Some pics for the weekend from Eish!!

Spreading a whole load of Eish!! to last the whole weekend. Enjoy!!

Online DVD deal launched in SA - 1 Year Ago!!

I like, wherever possible, to try the services and products I review or even just give a mention here on Eish!! I want my readers to know that what is mentioned here is not a done so because the author has been has been paid or couldn't find anything else to write about.

With that preamble in mind let me review an online DVD rental service I found at CherryPicka, a site I reported mentioned earlier this month. Pushplay is the DVD rental solution we have been waiting to be offered here in SA for a long time. The online DVD rental market has essentially been stifled by the prevailing broadband environment, but now as the broadband uptake is rising exponentially the time has come.

Actually contrary to Tuesday's News24 article Online DVD deal launched in SA stating that the recently launched BigPix is the first of it's kind in SA Pushplay was launched nearly a year ago and started delivering in October 2006, so I guess their time came a while ago.

Ok, now I've gotten that out of the way, let's explain the concept. We are used to going into a DVD rental store, searching through the movies, carefully keeping our gaze away from those movies that have no empty DVD case on the shelf so as not to be depressed by all the options we don't have. Those two fo you who are really proactive may have remembered to book a DVD you really wanted to see, but then you still have the stress of firstly fetching the thing and then remembering to drop it off before the return time the next day. Pushplay takes the stress out of the game. They offer various monthly packages, and you can watch as many movies as you like during the contract period, and take as much time to watch them as you like. (I guess how long you take depends on how polite you are as you will be holding up the queue) You browse online and select the movies you want to watch. Not one, not two but upwards of 20! And their selection is pretty damn large. So the moment you hear of something you want to see you can quickly go online and select it. When selecting you decide on how much importance you want to place in it. Then as it comes available they send you the DVD by post. No fetching. Once you have watched you return it into one of their various drop-off bins and they send you the next movie available in your queue.

As always, let's look at the catch. Actually there are two. Firstly, while they are on the verge of launching nationwide, they currently service Cape Town only. So, knowing there are a fair whack of readers in Gauteng, you guys are going to have to wait just a little while longer. Deborah @ Pushplay assures me your areas will be serviced very soon. Secondly, they deliver via SA Post Office. I have found that this can mean delivery times can vary. Thankfully PushPlay empty their boxes very regularly and are very quick in acknowledging receipt and sending the next DVD in the queue. I have been testing their service for a few weeks now and have found that it can take anything from 2 to 5 days from date of sending to you receiving the DVD in your grubby paws.
There is a way around it, however. Simply take the 2 DVD option. That way you can cycle the DVD's and always have something to watch.

They are currently offering a 2 week free trial, so again, it's an opportunity to try something new and not be out of pocket. And if you want to show Eishman your appreciation, drop me a mail or comment and I will send you a referral. That way you get your two weeks free trial and Eishman gets to extend his contract for another month! (as per the preamble, this is not the reason for the post, merely a added bonus for Eishman) Thereafter you can do your own referrals and you to can get a month's free DVD watching for each new PushPlay member. Ah, the beauty of viral marketing.

Eish offers free virus scan

Again, something for nothing just for being a regular Eish!! reader.

On the 5th June Eish!! reported on free online virus scanner from Panda Software called Nanoscan. Well today from Carlos from the Nanoscan is offering Eish!! readers the ability to scan for viruses directly from the blog.

If you didn't have a reason to bookmark Eish!! before, you do now. The widget will be permanently on the right hand menu bar of Eish!!. Thanks to Carlos, it a great idea to reach out to the bloggers, it's sure to get them extra exposure for their many other security products.

Schmaaking made easy @ Amatomu (Or Not)

The guys at Amatomu have added some new functionality, that has been will make for interesting changes in their top lists.

