Tempest

As quickly as you were whisked up, so you lost your way.
You swirl around in her all encompassing orbit
Pieces of your self lost to the wind
Once searching for greater meaning, now walking aimlessly

She preyed upon your dewy-eyed innocence and destroyed it
Were you blinded by ignorance?
Your naivety destroyed and controlled
The strings may be invisible but her puppetry is overt

The whirlwind that surrounds you has deafened you
Clouded your mind and judgement
Look up and see the clear skies above,

Because then you will be truly free...

Dont be afraid of critque

The heading is much to you as it is to me... . its relevance will become clearer later in this post.

As a child I was not one to keep a diary, however as I got older I found a greater need to keep a journal of some sort. I have recently come across a few of my older journals, or scribblings which have never been read by another, until today. This post has been inspired by a friend who puts his poetry out for the world to read and inevitably criticism. Hence the title of this post, 'Dont be afraid of critque'.

                                                                                                                  October 2008
"I have so many words, thoughts and questions that if this train ride was any longer I could fill these blank and empty pages with colourful thoughts - both meaningful and pointless. But half way on my journey I find my mind drift to the invisible hands that only I feel resting upon my shoulders; They are not supporting me or keeping me standing, they are not guiding me to better lands. These hands I feel are holding me back. I say this not as an excuse of failure but explanation of the state of my mind. I am fully aware that the primary thing holding me back is my own mind, my own thoughts, my own disbelief. However in the six months that I've been aware of them I have not been able to shake, pull or yank myself free. Therefore this is a pointless page where I just make it known that these imaginary hands on my shoulder, holding me back from my own success are an embodiment of my own mind."

The irony being that if nobody reads this blog, its purpose is completely futile.

Fridge poetry

Unfinished

"Hell isn't merely paved with good intentions; it's walled and roofed with them. Yes, and furnished too", these words by Aldous Huxley couldn't be more fitting. As much as I would like to find time everyday to sit down and write a few words, this rarely happens. This blog was theoretically a weekly journal but has resulted in a yearly reminder of unfinished plans. 

Even my blog posts are unfinished. My last entry was with regards to a new challenge, a 21km run.
Again, unfinished; well in this case it never started. Last year, I set a challenge to myself and I fully accepted and committed to the cause. I made a running plan, adjusted my eating - at least for a week. Okay fine, I didn't fully commit to it but I was determined to run the race regardless of the pain that would surely ensue. Jump to the day of the race, torrential rains storms in Knysna had washed away roads and taken with it any chance I had of completing my self-imposed challenge. Due to the amount of rainfall preceding the race, the race was cancelled. I was relieved and disappointed, mainly relived though. 

This year has begun with great speed and as I try to catch up with time, so will I try get you up to speed in events which embody, what one calls, my life.

Challenge accepted

My intentions for this blog was to post various encounters of my relatively mundane existence. At first this worked however I haven't posted something in almost a year. I have numerous scribblings on scraps of paper which never quite made the journey to the keyboard. However this neglect has come to an end with the start of a new challenge.

The topic is not completely new as one of my first posts was about the same topic, an eminent running race, Previously, it was about the Two Oceans 5km marathon, which my friend had given me very little choice in entering, and I was preparing myself for it both mentally and physically. I plan to run it again this year, however it will be a mere 'warm up' to the main event which will take place on the 14th of July.

For sometime I have been looking for a challenge,, and recently someone presented me with an ambitious task, The Knysna Half Marathon. Take into account that even though I gym regularly, the idea of running only 10km's seems like an impossible task. Hence why 21km's is a very worthy and ambitious challenge. One which I gladly accepted. Anxiety shortly followed but then came excitement. The thrill of having something to work towards, train for and to ultimately accomplish. Then to tick it off my Bucket List.

This is all a build up to a bigger and more intriguing challenge, which takes place towards the end of the year, so I will divulge the details at a later date, so stay tuned.

For now, all my attention is focused on getting back into running and eventually come mid-July, reaching my now seemingly unattainable challenge. I have been given a surprising amount of encouragement from various people and of course some doubtful ones too. However, the Knysna Half Marathon is in over four months away, leaving me adequate time to train and reach my goal and maybe even exceed my own expectations.

I have the time and a running plan, so I must just do it, stick to it and then smash it!! So with a little bit of support and my shear will to succeed, I will not only endure the race but will run and finish the modest 21km's, I will cross over the finish line victorious. Don't be mistaken this is not to convince you, as much as it is to convince myself.

Come on a journey with me of challenging new tasks and reaching new heights.

Divine Baking: Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

Divine Baking: Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies: "Last week I went shopping for a KitchenAid stand-mixer, and I couldn't be more excited. I went to four different stores to compare prices. ..."

Heineken - The Tube

A guy's mentality all the way! You gotta love Heineken! One of my favourite Heineken ads!!

Subliminal Advertising

Consumers are inundated with adverts and brands on a daily basis and traditional advertising is no longer the most effective nor cost affective option, advertisers have to think of more creative ways to get their brand noticed especially in the current economic climate. One of the more recent brands that has tried unconventional advertising is Marlboro. However they have been accused of violating certain rules and regulations in the process.

Ferrari is the only Formula One team with a tobacco brand in is formal title, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. In 2005 Ferrari signed an extension of their sponsorship arrangement with Marlboro until 2011. This came at a time when tobacco sponsorship has become completely illegal in the EU. While the other major teams withdrew from their sponsorships from tobacco companies, Marlboro did not. The F1 Racing magazine estimates that in the period between 2005 and 2011 Ferrari will receive $1 billion from the agreement, an amount the Ferrari Team denies. Marlboro therefore has to advertise in a slightly less obvious way, some would even say subliminal way. In 2008, Marlboro displayed explicit on-car branding on Ferrari for the last time, now permanently replaced wit a variety of barcodes in places of it. The Ferrari team claims the barcode is part of the car design, not an advertising message. However from a different perspective it can be seen as a a creative solution to advertising within boundaries.

In typical Ferrari fashion, the F1 car sports a predominately red paint job. Now one of the most dominating elements of the cars paint job though is a massive red, black and white bar code that runs across the air intake behind the driver. It also shows up on drivers uniforms and in other sponsor items. At first glance it looks like a simple racing detail. A new form of stripe, or just a bold graphic touch. However when the car is moving at 200 plus miles per hour, it takes on a different message as it look rather familiar.. A look that is surprisingly similar to the iconic Marlboro logo. Hence subliminal advertising. Regardless of the outcome of this case and the fact that Ferrari is denying the claims from the European Public Health Commissioner; that it potentially violates the UK 2002 Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act; it is indeed clever.