A little sparrow told me about what not to put on Facebook

How do you get to be the lead story on News24?

You call black people monkey’s on your Facebook page, that is what you do. (shooting a lion that everyone loves will also work)

KwaZulu-Natal estate agent Penny Sparrow, is at the centre of a controversy that has gripped the country, after calling black beachgoers as “monkeys” and posting it on her facebook page

This does not go down well. Her continued protestations that she did not mean it like that, digs a bigger hole for herself.

It reminds me of the following story. Take your favourite china dinner plate that you inherited from granny. Now drop it on the floor and break it. Gently pick up the pieces and say you are very sorry, like you mean it. It’s all and well to apologise but the damage is done.

Dianne Kohler-Barnard of the DA learned the hard lesson the same way when she reposted an offensive article without reading all the contents.

Dianne is a great person but there is a huge difference between forgiveness and consequence.

If you know me, you know I love social media. Used correctly it is an amazing tool to remain in contact with friends and relatives across the world. You can use it to create relationships from scratch and as an amazingly effective branding tool.

I now have over 20 000 people following my various social media accounts and I am eternally grateful that this medium has allowed me the opportunity to establish myself as a speaker but you do learn a few things along the way.

Social Media can be a goldmine but there are some rules. I started making some notes of practical nature that I can share, of the things that work, and those that don't, but the list grew very long in a very short time.

I’ll give it a little more thought and put keyboard to screen and share my Top 10 of do’s and dont’s this week.

In the meantime be careful about posting anything about wildlife!

10 Habits Of Happy Couples

Dr. Mark Goulston is psychiatrist, international speaker, and best selling author. He also happens to be an avid blogger. His post 10 Habits of Happy Couples, has been read by over half a million people.

Regardless of the state of your relationship, Dr. Goulston provides some interesting insight on the 10 habits that will allow you and your loved one to keep the magic going 

#1. Go to bed at the same time.

Remember the beginning of your relationship, when you couldn’t wait to go to bed with each other to make love? Happy couples resist the temptation to go to bed at different times. They go to bed at the same time, even if one partner wakes up later to do things while their partner sleeps.

#2. Cultivate common interests.

After the passion settles down, it’s common to realize that you have few interests in common. But don’t minimize the importance of activities you can do together that you both enjoy. If common interests are not present, happy couples develop them. At the same time, be sure to cultivate interests of your own; this will make you more interesting to your mate and prevent you from appearing too dependent.

#3. Walk hand in hand or side by side.

Rather than one partner lagging or dragging behind the other, happy couples walk comfortably hand in hand or side by side. They know it’s more important to be with their partner than to see the sights along the way.

#4. Make trust and forgiveness your default mode.

If and when they have a disagreement or argument, and if they can’t resolve it, happy couples default to trusting and forgiving rather than distrusting and begrudging.

#5. Focus more on what your partner does right than what he or she does wrong.

If you look for things your partner does wrong, you can always find something. If you look for what he or she does right, you can always find something, too. It all depends on what you want to look for. Happy couples accentuate the positive.

#6. Hug each other as soon as you see each other after work.

Our skin has a memory of “good touch” (loved), “bad touch” (abused) and “no touch” (neglected). Couples who say hello with a hug keep their skin bathed in the “good touch,” which can inoculate your spirit against anonymity in the world.

#7. Say “I love you” and “Have a good day” every morning.

This is a great way to buy some patience and tolerance as each partner sets out each day to battle traffic jams, long lines and other annoyances.

#8. Say “Good night” every night, regardless of how you feel.

This tells your partner that, regardless of how upset you are with him or her, you still want to be in the relationship. It says that what you and your partner have is bigger than any single upsetting incident.

#9. Do a “weather” check during the day.

Call your partner at home or at work to see how his or her day is going. This is a great way to adjust expectations so that you’re more in sync when you connect after work. For instance, if your partner is having an awful day, it might be unreasonable to expect him or her to be enthusiastic about something good that happened to you.

