Aquila Online

Aquila Online Has Moved

2006-05-01T00:10:00.000+02:00

If you wondered why there has been a lack of posts here, it is because Aquila Online has found a new home on the net. From now on the blog address is http://www.aquilaonline.co.za.

Please be so kind as to update your site feeds and related links as I would hate to see you all leave.

For obvious reasons, this site will be left as is, but future updates and posting will only happen at this blog’s new home.

See you on the flip side.

Dear Diary

2006-04-25T20:58:00.000+02:00

Dear Diary, Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive double pane energy efficient kind. But this week I got a call from the contractor who installed them. He was complaining that the work had been completed a whole year ago and I hadn't paid for them. Hellloooo? Now just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So, I told him just what his fast talking sales guy had told ME last year, namely, that in just ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves! Helllooooo? It's been a year! (I told him) There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up.... He didn't call back. Guess I won that stupid argument. [via e-mail]

Which University Would You Go To

2006-04-24T22:43:00.000+02:00

Got this from the rather inactive blogger Sprouting Seeds via email and thought I'd share. So which University would you go to?

Blogged-Off

2006-04-24T22:10:00.000+02:00

Hmm...so the News24 Blog-Off came with little fanfare, got a few mentions here and there and well then...nothing. Touted as the "Great South African Blog-Off", it seems to have fizzled down to an odd post on the internet some time ago.

"13. By entering the main competition, you have also agreed to receive e-mail notification announcing the winner(s), once the draw has been made. The e-mail will be sent to every one who enters and will be a once-off communication from News24."

According to the site, the winners were to be announced on the 18th of April. Have they, 'cos I checked my mailbox and received nothing. Anyone? Someone?

Sher

2006-04-24T21:50:00.000+02:00

I guess Cher GP was taken - so this person decided to spell it phonetically. Alternatively, it could be the local distributor for Sher. The skincare company that loves your skin more than you do?!

Hilary Swank See-Through

2006-04-17T20:45:00.000+02:00

Daedalus will appreciate this one, since he's a fan of WordWeb and girls (of course). According to this little program, See-Through ('see'throo) as an adjective means, "So thin as to transmit light." Which of course is exactly the way to describe these pictures of Hilary Swank. Her top is so thin, it is transmitting her (head)lights. What a sight indeed. Hilary 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (links semi-NSFW).

Happy Birthday Jennifer Garner

2006-04-17T20:02:00.000+02:00

Just a quick shoutout to the lovely Jennifer Garner who's celebrating her 34th birthday today (17th April). Some nice high-res pics of Jennifer can be seen here: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7 and Jennifer with baby Hannah.

Pamela Anderson And The Pussycat Dolls

2006-04-17T19:33:00.000+02:00

Remember the pics of Vanessa Marcil performing with the Pussycat Dolls? Now it's Pamela Anderson's turn to strut her stuff. Not as impressive as Vanessa's err spread. Courtesy of the Drunken Stepfather.

Getz Lost

2006-04-11T21:39:00.000+02:00

Clearly I'm not the only one who finds the Hyundai Getz ads terribly irritating. The radio spot especially gives me the heebie jeebies every time "Getz Take 1" is announced with the sound of a clapperboard. "Oh f-off Bob!" she says at the end... No, really!

PC Lager

2006-04-11T21:25:00.000+02:00

If like me you've amassed a number of PC's over the years you probably have a few cases lying around gathering dust in the corner somewhere. So why not turn it into a beer keg of sorts?? [Via Ubergizmo]

Atchu

2006-04-11T21:15:00.000+02:00

I know bird flu should not be a laughing matter, but I could not help but to chuckle when this crossed my inbox.

Pink Sucks Face With Kristanna Loken

2006-04-09T23:24:00.000+02:00

Well what do you know....music artist (sic) Pink and Terminator 3 actress Kristanna Loken sucking face. It's also been quoted before that Kristanna Loken goes both ways. (Just in case you were wondering). [Via]

Carla Gugino

2006-04-09T14:56:00.000+02:00

So this weekend I finally got around to watching Frank Miller's Sin City. I missed it when it was on circuit, but I thought since there was so much hype around it, I'd actually just get the DVD for my collection. With a stellar cast including, Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Benicio Del Toro, Rosario Dawson, Brittany Murphy, Michael Madsen, Nick Stahl, Elijah Wood, Alexis Bledel, Jaime King, Carla Gugino, Josh Hartnett, Michael Clarke Duncan and featuring directors Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller and guest director Quentin Tarantino, the movie wasn't going to disappoint. Anyhow, as mentioned, there was quite a bit of hype around the movie, especially with reference to Jessica Alba's performance. Indeed seeing miss Alba in a bikini top and cowboy boots does hit the spot so to say, I think a special word needs to go out about Carla Gugino. You may recall her as Karen Sisco (or not), and lest we forget such unmemorable movies such as the Spy Kids series (for which she received a salary of $1,000,000 per film by the way). Some years ago she also starred in TV sitcoms such as 'Who's the Boss?', 'Alf', 'Falcon Crest', 'Ferris Bueller', 'Doogie Howser M.D.', 'The Wonder Years', 'Quantum Leap' & 'Spin City'. Although I actually can't recall her in any of the above mentioned, I do however recall a damn fine lady in the 1994 Bon Jovi music video for 'Always'. I could go on about her Sin City performance as Lucille, a lesbian parole officer, but that would be missing the point. The highlight though was obviously seeing miss Gugino topless. There are very few if any pics around of her assets but the following sexy pics will probably not disappoint. Gugino 1, Gugino 2, Gugino 3. Some other pointless facts include the fact that she has a butterfly tattoo on the inside of her left ankle, she had a kidney operation when she was only 4 years old and she turned down the role of Vin Diesel's love interest in The Pacifier to take a small role in Sin City (thank goodness for us). Here's to seeing more of Carla Gugino in future.

A Little Nostalgic

2006-04-08T20:25:00.000+02:00

Ah those were the days...

Right Click to download the Sound clip

Organising Get Togethers For Dummies

2006-04-08T20:17:00.000+02:00

Well that was fun...we definitely have to do that again.

Writing With A Flashlight

2006-04-05T23:07:00.000+02:00

I saw this technique on flickr once and haven't really had a chance to play around with it much, partly because I didn't really have the right camera. So following a combination of boredom and the fact that I was taking pictures around the house, the opportunity presented itself to play around a bit. Basically you need a camera with manual settings, a tripod, a really dark room, a flashlight and to make things a little easier you'd also need a mirror. Change your camera settings to manual and set the exposure time to around 15 seconds (you'll need time). I used an FNumber of 3.5 and ISO of 100. First you play around a bit with random movements with the flashlight pointing towards the camera, so that it picks up the movement of the light source.
Next, try to make shapes such as a heart. This is where the mirror comes in handy, since you would need to 'mirror' your movements to the camera so not to produce a flipped image. Thus, shining the light into the mirror will result in an inverted reflection back towards the camera - genius eh?

