Women in IT Announces Bursary Winners for 2007

Women in IT (WIIT), a forum for women within the technology industry, announce the two winners of the 2007 WIIT bursary, Kgaugelo Maila and Nokukhanya Sigasa. Each bursary is worth R20 000.

Maila is a third year student at the Tshwane University of Technology and is striving to become a systems analyst and a project manager. Sigasa is currently a B.Com IT Management student at the University of Johannesburg and is working towards a career in web page design.

The aim of this bursary is for young women to achieve a firm footing within the technology industry. Past winners have seen the benefits of being part of this programme and now employed within IT companies, many with aims to start their own businesses.

WIIT is a bursary and mentorship programme that aims to create insight, opportunity, growth and development for women within the information technology sector. Members will have access to an annual bursary and mentoring scheme, a quarterly newsletter, website and special events. For more information, visit www.womeninit.co.za.

The publicity needs of WIIT are being handled by HMC Seswa which was established in 1982, and boasts a 24 year track record of consistency and excellence in the PR industry, providing PR services to companies within the IT and transport sectors.

Top PRs say Blair is still the best communicator

When the Chartered Institute of Public Relations asked its members ‘Who out of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron is the better communicator?’ 72% chose Tony Blair, 28% opted for David Cameron and 0% selected Gordon Brown.

The results are taken from the inaugural CIPR President’s Panel survey. Made up of CIPR Members and Fellows – all senior level communicators – the CIPR President’s Panel has been formed to provide regular feedback on the state of the PR profession today and the Institute’s work, helping to drive its activities; and to give practitioner insight into topical issues.

Other questions asked included ‘Who do you think would make a better Prime Minister?’ and ‘Do you think Tony Blair has relied too much on ‘spin’?’

To view the findings visit www.cipr.co.uk/news/panel.htm.

New 7 Wonders of the World - Vote now!

Africa's Two Candidates - the Pyramids at Giza and Timbuktu

The World Tour visited the only sub-Saharan African candidate, Timbuktu, as the first of its 2007 stops. Following a reception in the cabinet of the Prime Minister of Mali, Ousmane Issoufi Maiga, in Mali's capital Bamako, with the Ministers of Culture, Information and Tourism present, the visit to the legendary city in the desert was very celebratory.

But you don't have to vote for the Pyramids - they're in already.

After careful consideration, the New7Wonders Foundation designates the Pyramids of Giza—the only remaining of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World—as an Honorary New7Wonders Candidate. Therefore, you cannot vote for the Pyramids of Giza as part of the New7Wonders campaign. This decision has also taken into account the views of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. The Pyramids are a shared world culture and heritage site and deserve their special status as the only Honorary Candidate of the New7Wonders of the World campaign.

The 7 New Wonders of the World will now be chosen by the people across the globe from the 20 active New7Wonders candidates.

On July 7th the New Seven Wonders of the World will be announced in Lisbon, Portugal. Give Timbuktu your Vote today!

Find out all about the twenty finalists at www.new7wonders.com

South African Blog Roundup

Big Blog Directory and SA Rocks are co-hosting a South African Blog Roundup and
I am participating…”

We have to answer three questions: 1. Why do I think SA Rocks?

Mother Africa can be a toothless old whore, with festering wounds, broken by violence and neglect -a typical abused woman, subjected for centuries to the domineering power of a rich white world. But she is also a glamorous, sleek beauty draped in fine cloth, educated at universities across the globe, holding aloft a tree branch at an anti-global warming rally.

South Africa is her daughter- the 13 year old, precocious "otherwise" teenager with the old soul. South Africa speaks 11 languages and listens to kwaito, boeremusiek, house, jazz and opera with a bit of bhangra thrown in for good measure. She can't sit still for a second- she is always on the move; anxious to grow and learn and develop. She is all colours and all people. She is the new face of Mother Africa.

So, I guess, that's why I think South Africa rocks.

