How do you wake a deaf person, especially if the building that they are in is on fire? You squirt a puff of wasabi at them, obviously. Seven Japanese researchers were awarded the Ig Nobel prize for chemistry in the 21st annual Ig Nobel awards, a spoof of the real Nobel awards, at Harvard University last night for their invention.
Please notice the “allegedly” up there. Reports claim that two senior officials at the SABC have been arrested in London after refusing to pay two prostitutes for their services; the two men were in the UK for a business school initiative set up between South African and British academic boards.
The Snor [Thanks, Riaan]
The study, which took place over a two-year period, is based on a “mood analysis” of some 509 million posts from 2,4 million users. Researchers found that our outlook varies greatly depending on the time of day, the day of the week and the season, with our moods improving as the summer solstice nears and over weekends. So basically it’s a study of what we already know. Kiff.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has today told a small news conference that China has agreed to invest approximately R19 billion in investment projects around South Africa. He’s been on a three-day visit to China, and has avoided all mention of the constant South African headache that is deciding whether the Dalai Lama should get a visa or not.
Producer, Rick Leed announced at a press release today the production of a reality show centered on the lives of three of Nelson Mandela’s grandchildren – Dorothy Adjoa Amuah, Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway, and Swati Dlamini. Leed is known for his work on the American reality series, Dr. 90210. The three stars are known for being related to somebody important.
The most revealing evidence came on day two of the Michael Jackson trial, as his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was said to have made a strange request shortly after the King of Pop’s untimely death. According to Jackson’s personal assistant, Michael Williams, Dr. Murray asked if he could be taken back to Jackson’s house […]
The Indian game show, Bigg Boss, is comprised of celebrity contestants, and uses roughly the same mechanic as Big Brother. You know, with the “Wizard of OZ pay-no-attention-the-man-behind-the-curtain” voice. Because that happens in reality. Jonty is reportedly pretty keen, because his stint in the fifth show in the series means he gets to see model, Poonam Pandey.
Have you ever wished you could be someone else for a day, a week, a lifetime? The Change-Up will give you a couple of good reasons to stop doing that in the body-swap movie to rule them all… starring Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds. This is not a Disney movie folks, in fact, it’s what the Farrelly brothers were […]
Wonderful. Leisha Hailey, former The L-Word castmember, was thrown off of a Southwest Airlines flight yesterday for kissing her girlfriend – the flight attendant citing the apparent fact that Southwest is a “family airline.” This is the same airline that booted Kevin Smith for being fat, and Green Day’s Billy Joel Armstrong for wearing baggy pants.
In the spirit of not taking ourselves too seriously, please enjoy this new music video by The Brothers Streep, in which they take a gentle stab at a few big South African musical acts. You can catch the Brothers Streep live on their own show, every Friday on 2oceansVibe Radio. Click here, for details.
If the image of a dead Michael Jackson wasn’t enough to shock, the DA pulled out a voice recording at the first day of the Michael Jackson trial. This, from the Telegraph: Opening statements in Dr Conrad Murray’s trial began with prosecutors airing a recording of a groggy and seemingly drugged Michael Jackson just weeks […]
This decade’s OJ Simpson trial is bound to be as gripping as the original, with all the American showmanship one could dream of. Right on cue the opening statement was punctuated by a shocking image of Michael Jackson – dead. Conrad Murray, Jackson’s personal physician, is on trial for the death of the King of […]
A study from Lawrence Berkely National Library has claimed that when you smoke a blunt, you contribute indirectly to a little under a kilogram of carbon dioxide emissions. The same study suggests that US pot growers are responsible for 1% of national electricity consumption. So I guess it’s not that green after all. (Sorry.)
Well hey, that sounds at least a little familiar. Ivan Lewis, shadow culture secretary is presently proposing a licensing scheme for journalists at the Labour party conference in Liverpool, which would have the power to prohibit people from doing any sort of journalism – which would have to include tweeting, blogging, and uploading pictures of stuff.