After a while, play around with something more complex, such as writing words. I found that cursive text is the easiest to begin with. Block letters take a very long time to do.

Just to show you all that I didn't copy this from somewhere else, writing the name of this blog Aquila Online, proved to be relatively easy. (I ran out of time to dot the i's though)

Then, the tricky part was to draw something that was not 'connected' as such, like a smiley face (of sorts).
Clearly I had too much time on my hands and looking at the text I wrote, it just reaffirmed that my handwriting really sucks. Technorati Tags: Light Writing

On Lee-Ann Liebenberg, Stunts And Getting Confused

2006-04-02T21:06:00.000+02:00

Found this little gem over at the Internet Movie Database. At first glance, you would think it is a listing for our very own FHM Sexiest Woman of 2005, however, you'd be slightly mistaken. Par for one little discrepancy regarding the birthdate, the rest is 100% legit. It turns out there's another Lee-Ann Liebenberg and she's South Africa's first female stunt co-ordinator and all round Lara Croft. She has worked overseas and has performed stunts for international films made in South Africa and now also runs her own company, Stunts4Reel. The other confusing part is that there seems to be another company, Stunts4Reel based in the UK, owned by one Peter Pedrero, who has worked on movies such as Die Another Day, Band of Brothers, The Mummy and The Saint to name a few. Okay, so many similarities, but oh so different. Damn, this is enough to to make you as confused as a baby in a topless bar.

The Greeks Got It Right

2006-03-30T11:52:00.000+02:00

I think the Greeks have the right approach here. Technorati Tags: Funny Signs

Boston Legal Hoax Summons

2006-03-29T16:58:00.000+02:00

Head over to the Boston Legal subsite on MNet and send your friends and foes a hoax summons, on behalf of Alan Shore from Crane, Poole & Schmidt Attorneys. You may need to register on the site, but it's most definitely worth it.

Fancy yourself as a bit of a legal eagle? Well now's your chance to prove your worth to the partners over at Crane Poole & Schmidt. If you think you have what it takes to serve justice, then start of by sending your friends and family (and maybe even someone you don't like that much), one of Boston Legal's hoax summons. Choose between three offences including Traffic Offences, Illegal Downloads and Tax Evasion (depending on how well you know your victim), complete the submission form and an email will be sent to your "client" on the 1st April - yes April Fool's Day! Then all that's left for you to do is sit back and watch them squirm before their computer screens!

From The Huh Files

2006-03-29T14:26:00.000+02:00

Sometimes one wonders what went through their minds when they chose their vanity plates.

Technorati Tags: Vanity Plates

Fines For Vanity Plates

2006-03-27T09:55:00.000+02:00

Haha...received this one on mail today. So true.

On Being Ripped Off

2006-03-26T22:53:00.000+02:00

I know this is not a new topic, but geesh, we're being ripped off on the price of DVD's (and CD's) in this country. Sure, some of the pricing of late has been quite competitive, but still the disparate and sometimes ridiculous pricing is a problem. Take for instance the movie that was on M-Net earlier tonight, Man on Fire (view trailer). For those who missed it, it's about a former assassin (Denzel Washington) who swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family (Dakota Fanning, Marc Anthony, Radha Mitchell) he was hired to protect. That being said, I actually enjoyed the movie and in particular the soundtrack, since Lisa Gerrard (from Gladiator and Black Hawk Down-fame) was involved. In doing some searching for the full track listing and local availability of the DVD, it seems as though there is a hectic disparity between the various suppliers. For instance, a quick comparison showed the following results: R 79.00 - Musica R122.95 - Kalahari.net R129.99 - Look & Listen R162.00 - Take2 Funny thing is, import the DVD from the states via Take2 and you pay R144. (Note prices quoted as per the various sites at the time of posting and excludes delivery costs and other charges....) Then there's the soundtrack, which by the way clocks up an exorbitant R219.99 (and its out of stock too). The whole idea of value for money goes out the window. Ignorant shoppers beware. Shop around for the best price before you swipe that credit card and bare in mind that importing from online retailers such as Amazon, may actually save you money in certain instances.

Einstein Got It Right

2006-03-25T15:03:00.000+02:00

Seems Einstein's a regular reader of Aquila Online.

Coastal Cities Could Be Under Water By 2100

2006-03-25T13:07:00.000+02:00

Run for the hills!! The ice is melting, the oceans are rising, the floods are coming. Well, we'll probably not be around when this actually happens, but a new report published in The Times and China Daily suggests that due to global warming, dozens of the world's coastal cities could be under water.

The first study to combine computer models of rising temperatures with records of the ancient climate has indicated that sea levels could rise by up to 20ft (6m) by 2100. The threat comes from melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, which scientists behind the research now believe are on track to release vast volumes of water significantly more quickly than older models have predicted. Such a rise would threaten cities such as London, New York, Bombay and Tokyo. Large parts of the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Florida would be inundated, and even smaller rises would flood extreme low-lying areas, such as several Pacific islands and New Orleans.

Studies like these, together with the Tsunami's and freaky weather paterns of late just show that mother nature is fragile and should be handled with care. We have to do something now, to try and make some kind of difference for the future. Technorati Tags: Global Warming, Antarctica, Greenland

Scratch And Sniff

2006-03-24T19:50:00.000+02:00

These look suspiciously like the ones that Daedalus from Ostendo has been blogging about for some time. This time they look IN order.

This One Goes Out To Tannie Wench

2006-03-24T18:33:00.000+02:00

This is just a shoutout to Tannie (aunty) Wench who is about to blog her first post. Daedalus from Ostendo is currently assisting with the setup of her blog.

Will link back soon once the address is known.

We're waiting...

**Updated** The link is confirmed - Wench is Online

Charlize Theron In Elle

2006-03-24T14:26:00.000+02:00

Well, whaddayaknow.... Two great hits on one day. Going through some of Darch's archives I found some captures of our own Charlize Theron in Elle magazine. I'll forgive the freaky toe in the last picture...just because she's South African. Technorati Tags: Celebrities, Charlize Theron

Adriana Lima In Black And White

2006-03-24T14:08:00.000+02:00

If like me you have a thing for Adriana Lima, then the following small gallery of black & white stills will definitely not disappoint. Thanks should go to Darch over at Chicago Darch Times, formerly known as PietjeBell from PietjeBell and then from PimpsR.us. Glad I could finally track down his blog, 'cos his stuff is really good. Well done dude.

