Prostitutes beat dating and avoids time-wasting of pickup lines

An accountant friend of mine once suggested it is easier just to pay for sex and get it over with. Most guys will go out to a club, maybe pay a cover charge, buy drinks for himself and possibly several women, and he still has no guarantee of a sexual encounter, much less dating any of the women he meets, and much less developing a long term relationship (because most men are not looking for those anyway). So it was amusing to find this article below…

John Moore on sex: Prostitutes beat dating

An actor friend of mine once told me he was asked to perform oral sex on a director to secure a supporting role in a movie. “Did you do it?” I asked. “Sure why not,” he responded, “I do it for free– why wouldn’t I do it for $50,000?”

Just another unseemly Hollywood anecdote to some. But to those of us inclined to see the world through an economic lens, in financial instruments, it has its amateur and professional traders.

We know sex has intrinsic value because it is universally coveted (although more by men than by women). We fail to identify the transactional nature of everyday coupling only because of the ineffable and unquantifiable nature of the major currencies: youth, power and beauty. Those who have these qualities in abundance have little trouble obtaining gratification. If you lack in all of these areas, you can either do without, work exceedingly hard (begging, serial dating) or use the most commonly accepted currency there is, money.

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Jill Bolte Taylor’s powerful stroke of insight

This must be one of the most amazing stories someone has lived to tell. The experience described by Dr Jill Bolte Taylor is doing the rounds on the Web because of how powerfully she delivered her story at the TED 2008 Conference. For me it was a fascinating talk because it is east meets west or in her words left brain meets right brain talk. (more…)

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March 2008 27Dinner Recap

This is the first time I’m writing a review of the monthly 27Dinner meetings that happen across South Africa. These meetings have matured over the last year into a worthwhile meeting place for innovative minds. These are likely to be the entrepreneurs who will steer the direction of business in South Africa for the next 50 years as the baby boomers go into retirement and die off ;-)

Brian Carl BrownWherever Brian Carl Brown goes, I will follow. That may sound quasi-religious but I mean it because he is such a dynamic man, with a ton of energy and he knows how to bring that to the audience or the room. After rumours of a downturn in 27Dinner, Brian through his organisation, Blue Catalyst Network, stepped in as a sponsor and co-host of these excellent events. What struck me as a really positive sign is that these events continue to draw new people, who are not even blogging, into the fold. And I estimate there would a high conversion to becoming active bloggers or at least learning how to blog from these newbies.

After my initial apprehension that 4 speakers were to many for this format event I was impressed by how smoothly it all went. And because these events are hosted in public restaurants (like Primi Piatti in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg) it is difficult to have a Q&A. The speakers all asked if there were question but I noticed very little responses forthcoming.

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South African born Dr Neil Turok wants the next Einstein to be from Africa

This is the message that makes TED such a powerful platform. As a TEDGlobal 2007 Fellow I am still speechless when I think of the amazing opportunity of becoming a part of this community. In a strange way its a very exclusive club but it’s also making a very public impact since they started publishing these videos on their website.

Dr Neil Turok was born in South Africa. His parents was involved in the anti-Apartheid struggle and eventually moved to Kenya and later to England. He now counts Professor Stephen Hawking as his peer at Cambridge University but it’s his work in Africa, with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) that has won his the very prestigious TED 2008 Prize. The TED Prize is a US$100 000 cash prize, and a TED wish during the acceptance speech.

Remember the next TED Africa conference is happening in Cape Town in September – 1 October 2008. Anyway here’s the video of Dr Neil Turok’s very inspiring acceptance speech at TED 2008:

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Reducing Technology Stress in a Wireless World

You are invited to a this event hosted by Ramon Thomas in association with BulkSMS. These briefings have been designed to be fully interactive and will be looking at real-life examples, common mistakes and effective ways to reduce technology stress in a wireless world.

The cellphone has become an indispensable part of our working life, but our increased accessibility comes at a psychological cost. The cellphone comes with the blessing or burden of the ring. The phone rings and it needs to be answered or left to bother us or those around us. Our decision to answer the phone, be it at home or at the office, means that we disturb the people within earshot of our conversation. Personal issues could be verbally displayed in and around the office, interrupting colleagues. Work could be discussed in the confines of our homes taking up the precious time spent with family. People should be empowered to control their phone, otherwise their phones will control them.

The increase in cellphone usage for work and private calls or messaging can be a source of irritation. This talk will focus on ways that the cellphone and SMS messaging can be used to improve workplace productivity keeping the, sometimes welcome, interruption that the cellphone brings to a minimum and also ways that current technology can be used to reduce what is becoming commonly known as technology stress.

Dr Pieter Streicher BulkSMSSpeakers include Dr Piet Streicher, MD of BulkSMS and Ramon Thomas, leading authority in the psychology of technology.

