A devastating fire swept through a portion of Ashmel Spar in East London suburb Berea last night.
Speaking to Staff members, we found out that the fire may have started in the Bakery area, after 9 pm in the evening of 30 December 2010.
The exact cause of the fire is not yet known, and the extent of the damage is still being assessed. It does seem though that the fire at Ashmel Spar has caused extensive flame and smoke damage.
When we arrived at the Spar Supermarket in Berea, all seemed to normal, until we noticed that what we thought were just loiterers, were in fact Staff members from Ashmel Spar. Again, first impressions indicated that they were on a break, but, there were too many of them...
Then we noticed that goods were being removed from the Supermarket, via a back entrance, and being loaded into a container. This was unusual, and we looked around some more, and noticed the black smoke stains on the parapets.
We decided to go into Ashmel Spar supermarket, as it appeared there were people using the supermarket. Once inside the Shopping Centre we found that it was only the Spar that had been affected by the fire.
Unfortunately we were unable to speak to any of the management staff, although we would probably have gotten less information from them.
Fire damage at Ashmel Spar will affect not only the stock that was in the store, but also the overall profitability of the store. It must be assumed that Ashmel Spar does have insurance, but it is common knowledge that insurance never covers everything.
The Ashmel Spar fire will also impact on the staff. It would be interesting to find out if the owners and management of the supermaket will be paying the staff for down-time. Will they also honor their commitments to the casual staff employed for the Festive Season?
Christmas celebrations, especially in families with several generations, can extend for two or three days, while all the family get to visit everyone.
In the household here, the big Christmas thing is on Christmas eve, and rather than the habitual braai of the previous 3 years, it was decided that the Christmas 2010 repast be a simple collection of chips, dips, and drinks.
Together with a chicken offering from the Colonel.
As is usual even the best laid plans etc etc etc...
We found ourselves to be the proud owners of half a turkey. And of course, because I am arrogant, and full of nonsense, and because I was asked to, I made a few salads, while the turkey was going about its business.
The first salad was good old fashioned Potato Salad.
Please understand, I cook cos its fun, and because it doesn't involve a lot of maths.
Phase 1
For the potato salad, cook up a whole collection of potatoes. 1 for each person expected, and then another 1 for half the people expected, and then add another 2.
Peel the potatoes, and cut them into little pieces. I like to cut them so that about 2 pieces will fit into tablespoon. Kind of.
Chuck them into water, to which you've added some salt. I always add salt to potatoes, about 1 level teaspoon of salt for 8 medium potatoes.
The stove should be on, and the plate under the potato pot on high. Let it cook.
When the little bits are cooked, drain off all the excess water right away. Run some cold water over the potatoes, and drain again.
Now, half a cup of mayonnaise, and then some milk, just to make the cup 3/4 full. Mix the hell out of it, so that it mixes all up. Pour this all over the potatoes.
Now add lashings of mayonnaise, and turn it in a bit.
Chop an onion or two finely, and chuck it onto the potatoes.
Mix it all up, so that the mayonnaise is covering all the potatoes.
Phase Two begins.
Boil a few eggs. I used 6, cos it sounded like a nice number at the time. You want the little guys hard boiled.
When boiled, separate eggs from their shells.
At this point you could do one of two things. Slice the eggs in half length-ways, and then mash the egg yolk. Add some tomato sauce, and a touch of worcester sauce. just a sprinkle of cayenne pepper is also good.
Scoop some of the filling into the half egg white shell thingies. Make it mound a bit. If there is any egg white things left, mash it and toss it in with the potatoes.
Arrange the stuffed half eggs on the potato salad. A grating of cheese, a grind of black pepper, a toss of parsley, and your potato salad is good to go.
The other option, which I often use, because I have problems with boiling eggs long enough, is to take the semi soft yolks, and flatten them a bit, and then nuke them in the microwave for a minute. COVER the yolks, cos they probably will explode a bit.
The yolks will come out quite hard. Mash them till they quite fluffy and powdery. Mash the semi solid egg whites, and mix them into the potato salad.
A sprinkle of cayenne pepper, a touch of garlic every here and there, cover the pepper and garlic with crumbled egg yolk. To finish it off, a grind of black pepper, a toss of parsley, and your potato salad is good to go.
Sandy gets the words out of her face:" You can cook can't you?"
I look at Terry, Terry looks at me, I look at Sandy, whose eyes are also pointed in my general direction. I say: "HUH?'.
Sandy says she wants a turkey. Not just any old turkey, but a turkey roast!
For Christmas. I say an un-christian thing. I don't dig turkey. It tastes funny, it's dry, and I don't like it. Based on my dislike I've never taken the trouble to take a raw turkey and make it edible, because turkey, by the nature of the beast, and because past experience bears it out, turkey is inedible!
However, being the nice person I am, and 'cos Sandy was in a state of distress, a lady, and she desperately needed a turkey, I did agree to toss a turkey through the oven for her. Expressly no guarantees as to resultant offerring.
So, 2 days before Christmas we track down and acquire a turkey. The day before Christmas, we go out looking for all the bits and pieces that get added onto, hammered and nailed to, glued to and used to make raw turkey into not-raw roast turkey.
This, in East London, on Christmas Eve, is not possible. We eventually settled for a bucketfull of non-listed accessories, 'cos they were kinda closely related (in the dark) to what we needed.
Back home, it was:
Turkey out of its bag.
Guts and giblets out of turkey.
Wash turkey. No soap.
Dry turkey.
Plaxo Sage and Onion stuffing gets boiling water, and stands till I'm ready for it.
Start oven pre-heating to 180C
Line oven tray with foil.
Put rack onto oven tray.
Cook stuffing in microwave.
Take turkey, and liberally powder the beast with chicken spice, and cayenne pepper. Most of it comes off, but sfw?
Now pour oil (preferably olive) into hands, and wipe all over turkey.
Remember stuffing.
Check the stuffing out, looks a bit little, so add two slices of dampened bread, and work it into the mixture.
Stuffing still seems to be a bit few. Add fresh apricots. Looks okayish now.
Stuff turkey stuffing into the convenient stuffing thing all turkeys have.
Not enough stuffing!
Take onion, peel, test for size.
Need to remove 2 layers of onion to get the onion to fit into the space provided.
Score onion across top and bottom, and rub in oil juice that came off the turkey.
Push back into turkey.
Put the newly accessorised turkey onto the rack.
Drop a large dollop of margarine into a jug, and then add herbs. I used rosemary, mixed herbs, a touch of mint, and some parsley. Oh yes, and just a smidgin of garlic.
Pour boiling water into the jug, get everything either melted, or in suspension, and pour it into the oven tray. About half full is okay.
Now you need a bunch of small potatoes, score them with a fork, and rub some of the turkey oil juice stuff (thats the oil juice that has chicken spice and cayenne pepper in it) all over them, then pack the potatoes around the outsides of the turkey.
Now take foil, and cover the turkey. Shiny side inside. Don't enclose the thing completely, just kinda fold the ends down a bit.
Toss (carefully) the turkey into the oven. Close oven door. Reset the oven's thermometer to 160C, and if you have a timer, set it for 3 hrs.
