South Africans Positive About 2010 Benefits

News24 has reported the latest survery results on SA's perception of the effects of the 2010 world cup with at least 89% of South Africans believe the 2010 Fifa World Cup will benefit the country, according to survey released on Wednesday. This was 2% higher than in January, according to African Response's 2010 Barometer. Support for the event was highest in Durban at 86%, followed by Johannesburg at 84% and Cape Town with 68%. The survey, of 1 200 South Africans of various backgrounds, measured the nation's awareness and opinions of the World Cup. The first reading was taken in March 2006 and since then results had been released every three months. Up to 88% of Johannesburg residents were the strongest believers in the significance of the event. Durbanites were second in line, with 85% believing the event was significant, while only 65% of Capetonians thought so. At least 85% of those polled said they would watch the Fifa games on television. Ninety percent of Durbanites intended watching them on TV and 89% of Johannesburg residents. Only 53% of respondents intended watching a live match, three percent less than in the last survey. When asked about infrastructure, 64% believed SA's roads would be ready in time for the event. Confidence in public transport had decreased from 72% at the last reading to 70%. Sixty percent of the 1 200 people polled believed the country would be able to supply enough electricity for the event, an increase of five percent since the last survey. Asked about policing, 53% of Pretoria residents had faith in the country's security, compared to 76% of Johannesburg residents. At least 78% of South Africans believe the stadiums would be completed on time. Personally, I believe it'll benefit South Africa, there is a great deal of infrastructure that South Africa is making high priority at the moment that will only make us a better functioning country, and there has been a sizeable increase in job creation over this period, now we have to hope and pray that the stadiums are used to their full advantage post the Soccer World Cup, in order to realise the benefit of the investments.

Michael Jackson (50), Farrah Fawcett (62) R.I.P

My life has been insanely busy hence such a ridiculously delayed upload of this post, which i wrote last week Fri, but never got a chance to post it. King of Pop, Superstar, Troubled man, philanthropologist, Entertainer, Freak are some of the headlines that have been used to describe Michael Jackson over the course of his unparalleled career, I choose to call him an icon. He’s embodied Pop iconography light years before the likes of Britney Spears clawed their way up the Pop charts. Michael was a music legend & an entertainer that will never be replaced, his star quality is largely the only reason why his Thriller album is the highest selling album of all time, having sold more than 109 million copies worldwide, the runner up comes in at half the tally with 45 million copies, The Eagles with Hotel California. Another sad death was that of Farrah Fauwcett, who after battling cancer for over a year also passed away on the same morning as Michael Jackson. Fauwcett was made popular by her appearance on the original Charlie’s Angels series, the famous poster taken in 1976 (insert) still holds the record for being the best selling pin up poster of all time and also long before Jennifer Aniston had the haircut that set woman across America alight, there was the Farrah Fawcett hair cut. These two superstars will be missed, may Farrah continue to fight crime and may Michael find the solemn peace he was never afforded while alive.

I'm All Virgin'ed Out!!!!!