Bouncing Boobies

2006-03-23T10:13:00.000+02:00

Ja, no, seriously. This is actually a lot of fun. Must be something to do with the weather today. Obviously there's a flesh covered version too... Thanks ChumpStyle and Puce Attack for the link.

Duncan's TV Adland Has Moved

2006-03-23T09:17:00.000+02:00

Seems as though there's a bit of a mass exodus from Blogspot users moving over to the Wordpress-engine at the moment. The latest addition is Duncan's TV Adland. It is the blog of Duncan Macleod's close-to-daily review of TV Ads, music videos and other short films and a definite must-see if you're into advertising/viral movies etc. Check out recent entries such as the MTV Budgie Smugglers, Volkswagen Golf Frog and Toyota RAV4 Happy Together campaigns. Nice one Duncan. Thanks for the mail.

Blog Awards Mentioned On ITWeb

2006-03-20T14:14:00.000+02:00

What a surprise to get this headline in my inbox today, "SA's best blogs named" via the IT-Web newsletter. Nice one to publicise the blog awards a bit. I see Cherryflava is JHB-based now though... Hmm...shouldn't it be on Biz-Community too?

Random clips

2006-03-20T07:32:00.000+02:00

If you have a thing for stuff that go boom, then you better get hold of this compilation video clip featuring 3 minutes worth of explosions. Then, check out the dedication of one cheerleader as she falls on her head and continues to do her routine while strapped to a stretcher.

Porno Computer

2006-03-20T07:25:00.000+02:00

What do you use your Dell computer for? Well, a satisfied customer called into the home shopping network to sing the praises of the computer he bought from them, which he mainly uses for porn. Technorati Tags: Comedy

Play With Her Mouse

2006-03-19T23:08:00.000+02:00

For those guys (and girls) who have not been getting any "access" lately, the geniuses at AXE have placed this mousepad in internet cafés, for it's launch of axefantasy.com. The site has bucketloads of fantasy girls and fun content - best viewed with a high speed connection.

Gabbahead Suspended

2006-03-19T22:45:00.000+02:00

If you head over to Gabbahead today you're in for a big surprise. The site has been down for a few days now. Dude, wassup? Maybe the powers that be did not share his views on Piracy killed the TV Exec. Hope to see you back online soon.

Irresponsible Journalism

2006-03-19T22:12:00.000+02:00

Read an article in Sunday Times this weekend regarding a stunned Mandoza at news reports that he had died in a car accident on Friday. According to the article, Yfm reported that the musician had died in a accident near Bedfordview. The story made its way to a party for Oscar-winning movie Tsotsi as well as Mandoza's wife, Mpho Mphuti. Police apparently confirmed a mix-up following the death of jogger Joe Mendoza. Don't the media do proper research, get all the facts and check the various sources before they broadcast news any more? I think Yfm was very irresponsible in this regard. Technorati Tags: Journalism

Krokodil Releases DVD

2006-03-19T20:51:00.000+02:00

News portals are ablaze at the news that former president Nelson Mandela at one stage asked former apartheid president PW Botha to re-enter politics and resume the leadership of the National Party. This came to the fore, during the launch of Krokodil's DVD, featuring a two hour interview with former SABC journalist Cliff Saunders. The interviews in both Afrikaans and Englishe were apparently made for TV , but have been rejected for broadcast by SABC, eTV and MNet. So if you intend on seeing the interviews, you'd probably need to get hold of the DVD at R130 a shot. Sunday Times also reports that Botha made fun of media reports that he was senile: "Sometimes people think I am but I know of other people who are not compos mentis in South Africa. And I will not discuss them." This quite aptly reminds me of a skitt (on the Dimensie DVD) by South African comedian, Casper de Vries, in which he joked about the National Party and PW Botha in particular. This particular performance used the song "Ek wil jou nooit weer sien" (loosely translated to "I don't want to see you ever again"), in reference to PW Botha and his apartheid policies. Detailed reports over at News 24, Mail & Guardian, IOL and The Age and an interesting earlier view from Chris Roper (News24 Columnist and blogger) Technorati Tags: South Africa, Politics, Apartheid, Democracy, Nelson Mandela, PW Botha

Come Again

2006-03-17T17:10:00.000+02:00

It's a bit of an obligatory Tom and Katie post, but honestly, explain to me again how...

....equals....

They are still together...right? Technorati Tags: Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise

South African Blog Awards 2006 Pictures

2006-03-17T08:20:00.000+02:00

Following weeks of nominations and voting...the wait is finally over. The winners of the 2006 South African blog awards were finally announced on Thursday 16 March at ceremonies in Joburg and Cape Town. A full list of winners is available on the SA Blog Awards site. Big up to everyone who nominated and voted for Aquila Online and all the other nominees. Without the loyal readers and visitors, this would not have been possible. Below are some pictures of the Johannesburg function. If I missed some of the names, heck I'm sorry, post comments and I will update them accordingly. Technorati Tags: South Africa, Blog Awards, Johannesburg, Pictures

Do Not Adjust Your Screen

2006-03-17T08:13:00.000+02:00

It appears that Blogger is acting up this morning, something about IO errors and not being able to find some archives.. Sorry for the delay in posting pictures from last night's SA Blog Awards.

This One's For The Guys

2006-03-14T22:43:00.000+02:00

If I mentioned the name Paz Vega to you, it probably wouldn't ring a bell right? Maybe if I said, she starred as the character Flor Moreno in Spanglish, opposite Adam Sandler and Téa Leoni. Some bells starting to ring yet? Well, if you can't place her, never mind....yet. (Or watch the trailer to refresh your memory) If you have DSTV, be sure to check out the Spanish movie "El Otro lado de la cama" or better known as "Other Side of the Bed". As the name suggests, its about two sexually liberated best mates who have their beliefs tested when their girlfriends are unfaithful. Although the movie is in Spanish, you can basically forget about reading the subtitles, because you'll be too busy being mezmerised with the beauty of Paz Vega, who plays the roll of Sonia. Don't be put off by the occasional song and dance, almost Bollywood style, because to be honest, you'll probably be watching it purely for one reason. To see Paz Vega naked. This was also not the first time she's appeared in the nude. In 2001 she featured in "Lucia y el Sexo" (Sex and Lucia), a movie that explores sultry eroticism, testing and questioning of fate and the unpredictability of life. Unfortunately the 30-year old bombshell is already married to Orson Salazar, but really, who cares? And just incase you were really interested, she's been very busy. She stars in no less than six movies, which are all currently in production. I can't wait... In the meantime go over and check out some really nice galleries and pictures over here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Lest not forget her official website. Technorati Tags: Celebrities, Movies, Spanish, Paz Vega