2. Why do I blog?

I blog because I like spreading news around. I'm an info-junkie and I hate the thought that there are people who don't know stuff, so if I hear something I feel better if I've passed it on. I guess I blog for me. I don't know if anyone really reads what I write. And after so many years of writing for a living, it is great to just be able to write without an agenda or an assignment. If someone reads what I write, I hope they pass the news on. (I come from a small town and I've never gotten over the village grapevine concept).

3. My two favourite posts - on my blog:

16 March 2007 Removing me won't solve the problem

28 February 2007 Starting with Mothers

Today I Am Proud To Be an African

It is Africa Day today, and the headline - for those who oppose street name changes and other forms of transformation, is from Thabo Mbeki's 1996 I am an African speech.

There is a version of the I am an African speech on youtube with pretty pictures.

Oh - Africa Day, because the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) now the African Union (AU) was formed on 25 May 44 years ago.

The spirit of that era is typified by one of the OAU founders, the African visionary, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah: “The Independence of Ghana is meaningless without the total Independence of Africa. We as Ghanaians are prepared to surrender our national sovereignty in part or in total in pursuit of African unity”.

In the past month I've taken a few photos around Durban, just during the normal course of my day. I think when one looks at these you can see why I celebrate today in spirit with millions of other Africans across the globe because I believe there is a new generation of leaders coming up though the ranks and that there is hope for our continent.

Whatever the setbacks of the moment, nothing can stop us now!

Whatever the difficulties, Africa shall be at peace!

However improbable it may sound to the skeptics, Africa will prosper!

Whoever we may be, whatever our immediate interest, however much we carry baggage from our past, however much we have been caught by the fashion of cynicism and loss of faith in the capacity of the people, let us err today and say - nothing can stop us now!

Happy Africa Day to all.

Watch the I am an African speech on YouTube

PRISA Continuing Professional Development Workshops

PRISA's Continuing Professional Development workshops and programmes play an important role in both personal and professional competencies.

They contribute to personal growth, increased motivation and a higher level of performance in the workplace which ultimately benefits both the individual and the organisation.

PRISA offers an extensive range of CPD workshops, necessary for career development. Register for one of their dynamic workshops and programmes(introductory, intermediate, advanced and specialised levels).

For more information contact Lorraine lorraine@prisa.co.za or Tel: +27 11 326 1262 or Fax: +27 11 326 1259

Durban: Deadline for Proposals on Street Renaming Extended

The eThekwini Municipality’s Masakhane, Grants-in-Aid, Non-Racism, Non-Sexism and Non-Discrimination committee has extended the deadline for submissions of comments on the city’s renaming policy to 23 June 2007.

At a multi-party meeting today, the committee agreed that the public be allowed a further period of 30 days to submit comments and proposals on the renaming of streets and buildings in the city.

The decision comes after weeks of intense public debate after the Council released a list of proposed name changes which came after a month-long consultative process.

Council Speaker James Nxumalo said a bilateral meeting with different political parties yesterday had led to the recommendation to extend the deadline.

“We want to ensure that the process is participatory, something we have tried to ensure from the start, and therefore urge the public to send their comments and proposals which will then be reviewed by our Task Team.”

Councillor Zandile Gumede who chairs the Masakhane Committee said: “In addition to the 181 proposals already received, the public, ward committees and political parties will be given a chance to submit new proposals.”

She said that although the deadline for submissions had been 31 May 2007, this had been extended after it was found that many people had not been aware that they could submit proposals for the renaming and that ward committees had been newly formed at the time and were therefore not sufficiently consulted on the process.

Opposition parties at council welcomed the extension but voiced concern on the procedure of the renamings.

“A lot of the problems had to do with the rushed manner but we support the recommendation to extend the deadline,” said DA caucus leader John Steenhuisen.

Gumede said the ANC was not going to use its majority at council to unfairly disadvantage minority parties.“The process is not being bulldozed. All concerned persons were given opportunities to participate and we are now ensuring that they are being given a further chance to make submissions,” she said.