They are now offering a button that can be added to individual posts ala Digg, a feature suggested here just over a month ago. (See : Helping readers Schmaak Eish!!) This makes it easy for the ordinary user to simply click and 'Schmaak.'
So what exactly is a 'Schmaak?' Will for those overseas readers, this is a South Africanism for 'really like a lot.' It is simply a way for you to vote for a blog post you enjoyed. It will help others to find the post and blog in question as it climbs in the rating.

Hey, give it a go, click on the button below ... no seriously click ... don't be shy ... click dammit!!

(Edit : So the post was published, but not button. Oops, maybe we aren't quite there yet? Better find out from Vincent & Matthew what the problem may be. Sorry for getting your hopes up, still that means you will have to return to shmaak another day!!)

Order your digital prints online - for free

As the uptake in broadband in South Africa continues to grow, Eish!! will continue to endeavour to inform on those services which have long been available to our friends in the US, UK, Japan and other countries with high broadband infiltration.
Flyphoto.co.za isa SA version of Flickr allows you to store your digital photos online. The cool thing is that you can now order prints of those photos at a rate that is a whole load more reasonable than if you did the same at the USA based Picasa & Flickr. It is even competitive locally, especially if you are able to collect yourself.
Online Great Trek reported on the service on the 22nd June in depth and is now offering you 10 free prints to it's readers. This is a great opportunity to give the service a try. One is (and should be) always weary of handing over bucks when a new service starts up, particularly when the business is internet based. These type of offerings take the risk out of the equation, so do you yourself a favour and take advantage of it, while it is still on offer.

It's best not to look!! (pic)

Not much more one can say, other than "Eish!!"

The perfect phone?

I have been listening to, reading and watching all the hype in the States regarding the Apple Iphone. Up until now, while I have been in awe of it's beauty, I have been rather nonplussed knowing that the phone is going to to take a while to reach our shores. (MyAdsl : 07 June 2007) Of course, when it does, it seems it's going to be in small numbers and will have a serious premium placed on it as a result.
Further to all that, there has been some serious issues raised by certain detractors which have made it seem that, be all accounts, there are some important frailties inherent in the design if the phone, like battery power, application support, durability and lack of wi-fi support to name a few.
However after reading Secret iPhone Details Lost in a Sea of Hype and Hate, a very thorough and extremely interesting piece at RoughlyDrafted.com I may just be convinced not to make that Ipod video purchase in the foreseeable future.
It may mean my daughter may not be able to go to varsity in a few years, but hey, I will have a cool gadget ... for at least a few months before something better comes along, Eish!!

Win airtickets home

Eish!! is aimed at three bunch of people (demographics for you purists). Those living in SA, South African expats and those interested about what people in SA are talking about.

This short post is aimed at the expats. Homecoming Revolution is offering a set of return air tickets back home. In order to be in the running you will be required to complete a survey form, a small price to pay, me thinks. You can also see where in the world others who have entered are located on a big flagged filled map, which is quite fun.

Be sure to let me know if you win! Drinks will be on you.

Link :Whereintheworldareyou

Bru & Boegie - The interview

I have been enjoying the Bru & Boegie comic strip rss feed for a long time now and thought I it was time to let the Eish!! readers know about this little gem coming out of the Garden Route.









I made the mistake of trying to do an email interview with the creator, Mike. The idea was to glean from his answers enough information to bring you an article in Eish!! Not a chance, the reply I got from Mike was so entertaining that I have no choice but to give you the unabridged version. Enjoy.

Hi Mike,
Hi Eishman. Haibo. Sikona? Gonjane?

1. Tell us just a little bit about your background, how you found out you had this talent for telling stories through cartoons (and making us laugh in the process) I grew up in Soweto with my nanny. She cared for me and fed me everyday. At night, she used to tell me stories about these 2 half-naked guys called Bru & Boegie. They scared me a lot. Then, one day I decided to exorcize these demons by drawing them on paper and putting them up on the Internet. At first I did it so my psychiatrist would be able to see the inside of my brain, but then other people started visiting my comics site, and I might possibly be reliving my nightmares for the rest of my life.
2. Where did the inspiration for Bru & Boegie come from? My nanny used to tell me that the Bru & Boegie stories were passed down from generation to generation. I also hear that if you fail to put your bed up on bricks, the tokoloshis come and eat your soul, and leave Bru & Boegie the fingernails. I didn’t bother asking why. Anyway, I’m just carrying on the tradition of passing on these stories to haunt the lives of as many people as I can.
   
