I just found stuntmen.la from a design site that I have linked to in my sidebar. Check it out. Throw the stuntman around for a bit of fun and enter action city after you have become an outrageous stuntman!

Labels: stuntment.la

Today I decided that I need to start living my Greek heritage (that and I was asked to cook dolmades - pronounced Dol-Ma-Thes). So I asked my Grandfather (Pappou) to come over and help me make is famous pepper sauce.
This sauce is filled with natural ingredients that make it one of the tastiest and healthiest I've ever tasted, used or had the pleasure of making!

That little spat of creation took about 3-4 hours including shopping with the old old man. After that I braved the dolmades.

Dolmades to the Englesi (English people)are little starter sort of bite size treats. Vine leaves wrapped around a mince meat and rice filling. It sounds fairly simple when put like that but is a very tasty treat and fairly challenging to get perfect (as if). So try I did and by the picture that you can see I think that I have done pretty well!!

Labels: Chilli Sauce, Dolmades, Greek Food, Pepper Sauce

I received a text this morning at about 8am from a news website in South Africa. The text simply said: "Saddam Hussein Executed". This was enough.

Most people would think that this sort of text would fill you with something slightly positive. But not me. I'm not sure why. I'm not going to explain the intricacies of the hanging because it's all over the news anyways. I am going to say that I think that the killing of any man as an example is a silly move. Hanging a man will not end the violence in Iraq. It will not make the fighting stop and the people calm down. In fact I think that it will do the opposite.

How can it be claimed that the death of a man, the murder of a man is a move in the right direction for a newly democratic state. Saddam deserved to die, he deserved to suffer but he was made an example of by the Americans who dominate Iraq. 30 people have already been killed in Iraq by a car bomb after the hanging. Violence will not stop. One man does not equal peace or war in many situations.

Saddam should have been made more of an example of by keeping him alive, by showing other dictators and people who wish to follow in his path what will happen to you if you make the mistakes he did. Keep him alive and punish him for the rest of his living days. Do not give him the pleasure and satisfaction of a death that is fairly swift.

Labels: America, hanging, Iraq, Saddam Hussein

I went to Melville last night to see a friends cousins band, Collective Unconscious. I really felt the need to blog about this because this band was phenomenal. Not only was the song writing great, the lead singer's voice brilliant and the basis amazing but the drummer got off his stool (no pun intended) and played lead guitar on an acoustic song. To top it all of this a three member family band. The Drummer is father to the bassist and the lead singer and guitarist. The lead singer and song writer, Vincent is a mere 15 years old while the bassist is an astonishing 13 years old.

Below is a video of one of their songs. If you are Johannesburg over the next while try catch Collective Unconscious live and loud:

Labels: Collective Unconscious, Music, South Africa

Yesterday I decided that I needed to get my Red Zorba (read: red Fiat Sienna). So I mossied on down to the car wash on Rivonia Drive in Sandton. I waited in a que, a freaking car wash queue, for shit sakes for about 2 hours. They cleaned, polished, washed, waxed, vacuumed and wiped my little beauty. They made it look like it was almost just about and close to pretty new.



Then it rained.

At least my car smells good now. Thanks Murphy for those laws of yours.

Speaking of Murphy's law: Is it just me or does everyone else think that Murphy must be a women, becuase only a women could have such a sick and twisted sense of humour?

Labels: Car Wash, Fiat Sienna, Murphy's Law

This moron decided that he was a gods gift to women and men for that manner. Jen stumbled upon this post by the moron (I can't and refuse to refer to this guy as anything other than "The moron").

Here are a couple of extracts from the post (what a an absolute male chauvinist and ignorant child this guy is. And I really struggle to use the word guy/man/person/human or anything else that is semi-pleasant):


I'm a modest man...

Ye, sure ya are buddy...keep reading folks.

One of those modest dreams is to have sex with a woman of every narionality (except australia..of course) .

That is such a modest dream. An absolutely ridiculous "dream", claim or thought for that matter.

I'm no raging pervert or anything

That's what most raging perverts say isn't it. I've also heard a couple of pedophiles and gamblers say similar things.


That really is all that I can stomach to quote and submit my dear innocent readers to!! So go and see the morons post if you so choose.

