Kunstler: The avatar of hopefulness himself is Barack Obama

SHOOT: Reality is becoming an interesting concept. I use the word 'concept' because nobody seems to agree what reality is. Everyone has their own version of it. I like Kunstler's. I don't mean I like it in the sense that I like chocolate icecream, I mean he calls chocolate icecream chocolate icecream, where other people give it other names and colors. That's a dangerous game - you end up deceiving yourself.

clipped from kunstler.com It is sure to get worse, and there are going to be a lot of disappointed people out there who will be suffering terrible losses and real pain in daily life. Societies don't do well when the public falls into the broad despair that is the opposite of hope. That's when the long knives and the tribal animosities come out and things get smashed. The trouble with self-delusion, either in a person or a society, is that reality doesn't care what anybody believes, or what story they put out.  Reality doesn't "spin." Reality does not have a self-image problem.  Reality does not yield its workings to self-esteem management. These days, Americans don't like reality very much because it won't let them push it around. Reality is an implacable force and the only question for human beings in the face of it is: what will you do?  In other words, it's not really possible to manage reality, but you can certainly choose to manage your affairs within reality. We won't do that because it's too difficult.

Which colleague annoys you the most?

SHOOT: The worst combination is a cracker and a whiffy wonder.

clipped from hotjobs.yahoo.com The 6 Most Annoying Coworkers The Psst-er: Gossipers were the number one pet peeve in the survey. While some people like to hear juicy tidbits about the boss or their colleagues, too much gossip can undermine the spirit of the workplace. Plus you're always wondering when the Psst-er will make you the topic du jour. The Broken Clock: These coworkers stink at time management. They're routinely late for everything, including work. They tend to spend too much time on emails, take long lunches, and then scramble to get others to help them meet their deadlines, which, for some reason, they keep missing. Mold Guy: Coworkers who mess up communal spaces were third on the list of workplace pet peeves. Their month-old leftovers sport a thick layer of fur in the company fridge. Every office seems to have at least one who stinks up shared spaces. The Whiffy Wonder: You can smell these coworkers wafting about from the other end of the office. The Cracker: Crackers are loud.

Single furnished room available in 2 storey cottage

Johannesburg, Northern Suburbs Accomodation

Cottage available to share as from 1st December 2009.
If you're interested leave a comment [it gets emailed directly to me, and leave your email address.]

clipped from johannesburg.gumtree.co.za Date Listed 22/10/2009 Price R 2,500 Location Johannesburg Northern Suburbs Houghton Share Basis Flat or House Share Bedrooms (#) 2 bedrooms Dwelling Type Townhouse/villa Bathrooms (#) 1 bathroom Preferred Gender Female Move in 1st December or sooner. Beautiful stone cottage in Mountain View, with beautiful view. Fire place, braai deck, use of swimming pool.  Secure, gated complex. You will have a big room with a view.  For smaller room downstairs, price is R2000 pm. Feel free to come and have a look.

Melrose Arch Bikini Parade

SHOOT: Sound too good to be true? Part of me says this is fun, but here's an interesting comment:

The awareness for breast cancer is a good idea. The bikini's in public?.... I don't think so, with all the rape and molestation going on in our country. Without a doubt there will be those with prying eyes but not out of respect but rather to get the "turn on". I love a beautiful body in a bikini and see nothing wrong with it but in the "right place". Maybe show a bit more respect and avoid the possibility of "setting off sick minds" or parading like cattle to the "slaughter house".

clipped from all4women.co.za On Saturday 7 November at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, flocks of bikini-clad women will parade down the 1,600 meters of Melrose Arch Boulevard in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record™ for the World’s Largest Bikini Parade. It is all about ‘Your Shape, and doing things Your Way’. What better way to celebrate this than by having the confidence to participate in a bikini parade?” remarks Sarah Mansfield, corporate spokesperson at the Kellogg Company of South Africa. - Participants can register on 7November at the Piazza in Melrose Arch from 10h00 – 11h00. - Participants must be 16 years or older and wear a bikini for the duration of the parade only – changing facilitates will be   provided - The parade will commence promptly at 11h00 on the 7th of November 2009 at the Piazza in Melrose Arch - Please note that no sarongs or swim shorts are permitted.

Homepreneur

SHOOT: Way of the future.

clipped from www.businessweek.com New research shows the economic importance of home-based businesses: They account for more than half of all U.S. businesses and employ more people than venture-backed companies Ask Stephen Labuda, the 35-year-old president of Agency3, a Web development firm he runs from his home in Cambridge, Mass. A former programmer at Deutsche Bank (DB), Labuda started building Web sites as a side job in 2003 and took the venture full time three years later. Agency3's revenue is in the millions, and Labuda is about to hire his fifth employee, who will work remotely, like the rest of the staff and the slew of contractors he taps. "I'm not intending to go rent office space," he says. Now, Labuda never feels that his working from home damages Agency3's credibility. Instead, it's a selling point. "It's reflected in our pricing that we don't have the same kind of infrastructure costs and fixed costs that some of our competitors do," he says.

Mostly Proudly South African South Africans would rather be somewhere else

SHOOT: 60% of us either are already out, want to go or are thinking about it. I'm one of them.

clipped from www.news24.com Voting Booth Would you want to move permanently to another country? Yes No Been there, done that, not worth it I've done it, couldn't be happier! I'm considering it Yes 33 % 46.2'> No 30 % 42'> Been there, done that, not worth it 6 % 8.4'> I've done it, couldn't be happier! 6 % 8.4'> I'm considering it 24 % 33.6'> Previous Results · Suggest a vote

South African households soon to be paying for some of the most expensive electricity in the world

SHOOT: Skande.

clipped from www.fin24.com South African households would be paying for some of the most expensive electricity in the world. The bigger bill would have a direct effect on already depressed consumer spending. "Consumers are more of a worry," said Badminton. "The big thing is for government to speak to Eskom. Understandably they need an increase but there must be a more palatable way of doing it, perhaps increases over 10 years." What Badminton didn't say - but would happen if the 45% a year increases come through - was that part of the burden would be passed on to shoppers in the form of higher food inflation.