So it occurred to me that without even realising I was completely immersed in the Virgin brand. Virgin Group Ltd is a brandedventure capital organization founded by British business tycoon Sir Richard Branson. The core business areas are travel, entertainment and lifestyle, among others. The net worth of Virgin Group Ltd as of September 2008 is £5,010,000,000, which is a handsome R67,087,101,109.85. Today the Virgin brand, still owned by Richard Branson has over 50 ventures under it, transcending more than 10 product divisions, e.g. Beverages, Airlines, Trains, Games, Financial services, Films, Health & Fitness, Internet, Cable TV, Music,Radio, Books, Cosmetics, Jewellery, Houseware, Retail, Mobile phones. Here in South Africa I'm only aware of Virgin Active (Health & Fitness), Virgin Money (Financial Services), Virgin Mobile (Mobile Phones) & Virgin Atlantic (Airline), seriously it's like Virgin is taking over the world, without anyone even noticing, I know they are always in the headlines about their new ventures but I've never paid much mind, knowing full well it'd never affect me in any monumental way, the only part of Virgin I endorsed was their gym, I'm a proud member of Virgin Active Gyms, no matter how often I don't go, I'm still a member and that was ok - well, until yesterday when i was booking my flight for my holiday next month, general Euro trip but flying into London for a couple of days to party with some friends, and clearly with raucous times in mind, I was trying to find the most affordable flight so i can get there having spent the least amount possible, and turns out Virgin Atlantic offers the cheapest flights at the moment, so i obviously booked it, although my particular flight is operatedby South Africa Airways, (Cape Town-London), I've still made a booking with Virgin Atlantic and clearly hoping to fly with them again in future, cuz somehow I think i might have signed up for their voyager miles loyalty card (in my defence, they sold it well), now thats two, now guess what i used to pay for this lovely flight,.....a Virgin Money credic card! Yes i acquired one of those a while ago, I never use it, unless when i need to book flights, so it hadnt occured to me I was already more than just flirting with the brand, so now all that's left is for me to trade in my Vodacom contract for a Virgin Mobile one, then I'll be all Virgin'ed out!

President Obama to come to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup

Yesterday we received confirmation that United States President Barack Obama had officially accepted an invitation to attend the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup that will be held on June 11, 2010 at 100 000 capacity Soccer City in Johannesburg.How I wish they had it here in Cape Town instead, oh well, we can't have it all :-/ But based on today's weather, perhaps it a good thing they are not having it in Cape Town, winters are not pleasant here. Anyway its no surprise as Obama is known to be a soccer fan and his eldest daughter, for some reason, plays soccer. The opening game hasn't been announced yet, but it'll either be the defending world champions Italy or hosts Bafana Bafana, SA National Team.

2010 World Cup Update: PE Stadium

Hey folks, hope ya'll had awesome weekends - now for anyone who cares, here's an update on the progress of the Port Elizabeth soccer stadium! It looks really really impressive, I mean its P.E, things seldom get more dire (East London), so I'm quite pleased - the roof detail gives an impression of something that opens, some retraction of some sort, i know it doesn't, but you know, it might...who knows, even fewer care, especially Capetonians. I actually know a few folks from P.E so they should be proud. From now I'll start being more patriotic and follow the progress of all the other stadiums throughout the country, even though its so hard when all i have to do is wake up to see the Cape Town, Green Point stadium, i will make more of an effort to care about the rest of the countries progress - stay tooned.
Pic courtesy of sykscrapercity.com

Mariah fires back on Eminem on new single: Obsessed!

So Mariah's back. A mere 14 month after her platinum selling E=MC2, with the hit lead single Touch My Body that became Mariah's 18th number one hit, tying her with Elvis and leaving only the Beetles with more number ones than her. This time she returns with a racy response to what we'd assume Eminem has been saying and especially the song Bagpipes from Baghdad, where he goes on about wanting Mariah back, calling Nick Cannon, her husband a punk and other unsavory words, he references one of Mariah's ex's as well Luis Migel, but this is all made very irrelevant with Mariah's hard hitting response - the best part is she manages to maintain an element of fun & randomness, she opens the song with a quote from the chick flick, Mean Girls, 'I was like' why are you so obsessed with me?''. The blows start dropping from the very first line, and they dont stop. There are so many lines i love, i'd end up quoting the entire song, so i'll just add the lyrics on here so you can read them for yourself. She manages to deliver these with ease, instead of sounding angry she merely sounds bemused. Sung in a auto-tune tinged voice, and layers synth beat, the song is pure radio magic, and I know it'll be a hit - Her album titled Memoirs of an Imperect Angel drops Aug 25th, which means we'll probably be getting a second single before the release date - oh its on, the Mariah train has begun and its not about to stop anytime soon.
OBSESSED
(Mariah Carey - C. Tricky Stewart - Terius "The-Dream" Nash)