3. The main characters are Bru & Boegie (of course), who are they, and for that matter, what are they? As far as I know, Bru & Boegie are 2 ancient Gods whose names mean something like ‘Golden Underpants Exalted on High’ and ‘Extreme Baldness at a Young Age and Legs without Feet’ but my memory’s a bit hazy. My nanny always used to warn me that if I failed to continue the Bru & Boegie tradition, she’d call Bru & Boegie to come and ‘klap my ass’ and I don’t want to find out what that means. I’ve tried speaking to other kids who grew up with me in the township, but they seem to know nothing of what I speak. I somehow think I may be alone in my knowledge of these demi-gods.
   
4. How does a cartoonist such as yourself start out? It seems as if it requires a whole load of luck? Ha ha. A cartoonist, eh? Well, you need a piece of paper and a pen. Then, you need 2 half-naked guys to pose for you. Both should be bald, have pointy legs and bald as baby’s butts. Then, if you’re lucky enough to find such subjects, trail them for a while and watch their ridiculous antics. Normally they’ll do something stupid every day. On occasions they might do multiple stupid things, so you gotta write down those ideas for future use. You should never let your subjects know they’re being watched.
   
5. Where can we find your work? I’ve sent most of my work to my nanny who likes to make sure I’m getting the stories accurate. She lives in Pofadder now, under police protection from nosy onlookers who want to know the true origin of Bru & Boegie. I think it’s a load of hogwash, and she should just tell everyone where the hell Bru & Boegie come from. I like to believe she’s actually schizophrenic and has these 2 guys constantly talking to her inside her head. (Don’t tell her I told you that, or she’ll…whatever) What was the question? Ah, my work. You can’t find my work anywhere. I’m actually a doctor by trade. But I haven’t got any work yet. If you know of anyone who might be looking to have their nose adjusted or something sutured, please direct them to me.
   

Thanks Mike, for the laughs.

Link : www.BruandBoegie.co.za - the kiffest comic in the WORLD!

Free Cell C calls on the weekend (Kinda)

Seems like telecoms in South Africa is becoming an increasingly competitive sector. Finally, perhaps, the consumer is starting benefit.

Starting from midnight this Friday Cell C are offering a service Woza Weekend. They say it's free calls over the weekend. But before you start chatting here are the catches you need to be aware of.

• It's Cell C to Cell C calls only.
  
• It's 120 minutes free, not 48 hours talk time.
  
• Prepaid customers must recharge at least once a week.
• Contract customers, you need to use up all your free minutes first. Check @ Cell C's website for those contract excluded from this requirement)
• There is no carry over (pretty obvious that one)

Still, as long as don't get caught with point number 4, it's something for nothing.

Add this to Adsl & Dstv being offered by Vodacom, Neotel about to start rolling out services, the imminent introduction of Wimax Telkom dropping ADSL prices in August and Moneyweb reporting that SA's bandwidth is "cheap" then we appear to be moving in the right direction.

Now all we need to do is find the steering wheel and the accelerator!!

What do others think of your comments?

You've read a blog post or news article on a subject you are really passionate about. Below the article is a space for you to give your 2 cents worth and you do.
Now the catch...

How do you remember to come back and see what the response to your comment has been?
That's where this very nifty little service coComment comes into it's own. It keeps tabs of all the comment feed you have participated in and displays them in a central spot much like an email client. So it's easy to read, or ignore. The best part of it is that once you have installed the little plugin you do not need to remember to do anything. It will automatically take note of your comments and do the necessary. Give it a go, it's unobtrusive, yet allows you to engage with fellow readers so much more effectively.
Bloggers, it also allow you to add a little box on your site, so our readers can see where you have been particpating.

