Dirty Politicians Make Me Sick

"Tony Yengeni is us and we are Tony Yengeni" is what the African National Congress' chief whip in parliament, Mbulelo Goniwe had to say on the day that Tony Yengeni, the former chief whip who was convicted of fraud on the day he was to head of to the slammer.

Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't saying something like this the same as saying Mr. Goniwe is as corrupt as Mr Yengeni?

I'm really getting tired of how top ministers and politicians in South Africa who have been found guilty of corruption like mr Tony Yengeni, or are awaiting trial like Mr Jacob Zuma, get the unfaltering support of ANC officials. At a time when South Africa should be doing all it can to stamp out corruption, the powers that be are nothing but supportive of these convicts.

By the way, unlike other prisoners, Yengeni got to keep his cellphone. Why should he get to keep his cell phone? He also said: "A citizen of the country should not be easily removed from society and put into a cage." Does anybody else find this insane?

This man was found guilty of fraud or in other words, he got caught ripping the tax payers off but instead of severing ties with him the most-influential members of the ANC, greeted Tony Yengeni with the slogan: "Tony' you're a hero" when he arrived at Pollsmoor Prison on Thursday.

Happy Birthday R2

We here at the office were a little shocked, and amused to find out that inside R2D2, the efficient little droid from Star Wars, WAS A MAN!

This man was, and still is, Kenny Baker. We all just assumed that the little robot was in fact a little robot. So R2, all the best from Forty In The Shade

Super Vector Art

Being the vector art fan that I am, I stumbled upon this fantastic link which showcases probably the most realistic of its kind that I have seen. The amount of work that goes into each of these is incredible.

Cast Your Vote, It Counts

So The FWA along with Adobe has launched a poll to decide which is the most influential Flash website in the last ten years to clelebrate the tenth anniversary of Flash on the web, its been ten years already? How time flies.

I have been looking through some of the earlier site up for awards and it sure does bring back many memories. Some of the sites listed there were reasons I decided to get into Flash and made me want to carry on in web design, some truly groundbreaking stuff I tell you.

So if web design is what you do, have been doing or you just appreciate how far the internet has come, Visit this site and vote.

Gangsters And Terrorists

I have just finished watching one of the cinematic masterpieces of the twentieth century, Goodfellas. Definitely one of the greatest films ever made. Ray Liotta was brilliant, as was the rest of the cast and Mr Scorcese really hit the nail on the hammer with that one.

On a different note I was reading an article related to the alleged terrorist plot which was thwarted earlier this week. It seems to me that the terrorists are achieving some of their goals despite western governments attempts to give the greater public the sense that the War On Terror is going well...

British Airways has warned that the current searches being carried out which have led to long delays and cancellations at Heathrow airport will not be sustainable. Thousands of passengers have had their flights cancelled and the effects are being felt globally.

A brief definition of the term Terrorism from Wikipedia:

[1] Terrorism is the systematic use or threatened use of violence to intimidate a population or government and thereby effect political, religious, or ideological change.

[2] Terrorist attacks are designed to influence the broader society to which those killed, injured, or taken hostage belong. The dramatic focus of mass media is often ascribed as amplifying and broadcasting feelings of intense fear and anger that make terrorism more effective in the modern world. As a type of unconventional warfare, terrorism is designed to weaken or supplant existing political landscapes through capitulation or acquiescence as opposed to subversion or direct military action.

So it would seem that the "Failed Attacks" of this week were not such a huge failure after all.

Friday's Site Of The Week

So Fake, one of my favourite web shops created by Jordan Stone, has gone and created something very special for the American band The Dixie Chicks.

This guy never disappoints, his work, while not for everybody, is always of the highest standard and has a certain style which I love. Also take a look at We Fail's site, which is Jordan Stone's and Martin Hughe's company.

I figure as long as these guys keep churning them out, the internet is in good shape.

How Much Work Do You Need To Do For A Big Mac?

This is just one of the questions answered in the latest Big Mac Index, a survey aimed at finding which county's citizens have the most purchasing power. On a global average, 35 minutes of work buys a Big Mac however in Tokyo, which tops the list, it just takes ten minutes.

Oslo was rated as the most expensive city based on the cost of a basket of 122 goods and services, excluding rent. It was followed by London, Copenhagen, Zurich, Tokyo, Geneva, New York, Dublin, Stockholm and Helsinki.

The least expensive were Manila, Delhi, Buenos Aires, Bombay and Kuala Lumpur.

Read the article

The Happiness Map

An Analytic Social Psychologist from the University of Leicester, Adrian White, has compiled a survey which lists countries according to how happy the people living there are by analysing various pools of data published by the New Economics Foundation, UNESCO, the WHO and the CIA.

He then performed new analysis with this data to come to a unique set of results and the variable of happiness and then presented the data on happiness in the form of a global projection, the "World Map of Happiness".

According to the survey Denmark is first on the list(Scandinavians always seem to be at the top of these lists) while Burundi is last.

Big thanks to Cherry Flava for the link.

A Place To Blow Off Steam

Everybody needs a place to go to to let off steam. Some find the gym a suitable place. Others find a trip to the local pub a good enough way to unwind after a long day at the office.

A Chinese bar, The Rising Sun Anger Release Bar, has come up with a way of attracting clients looking to release some stress in quite a strange way: They are allowed to beat up the staff.

The best part is that clients can ask the staff to dress up as the character they wish to attack which could your boss, your spouse, your employee and so on. The owner says he was inspired to open the bar by his experiences as a migrant labourer. For those who say that violence is not the answer the bar also offers counselling from psychology students recruited from local universities.

Some Great Street Art

Graffiti, vandalism or art? This is the question we've all been subjected to in the past and quite recently more than ever. I am of the opinion that if done correctly, graffiti is fantastic. Something that breathes life into cities which may be dull and boring otherwise.

Banksy, a British street artist is one of the best I've seen. His work is art and no other word may be used to describe it. He comments on social issues in a way that forces the viewer into thought, not to mention his work is beautiful to look at.