I know that it's people like this who simply post on their "blogs" to get reactions from people like me, so I wont rant or rave excessively and satisfy the morons perversion with reactions and women.

Labels: Raging Pervert

The father of soul, the man who put funk in to "funkadelic" and the pioneer who changed the face of music for millions has died. I will use no euphemisms because I don't feel that they are necessary.

Brown allegedly died of heart failure after being admitted to hospital for pneumonia. I say allegedly becuase one can never tell if pneumonia is simply pneumonia these days!

I find it sad when public figures such as Brown die. I find it sad because it means that so many will grow up without his influence, the knowledge of his existence or simply put, his music.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and don't get me wrong, I know that the people I'm about to mention aren't pegging it as we speak, but they are getting on. What is to come of the likes of Al Pacino, Harrison ford, Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Diane Keaton, Bruce Springsteen, Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, Carly Simon, Aretha Franklin (is she still alive?), Diana Ross and many other prominent movie stars and singer/songwriters?

Like I've already said, these dudes are not knocking on deaths doorstep and they have the money and the pampering to live for a long time. But the end of an era is approaching. People are going to start dying and other's are going to marry and be born. I just think that it's a tad bit sad that with their deaths many artists (movie stars or singer/songwriters) lose the dynamic exposure that they once knew. It upsets me that a fraction of the people will be exposed to what I regard as the greats of our time.

Labels: Celebrities, Death, James Brown

The pictures that the Samsung D900 takes seem to be of a very high quality. I am very happy with it all so far and will definitely be putting it to the test in the months to come. Below is an example of the quality:

Labels: 3 megapixel camera phone, Samsung D900

I have been seriously considering moving my blog to a .com url. I think that this is a necessary movement for bloggers in the very near future and thought that over December it would be a good idea to get started. So I have emailed some people that I regard as knowledgeable in this area and have done some of my own research. Thus far the best solution that I have found involves Wordpress. A new feature has just been added to the Wordpress services; a feature that allows wordpress.com url's to be moved to .com url's. I think this is a brilliant idea. The only problem with this is that I am obviously a blogger user.

Apparently Wordpress offers a service that allows for the importing of blogger blogs to Wordpress blogs. This might have to be done.

There is a charge of $15 /per year if you are purchasing the desired url from Wordpress. If you have already purchased the url then the charge is a mere $10/per year or at the most R100/per year. I think this is a fantastic price for a brilliant deal and I think that I shall be making the moving to nicharalambous.com sometime very, very soon!

Labels: nicharalambous.com, URL, Wordpress

Finally received my phone today. Vodacom made it very difficult for me this morning, but eventually I made it through and have my D900. The phone is fantastic. I have never found it easier to personalise, customise and update my phone via my laptop. The Samsung software is fantastic and is easy use. I can upload, download and synchronise to and from my phone to my laptop. I obviously have to move my birthday reminders from old to new phone and clean out my old phone before I can be completely happy with my upgrade, but that is par for the course.

Anyways, it's almost that lovely day called present day - or was that Christmas? So to everyone who gives a fudge, have a happy happy. And to Jen from the Oh Boy! blog: Best of wishes for your brothers speedy recovery and I reckon 2007 will be incredible.

Labels: Oh Boy, Samsung D900

I heard an absolutely hilarious story today. Apparently at CNA one of the staff was asked if CNA stocked a book called Ipod generation. The lady told the customer to wait while she checked on her computer system. About ten minutes later the customer went looking for the lady and found her staring at the computer screen. Subsequently passers by apparently heard the customer saying: "No, no it's spelled "I-P-O-D" not "E-Y-E-P-O-S-T". Who works in a shop like CNA and has never heard of an Ipod? Very strange and seriously embarrassing.

The book is actually called Ipod therefore I am and I recently bought it after hearing much about it last year while I was in Europe.

Labels: CNA, Ipod therefore I am

I am finally due for my phone upgrade on my vodacom talk 240 contract. It has been a long and happy two years with my Samsung D500. I have had no problems with it at all. So I am considering sticking with the Samsung range and will most probably going with the D900.

The D900 seems to be a great phone and has almost everything I am looking for. I was initially going to upgrade to the LG KG920 which has/had a 5 megapixel camera built in. Unfortunately Vodacom told me that they have discontinued the phone so I am unable to upgrade to it. I am a little bummed out about it but I think I can deal with D900 as a suitable replacement. Any suggestions let me know and I'll look in to it before I purchase the D900 tomorrow.

