Because I've just started! I was quite skeptical at first. But this meant that I was missing out on the global effect of trading goods between borders, and we ALL know how brilliant this is!

Well, today, just for a couple of minutes, I felt worhtless...I felt like I'm not worth the money I get, or the time I put in at work, simply because I'm not working! Its no secret what's happening here at work. But it is now at the point where I find myself surfing the internet and looking at my email and listening to music, when I should be filling my cup with technical experience on projects...

Well, we did it, in light of everything that's happening, we finally signed an offer to purchase and the owner verbally agreed and will sign today, so its off to the bank.

As much as I hate what Suarez stood for during those 2 minutes of shame and followed by jubilation. I cannot get the thought out of my mind that we all, each and everyone of us would have done the same, should we be faced with that situation.


We all have a little bit of Suarez in us:

I know I have a bit of Suarez in me. I'm a genius when it comes to playing any game as it should not be played. I'm that person who will accidentally spill all the pawns on the chess board should I see that my opponent would beat me, I'll pull the plug on the PS3 or Xbox should I see my opponent will score or beat me, I'll make up words that don't exist in scrabble just to win. Now, I came clean, you should too. Somewhere in your life, you did something similar to what I did and what Suarez did. You didn't want someone to win, and you cheated a bit to swing the outcome of the game. The world will let you know that you cheated. But you know you did what you had to do in order to get a favorable outcome.


Condemned:

Now, everyone condemns Suarez for doing what his momma taught him to do...to fight till the very end, to not give up, not to follow rules when you are on your last breath, to kick someone in the privates if you see you going to get a beating. He did that, and for that, I commend him. You too, would have done that. Hypothetically, if Booth were to dive across the goal line to stop the ball from entering Bafana's goal to save the game and see Bafana win the World Cup...we would all have understood, mentally, what and why Booth did what he did!



Os over and out - we shouldn't blame old Suarez "tanne manne" for doing what he needed to do when the time was right to do so. It was basic instinct, it was totally unlawful to the game of soccer and to the future of Ghana, but for the future of Suarez's team...he did what he had to do...so you would too!

It shocks me how many news reports and headlines pop up everyday on every tech website reviewing, complaining, lambasting, worshiping Apple. Their fascination with this company is beyond me. Every move made by Apple is scrutinized to the point where we have people like Sam Diaz who calls himself an Apple Guru...yes you read right, there's actually a title for the person who knows more about Apple than Apple...an Apple Guru.



Analytics:
Imagine this, everything a company does, anything, is documented and analyzed for the masses to make an opinion off, remember that an analysis, be it expert or not, is still just someone else's impression on a topic of interest. An analysis of Apple's 3G or 4G is just someone who's qualified in Apple history talking about their experiences on the 3G and 4G issue, not Apple themselves. Its just Sam's rendition of what he thinks is happening, would happen, and won't happen. Unless Apple actually releases a statement to the ever present press, everyone just basically goes with Sam's opinion on the 3G and 4G version of the new iPhone – and Sam thinks its great, so it just has to be right?

Rules of engagement:
But there is a good reason why we can all listen and read Sam's impressions on Apple, because Apple uses a very lean approach to releasing products, or making money as its actually what they do. They will package a product so lean, that when they release a second version you'll want that too...and give your older version to your niece. Anything Apple touches, has to comply with their rules of engagement, you can now listen to music on your Kindle...only if you have the iPod or iPhone, yes. I'm sure in 2130; you'll be able to buy McDonalds, only if you are a registered owner of an iPhone 43G.

Why are you surprised?
Why are people surprised when 2 versions of the iPhone, iPad and iPod are released? Apple tells you that the technology is not ready yet, it’s been ready for the past 10 years, it just make sense to sell the technology in two different yet the same products. 3G and then 4G, God forbid you bought the 2G. 40Gig then 60Gig and 80Gig. That 80Gig will be followed by a very new iPad with 100Gig if you don't watch out! It astonishes me that people are still surprised at Apple's product offering and packaging, whatever they do, the market will respond positively, and worst of all, the myriad of competition will shamelessly follow and brake patent laws knowingly unknowingly. The IT industry has strived off this version cycle sales-type approach for decades, and its worked!