Excuse Me While I Go Throw Up

2006-03-10T15:18:00.000+02:00

Take one set of really nasty potholes on Bellairs drive, one "unsuspecting" driver and what is the result? Bubble on the sidewall of the tyre, which naturally means...replacement. So off to Tiger Wheel and Tyre to get it swapped with the full spare in the back. Now, this was supposed to be a temporary solution, till I had to replace another one, in which case two tyres wouldn't break the bank "that much". Hmm...right. Upon inspection of the rear tyres, it became apparent my day was going to get worse. Said the friendly sales manager, "Sir, we're going to have to replace both rear tyres - the thread is on the limit. It's a small wonder that it lasted the 47,000 km's. Now if you're going to hit water......" I stopped him there. "I know," I said. "It's going to have to be replaced and there's nothing else we can do." Now as luck would have it, it turns out that said branch received stock just yesterday, since the Pirelli P7 tyres are fitted to all the new Volvo's - go figure. Even with the 30% discount, wheel balancing, blah blah, nitrogen filled, etc. etc. the three tyres came to a staggering R6000. Well there goes my April holiday trip. So, now yours truly is the "proud" owner of a set of 4 brand spanking new tyres and an old spare in the back. Oh and I'll be getting a Pirelli jacket some time next week - for the pain and suffering. **Update** Turns out I'm not the only one who had to replace some tyres lately. Technorati Tags: Pirelli, tyres, potholes,

What Are You Playing On Your PSP

2006-03-09T13:28:00.000+02:00

So I finally got a PSP (as a gift mind you) a few weeks ago. Not to waste any time, I promptly popped over to the local Look & Listen and got myself a game and a music UMD to test out the functionality. Firstly I got Need for Speed: Most Wanted, in a bid to become the most notorious and elusive street racer. Indeed, this version is somewhat different from the PS2 version, but its still fun and challenging at the same time. Pity about the daft police vehicles crashing into each other at times. Anyhow, to test the DVD/UMD functionality I opted for Kylie Minogue's Showgirl, a stunning performance of all her greatest hits. Kylie looks absolutely stunning on the small screen - and being available in portable format, you can just imagine some of the possibilities and venues one can utilise/view this show. But I'm digressing. I've figured out the Wifi bit, played around with converting some movies to the memory stick and have dabbled a bit in the photo and music capabilities. Now I'm lost on what games to get on this baby. Some of the reviews published in G.E.A.R. magazine (inserted in PCFormat and T3 at present) have been somewhat helpful, but I'm looking for your feedback. I think it's always better to get the low-down from you guys and gals out there playing the games on the PSP. So here it is, which games are you playing, are some of the titles worthwile and what are you looking forward to? Personally I think The Godfather should be interesting. I mean, who wouldn't want to rule the streets of New York with brutal violence, skillful diplomacy, or a cunning mixture of both? You can call me Don Aquila from now on, capiche? Technorati Tags: PSP, Games

And The Oscar Goes To

2006-03-06T07:55:00.000+02:00

And the Oscar goes to... (insert drumroll)....Tsotsi!!! South Africa's drama "Tsotsi," won the Oscar for foreign-language film at the 78th Annual Academy Awards. According to Sunday Times Online, "Director Gavin Hood struck a nationalist them as he accepted the award, shouting: "Nkosi Sikelela iAfrika" and "amandla" — meaning "God Bless Africa" and "Freedom". But he also said he was accepting the award on behalf of all the directors of foreign films. "We may have foreign language films, but our stories are the same as your stories. They are about the human heart and emotions." The rest of the list looks as follows:

Actor in a leading role - Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Capote”

Actress in a leading role - Reese Witherspoon in “Walk the Line”

Actor in a supporting role - George Clooney in “Syriana”

Actress in a supporting role - Rachel Weisz in “The Constant Gardener”

Best animated feature film - Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit”

Achievement in art direction - John Myhre in “Memoirs of a Geisha”

Achievement in cinematography - Dion Beebe in “Memoirs of a Geisha”

Achievement in costume design - Colleen Atwood in “Memoirs of a Geisha”

Achievement in directing - Ang Lee in “Brokeback Mountain”

Best documentary feature - “March of the Penguins”

Best documentary short subject - “A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin”

Achievement in film editing - Hughes Winborne in "Crash"

Best foreign language film of the year - “Tsotsi” (South Africa)

Achievement in makeup - “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”

Original score - Gustavo Santaolalla in “Brokeback Mountain”

Original song - “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” in “Hustle & Flow”

Best motion picture of the year - "Crash"

Best animated short film - “The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation”

Best live action short film - “Six Shooter”

Achievement in sound editing - “King Kong”

Achievement in visual effects - “King Kong”

Adapted screenplay - Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana in “Brokeback Mountain”

Original screenplay - Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco in "Crash" (Story by Paul Haggis)

Technorati Tags: Oscars, Academy Award, South Africa, Tsotsi

Nice Lumps

2006-03-05T21:37:00.000+02:00

Bless her err.. heart...Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas just indicating exactly how much of a handful her humps really are. Click on the image for the clip (991KB Gif)

Boksburg Cruise Liner

2006-03-02T15:28:00.000+02:00

With the recent rains causing havoc in Gauteng recently, some Boksburg residents decided that the cruise liner industry will be the next big thing...

South African Blogs

2006-02-27T07:56:00.000+02:00

Added a ton of new links to the ever expanding Interesting South African Blogs list on the right. ---> (Thadaway) As always, the South African Blog Awards 2006 is a great way to give exposure to some blogs that one might not necessarily have heard of before. Make a plan to get to all of them, they deserve your click.

They're Urging You To Vote

2006-02-24T15:12:00.000+02:00

Seems as though some of the Hollywood celebs are reading Aquila Online. So much so that they've collaborated and sent me this Vote Aquila Online sound clip, showing their support and urging you to vote for this site in the SA Blog Awards 2006. Thanks Paris, Sam, Gwen, Arnie, Coolio...you are the best. (PS: Who was the computer chick? - S1mOne perhaps?)

No Castle At 2010

2006-02-23T19:25:00.000+02:00

Was someone caught napping or didn't they care? IOL reported today that Castle has lost to Budweiser as 2010 World Cup beer supplier.

"South African soccer fans attending the 2010 World Cup will not be able to crack open a Castle at the stadium - instead they will have to make do with American beer, Budweiser."