Something to offend everyone!!

Why is divorce so expensive?
Because it's worth it.

Why is air a lot like sex?
Because it's no big deal unless you're not getting any.

What do you call a smart blonde?
A golden retriever.

What do lawyers use for birth control?
Their personalities.

What's the difference between a girlfriend and wife?
45 Kgs

What's the difference between a boyfriend and husband?
45 minutes

What's the fastest way to a man's heart?
Through his chest with a sharp knife.

Why do men want to marry virgins?
They can't stand criticism.

Why is it so hard for women to find men that are sensitive, caring, and good-looking?
Because those men already have boyfriends.

What's the difference between a new husband and a new dog?
After a year, the dog is still excited to see you.

What makes men chase women they have no intention of marrying?
The same urge that makes dogs chase cars they have no intention of driving.

Why don't bunnies make noise when they have sex?
Because they have cotton balls.

What's the difference between a porcupine and BMW?
A porcupine has the pricks on the outside.

What did the blonde say when she found out she was pregnant?
"Are you sure it's mine?"

Why does Mike Tyson cry during sex?
Mace will do that to you.

Why did OJ Simpson want to move to Tasmania ?
Everyone has the same DNA.

Why do men find it difficult to make eye contact?
Breasts don't have eyes.

What would you call it when an Italian has one arm shorter than the other?
A speech impediment.

How do you get a sweet little 80-year-old lady to say the F word?
Get another sweet little 80-year-old lady to yell *BINGO*!

RadioSA goes off air

Today's post was planned last week ago already! I was going to tell you of an online radio station based in the UK with an South African focus that, ex-pats in particular, may be interested in giving a listen.
I was going to tell you that it was started and run by the original chick DJ from 5fm Cleone Cassidy, how I came across the station from a link on Katie Possums' "Adventures in LondonAbove" blog.
I was even going to give you my opinion of their playlist.
Finally, I was going to give you the link, so you could take a listen for your self.

Within all that I was going to write how I wasn't too convinced that the project was necessary and a concept that would be successful. Why would someone staying in the UK wanting to hear something that would keep them in touch with their homeland, 'tune' into an online radio station based in the UK when most of the top South African terrestrial radio stations broadcast over the internet anyways.

But, I can't. I went to check back on their website this morning. It's gone, leaving the message "After major changes, the original RadioSA will be back, bigger and better, check back soon. Sorry for any inconvenience caused but it is absolutely necessary to get the station back on track."
Sounds promising, but they were supposed to be back up and broadcasting last Friday but are still silent.

Damn, now I need to find something else to blog about ... Eish!!

Something for the Dads

I am a dad, a hassled dad, but a proud dad. I have two wonderful children and I can honestly say, I love being a dad. So I have decided to take a weekend off from blogging, even thinking about blogging. Stuff Father's Day, this is going to be Dad's weekend!

The boss has even given me Friday afternoon off! So this post is ( a) coming out early and (b) going to have even less prose than normal.

Enjoy my take on dads, through the wonderful medium YouTube, enjoy.

CherryPicka - Discounted Testing

There's a great online resource that I suspect not many people know about.
CherryPicka is a site run be the CherryFlava (an entertaining marketing blog). It offers merchants a platform to market test their products and, more importantly, users to try these products at a discounted price.
I have been a member for a few months, but have held back reporting on it until I had tried out the process. This I did just over a week ago, when I saw a great deal on www.pushplay.com, which I will also be reviewing shortly. The transaction is nice an simple. You choose your product, make payment and the company makes contact, viola! They do request that you then come back once you have experienced the product and place a short review back at the site. That's fair enough when you see the discounts offered.
They have gym contracts discounted from R650 to R150, Wine, Music Cds and an interesting interior design concept that I may be tempted to try out.