Apple Loop:
That's the business model, like everything Apple, cleverly designed to make money, and they are good at it. The Apple loop clearly shows how lock - in strategies are the way to go, "you can get this if you have this" type of mentality. That's only the start of it all; pretty soon, you'll be totally excluded if you DON'T have anything Apple! Apple, basically takes an existing technology, package it so good that you believe its something new! The iPod...nothing new! The touch screen with movement detection...old age! The iPad...seen it all before! But this is where Apple has the magic ball and the Tarot cards and the wizard and the magician and David Blaine on their side, they make all this existing technology available to everyone and anyone, and everyone who's anyone who's not Sam Diaz, will not know that the technology existed, but they'll believe that Apple is innovative and the technology is brand new and Apple had it first and Apple is the best. Simply put – Apple sleeps with your mother, your father, your sister and your dog, and worst of all…with you if it sees potential market share in mediocre or untapped markets!

You gotta love it:
You have to, no matter who you are, even Sam loves it, you have to love Apple, they take what we know but don't know, and make it available to all of us convincing us and at the same time have us screaming from atop a mountain “we need what they have to offer”, package it so good that they make billions off it, and then just when we get used to the technology, they bombard us with more innovation! I love Apple, I have not a single Apple product in my life, but I've used them all bar the iPad, and I will happily fall into the Apple trap of lock - ins and accompanied technology from a partner etc. But that's just the trick, that's what Apple does, it makes us want what they have, we cannot deny it.



OS over and out  - pretty soon, the ever popular saying "An Apple a day keeps the doctor away" will have a whole new meaning all together.

Where did they get it, and why are they sending me this information?
New deals at Reeds!
Cell C gives you R40 airtime...to opt out sms STOP.

Mdunguni safety gates, now 20% off to you, thank you for your support.

Game special vouchers up for grabs, sms SAVE to...

Holiday club specials, go when no one else goes!



And the list of simple emails and sms's are endless. Where did they get my details...whenever I sign or agree to anything online I make doubly sure that there are no boxes ticked or no questions answered that gives them the remote possibility that they can "alert me of updates" or "send me promotional packages on free gifts and savings" or "subscribe and receive more for less". I made sure.
The only people that have my details such as cell number and email address are the service provider and the bank, my work and FaceBook - I know FB cannot sell off my information, why would they, if they are spying on me, they'd know that I'm not interested in safety gates or updates on new Opels!



Where do the people who send us promotional updates or any kind of marketing material, get our details? I've been away from work for 5 days, when I got back, my Outlook was filled with 600 unread emails...and the worst of it all...60% of that was over the weekend, yes, a Saturday and Sunday spam affair! From new camera's and PlayStations to TV's and DVDs and groceries and new houses on the market to new cars to new offers from insurance companies...when did I show interest, when did I agree to accept marketing material from all these companies? When did I knowingly hand over my details?

The worst is, that to try and stop all this spam is virtually impossible...I can't stop it, to stop it costs money! You didn't pay me to accept your material, why are you asking for money now to get your to stop bombarding me with your material?



How did they decide that spamming people's phones and mailboxes was an acceptable form of advertising? Is there an advertising body in SA? When did they decide that sending me an sms at 3 in the morning telling me that if I reply now, I can get 15% of the next golf clubs I buy? I never bought any golf clubs, as a matter of fact, I never set foot into any golf shop!

OS over and out - how do I stop this nonsense...it seems to happen every month end, once a month, then there's no spam, and then all of a sudden, a horde of emails and sms's are sent my way in hope that I respond and react to it? Is this something I'll have to live with? Something I'll have to accept? Is this something that has become a norm, are they hoping that if I don't respond, I'll meet a total stranger who wants to buy golf clubs, and then tell him about that sms number and maybe he'll get 15% off the next golf club? Is this their strategy, to get me to talk about how bad a service this is, when its actually a good idea?

Bafana Bafana is a colorful team, some spots or a spot of white and then some brown to ad to the spectacle. One of the most controversial policies in S.A sports has to be the quota system imposed, yes, on sporting codes that was deemed a bit too white on face value!