According to the article, SAB-Miller who produces Castle, did not respond to a number of requests for a meeting. Fifa waited for three months for SAB-Miller with no response, so they signed with Budweiser. Eish. Some fans are going to be very upset. Technorati Tags: Soccer World Cup, South Africa, Beer

Movie Quiz

2006-02-23T19:12:00.000+02:00

If you are a movie fanatic like me, you'll probably find the following movie quiz relatively easy. It follows the popular fun with movies - movie quiz and it's basically a collection of 30 movie stills from which you then have to guess the correct title. Most of the titles are American, but there are a few international stills in there to confuse you a bit. The IMDB will probably be a good source if you cannot get the correct titles for some of the clips. Happy hunting. Technorati Tags: Movies, quiz

Topless Bee-em Car Wash

2006-02-23T18:51:00.000+02:00

So what do you get when you mix the Chump-Style post on "So i was at this car wash the other day..." and the Hello_World post on "Beemmer books"? Stumped? You get a post featuring over 30 pictures of topless lasses, washing Beee-emm's. While you're oggeling over the girls in the pics, why not drop in on some other pictures of the original bimmer chick (featured in the pic) for some more eye candy. As usual, the links are NSFW, unless you sit in the corner office and you know the system administrator really well.

The Full Story

2006-02-22T07:22:00.000+02:00

Thanks again for everyone who nominated Aquila Online and the post (They came, they saw...I kicked some ass) for the SA BlogAwards 2006. I realised that the other posts related to the story, regarding pictures of the stabbing and some more evidence were a tad difficult to find. So there they are for your viewing err....pleasure? Have you voted yet?

Time To Get Voting

2006-02-22T07:03:00.000+02:00

Nominations have closed and the numbers are in. Time to cast your vote for the SA BlogAwards 2006. A huge big thanks to everyone who nominated Aquila Online this year. Much respect! This blog has been nominated in the following categories:

South African blog of 2005 - the best of the best

The most humourous South African blog - Leon Schuster online

Best post on a South African blog - the one post which took game in 2005 for this one: They came, they saw...I kicked some ass

What do you need to do? Vote...Vote...Vote..Daily! Go through to the SA BlogAwards 2006 voting booth, check out the list of contenders and scroll to the button inviting you to cast your vote. Click through to the 'Vote caster' and make your mark next to the one blog in each category which you feel should win. Remember that the system will only allow you to vote once a day. Voting will take place between Wednesday 22 February - midnight Friday 3 March 2006. So what you do is the following, set a calendar reminder on every single computer, laptop, pda, cellphone, television set etc. to remind you to vote for this site on a daily basis. Better still, send an email to tell your friends to tell their friends to also vote on a daily basis. Make sure that you are being heard, vote. Get voting...click, click. Technorati Tags: SA Blog Awards, Blog Awards, South Africa

Lamborghini Gallardo Spotted

2006-02-21T08:33:00.000+02:00

The Lamborghini Gallardo! Spotted on William Nicol drive the other day. - 4961 cc - Top speed 309 km/h She's fast, really fast. Check out the video clip too (Mp4 - Right-click, Save Target as). PS: The camera was mounted, so no, the driver was not holding the camera while driving. Technorati Tags: Lamborghini

The Weekly Ale Rocks

2006-02-16T15:58:00.000+02:00

A quick shout out to Peksta over at The Weekly Ale. Dude you rock, your stuff is kickass funny. Keep it coming. Big up to The Brewery Boys. PS: I'm sure we'll all echo your sentiments for a double jointed former or current gymnast with blonde hair, tanned complexion and an open mind preferably with an identical twin sister.

What Does Your Book Say

2006-02-16T15:09:00.000+02:00

Received a very nice email from Angel just now and I promptly went over to check out her blog. One of her posts had an interesting question and I thought I'd rehash it a bit. (Hope you don't mind Angel) What follows is not a meme, I repeat this is not a meme. It's just a wee little question..... The question (slightly adapted) goes as follows: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 6. Mine stated: Divide and conquer is the way you build a powerful new brand. This is from: The Origin of Brands by Al & Laura Ries. So what does your book say? C'mon, don't be shy - post your lines.

Singles Ad - Too Good To Be True

2006-02-15T09:23:00.000+02:00

Almost too good to be true....Always read singles ads very carefully. This singles ad was reportedly listed in the Atlanta Journal - Constitution. Single black female seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cosy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Daisy, I'll be waiting.... It turns out that over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society about an 8-week-old black Labrador retriever. Technorati Tags: Singles, Pets, Humane

Sharon Stone Sizzles (Again)

2006-02-13T07:23:00.000+02:00

Sharon Stone is still hot. Remember those Bora Bora shots last year this time? Well, now she's posed for UK Esquire magazine (pic #1, #2, #3, #4, #5) and she's starring in the second instalment of Basic Instinct aka Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction. Check out the Quicktime Trailer and Promo here. By the way - the Promo is definitely NSFW! [Picture links Via] Technorati Tags: Sharon Stone, Celebrities, Movies, Basic Instinct

Yodawg

2006-02-10T09:36:00.000+02:00

What do you get when you're a Star Wars nut, have a semi-willing pet, have loads of time on your hands and some spare fabric lying around the house? Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Yodawg! And in other news, Why Some Dog Owners Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Pollute the Gene Pool. Technorati Tags: Star Wars, Pets, Funny costumes

Dunnit

2006-02-09T09:58:00.000+02:00

Just do it, just did it, been there done that.... The originality is just mind numbing. **Update** Well who'd a thought - it turns out that an expat South African actualy owns Dunnit in the USA. While you're at it, also check out the company's blog to discuss Dunnit Shoes and Dunnit Culture. [Thanks Alan] Technorati Tags: Vanity Plates

Keira Knightley And Scarlett Johansson Naked

2006-02-08T14:50:00.000+02:00

Glamour Magazine today published the new Vanity Fair cover starring Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson, completely naked. As you peruse the cover over and over again, may I just point out (for no reason what so ever) that guest editor Tom Ford is pictured alongside these two beauties. Thought you'd like to know. (Okay maybe not!)

So how did Ford persuade Scarlett and Keira to strip for the camera? "I said to them, 'When you're 70 you're gonna look back and say, 'Thank God for this picture - look how amazing I was.'" And the cover stars aren't the only naked celebrities on display: Angelina Jolie can be seen inside the issue posing in the bath.

I'm sure the full pictures etc. will surface quite soon - will keep you errr.. posted. Technorati Tags: Vanity Fair

The Ugliest Pussy Ever

2006-02-07T08:15:00.000+02:00

Now like any red blooded male, I really don't mind a shaved pussy. In fact, I'm quite fond of a shaven one over a hairy one. The benefits speak for themselves. It's fairly aesthetic, it's pretty smooth, it's soft, not to mention the endless fun one can have. <Sidetracked >
A quick search provided the following interesting titbits: 'How to get a perfect shave', 'Shaving' and 'Shaving, waxing and other ways...'.
</sidetracked > Sorry, back to the point. Olivia then pointed me in the right direction. Pictures of a shaved pussy. Err maybe not - after seeing that I think I'll go back to the fuzzy ones for a while.