While that is happening, make a potato salad, a carrot salad, and a green salad.
This is Potato Salad
This is Carrot Salad
This is a Green Salad, with sliced Gammon centre-piece
When the salads are done, have a smoke and coffee break.
Open oven.
Remove oven tray with turkey on.
Remove foil tenty domey thing.
Put turkey back into oven
Go shower.
Switch oven off, but leave door closed.
When all is said and done, and the roast turkey was tossed onto the table along with its poorer cousins from the Colonel, and flanked as it was with a nice selection of salads and bread rolls, the roast turkey actually looked good enough to eat!
Okay, so I did carve some of the turkey, and I did try a piece...
All I have to say on this matter is that for anybody to make inedible turkey, they gotta be dense. My procedure is exactly as I laid it out, and the turkey was excellent!
The flesh was not tough or stringy, and anything but dry. The flavour? Absolutely delicious.
Every year in February the highlight of the East London athletics season takes place.
The highlight is called a marathon, but it isn't really, because it is too short. However, many marathon athletes who have participated say that they would rather stick to marathons, as they are easier. South Africa's Ultra-marathon legend Bruce Fordyce, after the 2008 Surfers Marathon, voiced his opinion that this little jaunt along the beach is pretty tough.
It's not just a beach outing. It's a race between canoeists and runners, from the mouth of the Kwelera river north of East London South Africa, and then due south-ish, along the East London coast-line to the Lifesavers Shack at Nahoon Beach.
The Surfers Marathon
It is the Surfers Marathon. 16 km of East London Coast, with all it has to throw at competitors. Surfers Marathon entrants who decide to run or race-walk can expect a pot-holed gravel road at the start, followed by soft sand and rocky outcrops. Near the end of the first stretch of the coastline that Surfers Marathon competitors need to get through there are enormous boulders that need to be crossed, and directly after that is a section of cannon ball sized rocks, running from the vertical bush covered dunes on the right, into the crashing surf on the left. This stretch is not too long, but it is steeply banked, and treacherously loose, waiting to twist ankles, bruise shins, and bloody knees.
Past the cannonbal run is the first river that needs to be crossed. The Gonubie river crossing, about 200m from the river mouth is made by hanging onto a rope, and dragging an already aching body across the river. After a hard long first stretch, this crossing is chilling, refreshing, and therapeutic.
The river can be in any mood. From rough and fast flowing, to slow and languid. Possibly the worst mood is flat and fast flowing, on a receding tide.
Surfers Marathon competitors who abide by the organizers arrangements, and heed the instructions of the many life savers on duty at the river crossing will get across, quickly, and safely.
Once out of the river, and depending on the state of the tide, competitors will be sent either along the coastline, below the Gonubie Boardwalk, or, if the tide is high, along a detour through the Gonubie suburbs. Whichever route is taken, the Gonubie Hotel is passed, and then the long flat section of tar to German Bay begins. Plenty of watering points, and loads of public support along this stretch will help even the most exhausted athlete onward.
A quick dart from the tarred road, along a narrow dirt path, takes the runners back down to the beach. For a while there is more loose sand and rock, but, with 3 or 4 km's to the end, the sand hardens, and the coastline takes a long flat left sweep to the distantly visible Lifesavers Shack on Nahoon Beach.
200m from the finish the runners need to cross the Nahoon River. Not as rough or wide as the Gonubie, but equally well managed, with ropes and life savers, it is generally quicker to cross, as the field will have spread out by now, this river crossing is the second last hurdle to the finish line.
Once across, and back on the churned pathway leading to the finish, and with spectators lining the final part of the course, the final challenge is to catch and pass the runner just ahead.
Surfers Marathon Weather
The weather conditions for the Surfers Marathon have a definite influence on times. The Surfers Marathon is run at the height of summer, and runners start at 14h30. At this time of day it is still hot, but starts cooling off from then. It is likely that it will be overcast, as the clouds come in off the ocean in the afternoon, especially if the day time temperature has been warm. A light breeze from the East, preceding the oncoming cloud cover, is equally possible. The breeze, as long as it stays in the Eastern quadrant, won't hamper the runners, but will be a gently refreshing aid to hot, tiring, sweaty bodies.
on the day runners can expect a light wind of about 11 knots, from East North East, meaning it will be pushing runners from behind. The day time high temperature will have peaked at about 25 degrees celsius, before starting the afternoon cool-off. Rain during the Surfers Marathon is not impossible, as this is the rainy season, it is however unlikely.
Weather prediction for the 2011 Surfers Marathon
The 2011 Surfers Marathon will start 2 hours before low tide. This means low river levels, with an outward flow. Most runners will complete the race before the start of the high tide flow. Temperatures will be high in the morning, bringing overcast and cool conditions for the late afternoon. A late afternoon ocean haze will cool slower runners, and help them along from German Bay, if they have made it beyond the Cut-off time in Gonubie.
Recommendations for the 12th February 2011 Surfers Marathon
As always, wear shoes. It may be tempting to do the Surfers Marathon barefoot, but the Gonubie tar, especially if it is hot, will cause feet to blister, with a high likelihood of the blisters breaking before reaching sand again. Wear light clothing, and lashings of sunblock. Hydrate yourself. Starting two or three days before the race, increase your water intake, reduce your coffe, reduce your fizzy drink intake. The evening before, treat yourself to a good solid pasta meal. On the day, have a light breakfast, and snack on energy bars and bananas. Drink loads of water. There are usually no water points before Gonubie, so, after your last visit to the toilet just before the start, have another water, or energy drink.
Have a great race, and even if you don't win, enjoy the scenery along the route.
Some time back I wrote an article about car insurance.
Insurance would appear to be a great thing to have, especially if you yourself are less than honorable.
My sister was on her way to Langebaan a month or two back, and at an intersection controlled by traffic lights, a lady in a flashy new car jumped the red light and tried to cross the road. The result is that my sister's car was totalled, and a lot of money was spent on medical costs.
My sister is, with all due respect Sis, a bit of an innocent, and when the owner admitted to having jumped the light my sister accepted that all would be good. I heard of the motor car accident, and phoned my sister.
My advice to her was to collect her medical bills, and consult a lawyer. But, she didn't do it.
At length, she received an offer from Outsurance, in full and final settlement, of just over R6000, for the loss of her car, and any other expenses that may arise from the accident. The letter from Outsurance, which was incredibly intimidating in tone, quoted some case study, pointing liability toward my sister! FFS! There was a vehicle obscuring her vision on the left hand side, and the first time she saw the 4X4 is when it landed in her lap!
In my opinion, this is downright pathetic.
A wealthy individual has motor car insurance, breaks the law, admits to having broken the law, and then gets away with it. The uninsured innocent individual is penalized!
What makes this worse is that this kind of intimidation is encouraged by South African Law! Our judicial system is incredibly fkt-up, loaded with inept unqualified individuals who know they are unable to make a ruling, and therefore encourage others to make rulings for them. Obviously the guys with the bucks will win.
The average man in the street doesn't have the time or resources to compete with them.