#10. Be proud to be seen with your partner.

Happy couples are pleased to be seen together and are often in some kind of affectionate contact — hand on hand or hand on shoulder or knee or back of neck. They are not showing off but rather just saying that they belong with each other.

Happy couples have different habits than unhappy couples. A habit is a discrete behavior that you do automatically and that takes little effort to maintain. It takes 21 days of daily repetition of a new a behavior to become a habit. So select one of the behaviors in the list above to do for 21 days and voila, it will become a habit…and make you happier as a couple. And if you fall off the wagon, don’t despair, just apologize to your partner, ask their forgiveness and recommit yourself to getting back in the habit.

If there was one key to happiness in love and life and possibly even success it would be to go into each conversation you have with this commandment to yourself front and foremost in your mind, “Just Listen” and be more interested than interesting, more fascinated than fascinating and more adoring than adorable.

Source: Mark Goulston

From BRICS to MINT

Jim O'Neill, the former Chief Economist at Goldman Sachs and the man credited with inventing the "BRIC" acronym to focus minds on the fast growing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and later South Africa, has now tipped four new countries for global greatness with the acronym MINT standing for Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey.

The so-called “MINT” countries all have the basic building blocks of growth: large, youthful populations and ample markets to sell to, both at home and abroad. Yet they also face substantial challenges, ranging from corruption, debt and governance problems to poor infrastructure and education. 

The MINT countries demand the world’s attention as they grow to prominence. Jim O’Neill says: “For 12 years I have been asked why just Brazil, Russia, India and China? What about other large populated emerging nations? So I decided to travel to those four which have the best chance of joining the BRIC countries in the top-10 largest economies in the world by 2050 to find out how real their chances are.”

In a rapidly changing world, we have to keep looking at how the horizon is changing and just as BRICS has given us a vision of a brave mew world, it would be wise to take note of this new group of countries who are starting to make their presence felt

50 most expensive cities in the world

I am amazed by the following study done by Mercer on the most expensive cities in the world. have a look at number 2

For all of you still in doubt that Africa is the place to be read through the list and see how many countries have been investing on our continent.

Japan has a whopping three cities in the top 10, with Tokyo right on top, followed shortly by Osaka in number three and Nagoya in the number 10 position.Last year's surprising top spot, the Angolan capital of Luanda, has shifted down one position, while Russia's Moscow has stayed steady at number four. The rest of the top ten slots are filled from number five to nine as follows: Geneva (Switzerland), Zurich (Switzerland), Singapore, N'Djamena (Chad) and Hong Kong.

Australia is the country that boasts the most cities and these six are: Sydney (11), Melbourne (15), Perth (19), Canberra (23), Brisbane (24), and Adelaide (27). 

Runners-up include China, filling four slots, then Brazil, Japan, and Switzerland, each with three entrants. 

Interestingly enough the UK and the US each only have one city on the list, and also no surprises as to which they are: London (25) for the UK, of course, and New York city (33) for the US. Both these famous cities have, however moved down in the rankings: London from 18 to 25, and New York, only one slot from 32 to 33. 

Some of the most surprising cities listed include: Libreville (Gabon), Khartoum (Sudan), Yangon (Myanmar), Victoria (Seychelles) and Dakar (Senegal). The two latter cities share the 50th position. 

Paris, France and Milan, Italy also make a rather expected appearance, but at the surprisingly low slots of 37 and 38. 

Interestingly not one Canadian or German city made it into the top 50, as many travellers would expect. 