This is definitely worth signing up for and something to come back to on a regular basis. Each offering does obviously have limited stock available, being a test platform, so regular visits is advised.

Facebook - Please convince me

So since my previous post I have been dabbling in Facebook. It's beginning to grow on me, but the thought of having another thing I need to keep up to date with scares me. It's great to find friends you haven't heard from for ever, but after the initial 'poke' are you expected to daily interactions? What constitutes being rude in these communities?

I did enjoy this post @ Web Worker Daily. It seems that I am not the only one with reservations about this platform.

Now readers, convince me to the contrary.

Facebook, am I missing something?

Blogs, office talk, newspaper, radio. Everyone's talking about Facebook.

Facebook was founded in February 2004 by a Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg just three months after Tom Anderson founded MySpace, the other big social networking competitor. So it's not a new phenomenon. But it's clearly suddenly making it's mark here in South Africa. Check out this Amatomu buzz graph and you will see how man.

Now I classify myself as an early adopter,but when I first heard of Facebook a few years ago, it was always as the ugly Myspace competitor. Still neither really resonated with me then though and I still don't really think I have grasped the reason for viral popularity. I mean I really wanted to be part of the 'in crowd' and all, but just couldn't see the point of taking the step and signing up, other than to secure my name. So let me try fight their case though and see if I can convince myself to become a 'Facebooker'.

• I am told you can chat to your friends via Facebook - but I can do that through Skype, GoogleTalk, MSN Messenger and a whole host of other IMs.
• You can also send messages - That's odd, I thought you could just use email for that?
• OK, but you can upload photos - Been doing that for ages on Flickr and Picasa
• But wait, you can hook up with old school, varsity & work mates - Again, there's a whole load of other sites I can and have used for just that, starting at the school website and, in my case, including SAReunited.
• There's a messageboard - old hat
• But it's a free website - I set up my first free website using AngelFire about 10 years ago.
  

But wait ... perhaps the beauty is it's all in one place? Maybe, perhaps that's the secret. I am still not convinced.

... but I refuse to be left behind, so off I go, time to join!!!

Eish!! just can't help myself, here's me.

Eish!! outmuscles Multichoice AND Vodacom

Here's an opportunity for you SEO experts reading Eish!!

I know very, very little about 'search engine optimisation' and the fact that I utilise Google's Blogger to publish Eish!! means I can maintain this relative ignorance and still get reasonably good hit rates from individual searches on topics I have written about. However, surely if you do a search for a companies product by name, the company in question should be the first search result?

I reported on yesterday's press release on the new Vodacom/Multichoice Dstv select offering. I noticed from my stats that I have been getting quite a few referrals from Google, so I did a quick check.
Google search phrases :

• "Dstv Select" - Eish!! is the top of the search results! Cool for me, but not the way it should be. A Dstv forum entry is the highest ranking search result emanating from a Multichoice/Dstv site.
• "vodacom dstv select" - Eish!! no 3, official Dstv site makes it to no.5
• "multichoice DSTV select" = Eish!! no 6, DstvAfrica just makes it onto the first page @ no 10.

Looks like the webmasters @ Multichoice & Vodacom have a little work to do. In the meantime welcome to those of you who found your way to Eish!! Stick around, the Eish!! community is active and growing.

Dstv now available from Vodacom

According to the press release we are being offered another Dstv bouquet. The priced from R139-00 it looks like the imminent IPTV competition is already having effect. The only problem is the channels being offered does not make this too attractive, particularly the lack of real sports channels.
Baby steps, I guess

VODACOM ENTERS BROADCASTING AND MULTIMEDIA

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Vodacom, South Africa’s leading cellular network, has formalised its entry into the broadcasting and multimedia market by announcing today that it had secured an exclusive pay-TV agency agreement with MultiChoice.