I was like, "Why are you so obsessed with me?"
So oh oh oh oh x4
Will the real MC please, step to the mike?
So oh oh oh oh x4
All up in the blogs - Saying we met at the bar
When I don't even know who you are
Saying we up in your house - Saying I'm up in your car
But you in LA and I'm out at Jermaine's.
I'm up in the A - You so so lame
and no one here even mentions your name
It must be the weed. It must be the E
Cause you be popping- hood
You get it popping, Oh

Why you so obsessed with me (Boy I wanna know)
Lying that you're sexing me (when everybody knows)
It's clear that you're upset with me
Finally found a girl that you couldn't impress
Last man on the earth still couldn't hit this
You're delusional, you're delusional
Boy you're losing your mind
It's confusing yo, you're confused you know
Why you wasting your time
Got you all fired up with your Napoleon complex
Seeing right through you like you're bathing in Windex
Boy why you so obsessed with me?

You on your job - You hating hard
Ain't gon' feed you - I'm gonna let you starve
Gasping for air - I'm ventilation
You out of breath - Hope you ain't waiting
Telling the world how much you miss me
But we never were - So why you trippin'
You a mom and pop - I'm a corporation
I'm the press conference - and you a conversation

Why you so obsessed with me (Boy I wanna know)
Lying that you're sexing me (when everybody knows)
It's clear that you're upset with me
Finally found a girl that you couldn't impress
Last man on the earth still couldn't hit this
You're delusional, you're delusional
Boy you're losing your mind
It's confusing yo, you're confused you know
Why you wasting your time
Got you all fired up with your Napoleon complex
Seeing right through you like you're bathing in Windex
Boy why you so obsessed with me?

12 Things to Do on Youth Day in Cape Town

Youth Day on 16 June, which is tomorrow, in South Africa commemorates the start of the Soweto riots of 1976, initially sparked by a government edict that all instruction in black schools would be held in Afrikaans. The issue however, was not so much the Afrikaans as the whole system of Bantu education which was characterised by separate schools and universities, poor facilities, overcrowded classrooms and inadequately trained teachers. On 16 June 1976 more than 20 000 pupils from Soweto began a protest march. In the wake of clashes with the police, and the violence that ensued during the next few weeks, approximately 700 hundred people, many of them youths, were killed. The iconic picture of Hector Pieterson, a black schoolchild shot by the police, brought home to many people within and outside South Africa the brutalities of the Apartheid regime. The mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Zakumi, has his birthday on that day in '94.

1. Take the Flying Dutchman at Cape Point
2. Go Kitesurfing
3. Mingle with eagles at Spier Wine Estate
4. Go ice-skating at Grand West
5. Discover something novel at Noordhoek Farm Village
6. Be in awe of nature at Butterfly World
7. Go ten-pin bowling in Cape Town
8. Brave the Atlantic in a kayak
9. Witness the firing of the Noon Gun on Signal Hill
10. Follow Mandela’s first steps to freedom
11. Experience an authentic township tour
12. Learn something new at the MTN Science Centre
No matter how old you are, on Youth Day in Cape Town there are plenty of activities and things to do that will make you feel young again! It’s really all in the mind – so get out there and make the most of what this beautiful city has to offer!

CT: Green Point Stadium in The Mist

Seth from 2 oceansvibe posted these awesome, if not a lil' eerie pictures of the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town covered in a heavy mist. They are so cool, enchanting & captivating, very Lord Of The Rings, so i thought I'd share them on here for some of you who haven't seen them yet. Apparently blown up versions of them are available for sale at the stadium travel center. Going Gone

Cape Town Fitness: Advantages of Yoga!