Outsuarance, my message to you: "You should be ashamed of yourselves. Your ethics, morals, and conduct suck" I am hoping to get loads of traffic through this page, and I am hoping that Outsurance ads are displayed here, so that people can see who you are, and identify you as being less than honest!
Some time ago we were approached to write website content for a Medical Aid brokerage firm.
The requested content was written, and delivered to the client. Part payment was made, pending revisions.
No revisions were requested, and to cut a long story short, I have decided to sell that part of the medical aid brokerage content that was not paid for. Should the buyer want the other content, well, I'll refund the original client his money, and let the content go.
We created a blogger blog for the content, which can be seen here.
It is common knowledge that the Dept of Education had to "adjust" the 2009 Matric results in order to increase the pass rate.
According to Stats SA, the unemployment figures for South Africa have decreased in the first quarter of 2010.
In 2009, there were 208 000 unemployed people in SA.
In 2010, there were only 171 000 people without work.
What they don't tell us is that the FIFA spin-off created about 50 000 jobs which are now going to become redundant. This will raise the number ot unemployed to 221 000, which means an extra 13 000 jobs will have been lost.
A factor to bear in mind are that the figures they quote are based on the 2001 population census.
Another factor that will severely skew their figures is the fact that they use their unemployment figures based on numbers from the UIF. Conservatively, add 10% to the unemployment figure.
Not a pretty picture. For now or the future.
Economists are advising matriculants to study further. That is all fine and well, but for three factors.
One. South Africa has a toilet load of graduates who, if they have a job, are working outside of their field, as they are unable to find employment in their chosen field. Two. As a nation, we need more technicians, and people with technical skills. Schools have neglected technical subjects, and apprenticeships in technical fields seem to be almost impossible to secure, as most technical colleges have disappeared! Three. Two thirds of first year students never finish their studies!
School leavers, you need to know that the possibility of not finding work is very real. The South African economy and the South African Education system are ensuring that survival beyond school is a matter of survival.
Surviving a poor economy is not a matter of being stronger than the rest, but about being smarter.
Rather than planning to study further for a job that you will probably not get, plan your own home business.
Parents. Calculate the costs of:
Sending your child to Varsity for 10 months.
Sending your child to Varsity for 4 years.
Maintaining your child, at home, while they are job hunting, for, lets say one year.
And finally, the cost of helping your child start up their own little business.
Every person has at least one skill, talent, or ability that they can utilize to serve another person. This rendering of a service is obviously linked to a financial reward. Just walking dogs twice a day is a service, and will attract a financial gain. This is a business. Now, obviously one will never get rich walking dogs, but, if the dog walker were to recommend a particular collar, leash, or doggie jacket to their existing clients, the chances are good a sale can be made, on which the walker will receive either a commisiion, or the profit.
Parents and pupils, wake up. Work is available, lots of it, but don't expect to find it anywhere except within yourself. Just to give your creative juices a bit of a running start, have a look at this list of small business ideas that can be run from home
I speak in English, and may, from time to time, switch to Afrikaans.
I speak colloquially, so everyone can follow what I have to say. I do know a few big words, but only use them to impress people I don't care much for.
I believe I have a wicked sense of humour. Personally, I don't think I have a sense of humour at all. I can't even remember jokes I heard an hour ago.
In and around East London, my rates for a 1 hour interactive presentation will be R250-00, plus a fee of R25 per person attending. This is immaterial of the Presentation content. If I feel like it, I may just decide to donate some of my fee back to the School, but I do want it first.
Depending on the location of the School, and the budget available will affect other costs, so, If you want me, I need to know what you can afford.
Bear in mind I don't really want to travel... ;)
I wear very casual clothes.
I smoke
I drink on occassion.
I swear.
I'm from the real world. Not from the Ra-Ra Glitzy Ball your School promises to you, or the Great Orb resting on a turtles shell.
I come from where most of middle class South Africa does, and I can tell you about where you're headed.
Damn. I should charge more, but then, I'm a nice guy...
I have just decided to become a motivational speaker!
I have lived in 4 cities in South Africa.
I have adult children.
I have been involved in business management all my life.
My first attempt as an entrepreneur was at 10 years old, selling semi-precious stones.
My first bicycle I bought with my savings from packing bread at a local shop.
I'm not rich. In fact, I'm pretty well broke most of the time.
I don't have a car, or designer clothing. But I am happy!
Being an adult is not about what you do with your choices, although it does help, but rather about being aware of the choices and challenges that will be coming your way. I wasn't as prepared as I should have been, and made a few lousy choices, but, that has not stopped me from moving on. It has not stopped me from learning.
My current life-style, and you can hear about it if you hire me, is my choice. it is not what it could have been, if it were what it could have been, I wouldn't be happy.
So, to prepare yourself for the big bad world, give me a shout. Having me talk to your school won't cost a fortune, 'cos I'm a nice guy.
072 381 4208, or mail me at tnt@1pic4twenty.co.za
If you're not into motivational speaking, I can talk to you about any of a number of other topics.
A few days ago I was browsing through the 'Most Popular' articles on My Scoop, a blog aggregating service.
I spotted an article about search Evaluating a Search Engine optimisation Specialist, and being in the field decided to check it out.
Landing on the article, and reading ( well, trying to anyway),my reaction was something like: WTF!
My question: How the hell can any reasonable English speaking person allow crap like that on their website? I won't publish the name of the article here, but it is available if you ask me for it.
The article was written in extremely poor english, either by a person with a very poor grasp of the language, or it was thrown into a third world article spinner, and the 17th regurgitated version was eventually used.
No, it was actually an article that came from an article directory, copied and pasted.
Any SEO specialist, especially someone who is TRYING to convince you of their credentials MUST know about the duplicate content penalties. It is my opinion that this absolute sh1t was plastered onto the website merely to attract visitors, and once the visitors had arrived, to so disgust them, that they leave the site via a Google ad.
Way to go dude! You don't have friends to click your ads, so you use other shady techniques to create traffic and an income.
This is the first time I have been back to My Scoop since seeing the article in question on the 28th June.
From this, I feel that perhaps My Scoop should introduce a flagging system, to eliminate this sort of crap. To build a reputation is tough. To lose it is easy. Keep the crap out, and My Scoop will be better for it.
The second thing I take away from this episode is that I won't be bookmarking the marketing articles website, but io will remember the name.
School SUCKED! I wanted as little to do with it as possible.
Early in 1975 I bought a Dabchick hull from John Kriel, and then slowly but surely went about turning it into a real live sailing dinghy. Owning my own dinghy had been a long time dream, well, since 1972, at any rate.
With loads of help from my dad, and tons of impatience, by October, the 5th to be exact, I launched my Dabchick, Nkululeko.
Against all academic odds I managed to pass Standard 8 at Bosmansdam High, the only High school serving the Bothasig area, but that was irrelevant, The end of year vacation was for sailing, sailing, sailing. We went to Silversands out at Robertson for 2 weeks, and took my parents' dinghy with, a little thing called a Tack. Not in the same performance league as the Dabchick, but good enough for the narrow river.
It wasn't practical to take a radio out on the boat, but sound carries well over water, so, turn radio on, and turn volume up!