“With cellphone penetration in South Africa at over 80%, Vodacom is constantly looking for opportunities to expand its growth horizontally in the market,” said Alan Knott-Craig, chief executive officer of the Vodacom Group.

“With 23 million customers in South Africa, Vodacom has the distribution and marketing know-how that could lead to more significant growth in the satellite pay-TV market. With less than 10 million TV sets and fewer than 2 million satellite pay-TV subscribers in South Africa, we can expect strong growth as Vodacom offers the most affordable satellite pay-TV so far available,” Knott-Craig said. (Source: Click here).

“Vodacom already has 33 000 mobile TV users that can choose from 22 channels on Vodafone live! cellphones, in addition, we are currently piloting more than 17 channels across digital video broadcast to handset technology together with MultiChoice.“

With DStv Select only from Vodacom, Vodacom and non-Vodacom customers have a choice between two exciting DStv Select bouquets, each offering a variety of the latest entertainment, news, sports, movies, documentaries and music channels.

“For the first time, South Africans will be able to subscribe to satellite pay-TV for as little as R139 per month and choose one of the two DStv Select bouquets of channels they’d like to view. We expect to attract many customers who will enjoy the variety of more than four channels, but can now afford it for the first time,” Knott-Craig said.

In addition to being affordable, the DStv Select bouquets offer up to 16 channels including SABC 1,2,3 and e.TV – one technology (free-to-air), easy to use, ensuring convenient and hassle free access to TV entertainment.

Customers can visit any participating Vodacom outlet to view the latest DStv Select deals available from Vodacom. For more information, click here or call 1082, free from a Vodacom cellphone, or 082 1082 free from any other phone.

DStv Select including M-Net Series & Hallmark	DStv Select including kykNET
Supersport Action	Supersport Action
ActionX	ActionX
FashionTV	FashionTV
MTV Base	MTV Base
BBC Food	BBC Food
K-TV	K-TV
National Geographic	National Geographic
Sky News	Sky News
CNN	CNN
CNBC Africa	CNBC Africa
SABC 1	SABC 1
SABC 2	SABC 2
SABC 3	SABC 3
e-TV	e-TV
MNet Series	KykNET
Hallmark
DMX Music Channels	DMX Music Channels
Gospel	80s Hits
Love Songs	Love Songs
Classic R&B	Classic R&B
Adult Contemporary	Adult Contemporary

Blinged Jeep

Not too sure what more to say about this car I spotted on the other side of the boerewors curtain this morning, other than 'Eish!!'
Why someone would Rhinestone their Jeep is beyond me.

Buying Satellite TV Receiver

When shopping for a satellite TV receiver, remember that you are buying an entire system. A satellite system consists of a satellite receiver box that connects to your TV, an outdoor satellite antenna and a remote control. A subscription to a satellite provider is necessary to obtain access to the signal, and your choices are currently limited to DISH Network and DirecTV.

Standard satellite programming uses an 18-inch round satellite dish, while high-definition reception requires an oval dish measuring 18x20 inches. The satellite dish is usually included as part of the package when you sign on for service. To receive a signal, the dish must be installed with a clear southern exposure, without obstruction by trees or buildings.

Keep in mind that because satellite TV is broadcast in the digital domain (currently MPEG2), there is no fuzzy reception. In other words, you either receive a clear satellite signal or no signal at all. Heavy wind and rain, and especially lightning, can cause the signal to be temporarily lost, but reception problems are much less prevalent than satellite detractors (such as cable TV providers) would have you believe.

Both DISH Network and DirecTV offer local programming via satellite, but this option is not currently available in all areas of the United States. If this is the case in your area, you can use a rooftop antenna to receive over-the-air local broadcasts, while the satellite handles national channels.

Satellite receivers come with either standard or HD tuners. A standard receiver decodes the digital broadcast signal and presents it to your TV in analog format, along with an electronic program guide (EPG) that lists the available channels and programming. An HD receiver is designed for high-definition satellite signals, and it presents them to your HDTV or HD-ready TV in their native widescreen digital format at 720 or 1,080i. Not all channels broadcast in high-definition, however, so an HD receiver will also handle non-HD programming.