All comments and new proposals are to be sent to City Manager Michael Sutcliffe.

How to deal with deadlines

What would you ask world leaders?

Earlier this year the Davos Conversation opened up the dialogue between world leaders and the public using the Internet. Now the World Economic Forum (WEF) is doing the same thing in the run-up to its meeting in Cape Town in June.

Interested parties and persons can engage the WEF by submitting their thoughts via its website and on the video-sharing site YouTube. "Are there any top issues that you think should be discussed in Cape Town? Are there any serious questions you would like to pose to our leadership? Do you have any thoughts and suggestions to recommend to the leaders?" asks an introductory video posted on YouTube.

On the final day of the actual summit, which runs from June 13 to 15, a selection of these submissions will addressed by world leaders in an hour-long session convened specifically for this purpose. Their answers will be recorded and posted on YouTube for public access.

read more

Durban Beachfront start for Zulu Rally South Africa 2007

The three-day Zulu Rally, which roars into action at Durban's Bay of Plenty on the Beachfront next weekend, is set to bring plenty of high-octane action to the doorsteps of local motor sport enthusiasts.

Inanda and Richmond locals, in particular, will get an up-close taste of the sport.

Paul Godwin, the Rally's Operations Manager, said the event would cover a rugged 289km stretch around Inanda and Richmond.

Zulu Rally South Africa 2007, Africa's candidate event for inclusion in the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship, is largely regarded as an event not to be missed by a large majority of rally competitors and sports an impressive line up of international competitors.

A field of about 65 cars is expected at the ceremonial start, at the Bay of Plenty, including the cream of the country’s rallying fraternity, said Godwin.

He advised fans to look out for team Castrol Toyota’s Serge Damseaux and Johnny Gemmel, as well as BP Volkswagen’s Enzo Kuun, Hergen Fekken and Jannie Habig, all from KwaZulu-Natal. Also expected is Charl Wilken in the latest Subaru from Britain.

Spectators will be able to get near the race from the N2 Sibaya or the M4 Umdloti off ramps, and at the Sibaya entrance.

Read more about the Zulu Rally South Africa 2007.

Poor Linux

What happens when PC and Mac gang up on Linux?

Helen Zille leads the way on Zoopy

Early in March I did a post about Politicians on the tube. That was just when Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama and the American Democrat contenders launched their YouTube sites. I remember saying that it was time South African politicians woke up and realised what a powerful medium the Internet was.

Well Helen Zille, Cape Town mayor and new DA leader is certainly very PR savvy, so it is no wonder that she is the first local to jump onto this particular platform by launching a Zoopy page.

You learn all kinds of interesting things like the fact that Helen's Xhosa name "Nontsapho" means woman for the people.

I have a feeling that she is going to use this Zoopy facility to the hilt.

I always say politics is a mixture between drama, sales and social work. These little "home made" videos showing a politician working for the people, being part of the people, talking to the people are so perfect.

I hope more politicians follow in Helen Zille's footsteps. Who will be the next, the charismatic Tokyo Sexwale?

Map of Online Communities

Complete Web 2.0 Directory

Go2Web20.net -A Handy Web 2.0 directory that seems to go on and on forever.


Also a link to Killerstartups.com

ICT Skills Development Forum launched in Durban

SmartXchange launches Smart City ICT Skills Development Forum

The ICT Skills Development Forum was launched at SmartXchange on May 10. Close to 50 business leaders, city officials and training providers attended the launch and committed to working together to find creative solutions to KZN’s ICT skills development challenges.

read more

ICT Skills Survey - City of Durban download

What does Twitter mean for marketers?

How do you let others know what you're doing? Are you a Twitterer? What does Twitter or one of is microblogging buddies mean for marketers.