The music of 1975, as relayed to the music lovers in the Springbok Radio reception area, featured
You ain't seen nothin yet, by Bachman Turner Overdrive coming in as 1975's Top Hit, with The Sweet's Fox in the Run coming in as runner-up, and Love Hurts from Nazareth was the final podium filler.
They may have been the Top 3 Hits of 1975, but LADY from Styx, and Don't you Know, by the incredible Della Reese will always be with us!
Of course my two favourite songs of all time were released in 1975. Need I mention the song of millenium? Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody? And of course Sailing by Rod Stewart.
I recall sailing at Silverstrand, late one Friday evening. It was calm, it was awesome! I don't remember the dj presenting the show, but I do remember his playing Sailing.
Oops. Before I forget the international Top Hit, have you heard of Love Will Keep Us Together, by Captain and Tennille? That was in '75!
Closing off the International hits for 1975, K.C. and The Sunshine Band with That's The Way I Like It were number 1 on the 28th december 1975, with 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon somewhere there, and then, Sailing, at number 9!
Barbados, Typically Tropical, the 9th most popular song in 1975 in South Africa
Ladies and gentlemen this is Captain Tobias Willcock Welcoming you aboard Coconut Airways Flight 372 to Bridgetown Barbados. We will be flying at a height of 32.000 feet and at an air speed of approximately 600 miles per hour. Refreshments will be served after take-off. Kindly fasten you safety belts and refrain From smoking until the aircraft is airborne.
Woh I'm going to Barbados woh backa to the palm trees. Woh I'm going to see my girl friend Woh in the sunny Caribean sea.
My daughter lives in another city. She was employed at the subsidiary offices of a leading office automation supplier.
A recent investigation by the owning company led to an investigation, which indicated that the branh manager and one other staff member had been involved in defrauding the company. As part of the investigation, my daughter was interviewed, and found to have no knowledge of the fraud.
During the interview she raised a few matters that had been troubling her for some time. One such item was the lack of an Employment Contract, and another, the lack of a job description. she also raised her concern about office protocols and systems, and the non-adherence to them.
The Owners Representative assured her that these matters would be attended to.
The replacement management team, consisting of one of the remaining staff members, and this member's brother in law, called my daughter into the office on the Monday morning, and asked her to resign, citing possible future conflict as the reason. An argument ensued, my daughter did resign, walked out of the office, then returned immediately to retrieve the resignation, which she did. A further argument ensued, and she was informed that she was fired, with immediate eefect.
She first went to the Police to lay charges of verbal assault, then went to the department of Labour. within a month, her case was heard at the CCMA, and she was re-instated, but in another office.
The company representative at the hearing apologised on behalf of the company.
The travelling time from home to the office was about 3 and a half hours. My daughter returned to the CCMA, but was informed that she had unfortunately agreed to the proposition.
I am prepared to take up the axe against Kyocera. for a company that maintains that their staff are valuable assets, it is unacceptable that they treat any person like this.
The entire approach from the Kyocera side is fuck you chickie, we're looking after our own. Almost a governmental approach. Do what you like, because if you apologise, you will be okay.
I will start off by encouraging anyone who needs office equipment to not purchase Kyocera. There are other better manufacturers, with better deals. And they do treat their staff better.
In a way kyocera did her a favour. She starts at her new job tomorrow, at almost 3 times the salary.
1974 was totally unremarkable, but for Ms Dreyer, our Accountancy teacher telling me that if I didn't feel like doing my homework, she didn't feel like teaching me.
She did ask me why my homework wasn't done, and I did tell her that I hadn't felt like doing it.
I ended up sitting in the furthest corner of the class, and somehow managed to pass Accountancy as well.
Other than that, 1974 was a blank year.
Had anyone asked me to name just one song from 1974 half an hour ago, I would have embarrassed myself. I didn't have the foggiest.
Now, having done a bit of checking and snooping, its pretty obvious that it was only me that was blank then. I mean, who could forget "The Loco-Motion" from Grand Funk Railroad? Or Blue Swede's "Hooked on a feeling"?
1974 is the year Eric Clapton "Shot The Sheriff', and John Denver sang "Annie's Song".
Olivia Newton-John had a big hit with I Honestly Love You, and Crocodile Harris had the hots for Miss Eva Goodnight
On the South African Springbok Radio Top Twenty Charts, in 1974, the most popular song in South Africa was Kris Kristofferson's "Why me?" and Carl Douglas had every kid in Bothasig "Kung Fu Fighting". Albert Hammond, appropriately, followed on with 'the Peacemaker'.
Terry Jacks brought us "Seasons in the Sun', and in the same year, 'heaven is my woman's love', was twisted into "Heaven is my motorbike" by Sad Tyre. You must also remember "Have you seen her" by the Settlement. I do.
"The Air That I Breathe" was the Hollies major contribution to 1974
Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe
And to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
Yes to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe
And to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
Yes to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
And to love you
All I need is the air that I breathe
Yes to love you
After about 50 false starts, I think I'm on the right track now.
I'm glad the annual Commercial Holiday known commonly as Father's Day is in fact called Father's Day, and not Daddy's Day.
You see, any guy can be a Father, all that's needed there is a sperm with running shoes, and an egg cell that's a little lonely.
A daddy however is a totally different thing.
A daddy is the guy who's there to throw the baby up in the air until it cries, gurgles with delight, or up-chucks.
A daddy is the guy who is there to take the kids out for a while while mom has a nap
A daddy is the guy who will kiss a grazed knee while cringeing inside cos there is a speck of blood
A daddy is the guy who takes over from mom at 4 am cos she can't stay awake to look after the child with a howling temperature
A daddy will always do his best to ensure his children grow up to be sensible, responsible people
A daddy is a friend, a mentor, a role model
A daddy is a lot things. Daddy's share their children's lives, and together they make memories. The sort of memories that, in later years, the now adult child can recall with joy, and share with their children.
I am a father, but only my children will know if I was a daddy....
hm. update. I may be a father, but not a dad :) My Muffa phoned me!
I was a little angry with you for leaving when you did.
It was annoying that you had to wait for me to be out of town to have a stroke, but yes, you did wait for me to get back before you started your final journey.
At your funeral, it was expected of me, as the eldest son present, to say a few words. I struggled with that, as the lies didn't come easily. When I decided that I would just tell the truth, it all came together. And I'm glad.
You were difficult. You were obstinate and headstrong.
But you had a streak of tenderness running though you a mile wide.
I recall how you would pick wild flowers for mom in the field opposite us. I still chuckle when I remember you bringing her stones, because you hadn't seen one 'quite like this one', even though it was just a stone.
Your happiness when I gave you a bottle of soil from the garden of the house we had lived in in Port Elizabeth was almost overwhelming.
You rode a motor-bike, and you had to have surgery to fix your nose after a wrestling match. You spent months in hospital recovering from a motor-cycle racing accident, and lost a finger in a work related accident.You played with Nico Carstens in his Skoppelmaai band, and you were a regular feature at the Paarl Wine Festival, keeping Dennis Souma out of trouble. You told a surgeon, minutes before undergoing major surgery, that you weren't at all concerned, as he was the one who would have a problem if you died during the procedure.