One option that has exploded in popularity is the combination receiver/digital video recorder (DVR). This format combines a DVR and satellite receiver into a single component, which saves valuable space in your home theater setup. While it doesn't have all of the functionality of a TiVo or other advanced system, an integrated DVR still allows you to pause, rewind and fast-forward live TV.

Because the DVR works together with your satellite service's EPG, setting the DVR to record future shows is quick and painless. This is also a smart move money-wise, as DISH Network and DirecTV offer DVR receivers for significantly less than you would pay for a stand-alone DVR from TiVo or ReplayTV.

Additional features include parental controls to block adult programming, favorites lists, picture-in-picture viewing and interactive features. Satellite systems require a phone link for downloading periodic updates, and you can set your receiver to display Caller ID information on your TV screen. Some satellite receivers are designed to work with multiple TVs, so you will only need one receiver box to provide programming to TVs in several rooms.

Beat the corporate firewall

I have been back in the corporate world for a short while. One thing an internet junkie like myself can't help but find more than a little frustrating is the limitations put on you by your company's firewall. I realise it's for a good reason, but still...

Never mind, Eish!! has come up with a solution. It comes in the form of www.unblockall.net. Simply type in your url in it's search box and you're in. I tested in on my Gmail account which is blocked by our firewall, and viola! I was able to view my messages.

This combined with WorkFriendly (see previous post - Surfing the web under the bosses nose) is sure to get you fired!

Do the strikers know what they are striking for?

Probably the longest title for an Eish!! post so far, but I couldn't come up with a shorter one.

For the sake of the readers outside of South Africa, we have been experiencing a civil servants general strike since Friday. They are demanding a 12% pay increase, the government are offering 6.5% (up from the original offer of 6%). Although our government have been at pains to assure us that their offer is actually quite a bit higher than then 6.5% as they have also offered various better additional perks and subsidies like medical aid upgrades etc.

Naturally the newspapers and talk (& music) radio stations have been abuzz with comment regarding the strike. One thing has stood out for me, however, and herein lies both the problem and potentially the solution. All those that have been sympathetic to the strike have quoted the "low" salaries paid to teachers, police men and women and nurses. I have yet to hear someone call in and say "I know this clerk in Home Affairs. He only gets paid R uvwx.yz a month for all the work they have to do."

The government have said that they are to substantially increase the packages offered to those professions mentioned above as well as others identified as been currently under resourced and difficult attract personnel, architects and civil engineers been two vocations I recall being mentioned.

So, in my opinion, these guys are striking over a battle they have actually already won. They are actually fighting for their colleagues (I use this term extremely loosely) in those areas which actually do not deserve even the 6% been put on the table. I mean, unless you have made onto the top scorers list in Tetris of course ;-)

Surely, what they should be doing is petitioning their Union representatives, whether or not they are aligned to COSATU, to negotiate increases and conditions of service specifically for their professions. Why do they want to be bundled in with all the other schmucks? There is no way that this can be beneficial for them. Think about it. A nurse, who we all seem to agree is not paid sufficiently, gets the 12% she so desperately wants. However the Tetris champion gets his 12% as well. What nett gain has the nurse actually got in the greater scheme of things? Not much in my opinion.

Letter of recommendation

I just had the below mailed to me, it fits in so beautifully to today's Eish!! opinion piece that I thought I would share it.

Enjoy!!