I watched 3 Bafana games at 3 different places with all races attending. One very disturbing opinion I got from a Mexican in Cape Town...he asked me don't the white South Africans play soccer? In the words of Joey Rasdien..."Kaka is a colored, put more colored’s in the Bafana squad and we'll start winning" I'm a racist like every other person living in South Africa, but yoh, where's Booth, the guy who the white guy identifies with? Where is Lance Davids, the guy who the colored guy identifies with?



Black:

Rugby, no.

Tennis, no.

Cricket, no.

Swimming, hell no.

Soccer, obvias!



White:

Rugby, obvias, apparently they were bred for it!

Tennis, hhhm.

Cricket, what you expect.

Swimming, only they can!

Soccer, haikona!



Kalad:

Rugby, flank…yes.

Tennis, no man.

Cricket, batsman yes, but prove yourself over and over again, otherwise!

Swimming, in a dam yes, a pool with demarcated lines, please!

Soccer, yes...but SAFA will rule you out.



Muslim/Indian:

Rugby, stop eating curry, build some muscle, still a no-no!

Tennis...no comment

Cricket, top order batsman, yes, but like the Kalad, prove yourself constantly with 100's otherwise!

Swimming, in the money yes.

Soccer, yes...but SAFA will rule you out.

I cannot stress the importance politics plays in South African sports, everyone has an opinion and everyone's an expert. Never have I heard so many colorful comments about the Bafana team as I have in the last 3 weeks, everyone keeps on asking the same question...Why is Booth not playing? And this is followed by the proudly South African answer..."because he's white"

What made us so fascinated by color? If something goes wrong, we blame color representation. If a color is not included, we blame the majority color of that sporting code. In Rugby we keep on talking about more blacks like its a norm, and when people on the whiter side of the coin talk about more whites in soccer, arms are thrown up in the air in protest and everyone simultaneously points to the Nelson Mandela statue in Sandton and almost as if choreographed asks "is that what he fought for?" But this is a legitimate question...not what Madiba fought for, but where is the representation in the Bafana squad? It’s only funny that when these questions are asked concerning the representation in the Bafana squad, it’s uncalled for and politics must be left aside, but anywhere else where there is one white man too many, politics and history are all too common a strategy alongside the game play on the drawing board.

OS over and out - white and black, kalad and indian, we all want a piece of the pie, give it to us please!

I got to know a couple of these bastards yesterday at the Soccer City stadium! We complain about our own braking stadiums apart when things don't go their way and we are bombarded with news reports and articles telling us how happy and grateful we should be because we'll be getting all these people from over the waters into our country...basically saying with the little tongue we should behave ourselves.
 



Strike dem:

With these strikes happening now, the neigh sayers are now up in arms, blaming South Africa again for uneducated and uncultured people striking when we have "visitors" because, how bad will it look when the visitors see how we act when we don't get our way? No, I say; if there is unfairness and irregularities, get to the streets and strike! F all these visitors who need to be painted a freakin picture of how South Africa is. We have strikes all the time because the poor people who do lowly jobs are forever being taken advantage of!




Show dem:

I walked in Soweto yesterday to the stadium, which looks brilliant, the facilities are remarkable, but as happy and proud as it made me, it made me sad at the same time, not to mention very angry. Why, when the visitors come here, do we have to keep up pretences and show them a good time, why don't we as South Africans get to have a good time all the time? Why are the train services all of a sudden free? Why must people who earn R150 a week, still pay for that Metro train service after the World Cup? People I walked with talked about how nice and modern Soweto looked; I laughed and told them to tell their tour bus operator to take them to the real Soweto... They looked at me not understanding and replied with "but we are in Soweto", no you're not, you’re in the place where the big pretty stadium is, 1 km from here people are living in poverty!




F dem:

I was with these foreigners whom we are supposed to be friendly to and welcome into our country, but at the same time, their manners and drunkards surprised the hell out of many people. They become unruly with 2 Budweiser’s in their system, what if they had to drink Black Label? They are rude, abusive towards woman and flippen irritating. I walked with some of them and they commented on how amazed they were that we could actually build the stadium and how we actually had transport...and laughed at our taxis! I say to them...F you all!

I don't see why we as South Africa need to change to accommodate these foreigners when they come here and criticize each and everything we do. We are more civilized then what they are...the businesses almost look past South Africans and only see foreigners they can charge ridiculous prices, I complained about a R30 ice cream, and the vendor just put the ice cream back into the box and sold it off to the Dutch guy next to me for R30, even though on the box it said R20, wow!