Take a look at the entire list:

1 Tokyo, Japan

2 Luanda, Angola

3 Osaka, Japan

4 Moscow, Russia

5 Geneva, Switzerland

6 Zurich, Switzerland

7 Singapore, Singapore

8 N'Djamena, Chad

9 Hong Kong, Hong Kong

10 Nagoya, Japan

11 Sydney, Australia

12 Sao Paulo, Brazil

13 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

14 Bern, Switzerland

15 Melbourne, Australia

16 Shanghai, China

17 Beijing, China

18 Oslo, Norway

19 Perth, Australia

20 Libreville, Gabon

21 Copenhagen, Denmark

22 Seoul, South Korea

23 Canberra, Australia

24 Brisbane, Australia

25 London, United Kingdom

26 Khartoum, Sudan

27 Adelaide, Australia

28 St. Petersburg, Russia

29 Caracas, Venezuela

30 Shenzhen, China

31 Tel Aviv, Israel

32 Guangzhou, China

33 New York City, NY, United States

34 Niamey, Niger

35 Yangon, Myanmar

36 Kinshasa, Dem. Rep. of the Congo

37 Paris, France

38 Milan, Italy

39 Lagos, Nigeria

40 Bamako, Mali

41 Abidjan, Cote D'ivoire

42 Rome, Italy

43 Brazzaville, Congo

44 Djibouti, Djibouti

45 Brasilia, Brazil

46 Stockholm, Sweden

47 Noumea, New Caledonia

48 Vienna, Austria

49 Baku, Azerbaijan

50 Victoria, Seychelles

50 Dakar, Senegal

Source: SMH

Bruce Walsh - An inspiration to us all

Yesterday I was asked to MC one of the popular Dykes Van Heerden Slabbert events in Pinelands.

Bruce Walsh, a survivor from the Planet Hollywood bombing in the late 90's was the motivational speaker. Although I have heard him several times before, I cannot help but be touched by his courage and attitude and hope that I can display some of his fortitude and strength in adversity.

On August 25, 1998, Bruce Walsh’s world exploded. Literally…

Walsh was at a colleague's farewell function at Cape Town’s Planet Hollywood restaurant, and as luck would have it, they'd been placed at the table closest to the bar. Just after 7pm, he and two companions, Fanie Schoeman and Brian Duddy, placed a drinks order at the bar. Unwittingly, they'd placed themselves at the epicenter of a bomb that exploded moments later.

Fanie and Brian were killed and several others were injured. Bruce, who’d placed himself between the two, shattered an arm and lost both legs.

But Bruce refused to be a victim. Today he walks and even jogs with his prosthetic legs, and is in demand as an inspirational speaker. He’s also written an account of his life before and after the bomb.

He admits it was probably a sense of vanity, more than anything else, which drove his recovery. I didn’t want to be pushed around in a wheelchair and have people saying, oh shame, look at that man in the wheelchair. 

“We are the sum of our choices” He classified people into the category “winners” as those who set themselves goals and persevere. Winners are team players. Then there are those who choose to be classified as “losers. Who start but don’t finish, who promise but don’t deliver, who do not persevere and who are not good team players and do not set goals. When disaster strikes, winners pick themselves up and see the circumstances as a challenge. Losers, on the other hand, turn the experience into victimhood.

Bruce says he could easily have allowed the trauma to force him into victimhood. Ironically Bruce was a keen runner, having run the Comrades and Two Oceans race many times. He also played league squash.  He was there on company business and said he could still be blaming this employer and Planet Hollywood. If that was his choice, he would still be sitting in a wheelchair.

He says winners are team people. He relied on his family, his physiotherapist and a psychologist to help him deal with what happened.

“Most people are given one shot at this thing called life. I was given a second chance” says Bruce.  He asked: Are you a winner, or a loser, a whinger, a complainer? If you want to be a winner, you have to.

·         Acquire the skill of perseverance

·         Set goals

·         Be emotionally functional

·         Be emotionally consistent

·         You cannot be a winner unless you are intellectually challenging (looking for solutions not problems)

·         And he says you cannot be a winner if your relationship with your creator is not what it should be

If you believe in yourself, even when others doubt you, if you know where you’re going and you persevere, you can overcome anything.

Bruce -  you are a WINNER in my eyes

Charity begins at home

President Jacob Zuma had committed $2 billion of South Africa's reserves to the IMF at the G20 summit, a meeting of the world's greatest economies, in Los Cabos, Mexico.