Twitter co-founder, Evan Williams, said: "Twitter is best understood as a highly flexible messaging system that swiftly routes messages, composed on a variety of devices, to the people who have elected to receive them in the medium the recipients prefer. It is a technology that encourages a new mode of communication…"

Real Branding takes a look at why you and your brand should care about this latest online phenomenon.

read more

Extreme Caution

If you're in to rather different or offbeat images, take a look at my(confined)space.

Where to all these images come from? Let the website ownder speak: " I regularly go to Fark, BoingBoing, Engadget, and about 50 other RSS’d websites. So, if I find something rather cool, I put it up here so I can be sure that the image isn’t going to disappear or turn into mr. goatsie on me. 9/10 of the time I can give credit to where it’s due, and even hopefully help the original owner turn a profit on their merchadise (posters, t-shirts, games, etc, etc)"

Is English the new Esperanto?

"In Africa more than anywhere else, the ideas that English carries destroy solidarity and social cohesion, dumbing down people to the point where they accept western rules and regulations to organize their economic landscape even though local conditions totally prevent their application."

Read this provoactive and interesting article by Esperanto promotor Charles Durand.

Read more about Esperanto.

Chill out - Friday has arrived

Into online games, got a bit of time to kill for a quicky flash game? Not exactly Xbox of PS3 but a cool way to kill time.

Tourism Indaba to highlight e-Tourism

If it is May, it is Tourism Indaba time again. For the 17 th year running Durban is the welcoming host of Indaba 2007, a Travel Trade-fest which will run from 12 - 15 May 2007 at the Durban International Convention Centre and the newly completed Arena.

But this time there is a new element - the South African Tourism Online Marketing Educational Seminar that will take place on 14 May. Unfortunately it is already sold out.

Local speakers will include: Diane Charton, General Manager of Acceleration Media, Luisa Mazinta, CEO of TheMarketingSite.com and Rob Stokes, CEO of Quirk eMarketing. Several international speakers have been invited to take part and Erica Eyring, Senior Manager of Expedia.com - the world’s leading online travel website.

Indaba is the third biggest trade and tourism show in the world and attracts thousands of international delegates every year.

Moeketsi Mosola, CEO of South African Tourism explains: “This is the continent’s most prestigious travel trade show. It is the one place and time on the annual tourism calendar when the entire South African tourism industry is united in the pursuit of a common objective – to sell our destination effectively in order to grow the industry and the economy. This makes Indaba a truly ‘golden’ opportunity.”

A report on the Online state of the SA Tourism Industry is available on the e-marketingblog

Umcebo Trust's Aloes go to the Chelsea Flower Show in London

I love it when a plan comes together! I guess most of the bloggers are too young to remember the A-team - so this makes me ancient, almost as old as the provocative columnist who will not be named.

Anyway my plan. Monique Labat of Tradepoint asked me to write a story for her to help promote Umcebo Trust because some of their beaded aloes were on two exhibits at the Chelsea Flower Show. I know Robin Opperman and the youngsters at Umcebo and their amazing "painting with beads" so I went along and asked them to get Peter Bendheim to take the pictures. The results were quite spectacular. Hold thumbs that both Durban and Cape Town's stands come back with gold!

Read the Story of the Umcebo's Aloes on the Chelsea Flower Show.

Durban Name Changes - Comments Close Friday 11 May

The Closing date for comments for the proposed street name changes in Durban is Friday 11 May 2007.

City Manager Urges Residents to Submit Comments

eThekwini City Manager, Michael Sutcliffe explains the way in which Council agreed to review the names of streets and buildings in Durban and urges the public to continue providing comments for or against specific name changes.

1. In February, the council agreed on a process to review and finalise names for streets and facilities in our city. It required inviting comments from the public, and the relevant council committee reviewing names received and making a recommendation to council. All political parties represented in council accepted this process and through this, accepted there would be renaming.

2. Adverts were placed in newspapers on 9 March calling on the public to submit proposals. Posters were also placed at Sizakala centres and libraries. The public was encouraged to e-mail, fax, post or hand-deliver proposals to these centres. The closing date for submissions was 30 March. 245 proposals were received.