And on another note...most of the foreigners who complain about the vuvu...go back to singing boring songs when your team is behind in a match or stand up and applaud every move, don't come to the stadiums if the vuvu is irritating you!

OS over and out - I don't have good experiences with the foreigners, and I don't like this whole fakeness surrounding our country where we are expected to  behave just because these guys are in our country! We don't have time for foreigners who think they can come here and cause malice or come here with preconceived notions of what they've been fed by their media. To the foreigners who are here to enjoy the games and culture of South Africa, like the guys from Mexico and some Dutch guys, they ones at the shabeen in Soweto...thanks for supporting the true South African culture, to the foreigners who buy vuvuzella's and blow the hell out of it thanks for proving that its a soccer thing, soccer is meant to be crazy, meant to be enjoyed and noise is always there where soccer is, its already on par with the best soccer world cup in history! And to that grandpa who sat 2 seats behind me telling me to sit down because he cannot see, this is a soccer match mate, we get excited and then the natural thing to do is to stand up and cheer...if you like to be seated, go get a higher seat...F bomb for you!

I used to blog only for digi's, that was my M.O, my sole purpose in life. I used to blog about whatever was hip and happening at that time, and ad my spice and theories to it. Then, I grew up a bit, by about 5cm I'd say and my shoe size went from a 9 to a 10 in 1year and myDL underwent a heavy surgery and it upgraded! With this upgrade the top blog spot was missing, so I thought it time to also get rid of my bad habits of blogging for cash! Now that its back, I feel left out somewhat, I don't see my name in the Top Blog section and neither do I see it in the newsletters anymore!

Reasons...the reasons that we here:
I can't pin point the reasons why this happened, but I assume it has something to do with the fact that I don't blog that often anymore, I blog about twice in 3 weeks or so, which is a poor record by my previous standards. I also said it this morning, but the site has grown so much now, where we see regular users, more part of the citizen side, are gone and new users have boarded ship, but the newish users only come to blog, some have filtered through and started to chat in the much fabled Shout Box, but some are just here to tell us how to rip a DVD to an iPhone or how to get divorced or how to buy from supermarkets. While this is good and the whole point of a blog, to vent or talk about things one does not normally talk about, I tend to miss the online interaction, the closeness of the citizens on here...




Nature of everything in life:
What does everything in life have in common? It all, everything, grows up. It ages, it becomes mature with time, so too did this website, from times when we used to see 10 blogs per day, we now see a stream of ideas, opinions and reports coming through the blog machine per day! I'm sure The Source and team will be happy with this, the site has gained so many grounds...



Double Digi's:
With the Digi system being changed every 4 or so months, one has to beg the question why...in the olden days when the site was still orange, when a change happens we knew exactly why! Some people who complain nowadays with the new site when comments are not working or Digi's are paid late or not at all or the hits system don't work, work themselves up because they are used to being informed, I just think this site has grown so much that the immediate feedback has gone out the window, FB updates and SB updates now and then is the order of the day, and understandably so...this, followed by a blog from either Charmed or The Source, sets minds at ease before the storm calms. I like this double digi's idea, it brings the Hit Factory's production line in overdrive and I'm sure anyone would love to see some website stats per month on hits for blogs or just per site or per window or per link...it will be interesting!

Top Bloggers are back:
But this time it's not me, I like the fact that there's almost a new one every time...puts those Hit chasers to work to dish out nice blogs, on that topic, is it me, or did the quality of blogs improve a whole lot with the introduction of the new look and features? Also, the news we get...up to date on technology and gadgetry is amazing! The features and columnists are also a welcome treat...I'd go so far as to say that the website should watch out for overloading us with material, there are so many things on here that I find myself logging on at night just trying to catch up with blogs from my regulars, because there simply is no time to read all the great material on here...if ever there was a time to showcase what this MyDL team has created with this website, its this version, its brilliant, WEB 2.0 in its purist form!



OS over and out -  I might not be the top blogger on here anymore, but the competition has grown and that can only be good for the website, I'm actually looking forward to blogging again, just to find a topic is another story, I hope this one generates hits then!