I've started doing yoga, yes, yoga, at first I was quite apprehensive, mainly because I didn't know enough about the discipline, so lately I've been doing it twice a week, and I must say, I think I might be addicted. When I started doing a lil' bit of research on why not enough people are doing yoga I was stunned by my findings, in Cape Town alone 71% of all females who work out do yoga as part of their fitness plan, and a staggering 54% of all males that work out also do yoga, I never expected the numbers to be this high, but once you try it, its no surprise, yoga has a lot of benefits, read on to find out a brief summary of the advantages of doing yoga. Yoga brings many benefits and advantages to those who participate in its activities, and this includes such things as the restoration of balance, flexibility, poise, health, as well as well-being to the body, and it also brings a better sense of self to anyone and everyone who practices it. As well, yoga can be used to stimulate the glands, organs, muscles, and nerves, and this is in ways that other forms of exercise cannot; as well, muscle tightness and strain can be quickly relieved or even rid of entirely with yoga, and both circulation and digestion can be improved as well. Even many stress-related symptoms, such as fatigue, poor sleeping habits, muscle spasms, anxiety, and indigestion can be improved, and this is only the beginning of the types of benefits and advantages that yoga can provide. In fact the greatest advantage of all is that virtually anyone can practice it, regardless of their age, health status, or fitness level, and not only that but it can be incredibly enjoyable and fun as well. Some other conditions that may improve with regular yoga practice include: arteriosclerosis, chronic fatigue, varicose veins, certain heart ailments, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and multiple sclerosis, for example. The best way to determine if this is something you want to do is by trying it quite obviously, and there are so many different types of yoga that you are sure to be able to find one that suits you.

LOL, Man Held Hostage Buying P*rn!

Best Bud Light Commercial Yet - watch more funny videos

I'd die many deaths!

Cape Town Random Fun Facts

These facts actually have nothing to do with Cape Town, lol, I found these facts on some blog listed on Afrigator, I'm still trying to find it again so I can reference it properly and include link, well till then, here are the fun facts:

• If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.(Hardly seems worth it.)
• If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.(Now that's more like it!)
• The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.(O.M.G.!)
• -_1_07DD29A407DD222C0040571F802573E9-A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes.(In my next life, I want to be a pig.)
• A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death. (Creepy.)(I'm still not ! Over the pig. )
• Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories a hour (Don't try this at home, maybe at work)
• The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off. (Honey, I'm home. What the..?!)
• The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It's like a human jumping the length of a football field. (30 minutes..lucky pig! Can you imagine?)
• The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds. (What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?)
• Some lions mate over 50 times a day. (I still want to be a pig in my next life...quality over quantity)
• Butterflies taste with their feet. (Something I always wanted to know.)
• The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue. (Hmmmmmm......)
• Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people.( If you're ambidextrous, do you split the difference?)
• Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump. (Okay, so that would be a good thing)
• A cat's urine glows under a black light. (I wonder who was paid to figure that out?)
• An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. ( I know some people like that.)
• Starfish have no brains (I know some people like that too.)
• Polar bears are left-handed. (If they switch, they'll live a lot longer)
• Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure. (What about that pig??)

Levi's® 'Vintage Sundays' returns to the Cape

For the 5th year running music lovers all over South Africa are set to have their Sunday nights reinvented and reinvigorated with Levi’s® Vintage Sundays, Mzansi's most consistent and comprehensive showcase of local musical talent reads Moi. In the past four years the Levi's® brand has hosted an incredible 160 shows all over the country, firmly establishing itself as a friend and supporter of South African music. This relationship will rock ‘n roll again in June as Levi’s® Vintage Sundays returns to Cape Town, hosted at Jade Lounge in Green Point. The Mother City's in for the mother of all parties...again and again and again. Gerald Clark gets things off to a bluesy start on the 7th when he takes to the stage with his acoustic folk love songs. Next up is the Albert Frost Band, a group of much-loved musos who share common blues roots and an unmatched ability to connect with an audience. Rounding it all off is Lonesome Dave Ferguson, the one-man music machine who manages to induce the groove with nothing more than a harmonica and his incredibly versatile voice. It's a spectacular opening night, with a trio of exceptional, unique acts all bent on making you fall further in love with local music. One week later on the 14th, Hot Water opens with their unique fusion of African melodies and powerful, uplifting vocals. It's soul music with a twist of blues and a dash of the unknown. They're followed by the prolific Flat Stanley who, after making waves overseas, are happy to bring their melodic rock back to South African shores. They're always a revelation live and all you need for a power-packed evening. Last night I attended the launch event at Jade, which is a mere walking distance from my house. I heard from this even from my flatmate who is eternally clued up on all gigs going down around Cape Town, she rocks! I didn’t even know who was playing, so our main reason for going was to see her boyfriend, Tim Rankin of Bed On Bricks, play, pity I missed Lonesome Dave, who I have become quite a fan off but Albert Frost more than made up for it, the electric blues sound was something some-what new to me, but dang I love it, and felt like it ended too soon, with Tim on drunks churning out some sick beats, I was nodding and tapping my one foot for the duration of the performance, I’d see any band if they had this dude on drums. At some point Gerald Clark, who had already performed came back on stage to do a quasi-duet with Albert, me and my three friends went mental, at the risk of sounding cheesy but it was electrically explosive, a description I never fathomed using to describe blues! Forgive my shocking pic, phone cameras were meant for dark venues.