3. I recommended to the committee that before they consider every proposal received, they publish the proposed names to ensure the public would have an opportunity to air their views on every name under consideration, to allow for greater participation.

4. More than 95% of the objections received to date have objected to the principle of renaming. Given that the council unanimously accepted that some streets would be renamed, there is little point in the public sending in general complaints that they don’t want streets renamed. The council has accepted some streets will be renamed and it is unlikely the council will rescind that decision, so I urge the public to provide specific comment in support, or against, specific renaming suggestions.

5. Some streets have more than one proposed name or one name has been suggested for more than one street or facility.

6. eThekwini has more than 30 000 street names, with more than 4 000 in the former Durban central area. Even if all the proposals were to be accepted by the committee, this would mean less than 1% of the city’s street names would be changed.

People or organisations who have an interest in the proposal are invited to submit comments, suggestions, criticism and approval in writing to the addresses below. As contemplated in the Systems Act Section 21 (4): “any person who cannot write may come during office hours to a place where a staff member of the municipality named in the invitation will assist that person to transcribe his/her comments or representations”. This assistance is available at the Regional/Sizakala Centres of the eThekweni Municipality.

Comments to be sent to : Municipal Manager, 41 Margaret Mncadi Avenue, Durban 4001; OR Email:corporategis@durban.gov.za or Fax : 031 311 4024

The closing date for comments is Friday 11 May 2007.

View the proposed name changes

Bush Gaffe Rewrites Royal History

US President George W Bush, no known for his world knowledge, almost placed Queen Elizabeth ll in the 18 the century as he welcomed her to the White House yesterday for the State visit.

Both Mr Bush and the Queen addressed the crowd as the royal couple approached the end of a six-day US visit that included ceremonies marking the 400th anniversary of the British settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, and the Kentucky Derby.

Mr Bush noted the Queen's long history of dealing with successive American governments, just barely stopping himself before dating her to 1776, the year the 13 British colonies declared their independence from Britain.

Elizabeth has occupied the British throne for 55 years and is 81.

"The American people are proud to welcome your majesty back to the United States, a nation you've come to know very well. After all you've dined with 10 US presidents. You've helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17 ... in 1976," Mr Bush said.

"Wrong year," muttered the Queen.

Mr Bush looked at the Queen sheepishly. She peered back at him from beneath her black and white hat.

"She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child," Mr Bush said as the crowd burst into laughter.

Read the whole story and see the video.

Brilliant Button Maker

I'm a magpie, have always been and now I have a favourites list that is bursting at the seams. I keep finding things I think I might be able to use like this Brilliant Button Maker for 80 x 15 brilliant buttons.

I haven't made one yet, but I will - one day. Meanwhile someone else might want to use it.

SMME Fairs in Durban Grow Entrepreneurs

The South Durban Basin (SDB) Small Business Fair at Umlazi Mega City was a great success according to the organisers. It was the first of six SMME Fairs for 2007.

The eThekwini Municipality’s Business Support Unit (BSU) in partnership with the area-based management (ABM) teams in Inanda, KwaMashu, Ntuzuma (INK) and various rural areas will be bringing similar fairs to their own areas in the coming months. This weekend’s South Durban Fair and the upcoming INK fair have been limited to 200 exhibitors, while the three one-day rural fairs will attract some 50 exhibitors each and will focus more on workshops and information sharing. These will all be held at venues that are easily accessible and central to all.

All these efforts will culminate in a main SMME Fair at the Durban Exhibition Centre at the end of September with some 300 exhibitors expected, which plans to be better than ever before with participation from Durban's Sister cities, and a buyers programme on the cards.

During the Fairs, experts in the field of SMME development and business conducting free informative workshops, covering a variety of relevant topics. SMMEs can learn about accessing finance, business compliance, the municipality’s business support programme, procurement procedures and policies, and more.

Key role players are made available to impart valuable information and assistance to SMMEs to grow and make successes of their businesses.