Oh Your Greatness - It's Baaaack

2006-02-02T12:51:00.000+02:00

It's here, it's here!! It's that time of the Year! The SA Blog Awards for 2006 have arrived and it's now time for you to go make your mark and recognise the best in South African blogging. A whopping prize money of R20.06 and eternal greatness will be bestowed on the winner of this year's awards. There are new categories this year and nominations are open. So what do you do, you may ask? Well, nominations are to be sent via an email to sablogawards@gmail.com before Friday 17 February 2006 at 23h59 CAT. The top ten nominated blogs in each of the mentioned categories will then go through to the final voting stage, which will take place on this site from Wednesday 22 February - Friday 3 March 2006. For pics and an overview of last year's antics - check out "And The Winner Is..." Now off you go, go nominate this site. I know you want to... Go, go, go! Technorati Tags: SA Blog Awards, Blog Awards, South Africa

Desperate Measures

2006-01-31T14:45:00.000+02:00

Received this cartoon via email today and it definitely brightened up my day. Maybe it was just the odd mood that's going around the office. They say desperate times call for desperate measures. I say, it gives new meaning to the term "Go F$ck a Plug!" Technorati Tags: Humour, Cartoon

Wheels No More

2006-01-27T08:13:00.000+02:00

I felt quite sorry for this dude. Imagine waking up in the morning, and bam, all four your wheels are stolen and your car is standing on bricks. My guess is that he's doing 2 km/h at the moment. I see the police dusted for some prints - hope they catch the buggers. Technorati Tags: Crime, Tires, Fingerprints

It's Sold

2006-01-27T08:03:00.000+02:00

Probably an estate agent's car? Technorati Tags: Estate Agent, Vanity Plates

2 Km/h

2006-01-26T07:09:00.000+02:00

For four days in a row now, it has taken me, on average, around 1 hour, 15 minutes to complete the 17 km trip from Fourways to Parkhurst in the morning.

It just seems as though there are loads more cars on the road lately. Did everyone get cars for Christmas?

I Didn't Pomp My Sister

2006-01-25T10:32:00.000+02:00

I thought this only happened in Delmas. It's filtered down to the Western Cape too.

Earthquake!

2006-01-24T11:15:00.000+02:00

I'm pretty sure that was an earthquake just a few seconds ago. Also felt a bit more powerfull than the one we experienced on the 9th of March 2005, which caused major havoc in Stilfontein and surrounding areas. Expect to read more as further details become available.

***Updated*** Indeed, "a seismic event" was recorded in Johannesburg this morning, measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale. Further reports via News24 (thanks Marc) and Reporter. Technorati Tags: Earthquake, Johannesburg

AirCon - JHB Style

2006-01-19T15:02:00.000+02:00

Air conditioning, Johannesburg style! This guy has no rear windshield and clearly some or other object smashed into his front windshield too. He was driving around in Melville, with his head stuck out his door window to see where he was going. Ironically enough, two metro police vehicles passed this guy, without even a second look. In other news: Sat Nav Systems appear to become the #1 target for smash and grabs in Rainhill Village. Technorati Tags: Johannesburg, Broken window, windshield, Smash and Grab

Movie Theatres Are Dead, Long Live Movie Theatres

2006-01-16T17:59:00.000+02:00

I read an interesting article over the weekend regarding the possiblity of a steady demise of movie theatres in South Africa. According to the Rapport article (in Afrikaans), that although Nu Metro and Ster Kinekor have been involved in a bit of a price war, they still have not seen an increase in moviegoers. Apparently, factors such as the increasing popularity of home theatre DVD viewing and piracy (see post regarding Mama Jack) have been mainly to blame. Added to that, the possibility of more film directors following Steven Soderbergh's route by releasing films on DVD and theatres simultaneously. According to a post on VoiceFilms:

Director Steven Soderbergh's new film BUBBLE will debut on DVD, cable, and in theaters all at once. This is an all digital film made on a micro budget of only $1.5 million. Bubble, an all-digital thriller, is set in an Ohio doll factory, and all of the actors are completely unknown. But that's not even the interesting part. The movie goes out to theaters, DVD, and high-definition cable TV - all on the same day. He claims that this is happening already - through piracy, so this is a way to combat that.

Although I'm not entirely sure if this multi-release strategy will curb piracy, it will certainly make for some interesting marketing shenanigans by the various media houses. So get yourself ready for a media-frenzy, 'cos everyone will be jockeying for position to get the biggest cut of the proceeds. Still, it will be a long way off till the movie theatres have to close their doors for good. Technorati Tags: Steven Soderbergh, Movies, Piracy

Honda Civic Ad Launched

2006-01-16T17:30:00.000+02:00

Seems like great minds think alike. The New Honda Civic advertising campaign has been launched with much singing and praises I guess. The 120 seconds ad features a choir vocalising the many experiences one has whilst driving the new Civic. Two versions available: Streaming Flash (7MB), iTunes download (9.6MB) Personally I would recommend downloading the iTunes version as it also features 3 additional clips for download on the "making-of" the advert. It's a fun ad to watch, especially if you have the sound cranked up high, otherwise it will loose it's effect. Link via (AD Hunt) Oh, by the way, the microsite is over here. Technorati Tags: Honda Civic, Advertising

Brilliant Photographer

2006-01-12T11:58:00.000+02:00

If you have a love for excellent photography, head over to Alex Tehrani's site and check out his portfolio. He's done some amazing work and has shot portraits of quite a few famous people includuing Johnny Noxville, Alanis Morissette, Coldplay and Mekhi Phifer to name but a few. Awesome stuff. Technorati Tags: Photography

Climb Over My Fence Again

2006-01-12T09:33:00.000+02:00

Received this picture via email this morning - Thanks Richard. Loosely translated from Afrikaans this means: "Climb over my f*c$ing fence again and there'll be hell to pay." Technorati Tags: Funny Signs

Britney Worst Dressed Woman Of 2005

2006-01-11T15:09:00.000+02:00

It probably comes as no surprise that Britney Spears topped the veteran style watcher Mr. Blackwell's 46th Annual Worst Dressed Women list for 2005. Mr. Blackwell has been known to be less than tactful in commenting on the dress sense of the various stars. For instance over at E!Online, he had this to say regarding Renée Zellweger's style (or should I say apparent lack thereof). "Renée runs the gamut from Kewpi Doll Dreck to Red Carpet Wreck--Just take your pick," Blackwell bleated. "She looks like a painted pumpkin--on a pogo stick!" The complete list: 1. Britney Spears 2. Mary-Kate Olsen 3. Jessica Simpson 4. Eva Longoria 5. Mariah Carey 6. Paris Hilton 7. Anna Nicole Smith 8. Shakira 9. Lindsay Lohan 10. Renée Zellweger While I'm no style guru, I probably would have given Cameron Diaz a special mention for this 'interesting' piece of clothing.
PS: What's up with all the face-pulling? Technorati Tags: Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, Worst Dressed

