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.

A smile!

This is dedicated to all those who need a smile!
Hope you all enjoy!!

'Riding with the King of Teaze'

There are few people that have not heard of Lolly Jackson, especially after today. The owner of the Teazers chain of strip clubs was shot dead in Johannesburg late yesterday. He was shot several times; the killer not only fled the scene in Jackson's car but proceeded to call the police to confess. I find it ironic that his death is surrounded with as much controversy as his life.

However, we have something in common and that's his second passion: cars. Famous not only for being the owner of Teazers but also for being caught going 249 kilometres an hour within city limits in a Lamborghini apparently in his way to church!

His fleet of cars also include Ferraris and Porsches not to mention various old classic American cars of the fifties, sixties and seventies, including a pink '59 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. Classic American cars may not be my first choice of car to collect, having said that the iconic '59 Cadillac is one I would love to own. The car itself conjures up images of Elvis and Rock 'n Roll.

In fact, Johnny Hyatt penned a song called "Riding With The King" which undeniably epitomises the '59 Caddy. It is therefore only fitting that it's owner is the 'King of Teaze'. Regardless of all the controversy that plagued his life, R.I.P. Emmanuel 'Lolly' Jackson.

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I'm alive...

Well I f I had more then one follower there might be more concerned people in the world. As I ended my last entry three days before a race I thought might kill me, hence the title. So for those out there, I'm alive...

To justify my lack of entires, I give you this quote, "There are probably more half-written novels in the world than there are novels", and no I don't remember who said it first!

Days are shorter and I feel like there is too much to get done than my day allows me, however this could be due to the fact that I get easily distracted. My attention span seems to shorten daily, it's my own little 'Benjamin Button' experience. The year is moving along swiftly yet I'm getting a bit left behind, I need to kick up a gear, I need to put down the beer, stop playing solitaire, find inspiration and stay focused!
p.s. blogging is not part of that plan but I will make an exception.

Almost there

The countdown continues, it now stands at three days and getting more nervous at every passing second!
The more often I seem to train the worse my lungs seem to get, its a conundrum to me. On the other hand, our recruits are growing, yay more people I know will witness my lung failure and possible death.

Nothing world changing has occurred in my life, all is going on as usual.
Looking forward to the Easter weekend as its as much of a holiday as I get, there's also that hidden bonus of copious amounts of chocolate. It is always fun watching a group of adults run around looking for easter eggs although I'm sure my neighbours think we're looking for our marbles. In my family, the adults usually have more fun then the children on Easter. It consists of one of them hiding the eggs, usually the one with the worst case of Alzheimers, this year I'm nominating my mom. The children are then letloose at a countdown from fifty, the adults then proceed to push the children out the way so they can get to the eggs first, once there they shout' "I can see one, I can see one", obviously getting everyone young enough not to know better excited. At this point they crush the children's excitement in one of two ways; either by grabbing the egg right in front of the overly excited eyes or by proclaiming 'Oh, it's nothing' and walking off to the next tree to repeat the performance. Easter for the children of my family has always been as much about the chocolate as the torture we have to endure.

However, this year events will occur differently as there are no children under the age of, well twenty-three actually, so the usual tricks to incite excitement will not work, everyone's strategy will need to change. I plan to adopt the 'each for their own' strategy. I will let you now how the events unfold.

Nine days to go...

Training for my 5km hasn't left me in as much physical pain as I had anticipated, all seems to be on track.
My work however isn't running as smoothly, or at all. Procrastination is one of the few skills I have mastered, it's taken years to perfect. Today I took full advantage of my fine tuned skill and managed to effortlessly avoid all forms of work.
When you actually search, although you don't really need to look very hard or long as there are so many, nevertheless you will be surprised how many websites there are with the primary function of wasting peoples time. If you have no idea what I'm goin on about go look at www.boredpanda.com.

So go forth, procrastinate, waste time and avoid the work piling up on your desk.

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Day Two

I have very few words for tonight. I've been waiting all day for inspiration to appear to me in any form however as I started running out off daylight I decided just to write that I have nothing to write.
Days are shorter nights longer, winter is on its way.

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The Start

Well, I've been planning to start a blog for awhile so I thought I would put an end to my 'pie crust promise' (easily made easily broken); and start one. This is the start of 'A Few Words' on whatever is on my mind!
My friend has convinced me or rather hasn't given me a choice about running the Two Oceans with her, only the 5km.
This wouldn't be an issue however I haven't done any form of exercise since last year. Yesterday I got off the couch and went for a run or a walk with short bouts of running. Today I went for my second run and realised why I had initial doubts. I'm not sure how this will end but one thing is for sure, you'll be the first to know!!