Mayor Obed Mlaba said the Fairs were a primary networking hubs for small, medium and micro enterprises. “I appeal to the business sector, especially big business to support these fairs. They provide opportunities for networking and bridge building. It is time we started to grow some African millionaires in eThekwini; these fairs are fertile ground.”

BSU Acting Head Philip Sithole: “Big business and industry are urged to come on board and participate in the business linkage programme. It is only with their support that small business will be able to develop to their full potential.

Read Derek Dlamini's account of the SMME Fair at Umlazi Mega City.

Dates of the Fairs:

INK SMME Fair: 22 – 24 June at the JL Dube Stadium, Inanda. Contact Thuli Mthembu of Vezubuhle Events at Tel: 031 303 8218; Fax: 086 654 4339; or Cell: 073 408 7065

Rural ABM SMME Fair: The proposed dates and venues are:1. North: 30 June, at Mount View Hall, Verulam.2. West: 5 July, at the Pinetown Civic Centre.3. South: 7 July, at the Umbumbulu municipal offices.Contact Zodwa Msimang of Ikhono Communications at Tel: 031 266 9937; Fax: 031 266 6054; Cell: 082 554 3150

The Main SMME Fair: Durban Exhibition Centre from 28 – 30 September. Contact the Business Support Unit, c/o Winile Mntungwa at Tel: 031 311 4500; 031 311 4442; Fax: 031 332 6408; or Cell: 083 449 6005

Register for the SMME Fairs

World PR Festival in Cape Town

NEWSFLASH TO ALL WORLD PUBLIC RELATIONS FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS

Please check the Prisa website for any further changes - click on World PR Festival and note that the programme may undergo further changes due to circumstances beyond our control.

Changes to the programme: revised programme attached

Sunday 13th
New programme available on the website for the Digital Management pre-conference seminar

Monday – 14th
Communication Management Sessions: Litigation Communication has been added to the choices of breakaways. It will be on site at the Arabella Sheraton.

Tuesday – 15th
Going Global with Technology has been changed to a case study based presentation on enhancing government communication – Gerhard Butchi will be accompanied by co-presenter Mindi P Kasiga from the directorate of communications in the President’s Office, Tanzania.

Changes to the case study presentations are:
Business is red hot in Ekurhuleni replaced with a presentation on Global Journalism
Development Communication – coal energy plant – cancelled due to presenter’s illness

Added: Plenary panel on Country Image Building – best practices

Airport transfers:
We have arranged a Meet & Greet service for delegates. The special rate for registered delegates is R150 for one person and R100 each for two people travelling together. Cash receipts will be issued. (The normal transfer rates range between R210 and R300).

What we need from you is your flight number, time and date of arrival if you wish to make use of the service and we will include your name on the list of guests.

Climate:
Cape Town is in a Mediterranean climate belt and May is Autumn. The weather is changeable – from glorious sunny days to miserable, cold and rainy and everything in between. Some days the temperatures vary between 16 and 28 Celsius and others as low as 12 and 22 Celsius. Bring a jacket/wrap for the evenings as they will be cold. (The best is to dress in layers – discarding as the weather warms)

Dress:
The welcome function will be held at Moyo (an African-style restaurant) on the Spier Wine Estate near Stellenbosch (35 mins from the Arabella Sheraton Hotel in Cape Town by coach). Dress is casual – bring a jacket. Coaches leave from the Arabella Sheraton at 16:30.
The celebration dinner will be held at the Civic Centre in Cape Town (5 mins from the Arabella Sheraton Hotel by coach). Dress is smart casual/traditional. There will be a band for entertainment and dancing. Coaches will leave from the Arabella Sheraton at 19:00.
The pre-conference seminars and meetings on Sunday – casual
The two-day professional conference on Monday and Tuesday – smart casual/business

Monday - Breakaways
Off site: Please make sure we have your choice of breakaway to either Kirstenbosch for Environmental Communication or Koeberg Power Station for Crisis Communication or Philippi for the Community Relations visit. We need to ensure you have a place on the coaches going in those directions.