Intel In Macs

2006-01-11T14:11:00.000+02:00

Ever heared the one about the Intel chip inside a Mac? No, well it's no joke, it's actually true. The guys at Apple will be shipping all new Mac's with the Intel Core Duo processor with claimed performance increases of up to four times the speed of the PowerBook G4 and eight times the graphics bandwidth. (MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo). You can watch the Intel TV Advert and view some more details on the iMac with the new Intel Core Duo processor. Technorati Tags: Apple, Intel, iMac, MacBook Pro

Please Wash Me

2006-01-11T12:19:00.000+02:00

Spotted this brilliant print ad over at AD Hunt for Lynx shower gel. Technorati Tags: Advertising

Paris Drunk (Again)

2006-01-11T12:10:00.000+02:00

The Superficial noted that Paris Hilton had some difficulty walking after a crazy night out on the town again. Note the bodyguard "supporting" her - not sure if he was holding the up Paris or just her breasts? At least he got a chance to cop a feel. Some more pictures of her falling down too. Maybe someday we will have the opportunity to post pictures of Paris in a sober state, but then it won't really be news will it? Technorati Tags: Paris Hilton

Updated Hotel Episode Released

2006-01-11T11:56:00.000+02:00

Received a notification today that Han Hoogerbrugge's Hotel part-5 episode-1 'Meltdown' was released today, something I've been following since its inception in 2004. You'll need flash to view the interactive story though.

Rocky Balboa Makes A Comeback

2006-01-09T12:50:00.000+02:00

Oh my greatness. Of all the bizarre things I've seen this year, this one tops the list so far. Sylvester Stallone is bringing Rocky back into the ring! I kid you not. The Internet Movie Database has listed the movie, Rocky Balboa as "In production", with Stallone in the lead, with writing and directing credits as well. According to IMDB, the plot outline is as follows:

"Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) has now been retired for some time, but hard-up for money, he decides to step back into the ring against a few small-time boxers. Everything changes, though, when Rocky is offered the opportunity to step in with the reigning Heavyweight Champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon. Does Rocky still have what it takes to make another Championship comeback?"

Check out the official blog over at RockyBalboaBlog.com and some additional production pics here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Speaking of weird, check out this funny flash video (high speed connection recommended) of Rocky, Revisited (8.6MB). Man, I'm sure Rocky has more lives than a cat. Did someone say Adriaaaaaaannnnnn? Technorati Tags: Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone

Today's Interesting Links

2006-01-09T10:39:00.000+02:00

Some interesting links I've found today, well worth a visit:

The blog collection

Apparently Nothing

Delineated.com

The interesting collection

Blogging safely

Device that senses through concrete walls

Awesome movie scripts and screenplays

The movie trailer collection

The NSFW collection

Jordan on the beach

Ashlee Simpson's Bikini

Elisha Cuthbert Gallery

Lindsay Lohan in Vanity Fair

Angelica Bridges in MAN

50 Fun Things To Do With Your iPod

2006-01-09T10:28:00.000+02:00

So you've had an iPod for a while now and you've only been using it for music, some pics and a couple of podcasts. Head over to 50 fun things to do with your iPod for a list of some other things you can do with your iPod. Link via Kuier Saam in Afrikaans. Technorati Tags: iPod, Fun

I Heart Karen McDougal

2006-01-06T15:24:00.000+02:00

My buddy Daedalus over at Ostendo will definitely thank me for this one. We're unanimous in our decision that Karen McDougal is one of the (if not THE) most beautiful women on the face of the earth. I could go on and on about her, but you need to do this for yourself. Luckily she has her own website (who doesn't?) and wikipedia has a brilliant bio on Miss McDougal for your viewing pleasure. Some nice galleries over at Playboy.Plus, AskMen.com, BabeListings, Karen McDougal At Her Best and via Google's Search. Will have to speak to Daedalus, maybe we can post a tribute video or two at some point.

Celebrity Bra Sizes (Part Deux)

2006-01-06T12:47:00.000+02:00

Over in March 2005 I happened to post a very short list of celebrity bra sizes together with pictures, which has become one of the most frequently visited posts on this site. (Thanks to all the horny Yanks) So to help you guys and gals out with your ABC's I've decided to take a few more names and link to some pretty nice pictures - just to see how they measure up. All links obviously NSFW.

The A's

The B's

The C's

The D's

The E's

Sybille

Rauch

Kelly Brook

The Double Figures and Beyond

Jessica Simpson

Danni

Ashe

The Unknown Sizes

That was fun.... Know of any other noteworthy one's? Let me know in the comments section. PS: Still don't know how the measurements really work? Then head off to JustBreastImplants or Bra Sizing & Bra Tips for some detailed info.

Move Over Golf GTi - Here Comes The Volvo C30

2006-01-06T11:36:00.000+02:00

Finally an offering from Volvo that may just put the likes of the Golf GTi and Audi A3 to shame. Volvo has unveiled its C30 small hatch at the Detroit motor show and it has been billed as a sporty compact Design Concept. According to iAfrica (via link above) it's powered from 0-100km/h in a claimed six seconds by a 194kW, five-cylinder, 2.4-litre engine producing 350Nm of torque at 2100rpm. Interior styling resembles that of the S40, as does some of the exterior design cues. Personally I'm not too fond of the glass hatch or the "brown" styling, but I'm assuming that these will be ironed out of the production model. I think this model is definitely going to be a contender, probably not in units sold, but in power and sheer individualism for sure. Additionally, Top Gear has a small review while the Volvo C30 Teaser campaign some spy pictures and a premature release of the pictures was noted.

Things That Kept Me Busy Today

2006-01-03T15:08:00.000+02:00

Some things that kept me busy today:

Read an interesting How Many Hands Did She Shake? logic puzzle over at Who Has Time For This?
Found an interesting answer over at Daredevil Planning Guide
Read an article on USAToday entitled "Whatever happened to thank- you notes?". Which reminds me...
Checked out the Playboy.com advert and the one for LG airconditioning on Adverbox
Checked out tons of pictures of Jennifer Aniston (sigh!!)
Saw that Marc over at Durbz Blog bought a Canon 350D - nice! and tried to compare it with my own Samsung Pro 815.
Had lunch with work colleagues at Mugg & Bean (now I'm buzzing from all the coffee)
Learnt how to create double exposures with a digital camera - and below is the result after combining all four of my previous lightning pictures.