Labels: LG KG 920, Samsung D900, Vodacom

So apparently it's true, Paris Hilton has a marketing team that spans millions of paris androids (paroids). I call them paroids because they cannot actually be real people. These people have lost all feeling in the hearts and conscience in their souls. These people advertise on blogs whenever they read anything about their beloved leader philton. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE. Snap out of it. Wake up and smell the capitalist marketing ploy. You are all being played by an extremely intelligent team of marketers that work for miss philton, the leader of the paroids.

This most recent outburst of rant and rage from me stems from a comment that I received on my Google's top news searches post. philton.org (please do not go and visit this turd of a site) felt it necessary to spam my blog with philton rubbish. This moron-paroid believes that it is necessary to create awareness for a girl (yes she is a girl not a women) who's claim to fame is a pair of nickers that she doesn't even wear really...ever...at all. I'm sorry but I can't agree with this kind of shameless dictatorial following of a mindless people to a pseudo-leader. Grow a brain cell, hell share one between all of you if you have to but stop promoting a tart who sells promiscuity to under aged children and un-kept naked crotch areas to women.

To philton.shuttup: Grow up, get some content on your blog that might make people read it without the use of spam ads (notice my use of the term "people" in that sentence, not paroids).

And to everyone else: Resist the urge to form an alliance with the paroids, they are out there and they are waiting for you to slip up so that they can trick you in to joining their side, the dark side, the forces of evil. Keep an eye open for a paroid in your neighbourhood today.

Labels: Paris Hilton, philton. Paroids, philton.shuttup

I read somewhere that the following Windex ad has been voted the best by the American public. I am close to agreeing but haven't seen the alternatives so I can't say for certain. Watch it and decide for yourself.





Now watch the next ad from about a million years ago and see how far we have come in the advertising world.

Labels: Advertising, Windex

Joey Gay, Lets be happy he wasn't named Izzy Gay. Funny dude, loving the Brooklyn Iti' vibe.

Labels: Fresh Faced Comic, Joey Gay

Mike Stopforth has reported on Google's top news searches. The list reads as follows:

The top searches on Google News:

1. paris hilton
2. orlando bloom
3. cancer
4. podcasting
5. hurricane katrina
6. bankruptcy
7. martina hingis
8. autism
9. 2006 nfl draft
10. celebrity big brother 2006

What the fuck is this shit? Paris, Orlando, Martina, 2006 nfl shit, celebrity Big Brother. Need I go on? I am impressed with the cancer, autism and maybe even the podcast and bankruptcy searches but so many celeb and sports searches baffles me. Is it actually possible that there are hardly any news searches on the Google news site. What about congress, politics, history, public figures in Government, International law, journalism, Television programs and channels such as CNN, news sites and all the other topics that might possibly have featured in actual newspapers or news sites around the globe?

On the other hand one needs to ask if these searches are representative of the proportion of news coverage that each topic/search receives in the media's portfolios. Maybe Paris Hilton has received more coverage than Iraq this year and maybe Orlando has been on television more often than Tony Blair, Thabo Mbeki and Kofi Annan (if you don't know any of those names then maybe you are one of the Paris Hilton search culprits) put together. Then again, maybe Americans are searching Google for these things more than any other group in the world and that is why Ms Hilton is at the top of the list. I don't know, you tell me.

Labels: Google News, Mike Stopforth

I am really not sure what it is about this time of year that makes me despise it so much, but I do. I hate christmas with a passion, I hate shopping, presents, carols, cake, panetone, lunches, dinners, eve's and everything else that goes along with this holiday. I am not a religious man and I think that this is why this holidays frustrates me so much. I think that people have taken what used to be a tradition of holy proportion and bastardized it in to time of year to purchase exorbitant gifts for people that they should be loving the entire year and spoiling every day, not just on one day of the year.

Silly, silly time of the year coated in joy, love and happiness. What a load of shit.