Contact adele@prisa.co.za if you are not sure or have not booked for any of these.
On site: Litigation Communication and Closing the Gap – theory and practice take place at the Arabella Sheraton.

PLEASE CHECK THAT YOUR CONFIRMATION LETTER REFLECTS THE BREAKAWAYS YOU WISH TO ATTEND.

Are you totallyMAd?

Well when something like that comes into my inbox I do take a look - turns out it's another Newsclip initiative for the marketing and advertising industry

The blub says:"First came Media Update, then Publicity Update; now we've simply gone totallyMAd.This brand new publication is tailor-made for marketers and ad agencies, giving you all the latest 'hip and happening' news from within this dynamic industry.But it isn't a one-way street. With totallyMAd you can share your own news, future campaigns, staff movements and case studies. All it takes is an email to info@totallymad.co.za."

I'm not quite sure why they didn't just give people a click through link or wht they wanted their potential customers to say in this info - email. But hey, maybe it's worth a bash.

Barak Obama - Getting the Message Across

He's on YouTube, he blogs, he's got a website and he doesn't look like any other politician the Americans are used to. Is this going to be enough to get Barak Obama elected President? One thing that he does seem to do very well, is communicate with the younger section of the electorate, and this is an enormous group that traditionally doesn't vote.

Have a look at this blog and see what I mean.

Saatchi Showdown - Vote Now!

Chicago based Alice Mcmahon White, is the artist of this great portrait from "The White Album" series. This piece is a tribute to the Kent State May 4th, 1970 murders - 4 dead in Ohio.

The model is my son and currently a student at Kent State. "You say you'll change the constitution Well, you know We all want to change your head You tell me it's the institution Well, you know You better free you mind instead Don't you know it's gonna be all right" ~ John Lennon and the Beatles

Saatchi Galley Showdown. It is a great democratic competition. Artists from across the world put their art on a website and then the public votes for it.

Vote for this picture in the Saatchi Showdown.

See more of Alice's work at AM White Studio.

White males still rule the newsrooms

White males still top of the media ladder

Johannesburg - White male journalists are paid more and hold more top positions in South Africa's newsrooms, with black women the furthest down the ladder, a SA National Editors Forum gender audit found.

On average women earn 21 percent less than men (R184 387 versus R233 737), occupy less than 30 percent of top management and make up one out of three senior managers - despite roughly equal gender numbers in newsrooms.

The Glass Ceiling Two study of nine media houses found that black women tend to earn 25 percent less than white men and account for a "mere" six percent of newsroom top and senior management.

Read more in Business Report

Just a few laughs to get to the weekend

Chinese Whispers or Firewalls or Something

Wikipeadia says Chinese whispers or Telephone is a game in which each successive participant secretly whispers to the next a phrase or sentence whispered to them by the preceding participant.

Photographic Chinese Whispers, says Kevan, is a version of the Chinese Whispers game where, instead of people whispering a sentence to one another along a line, participants take a digital photograph and pass it on, the next person attempting to take as similar a photo as possible.

This doesn't actually have anything to do with either, but the word-association thing got me and it was hard to stop.

This is a website called Great Firewall of China

Here you can test any website in realtime to see if it is censored in China. I believe one gets strange results. Try it for yourself and let me know.