Ultimate Muaythai MMA Fight at the Grand Arena

Sifu Kru Quentin and Sibak Kru Winston Chong invite you to the first-ever Ultimate Muaythai & MMA fight night at the Grand Arena at Grand West Casino on 6 June 2009. I hear it’ll be a slick event, think Vegas’s MGM Grand when there is a big boxing match on. The host for this event will be the ever-entertaining Colin Moss. Special guests will be superstar K1 Fighter Jan "The Giant" Nortje and many other celebs. The winners of the SA Muaythai Championships will be awarded their Protea colours and will represent South Africa at the World Muaythai Amateur Championships, in honour of the King of Thailand’s Birthday in Bangkok from 27 November to 5 December 2009. Come watch South Africa's top Muaythai fighters from five different provinces battle it out to prove they are worthy to wear the Green and Gold!
There will be a variety of artists performing and other forms of entertainment.
Date: 6 June
Venue: Grand Arena
Location: Grand West Casino | Cape Town
Time: 17:00 for 18:00
Price: R70 – R200

BREAKING NEWS: Cape Town roads flooded!!!

This just in, I dont have any more detail than this as this hasn't been reported in any news site yet. Cape Town traffic report brought to you by, me :P, just after the West Coast road, the new roads in Paarden Island, that's somewhere around Marine drive and Cuberg road, those roads have collapsed/been flooded and traffic going North, as one would expect is a nightmare, so try avaoid, if you live that side, well treat yourself, get a hotel - will update if more details surface.

Fabulous Art: Paul Delaroche:La Jeune Martyre

The first thing i need to explain is that, I'm not very good with the camera, I surprise myself all the time when i take a pic that is not half bad, so I'm excused for having such shocking pics of Paul Delaroche's La Jeune Martyre. I took these picture at the Louvre Museum on my last visit to Paris, this is the original, when i took the pictures, i didnt know it was well known, it just captivated me and I remember falling in love with the calming yet haunting effect it had on me. I think the close friend I was with actually knew more about it. Also i never thought I'd ever use this picture to blog about it, was just a memory for myself so i could have the name of the artist, well until this morning when i saw on Mr Condescending's blog post about his favourite paintings and this one had made the cut, made me want to post my shoddy pics i took of the original piece. Paul Delaroche (17 July 1797 – 4 November 1856) was a French painter born in Paris. Delaroche was born into a wealthy family and was trained by Antoine-Jean, Baron Gros, who then painted life-size histories and had many students. The first Delaroche picture exhibited was the large Josabeth saving Joas (1822). This exhibition led to his acquaintance with Théodore Géricault &Eugène Delacroix, with whom he became friends. The La Jeune Martyre, which shows a young female martyr floating dead on the Tiber is one of many very important works by Delaroche.