As a child I don't remember much of you. You were the guy I was so shit scared of. You were in the house only at night time.The rest of the time you were working. I realise now that you worked as hard as you did in order to give us as much as possible.
You gave me my love for wood, and taught me all I know of working with wood. You encouraged my sailing.
The last I saw you was just after you passed away. I did two things I had never done before.
I kissed you, and told you I love you.
Thank you for my being my father, and for being my dad.
We design websites, and we optimize them for good organic findability on Search engines.
All our clients receive the same treatment, as part of their website design package.
We do not use, and do not advocate the use of Google's, or any other Pay per Click advertising, as we find that businesses that do use PPC generally offer less valuable content and information.
The Scenario:
Two similar businesses, geographically very close to each other, have us re-design their websites, at roughly the same time. Two month time difference.
Client 1 wanted the content in a particular way, and would not have it any other way. This client had a PPC campaign in place with a third party provider.
Client 2 gave us carte blanche. We took the existing content, tweaked it, added to it, and used that.
When doing our relevancy checks, client 1 did not do at all well.
Client 2, scored in the upper 90% for all the basic SEO factors we utilize.
Ten days after submission to the Search Engines, client 2 was ranking well, and later checks showed them to be climbing in the ranks. Slowly, but climbing nevertheless.
Client 1 was slipping away. Client 1 approached us about the Search Engine positioning, and we basically put it on the line. Let us do what needs to be done, undisturbed, or we won't do anything.
Around the same time, client 2, who wanted more traffic, decided to change to a host who offerred PPC campaigns.
What we did:
The content on Client 1's home page was overhauled, thrown around, beaten and pummelled, and given a good shaking. Testing showed good results, with upper 90 to 100%'s.
Client 2, we let go.
The results:
Client 1 now comes up on page 1 or 2 for several seach phrases, none of which contain the business name.
Client 2, well, unless you know the name of the business, you won't find it.
Conclusion:
Sound basic SEO needs to be in place, verified, and monitored. Too many website owners neglect the basics, or overlook the necessity for basic SEO, and see PPC as a silver bullet for increased business
Our message:
So called SEO experts who sell their PPC 'skills', need to be put up against a wall at dawn and shot. All they are doing is taking advantage of desperation and gullibility.
To the alleged SEO experts, my message is: instead of bull-shitting your clients into PPC, recommend that the basics be fixed first, and monitored.
A website is not just a pretty picture on the internet. There is a lot that can, and will go wrong. Have your site analyzed, and use the site analysis to systematically fix your site, and increase your organic findability.
In keeping with this evenings theme of winter and booze, I want to close my daily offering of crud with something anyone over the age of 6 will know.
The song is Red Red wine.
Originally written by Neil Diamond in 1968, it became an immense hit for him, taking him to number sixty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968.
The power and timeless, ageless appeal of the song was obvious, as it was released by several artists, all trying to better the original version.
Jimmy James and The Vagabonds
Tony Tribe reached number forty-six in the UK Singles Chart in 1969
Also in 1969, Charles Mann.
1970, Vic Dana
In 1972, Roy Drusky
The song was left alone, until UB40 reached number one in the UK chart in August 1983, and number thirty-four in the U.S. in 1984.
A 1988 UB40's re-release as a single saw it reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100
The Hobos did a cover of this song on their 2004 double album
It was also performed by Peter Tetteroo, former singer of Tee Set,
and was performed by Cas Haley on America's Got Talent.
Sadly, the version everyone remembers is not the original by Neil Diamond, but the '80's reggae style version of UB40's. But then, is that sad?
Red, red wine
Go to my head
Make me forget that I
Still need her so
Red, red wine
It's up to you
All I can do, I've done
But mem'ries won't go
No, mem'ries won't go
I'd have thought
That with time
Thoughts of her
Would leave my head
I was wrong
And I find
Just one thing makes me forget
Red, red wine
Stay close to me
Don't let me be alone
It's tearin' apart
My blue, blue heart
Red red wine you make me feel so fine
You keep me rocking all of the time
Red red wine you make me feel so grand
I feel a million dollars when your just in my hand
Red red wine you make me feel so sad
Any time I see you go it makes me feel bad
Red red wine you make me feel so fine
Monkey pack him rizla pon the sweet dep line
Red red wine you give me whole heap of zing
Whole heap of zing mek me do me own thing
Redred wine you really know how fi love
Your kind of loving like a blessing from above
Red red wine I love you right from the start
Right from the start with all of my heart
Red red wine in a 80's style
Red red wine in a modern beat style, yeah
Generally I go through any given year from day to day.
If it's cold, I add clothes.
If its warm, I remove clothes.
I mean, what's the point in getting hung up over the temperature outside?
Since moving to East London from Bloemfontein, I must admit that the winter cold here was pretty much hardly worth noticing. Until I got what is now my favourite jacket.
Now, in order to wear the jacket, more of a coat really, I need to fel the cold, and I have been doing just that very conscientiously.
This evening, rather than go on a musical mind blast into the past, I dredged up a few memories from years gone by. What I found surprising is that it appears that when people get married and start having CHILDREN, they forget to live!
There is nothing I used to do that I would not do again, with my children present. Okay, okay, maybe a little less boozing.
I remember, in no particular order, or rank of preference:
Beach braais, complete with guitars, tape decks, Beach Boys, Old Brown Sherry and Tassenberg.
I remember the Chelsea Arms, their amazing Shepherds Pie, with a tankard of beer, and the Riverboat Jazz Band. The early afternoon would rapidly become night, and many OBS's would be lost in action.
I remember coffe at the Wimpy, on the way home from sailing.
I remember the very first time I had alcohol! It was Roger Bartholomew who poured a coffee mug of tassies for me, out at Voelvlei.
I remember going for a hike in Bainskloof with 2 friends, also students, and because it was pouring with rain we couldn't braai, so we Tassenberged instead.
I remember walking to the hotel in Greyton, before Greyton had street lights, and only the main road was tarred. At the hotel we would watch the Saturday night movie through the bottom of a glass.
I remember 'camping out' in the lounge during power failures, playing cards in front of a roaring fire, with a bottle of Old brown Sherry very close by.
I remember going to a church 'bring your own' fellowship lunch, and once the minister had left, joining the rest of the guys to collect the drinks from the cars. On that occassion, sadly, no Tassenberg, although OBS was present, along with a Nederburg Cab and a Pinotage of sorts.
At college I remember several of us ducking into a Licenced Wimpy on a Sunday, and sharing a plate of chips (between 6 of us. Guys and gals.) So that we could have a few drinks while the rain poured down outside.
I remember several very decent Old Browns at the Alaska in Bellville, and then 'space-walking' up D'Urban Street to go to Soundwave.
Ah yes, the memories.
Those were the days, and my kids will never have those experiences....
:(
Are you old enough to have memories such as I have? Share them with us.
I was in the kitchen a few minutes ago, and had a thought. It does happen from time to time, and no, it doesn't always hurt. Only when I breathe.
