due to a large meteorite which struck Mars. As such a chunk was ejected into space destined for Earth, more specifically – Antarctica.

The minerals discovered by the scientists, bear a strong resemblance to mineral alterations caused by primitive bacteria on Earth. In addition the presence of micro “ovoids” was found, 100 times smaller than any bacteria on Earth.

Though the findings seem to be inconclusive, there remains much work to be performed on this topic.  Who knows…you might be related to E.T.

Popularity: 21% [?]

It’s that time of the year, or rather that time of the proposed “pandemic”. It’s a time where we are literally forced into a period of fear and complete misunderstanding as to what is going on.

It’s a swine flu outbreak. Oh, not another one of those you say; just another attempt or foothold the ever-profiting pharmaceutical companies have on us, the ones who have to indirectly bow down to their dim-witted global medicine moves.

But now the panic has died down, and everything is typically the same. You see, we’re brainwashed into believing that pandemics such as these are going to kill off half the general population, when in actual fact they are treatable. Swine Flu isn’t a death sentence, though some overly-zealous human life forms believe otherwise.

While the pharmaceutical companies begin to roll out vaccines to help vaccinate us against this horrifying event, it seems heavily rushed. Well, that is because it is.

The World Health Organization has admitted to releasing the virus into the population via “mock-up” vaccines. “Fast-tracked” vaccines are vaccines which haven’t received the necessary, adequate, laboratory testing that they need in order to fully work.

In effect, the medicine is rolled out, and essentially we become the test dummies in a money-making life-threatening game of Russian Roulette.

And this happen all before our very eyes, while GlaxoSmithKline states that “Clinical trials will be limited, due to the need to provide the vaccine to governments as quickly as possible. Additional studies will therefore be required and conducted after the vaccine is made available.” More proof is shown here that they perform minimal testing of the vaccine prior to making it publicly available.

The majority of nearly all the products created will include mercury, which carries a significant health risk. Pharmaceutical companies have an iron grip on their ability to carry out these projects without any legal financial consequences. They have bulletproof policies.

More recently, a local community clinic in Boston, America, started administering flu shots to residents. Those stood in queues received bracelets printed with unique codes that “identify” and track their health. Well, you could have fooled me. Excuse my conspiring, but this is all starting to sound like a plot to cash in and profit off humanity in the most invisible manner possible.

Do we have no privacy anymore? Something like this is way off, but there are inklings of this happening within the public. This is quite disturbing as it shows that pharmaceutical companies are devising plans to make more and more money. There have been incidences of drug companies creating medicines which purposefully make you more ill as you take them, so that you have to take a heavier and longer prescription.

What it sadly boils down to is money. The drug companies want us to get sick. They want us to buy their medicine, and how can we not? It’s a part of life. Statistics say that seven-hundred-and-fifty-thousand people a year die from modern forms of medicine. Surely this isn’t right? Well, the statistics, though true, mean very little to the industry.

Remember the Bird Flu scare? Nothing ever came of that, and now we are at a time where the panic has settled. It was a panic over nothing – a panic over a virus which has a substantially lower mortality rate than your typical seasonal flu outbreak. I think I’d be afraid if the Ebola virus mutated to form some liquid nation. Now that would be dangerous.

The WHO wants to scare you with outbreak forecasts. How are we really confident of the numbers? So many are incorrectly diagnosed as many don’t see the doctor or simply do a self-assessment. The media use these numbers to frighten you (and your health), which will apparently turn into a statistic.

Personally, I think that people need to realize what is happening. Many “submit” to these courses of action and essentially over a lifetime end up paying copious amounts towards pharmacy bills. And as the saying goes: As the rich get richer, the poor get poorer.

Luckily I have a jacked-up immune system. At least I know about these facts, and I am grateful of the knowledge I have in this subject. The next time you go to your doctor for what could well be a Swine Flu inoculation, think twice – unless you want to become the subject of a bio weapon experiment.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Alex Marsh is now a  resident of Vredehoek, Cape Town.

He’s chosen a life in the Mother City and life in London for a few months of every year. Currently in a slick apartment on the slopes of Table Mountain, his boost will be the World Cup come next year.

Alex specialises in providing 360° videos to clients in various market sectors around the world. It is in rather high demand as it is a fantastic new form of advertising and marketing, particularly for the internet division.

This unique and interesting profession branches into a variety of sectors including the security, web advertising, reconnaissance and in exhibition work.

For the industry, there have been many challenges which have become a hindrance, particularly in travel and tourism.

“The economy is slow and budgets have been cut back considerably for 2009.”Alex told me. “As the economic crisis hit the West so hard, as a result, tourism has been on the decline in Cape Town, and numbers have dwindled.”

But Alex remains optimistic about the coming summer months. He adds that the winter weather is “dreadful” but confidently assures me that “summer in Cape Town allows for possibly the best outdoor filming anywhere in the world.”

Add onto that the addition of the World Cup, hopes are that the economy will stabilise, more than what people will predict.

I am quite fascinated. Mind you, I think that this type of camera work is revolutionary when it comes to the current generation of imagery we have in South Africa. These types of filming have been seen more recently in one of Google’s projects to create Street View for all of its existing maps. Just two days ago I saw a car with one hot-looking camera mounted on the roof-racks… the car was Google-branded.

With the implementation of this in a city such as Cape Town – there is a high demand for some new form of film technology. If we’re ever to advance technologically… I think that it is moves such as these that will effectively move us out of the “African Age” once and for all. In all honesty I feel that I am a first-world citizen reluctantly living in a third-world establishment. It’s time for change.

Check out Zippy’s offiical 360 Filming website here

Popularity: 56% [?]