if you’re still tweeting about twitter, you’re a laggard.

and now you know.

Go on, click through if you were on twitter before Ashton Kutcher / Oprah!

What’s a laggard?

dinneriffic

Last Thursday, Rei and I had Theo, Kath and Richard over for dinner. It was super awesome because Theo was down and not working / shacked up with a boyfriend (so we never see her) for once. Theo spends most of her time at St Andrew’s in Scotland or in her native Greece, so it was an occasion to celebrate. Then someone discovered the fish-eye lens and that was the end of that.

Theo and Rich.

Rei and Kath on the balcony.

Dinneriffic.

Me with alien lights.

Les macarons. If you're ever looking for a sweet treat that's just enough, try these melt-in-your-mouth macarons from Cassis in Gardens Centre. Truly - they must be tasted to be believed.

voting memories

better late than never.

Rei queues patiently, comes prepared with iPod.

Some smug (but peaceful) chick in the queue.

The queue going down Kloof Street.

Signage. Important. Wish they'd had a 'you can go vote at a less busy station even if you registered here' sign.

Proof.

Lots of fun was had by all. The End.

the disposable memory project

being a massive fan of taking photos (note how I don’t use the word photography, I’m anything but a photographer) I came  across this awesome project called the Disposable Memory Project. in their words:

we’re leaving disposable cameras around the world.
hopefully, people will pick them up, take a few photos and pass them on, eventually returning home – so we can tell their stories.

they have some amazing shots in their collection. i really love this because i have a few old disposables and undeveloped rolls of film lying around my apartment (and even one in my bag) which I have yet to develop, and I have no idea what’s on them – how exciting, digital does not compare. i’ll get at least one developed this week. anyway you can totally get involved yourself. here’s how.

post-election special: why it’s all going to be okay

Hey y’ulle. Hope y’all are revelling in your public holiday. And revelling in the fact that there’s another one on friday. Such happy times. So i just want to touch base with all my readers about how everyone feels about elections. I, personally, am pretty happy with the results. I think the DA got a fair majority in the Western Cape (let’s face it, most ppl here just ain’t that into you, ANC), and ANC didn’t get some power-mad 2/3 majority so it’s all gonna be fine.

I also had this epiphany while chatting to my boyfriend. My boyfriend loves Kung Fu Panda, and we were contemplating renting it a 37th time for him to watch while I write, when a srsly deep thought struck me. You know how in Kung Fu Panda, there’s this elite force of trained Kung Fu warriors, all hoping to be the Dragon Warrior, and all of them totally qualified to be the Dragon Warrior? Except the wise turtle dude knows that none of these super efficient smart animals are supposed to be the dragon warrior, and names an inept, bumbling ol’ fat panda to be the Dragon Warrior. And then everyone flips out because he’s obviously underqualified to be some super Dragon Warrior dude – but that’s the whole point. Some times it’s the most unlikely person who’s fate is to be the Dragon Warrior, and you just have to accept that even a fat bumbling Panda can be trusted with the great secret hidden within the Dragon Scroll, which will enable him to do the right thing at the right time that makes everything okay.

It's all gonna be okay.

And that’s all I wanted to share with y’all. He Who Shall Not Be Named shall henceforth be known on this blog as Kung Fu Panda. And I believe in him, because I believe in the universe working for the greater good. Peace y’ulle.

is this a good ‘viral’ ad for MacDonalds?

hey y’ulle. been thinking a lot lately about viral. and ‘content’. about “the nature of the beast”. been doing some doodles on notepads. i found this video:

what do y’ulle think? Give it a rating out of 5, 5 being very’fwdable/extreme viralability. maybe this isn’t even viral and but rather the evolution / next step in personal branding? feel like i’ve got lots to think about.

voting special: celebrity endorsement of the year

Love is free, y'all.

you gotta give it to Nando’s. they took on the nation’s most notorious stand-up comedian, Julius Malema, and he, very predictably, just couldn’t keep his mouth shut. in his threats and tyrades he’s come up with some of the raddest viral material. it’s the kind of stuff you just can’t write. it’s amazing. check this out:

“If Nando’s does not withdraw the adverts, the ANCYL will mobilise the people of South Africa to take militant action against Nando’s and anything associated with Nando’s.” – the ANC League of Extraordinary Youthgentlemen

it’s just too good. this is the kind of name drop most brands can only DREAM about getting in their wildest brandy dreams. and it gets better. they even use the word ‘instruct‘ – totally awesome:

“While awaiting the legal advice, the ANCYL instructs the Nando’s company and those who did the advertisement to promptly withdraw the advert from all television screens and radio channels.” – ANC League Of Extraordinary Youths.

this – my friends – is groundbreaking advertising. this campaign deserves the Grand Black Clio Lion Loerie Eagle Prix best use of PR / social media / digital / tv / integrated / craft / viral / radness / tactical / extreme LOL category.

Nando's 4 EVA.

I hope the agency is getting their Loerie Stage Gimmick together. Would suck to win this big and be unprepared to do something zany and memorable on stage. Now’s your chance to introduce your personal creative brands to the industry – don’t be shy now.

voting special: MyBrandedVoteTM

Nando's work by Black River JHB (thanks @thecopyninja)

Nando’s goodness (via 10and5), not forgetting this ad ripping of Julius Malema (head of the ANC Youth League, famous for using Hitler as inspiration for his personal brand).