Labels: Christmas, The Grinch

Lately I've been feeling like somewhat of a media whore. I can't decide on a browser, I keep Opera, Firefox, Flock and Explorer installed on my laptop at all times just in case I get bored, frustrated or one of the options goes belly side up. So does this make me a cautious user or a nonc0mmittel fence sitter? I'm not sure.

But on this point, Paul Stamatiou has pointed out that Opera 9.1 has been released. I am in the process of downloading the upgrades and testing it out and will definitely have an update on my experiences soon!

Labels: Explorer, Firefox, Flock, Opera 9.1

I just finished reading an amazing book written by Stephen White called Kill Me. The book is about a man who is wealthy enough to afford the services of an end of life agency he calls the Death Angels. The Death Angels are paid for by you to end your life when you are diagnosed with a terminal illness.

This is some variation of euthanasia but it is not as simple as that. What if you did not require the services anymore but could not end the contract? What if you wanted one last meal with your wife, child or best friend? What if you weren't ready to die no matter how badly ill you were and dependent on others you had to be?

Read this book, it speaks from a male perspective and morphs itself in to the views of a father. There is a difference between a male and a father, trust me this book clearly defines that difference.

I am pro choice and I loved the fact that this book presented both sides of the coin as equal. White does not make his characters decide for you, he lets you make your own mind up about suicide, of any kind.

Labels: Kill Me, Stephen White

Every person in the world wants something. There is no true altruistic act in existence. You can disagree, you can try, but you will be wrong. Give me mother Theresa, give me Jesus Christ, give me god himself, even they have reasons for doing what they have done.

Lately I have come across a lot of fast talking, big mouthed know it alls who have promised me the world. In essence all that they are talking to me about is that itch. That little itch that keeps them guessing, keeps me feeling like they are lying to me to get what they want, to pick my brain and ravage me dreams. This might sound very drastic but it's how I feel to be honest. JHB is a place filled with opportunity and riddled with chance. But I've learned that people here are quick to talk but slow to act, quick to promise but never follow through and in actual fact are filled with horse crap.

It just sometimes upsets me that people have this itch. Hell, I live for that itch, I thrive on the itch, I want to rule the fucking world someday... seriously. But it's one thing to have that itch and another thing completely to let that itch have you. Greed, jealousy, self preservation and selfishness all fall under the itch category. Don't let the itch category slip under your skin.

Labels: Greed, itch, jealousy, JHB

I am considering a change in name and url for Shutterview. I am tired of Googling my blog and finding another site. I am tired of hiding behind my blog with my opinions. I think I am perfectly happy for people to know who I am by the name of my blog. I have never hidden behind my blog url but also never promote who I am.

I am just a bit stuck about hosting, url purchase, design etc etc etc. So, if you have any suggestions, thoughts or comments, feel free to send them through.

I am considering an obvious but easy http://nicharalambous.com as the new url.

Is it worth the admin of resubmitting, reclaiming, technorati ranking, google ranking, alexia, RSS feeds, subscription losses etc etc etc? I'm not sure, but I am sure that I am fed up with blogger in a big way.

Labels: blogging, Blogs, Hosting, nicharalambous, Shutterview, URL

I am back from holiday and have much to say (for a change!). This will be the first of a string of posts that I will be writing about my time away, books I've read and things I've been thinking about.

Lets get started.

I'm not sure if anyone reading this knows where Hartebeespoort Dam is but that's where I've been for the last five days. It was serene, calm, quiet and relaxing. I spent the week with Jen, my girlfriend as well as my cousins and aunt, Dot. Yesterday morning I decided to take my cousins out for pancakes. We chose Pick a Pancake as our weapon of choice. That was cool except Jen ordered something of the "pancake" section of the menu that didn't actually come with a pancake. What's up with that? Why put something under the pancake section if it doesn't come with a pancake? Go figure.

The most interesting and irritatingly frustrating part of the drive to Pick a Pancake was the Dam wall. Crossing the wall is a joy and a tradition, going over the wall provides a magnificent view accompanied by a disgusting smell. That smell is the water. As far as my experience with dam water goes I thought that it was meant to be blue, or at least some shade of blue or possibly even, at a push, brown-ish. It wasn't. It was green. Pea green as in pea green soup kind of green. Not so attractive I can assure you. Then while we were stopped at the robot (Traffic light) we were bombarded by hawkers. Hawkers are those lovely men and women trying to sell you anything and everything on the side of the road. Now I understand the concept of hawking, selling stuff to cars driving past, stopped at the robots, sweet. But why, oh why do these people sell such random bullshit? Tennis balls the size of my head, watches, peanuts, wooden carvings that can't actually fit in my boot if I so choose to purchase one. Senseless sales I like to call them. These senseless sales serve as nothing more than an irritation to my holiday mode. I counted close on 10 different hawkers that I turned away, not one or two, 10. Why would I want to buy the same product from hawker number 4 if I turned away hawker number 2? You tell me.