Off The Wall in Durban

ArtSpace, Durban - that gallery off Umgeni Road - behind Waste Centre is truly becoming a home from home for the unheard voices - the independents - next Monday 7 May at 6:30pm they are inviting all ART, GRAFFITI & COMIX-LOVIN’ FRIENDS to PULL IN FOR

OFF THE WALL 2

OFF THE WALL 2 features more than 20 artists, both established and up-&-coming, including (at last count): Zapiro, Rico, Themba Siwela, Wesley van Eeden, Jason Bronkhorst, Ewok, Alastair Findlay, Ben Hodson, Tyron Love , N.D.Mazin, Jeff Rankin, Andrew Mogridge, Mogorosi Motshumi, Jeremy Nel, Mike Scott, Wild Beast, Luke Molver, Leonora van Staden, Senyol, Scott Siveright, Ross Turpin, Adelle O’Connell, Thabani Gumede, Andrew Schnetler, Alastair Laird, and Unknown Graf Writers…

SKETCHBOOK VIEWINGS: The artists’ original sketchbooks will be displayed behind glass at the opening event. But for those who wish to browse through these original works of art, the artists will be showing their sketchbooks at the gallery during the day on Monday 7 May, before the exhibition opening. Thereafter, the sketchbooks may be viewed at the gallery on request and under supervision for the duration of the exhibition.

RESPONSIBLE GRAFFITI PROJECT: Cape Town street art guru Senyol and Durban graf-X ranter Ewok will be running a “Responsible Grafitti” workshop in the gallery on Sunday, 6 May. The mural art produced on that day will be on exhibition for the duration of the show.

THE SKETCHBOOK PROJECT: Most of the work on exhibition will relate back to the sketchbook pages the participating artists have been posting onto this blog since November 2006.


3 Millar Road (off Umgeni next to Waste Centre)
Durban 4001
Tel: 031-312-0793
artspace_durban@yahoo.com
Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday and Public Holidays 10am -1pm

Happy May Day - Workers Day

We observe May Day or Workers Day on 1 May to commemorate the historic struggle of working people in South Africa and the rest of the world. Workers everywhere in the world are remembering their struggles and their victories and mobilising for a better future.

This day also marks an awareness of the common class struggle existing in all countries.

May Day was born from the struggle for the eight-hour day. That struggle, in turn, emerged as part and parcel of the working class itself.

In the United States, where May Day was born, Philadelphia carpenters struck in 1791 for the ten-hour day. By the 1830s, this had become a general demand. In 1835, workers in Philadelphia organized a general strike, led by Irish coal heavers. Their banners read, "From 6 to 6, ten hours work and two hours for meals."

May Day as a modern working class celebration and commemoration began from the 1886 events in Chicago where workers were demonstrating for an eight hour day. Police attacked these striking workers from the McCormack Harvester Co., killing six.

On May 4th at a demonstration in Haymarket Square to protest the police brutality, a bomb exploded in the middle of a crowd of police killing eight. The police arrested eight anarchist trade unionists claiming they threw the bombs. To this day the subject is still one of controversy. Whether the anarchist workers were guilty or innocent was irrelevant. According to the authorities they were agitators, fomenting revolution and stirring up the working class, and they had to be taught a lesson. Albert Parsons, August Spies, George Engle and Adolph Fischer were found guilty and executed by the State of Illinois.

Today is a day for the Workers to Rest ( and for freelancers to try to catch up on their work).

Happy Worker's Day!

New Marketing Directory

In an effort to address and help rectify the current status of the marketing industry and turn it on its head, the Journal of Marketing (the official title of the new Marketing Association) has taken the proverbial bull by the horns and, in association with Absa, is publishing the Marketers Red Book – allegedly the country’s first ever comprehensive directory of senior marketing executives.
This A5-size publication, which is intended to become an annual, will be a reference book for the business community and it is believed that its introduction will go a long way to elevating the discipline and changing perceptions of the industry.

The Marketers Red Book, which launches this month, has been edited by Jeremy Maggs and published by Future Publishing. It includes over 70 pages of individual marketer’s resumes, a brief synopsis of their marketing and brand philosophy, as well as details on the company’s team and products. Part of the book covers key strategic insights from leading marketers, as well as easy to read advertising and marketing statistics.

Distribution will be to a list of 5000 of the country’s leading marketers who currently receive the Journal of Marketing. Additional mailing lists being targeted include: advertising agencies, research Houses, GCIS, and ACA.