That’s apparently done by a small agency called Stick. URL anyone? We’re still waiting for Julius Malema to ‘take militant action’ against Nando’s.  And then there’s this fantastic collection of election posters also at 10and5 (check it out, it’s hilarious) where you can see this ‘good shepherd’:

"I need a hug."

and many many more, all here.

i wish life was like the new Lacoste website.

i wish life was crazy, crazy, crazy.

I wish life was mad.

I wish life was about preparing oneself to dance.

Getting up in the morning would be easy if all you had to do was float on amidst cute little crocodiles and hot friends.

Life is nothing like that, but at least i have something crazy, mad and floaty to aspire to. At least I have purpose. Thank you Lacoste. See the full site here.

photoshop disasters

it could happen to you. bummer if you spot any of your work here.

Nice, erm, shoulder pads.

thanks @spoOky.

elections on wednesday

don’t forget to vote lovelies.

get an ANC poster template here. thanks @coda

more BADvertising: that weird slutty Huggies baby

If you live or work in town you must have driven past this billboard at least once.

Just. Plain. Wrong.

What do y’all think? My friend Lauren wrote this article over on her blog which sums up exactly how I feel about it. Ew. Gives me shivers every time I look at it.

UPDATE: Looks like Lauren and I aren’t the only ones with shivers. Chris Roper also doesn’t dig it.

BADvertising: a kick at the Balls.

Hey y’ulle. So I bet you’ve all been waiting with baited breath for ‘the big reveal’ to the National Skirt Extension Project. Chomping at the bit and all that (has any teaser campaign ever actually worked and not come off as something vague and slightly annoying?). So turns out it was Mrs Balls Chutney who did the National Skirt Extension Project initiative. Surprise.

The ‘thinking’ behind it is that you shouldn’t change something that doesn’t need changing.

I guess it would mean a whole lot more if they actually referred to food (Mrs Balls  Chutney is a classic South African condiment. Not a clothing brand. Or a woman’s interest magazine. A condiment.). Instead, they spent a LOT of money talking about shortening the skirt on the classic Ladies’ Room sign, banking on a big ‘ahhhhh’ when all was revealed.

I’m just going to say 2 things:

1. Women get brutally beaten all the time for wearing skirts that some men deem ‘too short’ – this kind of discrimination is rampant in this country, if not condoned by everyone. So it’s tasteless in the same way those dodgy Huggies billboards that show babies dressed up like whores is tasteless coz South African men seem to have a child-rape predilection, too.

2.

Seriously. No one.

Anti-climax huh? The brand kind of comes off as a  wanker, don’t you think? The details:

psychographic profile: i am a white South African

I am a white South African.
This makes it my duty to a) complain and
b) complain about whatever’s done in response to my complaints.
I have a blog, and a twitter page, and a small audience. I am an ‘influencer’.
So I feel the need to influence, but also, to point out how refined,
educated and intellectuarllll I am.

I am a white South African and even though I,
like most educated people in this country,
am petrified of He Who Shall Not Be Named becoming President,
I’m not going to go right out and say it because that would not be very
politically correct, progressive or liberal.
(also it would be laaaaank obvious bro, need to ‘be special’).
Instead I will complain about ‘government’ as an homogeneous mass
and focus my complaints on white people in government
so my white friends understand just how liberal and progressive I am.

I am a white South African,
Maintaining my positioning as liberal is highly NB,
because my white friends believe that if you are not liberal, you are racist –
and there are no grey areas in between.
My educated black friends LOL at me behind my back,
but mostly they pity me and my suppressed fear,
and send me digital snaps from London, where they have moved,
which I complain about,
because if black people are moving overseas,
then things must be bad.

I am a white South African, and
I am paranoid about coming across as racist
because we have the sins of our “fathers” forced on us
all the time by our scapegoat-loving government and its
sycophantic media,
even though most of our fathers were actually against Apartheid,
but they had as much choice then
as we do now when it comes to policy (ie. No choice)
but you can bet your lobola
that I’m going to complain about it.

I am a white South African
(and proudly so)
and I’m going to complain
and through my interlektuarll complaining
I’m going to be superior to my fellow men
(who will complain about my complaints because they are as scared as me)
but I’m going to complain with pride
because I am a South African
And this is my home
and I don’t want to leave this country to complain somewhere else
I want to feel safe when I complain down the streets
and I want my children to feel safe about complaining while they play
I want women to feel that they can complain without suffering abuse
or discrimination

I am a white South African
even though South Africa’s a political mess
I’m going to stay and fight for my right to complain in the country of my birth.

I shall complain about the beaches
I shall complain about the landing grounds
I shall complain about the fields and the streets
I shall complain about the hills
and I shall never surrender

karma coma

Hey y’ulle. happy easter. hope you used it to commune with the lord our god and father of the almighty isrealites of jordan amen. i sure did. praise him!

NEwayz, am sure y’ulle heard about the fire at the Vortex. y’ulle ready?

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

HA HA HA HA.

HA HA.

HA.

********************************composing myself*******************************

Question: How many hippies does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Answer: They don’t screw in lightbulbs, they screw in VWs.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. Just one more:

Question: Why are hippies like bears?

Answer: They both hug, eat honey and shit in the woods.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

ah.

amen.

Those good ol' days, before the great fire of '09.