The thought was something along the lines of: "Mom always called Dad Manny". This started a process second to none in my poor mind. probably because process is virtually impossible in a vacuum.
Or so I've been told.
What do people call other people if not using the other person's name as it would appear on their ID Document?
I call Terry Noenoes. Dunno what the hell a Noenoes is, but Terry is one.
She calls me a shit. Well, not exactly, I'm her po*pholpie!
When Gilly, our jack russell is cute, she is a munchy munchkin. When in front of her best friend the heater, she is a slut!
Her parents call each other Buck.
My dad always called my mom Tits.
As far back as I can remember my brother's girlfriends and wives' pet name has been Spook.
Taxi drivers are generally MothaF**ker!
What pet names do you use? Or have you heard being used?
FIFA 2010 did nothing to raise temperatures in South Africa. It seemed to do just the opposite, with temperatures all around the country falling like a sky diver without a parachute.
East London may be the gatkant of nerens, but we also got smacked silly by the miserable weather as it passed by en route to the rest of the country.
In the kitchen I created a hot pot (not real pot, its a term that is used to describe a kind of meal). The theory behind a hot pot is that one uses only one pot in which to cook the meal, and similar to a traditional hairyback potjie, it doesn't get stirred.
The hot pot can be cooked on any cooking tool, from a paraffin stove to a full on Russell-Hobbs range.
For 4 of us, I used about 500g tenderised steak, 4 onions, 4 potates, and a packet of bacon. The other bits and pieces, the herbs (not pot, only what went into the pot) and spices, went in as I found them.
By the way, use shoulder bacon, you get less fat on this particular bacon cut.
In order now, braise onions until they're glassy. I don't know what that means, but I read it somewhere and it sounds intelligent. Then add the steak. Cut it into smallish chunks first. Add the potatoes now too.
The picture should give you some idea of how big the bitty pieces should be. Add water to the pot, level with the potatoes. Now add the other pot stuff, such as aromat, pepper, a touch of curry, some chilli sauce, mustard, mixed herbs, whatever.
Leave the lot to cook. Go have a coffee. Just as it starts catching, you will smell the pot burning. The pot on the stove. The pot on the stove with the food in it. Now dash in a glass of water, let it boil, and switch the stove off.
Prepare the plates. All you need is a decent slab of buttered home made bread.
Now add some of the hot pot. from the pot that was on the stove, not the pot you're growing at the back of the yard.
Serve hot, with a decent sized glass of Old Brown.
And why Yot Hot Pot? My nickname on Mxit was Yot(tie). And it rhymes with Hot Pot.
The lead track, which was revolutionary for its time, featured several divergent styles, and this masterful combining of a ballad segment, an operatic passage, and a heavy rock solo portion helped the song become popular.
Written by Freddie Mercury, most of the song was born in the studio.
Starting rehearsals in August 1975, for between 10 and 12 hours a day, Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor would practice their parts in the song. The recording session of the operatic passage only was a phenomonal 3 weeks long! Due to the limits of the technology in 1975, special techniques were used to render the massive effects.
Special techniques, and 5 recording studios!
In one part of the song, there is an apparrent 'mass choir' of 600 people. Not so. The tracks were recorded, and overdubbed to create the effect. In many places it was necessary to join parts of the sound track. This was done with razor blades and adhesive tape.
It was, at the time, the single most expensive single recording ever made. It is one of the most elaborate recordings in all musical history.
It was 'leaked' to radio stations in the UK and USA, to test the public's response, as the band's recording agents felt that at almost 6 minutes, it was too long for general release. The response from the public was overwhelming, so much so that the single had to be rushed into production unedited!
Released on the 31st of October 1975, the song rocketed to the top of the BBC top Twenty, where it stayed for 9 weeks. The very same (unedited) version went back to the top of the BBC top Twenty 16 years later, in 1991 when Freddie Mercury died!
35 Years after being released, the Song of the Milennium is still going strong, and still on playlists all over the world.
When in the kitchen, performing my random kitchenary functions, I like to have at least two staples ready and waiting to get used as a vital part of the meal.
The two items? Potatoes and onions. With potatoes and onions, a meal is waiting to happen. In my opinion these two items are everyday necessities in a kitchen, especially if one has to feed a horde, and one is subject to following a budget.
Sunday I drew kitchenary duty. I was a bit miff, but yeah, I went for my badge.
I set a challenge to myself to prepare a filling 'traditional' sunday lunch, that wouldn't leave anyone bloated, but would be yummy and filling.
Without any boring detail, the result, as delivered to the table was: Grilled Pork Chops, rice, cauliflower with white sauce, and caramel carrots.
What, if any, is the difference between making food, and preparing a meal?
First of all, I'm probably the least qualified person to talk about this, as I am not a professional chef, not even an amateur chef. In fact, I'm not even a cook. I just enjoy messing around in the kitchen from time to time.
The past while I haven't really done anything exciting in the kitchen, although I have been there a bit more regularly than ususal.
What I have noticed, is that when food is just thrown together, slapped onto a plate, and pushed under the victims nose, it gets treated as, well, just food. Eat it and get done.
On the other hand, when the meal is prepared with just a little attention, such as not letting the bacon get cremated, keeping the eggs on the right side of sunny, the meal will be more enjoyable. Of course, adding a slice of tomato, a block of cheese, and a celery stick to the plate will add just that little touch to slow the feeding animals down just a bit, so they can appreciate the effort, and by eating slower, enjoy the meal more.
What I'm trying to say is that no matter what your level of expertise in the kitchen is, a few extra touches to the meal make the meal look better, and 99% of the time, if it looks better, it tastes better!
1973 dawned fresh and clear one sunny Summer morning. It fell over Tygerberg Koppie, and rolled over Bothasig, quietly.
The Bothasig Primary Schooling system had had enough of me, and tossed me onward to the tender mercies of the High School system. Had they sent me back to Kindergarten, which I am sure is an option several teachers did entertain, it would have meant coming through their classes again. A prospect they did not relish, so, High School it was.
It was a new adventure, the beginning of great things.
Our Standard 6 teacher at Bosmansdam High in 1973 was Mr La Grange. He was La Grange senior, as his younger brother also taught at Bosmansdam High.
Brylcremed short back and sides, highly polished black shoes with grey flannels, pale blue shirt and buttoned up navy blue blazers enveloped the boys. The girls wore white socks, and Navy gyms. All faces freshly scrubbed. And so went off to meet Mr La Grangr Snr.
Our introductions, initially were cordial, and I'm sure many of the kids in my class were quite relieved that our new teacher seemed to be such a nice guy.
And then it happened!
Peter Fortune, suffering from a momentary lapse of sorts responded to a question La Grange asked with a "Yes miss"!
And a quick correction, "er no sir, yes sir", just didn't quite save the situation enough.
La Grange exploded.
" I am NOT your BLOODY MISS!" was thrown out at poor Peter, in a bellow that would have done any Regimental Sergeant-Major proud.
Peter cringed.
The whole class cringed.
I saw my last years of school in being equally as miserable as my first had been.
Thank heavens for the music. 1973 was ushered in by Michael Jackson and "Ben", with the late great king of Rock, Elvis releasing "Burning Love" early in the year.