The Ahrlac (Advanced High Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft) will have a number of uses, including border patrol and surveillance. But, just in case, they’ve also equipped it with a 20mm canon. At a cool R79,59 million each, these badboys aren’t exactly recession friendly. But who cares? Who needs money when you have guns?
So hey, it turns out that on top of everything else, Hitler got slapped with a speeding fine south of Ingolstadt for going twice the speed limit in his Mercedes limousine. This was about two years before becoming Fuhrer, though, so Adolf got his chauffeur to take the heat to keep from spoiling his image.
Anyone who watched Eastbound & Down will want to see this. And anyone who hasn’t watched Eastbound & Down, should. Get season 1 on Kalahari here and season 2 here. For those of you living in the future, get it on US iTunes (get US iTunes account here). The following video contains swearing, so, you know, […]
With a name like Doña Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba, one might excuse her for looking like a struck match. Clearly someone does, seeing as the twice-widowed aristocrat is getting remarried to Alfonso Diez, a man 24 years her junior. The news was announced after she bequeathed every penny she owns, to her children.
This week’s re-make is less a strict film re-make, and more the graduation of a classic television interpretation to the big screen, and considering how well acclaimed the original story is, it’s quite surprising this hasn’t happened sooner: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Raise your hand if a taxi has ever put your life in danger. At the recent launch of Transport Month in Richard’s Bay, Santaco president Jabulani Mthembu made it clear that he is fully behind Transport Minister S’bu Ndebele’s call for a speed limit reduction. He’s also urging motorists to stop “rushing” on our roads. Rich.
The October issue of Playboy Magazine is on its way and. Readers will be happy to know that yet another South African celebrity features on the cover. It is none other than Eve, South Africa’s unofficial Minister of Domestic Affairs. This awesome image of the cover was posted on journalist Gus Silber’s blog earlier today.
This is just the start. Soon we’ll be giving them the vote. A three-foot-tall robot called the iCub has been nominated to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay for the 2012 London Games, partially to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Alan Turing’s birth, and partially to creep people out with three-foot-tall, fire-wielding robots.
R.E.M. has decided to unplug their instruments for good, concluding a career spanning some 30 years and having achieved record sales that topped the 30 million mark. The band made the announcement via a statement on their website yesterday and dished out praise and thanks to all their loyal fans for the years of support.
Look, it’s nice to know Apple isn’t the only company that knows how to create buzz by accidentally leaking information. Ji Lee, Facebook’s creative director, tweeted about Facebook Music, which is set to launch tomorrow. The post was quickly deleted, but not before the Internet had time to get all excited about it.
Disney and James Cameron are teaming up to transform a corner of the Magic Kingdom into a theme park based on Cameron’s multi-billion dollar grossing sci-fi 3D cinema-clogger, Avatar.
Nelson Mandela is a more visible world leader than Barack Obama, the Dalai Lama and the Pope. This is according to the Reputation Institute, which has done a perception assessment of 54 individuals currently considered to be global leaders. Not bad for a man who retired from presidency in the 1990s.
The First Grader is the inspiring true story of Kimani Maruge, a Kenyan ex-Mau Mau freedom fighter, who at the age of 84 fought the system for his right to an education he could never afford. This powerful biographical drama tells of Maruge’s struggle as he and primary school teacher, Jane Obinchu, stood up to a community […]
This column is really a tribute to Durban’s Number One, East Coast Radio. Thanks to those DJs and their music selection committee, I got the joke when Jay-Z and Mr. Hudson sang Forever Young. I was belting out the tunes like all the white 30-somethings when the Wedding DJs played at Oppikoppi this year. I threw out the question of the greatest one-hit wonders of all time on Twitter yesterday afternoon, and the responses were varied and colourful. This is not a compilation of the five most chosen songs. This is not a democracy. This is my list.
The upstart German Pirate Party took just under 9% of the electoral vote in Sunday’s Berlin elections, winning 15 seats in the 149-seat state parliament. For the most part, they’ve been campaigning on a platform of free Wi-Fi, free public transportation, and a lower voting age. Just like real pirates.