L ETTER OF RECOMMENDATIO N

1 Phineas Dlamini, my assistant programmer, can always be found
2 hard at work in his cubicle. Phineas works independently, without
3 wasting company time talking to colleagues. Phineas never
4 thinks twice about assisting fellow employees, and he always
5 finishes given assignments on time. Often he takes extended
6 measures to complete his work, sometimes skipping coffee
7 breaks. Phineas is a dedicated individual who has absolutely no
8 vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound
9 knowledge in his field... I firmly believe that Phineas can be
10 classed as a high-calibre employee, the type that cannot be
11 dispensed with. Consequently, I truly recommend that Phineas be
12 promoted to executive management, and a proposal will be
13 executed as soon as possible.

Addendum
The idiot was standing over my shoulder while I wrote this report.
Kindly re-read only the odd numbered lines

Correction - Thanks to Panda Software

Thanks to Carlos at Panda Software for clearing up my statement below taken from the previous post "Scan for viruses online for free", and teaching me a bit of Spanish at the same time.
Original final paragraph :
"Finally, as a negative, it really irks me when the designers and owners of software and websites allow themselves to get lazy. This is a great utility which provides a fantastic service. So why the incorrect spelling in the analysis url http://www.nanoscan.com/analisis.aspx?"

Carlo's reponse :
"Thanks for publish the NanoScan´s information in your blog, but only one puntualization: the URL doesn´t include incorrect spelling, it´s write in spanish ;-)"

It always leaves a warm fuzzy feeling when a company takes the time to correspond with you before, during or after a posting that refers to one of the products.

Kudos to Panda!

Scan for viruses online for free

Here's a nifty online utility you need to bookmark

Panda Nanoscan at http://www.nanoscan.com/ is an online virus scanner. It scans your local pc for around 962 749 viruses, trojans and spyware. Being online and professing to be mega-quick it obviously does not scan your entire hard drive, so it targets key files, directories and processes only.
I ran it on my family pc, which can be a real dog with this type of thing and it completed a full scan (quick setup excluded) in 80 seconds. I am happy to report nothing found.

You still need to keep your offline realtime virus checker(refer here post on free Anti-Virus packages). Although this utility is not going to check files as they are copied onto your hard drive, downloaded or as they arrive via an email, it's a great way of running a double check when you suspect malware to be the cause of a problem you are experiencing or if you are are unsure of the credentials of a pc you need to work on.

It does not disinfect should it find any malware, however it does offer another more comprehensive TotalScan should you wish to do so.

Correction : Thanks to Carlos at Panda Software for clearing up my statement below, and teaching me a bit of Spanish at the same time.
Original final paragraph :
[Finally, as a negative, it really irks me when the designers and owners of software and websites allow themselves to get lazy. This is a great utility which provides a fantastic service. So why the incorrect spelling in the analysis url http://www.nanoscan.com/analisis.aspx?]

Carlo's reponse :
"Thanks for publish the NanoScan´s information in your blog, but only one puntualization: the URL doesn´t include incorrect spelling, it´s write in spanish ;-)"

It always leaves a warm fuzzy feeling when a company takes the time to correspond with you before, during or after a posting that refers to one of the products.

Kudos to Panda!

I remember more ...

Reading this great post a SA Rocks I was reminded of the "good old days." The focus of the post was food products, but there were so many other images and memories it conjured up that I thought it needed a little expansion.

So here's some homework. Take a read then let me know what resonates with you. Comment or mail me the things that you remember fondly from your childhood.

Here goes ...

I remember paying 12c for bus fare to school.

I remember school bus routes ensuring you could be dropped off at most 2 block from home.

I remember playing frogger.

I remember hijacking the portable radio to listen to Springbok Radio stories after curfew.

I remember copying my first code into my Vic20... it didn't work.

I remember riding my bike everywhere.

I remember really wanting a chopper.

I remember changing that want to the newly available BMX.

I remember the SABC test pattern.

I remember Martin Baillie.

I remember the Chappies bubblegum radio advert.

I remember Wielie Walie.

I remember Afrikaans tv programmes without subtitles.

I remember vinyl records being sold at OK Bazaars.

I remember cassette walkmans.

I remember ...

Really funny pics for the weekend

I found these on the web and just couldn't resist.