The year started well, and got better, with notable releases being Nights In White Satin - Moody Blues; You're So Vain - Carly Simon; Papa Was A Rolling Stone - The Temptations;
In fact, here in South Africa, the whole year was filled with good music. I have to include the entire Top Twenty for 1973!
1. I DON'T WANNA PLAY HOUSE - Barbara Ray
2. HEAVEN IS MY WOMAN'S LOVE - Tommy Overstreet
3. SORROW - David Bowie
4. I'D LOVE YOU TO WANT ME - Lobo
5. WE BELIEVE IN TOMORROW - Freddy Breck
6. CAN'T KEEP IT IN - Cat Stevens
7. KENTUCKY BLUES - Lauren Copley
8. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER - Shirley Bassey
9. CLAP YOUR HANDS AND STAMP YOUR FEET - Maria
10. TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE - Tony Orlando & Dawn
11. BABY BLUE - George Baker Selection
12. TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon
13. I NEED YOUR LOVE - Letta Mbulu
14. WOMAN, BEAUTIFUL WOMAN - Don Gibson
15. THE LOVE IN YOUR EYES - Vicky Leandros
16. I'M ON FIRE - Maria
17. AND I LOVE YOU SO - Perry Como
18. THAT'S WHY I LOVE YOU - Richard Jon Smith
19. MAORI LOVE SONG - Double Vision
20. I WANNA LIVE - Tommy Oliver
My video pick for the year of 1973? With great difficulty, I eventually decided on:
The Lyrics selection for 1973 was equally taxing, and I settled for this:
I'm comin' home, I've done my time
Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine
If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free
Then you'll know just what to do
If you still want me
If you still want me
Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the old oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
Bus driver, please look for me
'cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see
I'm really still in prison
And my love, she holds the key
A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free
I wrote and told her please
Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me (still want me)
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the old oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
Now the whole damned bus is cheerin'
And I can't believe I see
A hundred yellow ribbons 'round the old oak tree
I'm comin' home, mmm, mmm
(Tie a ribbon 'round the old oak tree)
...
Tony Orlando & Dawn
If you don't that song, you don't know nothin'....
Top Twenty from:http://www.rock.co.za
and the lyrics from http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gary.hart
Exhaustive research into the Banana Republic and South African qualification as such, came about after a conversation with my brother in the U.K.. In my humble, twisted and totally objective opinion regarding this somewhat subjective topic, my answer must be:
dunno....
yes
no
not yet
wait and see
who cares
Or, none of the above.
Alternately, based on the evidence I am about to provide, and using your own cognisant powers of observation, and logic, you decide for yourself!
Generally, when researching, my first stop is Wikipedia. I can find anything there to substantiate my arguments. I also used another reference source, viz. Wisegeek
Below are features common to Banana Republics:
politically unstable,
dependent on limited agriculture
ruled by a small, self-elected, wealthy, and corrupt clique
sham democracies
Corruption at all levels
a system rife with bribes
black markets
Increasing privatization of basic social services
From the list we can extract several features common to South Africa, although we do not yet have all, they will get here.
The question that arises from these observations, is what colour will the headband on bra Jules Malmoers hat be?
Now having written this, my opinion regarding South Africa and its qualification for entry into the International Association of Misunderstood Democracies becomes clear.
Before final admission into aforementioned society of Banana Republics can be finalized, PLEASE change the name of the country. Sorry bra Jakes, but I am proudly South African. I am NOT proud of what the ANC have turned it into. South Africa has the potential to be a major international force, in all fields, if managed properly.
So okay, I didn't, won't, and don't support the ANC. I also don't eat jelly or hug trees. That's my choice in life. But if South Africa is going to take the final little toddler steps to becoming a Full Blown Banana Republic, let it not be as South Africa.
Oh yes, the picture up top? It's the official Banana Republic flag...
Another possible title for this post could be "I'm glad we're not on page 1 of Google anymore", but that's not as dramatic. Or, how about this: "We design your dream website FREE of charge!". Maybe even (sung to the tune of Queen's 'We will rock you'): "We will con you!"
Why are website designers so scared of putting their REAL prices on their advertising? I saw this one, and had to have a look:
The top line should, or could say: R150pm. That is the actual truth. For only 5 pages, limited functionality and no choice of layout.
The next one is a touch more honest:
You need to go to their website to actually find out that (a) You MUST host with them to qualify for that price, and once again, you have NO choice as regards layout and design.
Well. We're probably the same, inasmuch we don't advertise our true costs.
What we do do is put ALL our prices on our website, and direct potential clients there. If the client finds that to be too much trouble, or cannot find the solution they want, we ascertain their requirements, and based on that put together a customised proposal.
Oh yes, why I'm glad we're not on page 1 of Google for the term "web design" anymore? Two reasons. The enquiries we were getting were mostly unqualified and not from serious buyers. Curious citizens from another planet. The other reason? We no longer have ads like the two above next to our listings.
Our business is primarily word of mouth, and that means any enquiry is already 95% qualified, and committed.
I may have mentioned this before, but if not, I will do so again, if you want to learn to design a website, the best way is to hand code.
There are many open source and paid website design software options available, but, they all have their problems. Serious professional website designers don't use Dreamweaver, Coffee Cup, or, possibly the greatest sin against website design ever, the Microsoft FrontPage and Microsoft Publisher options.
I won't go into the Microsoft issue any more except to say that if you want a website to have thousands of lines of crappy code, take forever to load, and just be a total stuff up in anything except Internet Explorer, use them.
I learnt to code the log hard way, and developed several bad habits along the way. It's only in the past year or so that I have been getting these things out of my system.
First of all, if you want to design a website, you need to know, at minimum, HTML and CSS. Just enough to get by is not enough, a bit more than that is dangerous. So, your first task will be to familirize yourself with these two coding practices.
I'm going to give you links to sites that offer good learning material.
I'm going to give you a link to a wonderful tutorial. It is a bit dated, but working through the tutorial, step by step, will do more for you than any other software or tutorial resource I have found.
While scratching around in Google, I typed in: "how to design a website for free"
The results were less than encouraging. The site that heads the list, is, in my opinion, and apologies to the owner, a bit of a waste of time. Apart from offering FrontPage tutorials, you really have to scratch around to find anything useful.
Further down, well, not good. 'nuff said.
I changed my search term slightly to: "learn how to design a website for free"
and the only site of note, and one I would recommend is the w3schools site. I often use it to check things. Not as good as w3c.org, but not as technical, and easier to navigate.
At this point I stopped. I had spent over 2 hours browsing, and didn't find what I was looking for. At this point, let's not waste time, go straight to the Subcide website.
This is the tutorial I mentioned earlier.
The tutorial is a bit old, but remains a gold nugget. Using the tutorial assumes you have some knowledge of HTML and CSS. This you will get from w3schools.
My recommendation is to concentrate on HTML4, and CSS2. XHTML, from what I can glean, will be dying when HTML5 is introduced as a w3c supported standard. CSS3 is, as yet also not fully supported.