I don't get many days off in my line of work, in fact a self employed person doesn't get any time off cause you travel with your work tool (your brain). Thus I have decided to take a couple of days off. This means no blogging, no phone calls, no emails, no sms's (texts), no nothing. Except for the sun, the pool and Jen.

Anyways, I am having enough issues with blogger that I hope my time off will let things sort themselves out and give me time to rejuvinate for a crazy and amazing year ahead. I will plan and think through my blogging activities (Alex you have provided me with much food for thought re the blogging process) and hopefully I will be back in action in a week with new ideas for posts, blogs and much more.

Those of you who only get 15 days off a year, use them wisely, those of you who are permanently taking days off, screw you!

Have a good one.

Labels: Holiday

I have been meaning to post about this topic for a while now. I have noticed over the last

couple of months that Mnet's content is somewhat restricted. Mnet airs a fair amount of local content, I have studied over the years that local content might be patriotic and all but often it is the foreign shows that pull in the audiences. Thus Mnet and SABC will pay to gain the rights for these shows. Fair.

I have somewhat of an issue with the local content that Mnet chooses to air. I have just clicked on the Mnet channel website and saw not a single black face. I am not making this about race necessarily because there are lots of black American TV shows so that's cool too.

But why are there no shows in other languages with black faces as the forerunners? It has been eons that Egoli had been on the air and then Mnet chooses Binnelanders to take on as another major local production as well as Voetspore. I don't get. Yes Tumi is on the air now too but this show is a very elitist type of show with highfalutin content. Not a run of the mill soapie, series or show that is for the entire family or entire demographic of our country. Snitch is a recent addition to the Mnet family and does a good job, but this is one hour a week of diverse local content that I am not so sure is being watched by the current Mnet audience.

I understand that Mnet is not a free channel or government provided. I get that. But why not cater for an ever growing diverse market? Maybe their subscribers are still majority white but then maybe because the content is majority white the subscribers are too? It's a bit of a chicken and egg issue here isn't it?

Labels: Afrikaans, Binnelanders, Carte Blanche, Mnet, Snitch

Apparently Diana's car crash was cause by her driver, who was drunk.

This article on Reuters notes that there is much conspiracy surrounding the death of Di and Dodi. No shit, who wouldn't think that the royals of the UK weren't involved? Well, them I guess, and only them really.

I remember what I was doing, where I was and who I was with when I heard the news as I am sure most of us do. Strange to think that there are still investigations going on.

Labels: Al Fayed, Diana, Dodi

Jen is back.

Labels: JenWynne

Uhuru Guru, The editor of Why South Africa Sucks, is pretty pissed off at me and has had no trouble in letting me know:

So, little Nic the piepiejoller wet behind the ears wanker decides to get all self-righteous about my blog. Listen up, little pip squeak – you know diddly squat, OK? I’m not even going to dignify your hysterical little rant beyond these few words. You’re a deluded little puss and your thinking is aeons behind mine. Perhaps one day you will catch up, I just hope its not after some simian ape has stretched your sphincter, shot you in the head or raped your mother. As for the rest of your poorly written, grammatically incorrect little screed, I can only say "a hearty FUCK YOU" to you. You’re a snivelling little brat, be off already, little boy!

Wow that's aggressive. Let's hope there is some semblance of an argument from the guru type guy in the near future that can help his cause because this little post has done nothing for him.

Read my response to this comment and the full post at These guys suck and so do their blogs.

PS: You spelled "aeons" and "snivelling" wrong. Good work on the spelling and grammar.

Labels: Rants, Shutterview, South Africa

This is just too funny. I wouldn't dare go to plot 38 to bring up any issues surrounding this sign. Nice work.