Other information:
Participants will receive a comprehensive set of notes relating to the workshop, together with supplementary handouts. Participants will also receive tip sheets, and other supporting information, to take away for future reference. Each workshop will be 2 hours long and cost R150 pp.

Some of the topics that will be discussed include:

- 10 Steps for Cleaning up Information Pollution
- The Mobile Worker in South Africa
- The Multitasking Myth
- Increasing Focus and Productivity in the 21st Century office
- Strategies for the Automated Lifestyle

Cape Town:
Date: Thursday 17 April
Venue: The Cullinan Hotel
Time: 15h00 – 17h00 with networking afterwards (drinks & snacks provided)

Johannesburg:
Date: Thursday 15 May
Venue: Balalaika Hotel, Sandton
Time: 15h00 – 17h00 with networking afterwards (drinks & snacks provided)

Durban:
Date: Wednesday 28 May
Venue: Blue Waters, Central City District
Time: 15h00 – 17h00 with networking afterwards (drinks & snacks provided)

To register, email Deirdre van Zyl Smit at rsvp@bulksms.com or call her on 082 3244 639 today.

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Using Skype credit to make calls to landlines or cellphones vs Telkom

About two years ago I received a call from a colleague of mine who was also a non-executive director on the ICDL Foundation in Cape Town. It was strange because I would have assumed calling me from his cellphone would be reasonable priced. For the longest time I’ve had the default belief that landline to landline, cellphone to cellphone and of course Skype to Skype is the best/cheapest way of making calls.

After posting this introductory post about Skype I received several questions about using Skype Credit and Skype Phones in South Africa. This post outlines the answers to those questions and more. Keep posting your questions if you have even more specific questions about Skype.

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What’s the purpose of getting engaged before marriage?

I have never been married so this post is completely biased. However, I’ve been to many weddings like most people have in their lifetimes. And in 3 cases I have been best man, twice to cousins and once to a best friend from school. I’m not sure if they were engaged but I assume they were because it’s such an excepted part of the wedding rituals. Anyway I received the following email from an American lady…

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Men give better dating advice for women

This is no surprise for me because I’ve had the greatest response from women when they find out I’m a dating coach in South Africa. Men often do not want to ask for advice because they are afraid it makes them look weak. Anyway this is an excellent article about why women should ask their male friends for dating advice rather then their female friends (especially those who are also single/divorced)…

Women give women complicated advice about men, how to play games and trick a guy into dating them. Men give dating advice that is based on common sense and a more simplistic approach: smile, go after guys you have something in common with and don’t be hung up on how you look.

When Jakki Chrysler wants to know why a guy hasn’t called her, she does not consult her girlfriends. The 21-year-old knows they will be concerned, and would eagerly sit down to hash over the possible reasons why her love interest is not acting interested in return. But she usually opts to approach her male roommate, seeking out a perspective her female friends cannot provide.

My girlfriends will stay positive for me. They’re more likely to say don’t worry about it, he’s probably really busy,” said the currently single fashion student. Whereas my guy friend will say you should just date other people and not be hung up on it.”

The notion that men give women more honest dating advice was famously introduced in an episode of Sex and the City, in which Miranda was informed by a male friend that a guy was “just not that into you.”

The line spawned a bestselling book called He’s Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo that was then turned into a film, set for release this summer, starring Scarlett Johansson and Drew Barrymore.

But the concept has also kick-started a subsection of the self-help industry: Dating Advice for Dames Written by Dudes.

Read the full article: Men do it better

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Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television by Jerry Mander

Four arguments for the elimination of television jerry manderThis is an important book because it outlines a cause to so many problems, that is so pervasive it goes unnoticed by the vast majority of people. Television was only introduced in South Africa in 1975, as it happens the year I was born, because the Apartheid government saw a threat to itself loosing control. It would be fascinating to know who finally made the convincing argument to get the government’s approval. This book was published in 1978 or 30 years ago and it’s not hard to imagine how much more entrenched this technology has become, especially given the rise of the so-called reality television programming. (more…)

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Spending the Easter Weekend with Paris Hilton in South Africa

Paris Hilton Jakaranda children's home in Pretoria South AfricaUS socialite Paris Hilton is currently visiting South Africa with her boyfriend, Benji Madden. She has been on the local news and some photographs have already surfaced of Paris playing with school children from the Jakaranda Kinderhuis school in Pretoria. Her boyfriend Benji Madden and his band, Good Charlotte, are to perform at My Coke Fest over the Easter weekend.

As I noticed Paris on SABC television news I wondered if there’s anyone in the world right now who is better at self-promotion than Paris Hilton? I don’t think so because she just keeps popping up. It’s almost like you cannot get away from her brazen image, not even here at the bottom tip of Africa ;-)

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