These funds will remain part of our foreign reserves, currently standing at just under $48 billion. 


Participating countries with no way out of a financial crisis would be able to access these funds through a temporary loan, with conditions.

The funds were committed based on the premise that South Africa's voting power and quota shares in the IMF would be reformed, as agreed to in 2010. It now seems we have to pay to get what was already agreed upon 2 years ago. 

Cosatu has demanded to know which ANC conference resolutions gave the government a mandate for such a contribution to the IMF. It is not clear whether even the ANC (national executive committee) was even consulted over the decision.

In an announcement late Monday, the IMF said China was offering $43bn, Brazil, Russia, India and Mexico $10bn each, $5bn from Turkey, and smaller sums from a handful of other up-and-coming economies. 

China's contribution was the most keenly awaited. The world's second-largest economy has the largest pile of foreign reserves, $3.2 trillion. Although this seems like an enormous of amount of money the reality is that it equates to just over 1.3% of their foreign reserves whereas South Africa's commitment is almost 4% of our total reserves. Someone has to relook at their maths before we jump in boots and all.

China's contribution fell below only Japan's $60bn and German's $54.7bn, but was ahead of France and all other donors. 

The largest economy, the United States, is not contributing, despite its huge voting power on the IMF board. 

While Washington has insisted Europe has enough resources to resolve its problems itself, it is also clear that the deeply divided Congress is in no mood, given the US economic problems, to contribute rescue funds for others. 

I personally think the United States has it right. Charity begins at home. With 24% official unemployment and nearly 50% of the population living in poverty do we really have the right to commit funds from our piggy bank when so many of our own people are living on the breadline.

If the $2 billion is so easily allocated, then maybe we could have avoided the e-tolling debacle and paid off some of our own bills.

The week that was...14 June 2012

   A really interesting few days in South Africa with Bheki Cele, ex Commissioner of Police being fired, President Zuma reshuffling his cabinet just before Manguang and the baby Boks scraping to win to get into the under 20 Rugby World Cup semi's.

Bheki Cele on Thursday became the third high-profile casualty of the police lease saga when he was fired by President Jacob Zuma.

Cele was sacked eight months after he was suspended by Zuma after Public Protector Thuli Madonsela laid the blame for the controversial police office lease deals at his door.

He has been replaced by Mangwashi Phiyega, the country's first woman police chief, who is a relative outsider to police circles, which has immediately raised objections from the DA who are unhappy with her lack of policing experience.

She is currently the chair of the presidential review committee on state owned enterprises, and deputy chair of the independent commission on the remuneration of office bearers.

Phiyega has considerable management experience, she has been a trustee of Nelson Mandela's foundation and an executive at Barclays-owned banking group Absa.

   For those involved in the e-tolls debacle, the price has been their jobs. The transport minister, Sibusiso Ndebele (to correctional services)n  and his deputy, Jeremy Cronin (now deputy minister  of public works, have both been replaced in the wake of the Gauteng e-tolls debacle after President Jacob reshuffled his cabinet on Tuesday.

The reshuffle on Tuesday, the third in as many years, followed a special ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting on Monday, where Zuma received a massive boost after the NEC decided with a clear majority to reject efforts by expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema to have his sentence overturned.

By appointing some key backers into vacant positions, without sacking anybody, Zuma was seen to have strengthened his hand.

   Other changes include, Lindiwe Sisulu moved from the defence ministry to public service and administration to replace the late Roy Padayachie. The move has been seen as a demotion as she is said to have harboured sympathies for Malema

   Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is the new defence minister, while Sibusiso Ndebele has taken up her position as correctional services minister.

   Public Enterprises Deputy Minister Ben Martins will replace Ndebele as minister of transport.

Oh, and on a positive note, the baby boks showed great heart by beating the English, with four second half tries, gaining a spot in the Under 20 Rugby World Cup semi-finals. SA will be playing Argentina while New Zealand faces Wales in the other semi-final - GO THE BABY BOKS!