Some New SA Links

2006-01-02T00:44:00.000+02:00

Some new South African friends on the list...

Boerseun (**Link Updated**)
SomeNoOne

Happy Happy

2006-01-01T23:52:00.000+02:00

To all and sundry - here's to wishing you all a happy and "lekker" 2006. As with a new year, comes a bit of change, and to mark this - I've changed the header graphic for Aquila Online a bit. Question is, does it work? (Yay/Nay/Ouch My Eyes Hurt? - All comments welcomed). The old graphic can still be viewed in the archives. Look out for some more design changes/updates to the blog in future. Cheers to a promising 2006!

Lightning In December

2005-12-28T20:09:00.000+02:00

Tonight's rainfall presented a perfect opportunity to test the camera again - this time taking pictures of one of my favourite subjects - Lightning. See some previous shots during the year here, here and here. PS: As usual, click through for higher resolution pics and more detail on the camera settings.

Bird Lovin

2005-12-27T12:02:00.000+02:00

While taking this shot, the old Cole Porter number which has the lines “Birds do it, bees do it / Even educated fleas do it / Let’s do it, let’s fall in love”, came to mind. Yep, even Indian myna birds (Acridotheres tristis) have urges - but damn, does it have to happen on my roof? Where's the neighbour's cat when you need him?

Flower Shots

2005-12-27T11:53:00.000+02:00

Testing the camera some more - this time taking pics of flowers in and around the garden. As usual, more detail on each photograph available by clicking on the pic.

Wide To Tele

2005-12-27T11:38:00.000+02:00

Was playing with the new camera and took these two picture - the one in wide mode (28mm) and then zoomed in completely to tele mode (420mm). Click on the pictures for full details and settings for each photograph. In the original pictures (3264x2448) one can see even more detail of the driver of the Citi Golf for instance. The 15x optical zoom rocks.

Some updated links

2005-12-23T00:09:00.000+02:00

Just updated some links to the blogroll on the right...

pcstuff.co.za (I could swear this one was up ages ago?)

Kuier saam in Afrikaans

Koos Kombuis Sêgoed

wozafriday

Enjoy!

An Early Xmas Present

2005-12-22T22:57:00.000+02:00

Christmas came early this year, I finally upgraded the old busted digital camera and got myself the Samsung Pro815 Digital SLR camera. A couple of things stand out for me, the optical zoom, the abundance of megapixels, the top viewfinder and the absolutely massive LCD screen!! This thing is huge - almost the same size as the PSP. Some features include:

8 megapixel digital camera

15x Schneider-KREUZNACH optical zoom lens

a massive 3.5” TFT LCD screen

the world’s largest-capacity 1900mAh, 7.4V lithium-ion battery

a 1.44 inch LCD on the top of the camera to enable waist-level shooting

etc. etc. etc. - full specs here if you're interested

Oh and Engadget had this to say about the camera. I'll probably have a better review on the camera once I've had a chance to play around with it some more.

Random Video Clips And Stuff

2005-12-15T11:11:00.000+02:00

Some random bits for today.

Video - Young Vin Diesel breakdancing

Video - Horse hits guy

Video - First full-lenght trailer for the Da Vinci Code

Video - If anyone actually cared - the MI3 trailer is also online (Oh, PS Tom - blowing up cars on bridges is so old now)

Video - Rachel McAdams says she won't get naked (any more)

Video - The last trailer for today - this time for X-Men 3

Weird - Ever wonder how a coin-operated pool table knows to return the cue ball on a scratch, but not any of the other balls when they go in? Well, here ya go.

Weird - Paris Hilton Blogging?

Some NSFW

Video - Kate's Playground Dance

Video - Princess Nyluh

One Drink Only

2005-12-15T09:58:00.000+02:00

Remember, at the next office Christmas party, you're only allowed ONE drink!.

What Would You Do With Gautrain's R13bn?

2005-12-15T09:04:00.000+02:00

Received this one via email today and thought I'd share the sentiment. I did check out the website to try and authenticate the source, but it appears as through it may have been posted in on of their newsletters. Anyhow, it's food for thought. What would you do with Gautrain's R13bn? To put the cost of the new Gautrain development into perspective, Singh and Associates Strategic Solutions has come up with a few suggestions on what could be done with the R13bn extra the development will now cost (as opposed to the initially expected R7bn).

Instead of a train you could buy some top of the range S-class Mercedes Benz and park them nose to tail to form a " train" that would be long enough to go around the world.

Since most South Africans use minibus taxis instead of S-Class Mercedes Benz, you could run a fleet of taxis, free of charge to commuters, from Johannesburg to Pretoria with a taxi leaving each town every two minutes, maintain them at the AA rate of R2.50 per km, replace all the taxis every month and you would only run out of money after 50 years.

You could add 44 more lanes to the M1 highway.

If you prefer to walk, a good bricklayer, if he made little brick tiles using stacks of 30 R100 notes, could lay a blue paved walkway, 1m wide from Johannesburg to Pretoria. We would have R400 000 left over to pay the bricklayer for his work, which should only take half as long to finish as the Gautrain.

Or if you want smart people to figure this out you could pay for a university degree for every single 19 year old Gauteng resident and ask them what to do with the money.

Xmas Carols

2005-12-14T21:13:00.000+02:00

Again a big thanks to Highveld 94.7 and Spar for hosting a joyous and festive Carols by Candlelight again this year. A little known fact that the first Carols by candlelight was held in 1938 by Norman Banks in Melbourne. 70 000 people attended! In South Africa this tradition had its beginnings in 1949 at Zoo Lake, Johannesburg. Today, the Round Table is the official trademark holders of "Carols by candlelight" although many more organisations are using the term for similar ceremonies.

Searchlights Above North Gate Mall

2005-12-12T12:14:00.000+02:00

By now most people in Joburg have probably noticed the searchlights in the Northriding area. Like a moth to a flame, I was intrigued to find out where exactly it came from, so I drove over to North Gate Mall in search of the lights. The “shaky” pic was taken from a moving vehicle, but next time I’ll whip out the tripod instead.

I personally liked the way the lights bounced off the cloudy sky.

Note the trail of light at the bottom of the pic. It was a car driving at quite a high speed, considering the exposure was around 1.9 seconds long. I'm sure some brainy type will be able to calculate at what speed the car would have been travelling.

PodcastSA Now Playing

2005-12-12T07:25:00.000+02:00

If you're into podcasting and looking for some local content, why not pop over to PodcastSA.

"PodcastSA is a resource, directory and community for podcasting, with a focus on shows from or about Southern Africa"

Thanks for the heads-up Mark.