Labels: Dumping, Signs, Waste

I am saddened, offended and upset by a string of blogs and website that I have stumpled across. Why South Africa Sucks and Free at Last Her in Godzone NZ are the two that have pissed me off the most. I will not be linking to either of these sites. If you want to read about them, Google them or something.

Let me begin by saying that it will never be my intention to judge any person for leaving South Africa. If I do, I apoligise in advance. With that said, for anyone to slate an entire country and badmouth something that they can never, ever experience entirely, rationally or wholly is ignorant and naive. Yes I am calling you all ignorant and naive, do not turn around, there is no one else in the room, I am talking to you. If the shoe fits...

A quote from the Free at Last site blurb:

"Free at last!" - Yes, and now living in Godzone New Zealand. Free from fear, free from rape, free from murder, free from discrimination, free from corruption, free from barb wire and burglar bars, free from hijacking, free to work and live a life that everyone should have. Free from the horrors of South Africa.

What the hell is this shit? What gives this person the right to say that in the whole of South Africa there is only rape, murder, fear, discrimination, corruption, etc etc etc? You fool. Why not express to the people reading your blog that your PERSONAL experiences in S.A. are what you talk about? I couldn't give a shit if you rip apart every person who did you wrong (shame poor baby, did it hurt?) 'cause life is tough. But leave the entire country out of your banter. You left on your own two feet so keep walking. Do not make your problems our problems. Do not propagate random experiences that affected you as the experiences of EVERY South African alive. Yes, there are issues here and they exist, but there are issues everywhere. And yes, the statistics for good old "Godzone" (what kind of a name is that self righteous crap?) are lower than those statistics for S.A. but so is the population you twit. I bet that if we look at the stats closely enough we will see that relatively they are similar for S.A and NZ.

You irritate me. You anti-patriots, you ex-wannabe freedom advocate, you silent supporters of the South African past.

Do me favour, leave S.A. that's fine, but don't choose to let it hang over your head and force it to hang over mine. Leave and let go. Leave and forget. Forget that you ever lived here if you are so bitter.

Now to quote the Why SA Sucks blurb:

This blog chronicles the slide of a once magnificent, thriving First World Country into that of a crime ravaged, Stalinist turd world hell hole.

I'm sorry but do you mean the apartheid state of the past when you refer to a "First World Country"? That one? The one where black people were oppressed, raped, murdered, violated, restricted and could not find work? That Country? I must admit that the country you speak of sounds wonderful, if you are white (and I am assuming you are white, correct me if I'm wrong).

Let us all just be honest here for a second, the South African population mainly consists of black people, strange hey. Go figure. So as a white man, you are confident to ask for the best person to get the job and BEE not to exist, but lets be honest the best person for the job is the one with the best education, for the best education to be recieved one needs to have been allowed in to University to start with. That was not the black man 15 years ago. Starting to pick up a trend here? To continue, if the black majority of the country was not allowed, by the past government, to attend University then how were they to become educated to get high end jobs? They weren't. Simple answer. Thus there are steps in place to correct the over 400 years of wrong doing. Still with me here? Good.

If you can read this and still not at least understand what is going on in S.A. then you made the right decision to leave and you will not be missed. However, you will be missing out on an amazing country in the very near future and you will regret leaving. Good riddance to you.

Now the same advice applies to you as it did to the NZ Godzone person: Leave, but leave peacefully and do not return. Do not claim to miss the sun, the sea, the people, the braai's and the laughter. Do us all a favour and Do not return, Ever.

Labels: South Africa

If you are looking for a fitting present for someone who likes to think and write then look no further. Moleskine writing tools are perfect. They are elegant and worth while. They are personal (which is hard to find these days). There is no screen, there is no mouse and there are no keys. The joy about purchasing a Moleskine diary or writing book is that you can get a pen to accompany the gift perfectly.

Labels: Diary, Moleskine, Presents

I have been having some serious problems with blogger of the last 24 hours... is it just me?

Labels: Blogger, Blogger troubles

Labels: Bands, Virgin Music

Ever seen an amish guy talk about sex/internet or anything other than his cows? Jokes, that was mean, but it was kinda funny! Anyways, here's an amish dude chatting about some wierd things.