How much does a website cost is something we don't often get asked, probably because we're so darn inexpensive. Or is the term cost effective? Or maybe even cost ignorant?
Whatever the term may be, at the end of the day, how much a website costs boils down to only 2 factors.
Factor one.
How much the client is prepared to pay.
Factor two.
How much you think you can get away with charging.
Cost is a double edged sword, with no handle. It can make or break a sale.
It is vital that the client is confident of receiving good value for money.
Good value for money is a potential problem for many website designers, as most of the added value is really in the background.
Too many designers place the emphasis of their offerings on the flash and razzmatazz, neglecting to tell their clients that the website is doomed to failure from the moment it launches. Why?
It is amazing how often we are asked to look at a website because there is no traffic, no enquiries, or the owner is just plain bored with it.
Using our checklist, which is the result of amalgamating several such lists, we go to the site and evaluate it. This is a free service if the client has us re-design the site. somewhere along the line we look at what is happening behind the scenes, in the coding.
Much too often, professional website design companies do not even bother to insert even halfway relevant meta coding. 3 years ago, had you typed Tin Soldier into Google, you would have seen one of East London's leading horse-riding businesses in the results page.
Relevancy?0%
Responsible coding?0%
Sensitivity to the clients' needs?0%
The list could go on and on, and I feel that I should, in due course, highlight some of the crimes against clients (cac) perpetrated by website designers. Not only by the school-kids with microsoft Publisher, but also by the high profile "cutting edge" website designers.
I do know that technically I may not be the best.
I do know that my graphic ability is not the best.
I do know our hosting is not the cheapest.
BUT, what I do know is that I am honest, and I tell my clients if their work is within my ability sphere or not. If not, I will find someone who can provide the particular thing I cannot.
What I do know, is that if there is a server problem, and a client reports it, attention is given to the problem immediately. Our hosting control panels are one of the most sophisticated available, providing stats, features, and flexibility second to none.
What I also know is that right now, our clients get damn good value for money.
Why, you ask? And how?
Well, if you start looking at what we include in our price, and compare apples with apples, our offering versus another deigners', it will be pretty obvious.
1971 disappeared into history, taking with it bad memories of school. 1972 didn't seem to hold out any hope for much better, but, I was to be surprised. Mrs Joppich was Cool! The strict discipline of the previous 2 years were nothing but a memory.
It's amazing how some things will stay with you forever. For me, a perpetual reminder of those better days, when we had no cares or problems, is in the music of the time.
1972 was the year of:
Compulsory National Service for all white males in South Africa went from 9 to 12 months
Volkswagen Beetle number 15,007,000 rolled off the production line
Bobby Fischer defeats Boris Spassky and becomes the first American chess champion
1972 was the year of Lieutenant Pigeon's Mouldy Old Dough.
Another Big song in South Africa at the time was "I can see clearly now" from Johnny Nash, and I must not forget to include the song that EVERY kid in Bothasig knew off by heart. The Song?
"I rode my bicycle past your window last night...."
Yes. Brand new key, by the still going strong Melanie Kafka.
Of course we all knew "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" from Joan Baez and the song Madonna repopularised a few years back: "American Pie", originally by Don McLean.
Softly Whispering I Love You, the Congregation
I can feel your warm face
ever close to my lips
and the scent of you invades
the cool evening air
I can close my eyes and you're there in my arms
still and I know your soft kiss turning into music ev'ry beat
of my heart
when I hold you close to my heart
Some time ago, well, about a week ago, Terry suggested I write a series of articles dedicated to those people who want to learn to design websites.
I have thought about this long, and I have thought about this hard. The idea has merit, as we constantly get enquiries from people who want to learn to design websites. The idea has merit, as we see this as a way to repay those folk who have helped us along the way.
I designed my first website a few years back, when WordPress was still a little puppy, and when a really hot PC had Windows 2000 or even better still, Windows XP. Internet Explorer 5.5 and 6 were the browser to use, in South Africa at any rate.
My first site was built with Microsoft frontPage. And it looked really great on my PC. Then I loaded it to a server. Then it looked shit. I didn't understand frontPage extensions (still don't. and don't care). My server didn't support FrontPage extensions.
Not to be put off, I re-designed the site, using some or other WYSIWYG editor. I don't remember the name. It kinda did the trick, but there were things I couldn't do. I spoke to my Web host, Collin, and asked him how he designed his website. I wanted the same editor he used. His reply? Hand coding! I was stunned! Who on earth would be able to remember all the coding that went into a website?
Damn. In the meantime, I made use of blogger.com (I still do, in case you hadn't noticed). I investigated. I scratched around, searched around, downloaded Gigs of software, and spent hours studying whatever I could find.
It wasn't that long ago, but resources then were pretty shoddy by current standards.
Now here comes the crunch. If I am typical of all or most people, then a Quick Fix is being looked for. So many people seem to have the idea that designing a website is a simple matter of making a pretty picture and loading it to the Internet. That simple.
Well it's not. It is not rocket science or applied Physics, but it is a damn site more than just "plakking a pritty picher onna internet".
bye bye springbokkie, you were no match for your replacement.
South Africa has a new National Anthem.
bye bye nkosi soek 'n leplek, you were no match for your replacement.
In recent weeks I have been hearing a mournful lonely trumpetting on occasion, and eventually decided some investigation was needed.
I was unable to find anything. It seemed the wailing was from something as elusive as the tooth fairy. Some claim to have seen it, but none can accurately describe it.
As time progressed, the wailing became more regular, and stronger. I was alarmed. It seemed that the numbers of the wailing beasts were increasing, but I had, as yet, not seen one.
My persistence and curiosity have not abated, and I have still not seen the origin of the strange wail. I have however learned, from reliable sources I may add (actually from yottie, the indigent car-guard down at Prestons), that the beast is in fact a Vu Vu Zela.
My source reported to me that the VuVuZela is now approaching its mating season, hence the upsurge in activity. The climax of the pre-mating season will occur in a few days time, in far off SoccaSitti. Those specimens of the VuVuZela that are not able to be at SoccaSitti will be found in taverns, shebeens and pubs, screaming raucously at the Television screens. Strange behaviour one may think, but not quite as strange as the pre-mating season activities of the VuVuZela.
Before the actual mating begins, the VuVuZela will be found, not only in pubs,taverns, and shebeens, but also at football matches, schools, and hanging from the windows of mini bus taxis.
Identification of the VuVuZela is, I believe, fairly straightforward. It is a long plastic-cy looking beast of many varying bright colours. It is semi parasitic, inasmuch it relies on a host for transportation. It is symbiotic, inasmuch it allows the host to experience a state of euphoria, akin to short-windedness whilst experiencing what seems to be the affects of either alcohol or illegal smoking substances.
It is reported that although the VuVuZela on its own is not threatening, the behaviour of the host is definitely questionable.
In closing, my source claims that although the VuVuZela is not as much of a burden as is a case of severe piles, or a severe bloutrein hangover, it is best to avoid contact with this beast, especially if accompanied by a host.
The vuvuzela, or a stadium horn, is a blowing horn, approximately one metre in length, commonly blown by fans at soccer matches in South Africa.