SA's Top Selling Cars

Are South Africans just unaware or is our recession not that bad? Naamsa reported that Sales for the first five months of 2009 reflect a 35,8% decline over the same period last year. New vehicle sales in May accounted for a 32,9% drop over May 2008. Even though care sales HAVE indeed gone down a whole lot, the rankings are still rather baffling, the stunning yet overpriced new C-class is the 4th most selling car??? It can't be all that bad then hey..or is the list usually even more extravagant?

Passenger Cars &the amounts sold for the period:

Volkswagen Polo

1447

Toyota Corolla Verso

1 034

Toyota Yaris T3

957

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

908

FORD Fiesta

842

Volkswagen CitiGolf

823

BMW 3 Series

691

Chevrolet Spark

448

Nissan Livina

424

Toyota Fortuner

383

CT: Zuma's First State of the Nation Address

Because i have a job, that i happen to take seriously enough i didn't take the day off today to watch the State of the Nation Address like some people i know, so I've only caught glimpses of President Jacob Zuma's speech held in at the parliamet buildings in Cape Town. I've been searching for the full transcript without much luck, anyone who knows where i can obtain it, please do let me know. After what seemed to be the most riveting elections since 1994, Zuma is finally giving his first address today and I'm sure everyone is pining to see for themselves if issues they care about have been addressed. What I've heard is that he addressed issues of unity amounts government units, fighting crime, releaving poverty and minimising loss of jobs during this period of recession. Though his speech was delivered in English, parts of it included insert in Afrikaans, Tswana & of course Zulu :) UPDATE: The appealing speech, though shallow on detail as to how the plans will be put into action, can be found on the government website.

Wacky Wine Weekend in Robertson Wine Valley

6th Annual Wacky Wine Weekend in Cape Town's Robertson Wine Valley; A weekend with wine and good friends - nothing could be better. With over 16 000 visitors in 2008, the Wacky Wine Weekend is undeniably South Africa's biggest regional wine festival. From 4 - 7 June 2009 the festival celebrates its 6th birthday and the Robertson Wine Valley is proud to once again play host. The festival spans the valley with activities taking place at cellar doors and other hot spots; includes food & wine, outdoor, sport, adventure, family-fun and live music. Arabella Wine Estate Made Fresh by Clorets brings you ‘Arabella Live’ from 5 - 7 June 2009, a weekend of live music, great food, fun atmosphere and wine, lots of wine. Visitors to the estate will be treated to some of South Africa’s top live entertainment including Flat Stanley, Farryl Purkiss, Hot Water & 7th Son. In addition the estate will be offering gourmet catering through Dish Food and Social and providing camping facilities for overnight stays. Visitors need to purchase their passport (R60) at their first port of call. The stylish tasting glass will serve as your ticket to over 40 wineries participating this year and is valid for the duration of the festival – I think I might just attend this.
Date: 4-7 June 2009
Venue: Robertson Wine Valley
Location: Western Cape

Based on article by capetownmagazine.com

Cape Town wins Best Destination in Africa!

Not that its any surprise really, but it's is still remarkable. The Oscars of the Travel Industry have awarded Cape Town The Best Destination in Africa award. South Africa's glitterati rolled into Durban for the first-ever World Travel Awards Africa Ceremony, held at the 2008 Indaba in partnership with the International Convention Centre in Durban. The reigning King of the Zulu nation, His Majesty King Zwelithini Goodwill kaBhekuzulu, opened the ceremony with an inspiring speech. The packed audience of VIPs came from all corners of the African continent to honour and celebrate excellence in Africa's travel industry. Although the awards were held in Durban, Cape Town was awarded for its charm across Africa as well as South Africa. Cape Town wins the prize for Africa’s leading destination and our very own Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town was voted as Africa’s leading Hotel. South Africa’s leading business hotel award was given to non other than The Westin Grand Cape Town Arabella Quays and The Cape Grace in Cape Town's V&A Waterfront was awarded the prize as South Africa’s leading Hotel. Yay for Cape Town, see full list of winners on http://www.worldtravelawards.com/winners. Story based on article by capetownmagazine.com