Labels: Amish, Fresh Faced Comic

So I was chatting to Jen-Jen-Jen just now the kids issue came up some how. She said she never wants children and I called bullshit. This is not, I repeat, not a sexist post or statement in any way shape or form. I am arguing for freedom of choice here 100%. However I believe that when two people are together it is necessary to know that the option of having kids is available. If I am told straight out by any woman I'm with that kids are not ever, ever going to happen then her and I will never, ever happen. I might never have kids with anyone. My life might get in the way of things, I might find myself to become incapable of caring for children, there are a billion reasons I might not have kids. But there is one that overrides all the others, love. If you love the person you are with then children is the ultimate expression of the love that you share with your partner.

I know that there are a million counter arguments to this; gay couples, infertile couples etc etc etc. But these couple can and do adopt children to express their love and foster children. If I am given the gift and the choice then I will take it with both arms wide open. And so would you if the circumstance was right.

Labels: Children, Kids, Pregnancy

You know that feeling when you find R20 in the pocket of a pair of jeans you haven't worn for months? That's what I had today, except my feeling was about photographs. I went to the G8 Summit last year in Scotland. I did some freelance work and had a bit of a riot filled protesting holiday, it was grand. I thought that I had developed all the film I used (I like to use film when I have the chance). I was wrong, there were about 5 films left that I hadn't thought about in over a year. So today I took them in to be developed and below is one of the photos that I took and have edited. More to come

Labels: Edinburgh, G8 Summit, Photography, Scotland

Explosm.net does it again. On the floor, off my feet, doubled over, laughing. Fantastic way to start a week.

Labels: Cyanide and happiness, Explosm.net

JT (Justin Timberlake) has a new album out, this album has an awesome song on it called Losing My Way. The song has a great feel to it and is catchy, as most JT songs are.

There is something that pisses me off so much about this song. It speaks of "the pipe" and speaks of poverty, dropping out of school and failure. The opening line: "Hi my name is Bob I work at my job, I make forty-sumtin' dollars a day." What pisses me off is that JT in all his wealth reckons that $45 (+-) a day is a poverty stricken, drug induced wage. My son, let me tell you that JT has no fucking clue about poverty. If you work out the conversion and a monthly salary on $45 a day it comes to a whopping R6930 a month. Fuckin' shit bags that's not bloody bad if you ask me.

I recently did a story on a project for the blind in a township in Jo'burg. there were 16 people that worked at this project. The monthly grant for unemployed blind people is +-R900. The project was earning each of them a couple hundred more. Lets work that out in dollars for Mr. JT:

Call it R1000/22 working days = R45 per working day
take that R45 and divide it by an equal $7 = $6.49 per day

That is what I call extreme poverty for normal people. $6.49 wage. That is twisted shit.

JT you are a spoilt brat who cons the American Mob of idiots in to believing that 40-sumtin' dollars a day is slave wage. You moron, open your eyes.

Labels: Justin Timberlake, slave wage

Here is a brief list of words and sayings that I find interesting and particularly irritating. If you can think of any more (I couldn't remember them all) let me know:

• Stutter - Try having a stutter and pronouncing this word... "stu-stu-stu-stutt-stutt-stutt-stu-st-stu..." You get the point.

• Lisp - Try having a Lisp and pronouncing this word..."Lithp" that's just cruel.

• Friendly-Fire - I bet if you were hit by friendly fire it wouldn't seem so fucking friendly.

• Drink like a fish - fish live in water, they don't necessarily drink it. Silly.

• Sleep with - Let's be honest, when using this euphemism the last thing you are doing is sleeping.

Labels: Friendly Fire, Lisp, Sayings, Stutter, Words

Four days (incl. Sunday) until Jen comes home. I cannot wait. It has been close on 9 months that we have been doing long distance. I can confidently say that this has been one of the most difficult things that I have ever done. It is also easily one of the most rewarding. Knowing that in four days our nine months of patience and care will pay off with a feeling of euphoria and nirvana. What joy. Love is a fantastic fuck up! I love it.

Labels: JenWynne, Long distance, Love

I am personally all for gay marriage. I have no issue with and am impressed by the S.A. governments liberal and progressive stand point regarding this issue. I do have an issue with rushed marriage, gay or straight.

I think that marriage is something that should be considered carefully, financially, emotionally, mentally and physically. It should not be fucked with, at all, ever. I fear that many, many gay South Africans will soon be following Vernon Gibbs and Tony Halls who went to get married on the day that same-sex marriage was legalised in South Africa. I am concerned not because of the implications and that bullshit banter. I am concerned because I think that many people will simply be getting married cause it's the latest trend in the pink circles. Crit me, mock me or disagree, but I think that there will be many, many gay divorces in the near future. Join the heteros and get married, cool, but lest us not forget that marriage is all too often followed by divorce.

Labels: Gay Marriage, Same-Sex marriage

These shirts brought to you courtesay of T-Shirthell.com. Fucking fantastic.

Labels: T-ShirtHell.com

I am somewhat tattoo obsessive. I love tattoos, I love getting them, having them and designing them. I recently got it in my head that I want a new one (I have 3 already and got my first one done at age 14). So I started to design it. Below you will see the initial stages of the design for my upper back between shoulder blades. I have a couple others that I have designed for shoulder add-on.


But then I thought about the money that I wanted to spend on my new addition to my body work. I was aiming at designing something that would cost me close on R2000. After some thought I honestly think that this is a complete and utter misuse of cash for me right now. I am not saying that the money would not be well spent on the tattoo. It's just that at the moment the money would be better spent in other areas and interests. Like buying a DSLR Camera for work purposes. This would make me money not make me look cool.

So after much internal debate (Jen you will be happy to know) I have opted not to get another tattoo right now.

Labels: Tattoos

The Missing Link in the flesh.

Labels: Fresh Faced Comic, Jay London

Pulitzer now offers a prize for online journalism, or blogging, or whatever it is you want to call it.

To some it all up a quote from the Pulitzer Press Release dated 27th Nov 2006:

The Pulitzer Prize Board announced today that newspapers may now submit a full array of online material-such as databases, interactive graphics, and streaming video-in nearly all of its journalism categories.

Read the full release on the Pulitzer site now. Thanks to the Blog Herald for the story.

Labels: Blogging Prize, New Media, Online Journalism, Pulitzer

Things have now reached a sad level in the social world of the web. Myspace has become a promoters paradise where the point of the exercise has been lost. Other social networks have also been abused by users and now this.

FakeYourSpace allows users to buy friends. For a nominal fee of 99c users receive 8 messages on your facebook or myspace profile that are posted by "models" and will stay on your space forever. Now you can appear to be popular without actually knowing anyone or anything about anyone. How fucking unbelievably sad is this shit?

Next thing you know there is going to be a big Hollywood movie made about some teenage loser who has no "space friends" and pays to have people post on his space and then gets caught. But wait, there will be a moral, people in cyberspace will all feel bad and become this twats friends. Please.

I really, really think that this has reached a dire state. If you cannot make friends in the real world you WILL NOT be able to make friends in cyber space. If you think I am wrong, you are one of these losers. I will not be apologising for saying any of this so don't ask me to. If you have ever thought of paying for visitors on your site then you are also one of these losers. Everyone tries to get more hits, that's fine, add content, submit to search engines make things interesting etc etc etc, but paying to have visitors you have never met, seen or heard of before to post comments on your site is upsettingly sad. Go and see a psychologist.

To the man/woman who thought this idea up: Well done. This is capitalism at work, at it's best. I applaud you for recognising a niche and exploiting it. I am just upset that I didn't think of this first.

Labels: Facebook, FakeYourSpace, Myspace

I nearly forgot about this. I am actually quite embarrassed to say that, but I almost forgot.

Now that I have remembered, I have dedicated a little section of Shutterview to World Aids Day (WAD). I am going to make reference to two sites that you should check out and read with regard to WAD.

1. DATA is an amazing project, Debt, Aids, Trade, Africa (DATA) is an organisation that has only managed to do great things for Africa and the people of the world.

2. The World Aids Day Website is a great read and has lots of information regarding many topics centred around HIV/Aids. Read it, now.

Lastly I would like to implore every blogger who reads this to dedicate a section of their blog to WAD. A post, A comment, an image, a sidebar feature, a footer, anything. Just show the world that you are conscious of what is happening around you.

Labels: Aids, DATA, HIV/Aids, Shutterview, World Aids Day