I want one!!!!

I want gorgeous hair!  I know this little gadget would make me look soopa glam and so its my one and only item on my Birthday Wish List this year.  I suppose it wouldn't really be a list then... 

They're so damn expensive here in SA tho at nearly 2000 ZAR.

Its the original GHD hair styler!

There is another cheaper and funky alternative in SA at the moment called Gorgeous.  You can buy them at their online store.  Nice colours!

There is also another product called The Cloud Nine or C9 Styler which the hair stylist of current trends assure me its just as good as the GHD.  It also has temperature control and quite sleek looking in all black.

I wonder if they are as good as the little GHD?  Who knows....

Online Identity Theft

Ever lose your wallet or your handbag? Or worse, have them stolen? That’s one of the most common ways thieves gain access to your vital information.
Just take a look through your wallet or purse, how much information do you have about yourself in there? Its scary, right?

Last year 7,100 victims reported incidents of identity theft in SA. While the majority were taken in by offline approaches, a rising number of online cases are being reported every year. And the number’s growing daily.
The scary thing is, you might be “shedding” these personal details about yourself online without even knowing it. 


Here are six handy tips to minimise your chances of becoming a victim of online identity theft...

So, what can you do to minimise your chances of becoming a victim of online identity theft?
Well, this week, I’m giving you six handy tips…

Tip 1: Keep a “clean” email address
Many of us give out our work or home email address to unknown parties, without even considering the risks. By creating a free “throw away” email address (such as a gmail or hotmail account), you can protect yourself from spammers and identity thieves.

Tip 2: Turn on cookie notices in your web browser
Cookies store information on your computer so online retailers can identify you easily when you’re on their website. Why do they want to do this?
Simple. It allows them to personalise your browsing experience. In many cases, cookies can be really useful since they store your user ID and your password. That way you don’t have to retype these details when you log onto a site.

But on certain sites, like an online banking site or a shopping site, you should never - under no circumstances - allow them to run.

Disable cookies through Internet Explorer on a site-by-site basis and delete any cookie that makes you feel uneasy. Tempting as it sounds, instead of blocking all cookie use, configure your browser to allow “session cookies” – this will ensure useful cookies are on, while those that track your history expire when you’re done on the site.

Tip 3: Don’t get personal
Don’t reveal personal information to someone you don’t know or have just met. And beware of sites that offer you a prize in exchange for your contact information or other personal details.

Tip 4: Check the site for this sign
If you’re buying online, look out for the lock and key icon. It means the company has encrypted the page and no one will be able to see you enter information. (This is especially important when shopping online where you need to give your credit card and CCV number.)

And always keep invoices. If you’ve bought an item over the internet, print out the invoice and keep a record of it so you can prove what you’ve bought and what you haven’t.

Tip 5: Inspect the link
If the site redirects you, especially your bank’s site, check the link very carefully. If you don’t, you may be heading to a “dummy” website. Here the site will ask you to enter your private information under the premise that you’re on a secure site. How do you know if you’re on a “dummy” site? Usually one letter or number is different from the web address you’re looking for – so always check.

Tip 6: Avoid using the easy option
When coming up with a password, don’t use your name or birth date. The best passwords include numbers, letters (upper and lower case) and symbols.

Two free ways to keep yourself safe

Yes, you can spend hundreds (if not thousands) of rands on anti-virus software. But you can also get decent protection for free. Anti-Virus Guard (Free.avg.com), for example, offers good all round free anti-virus software.

For extra piece of mind, get a basic firewall free from Zone Alarm. And remember, Microsoft also provides users with a built in firewall, so check your settings to make sure it’s up and running.

As Ruth Jackson puts it: “In short, when it comes to your identity, a bit of care buys a lot of peace of mind.”

Here’s to your financial freedom!

By Karin Iten - For the Investment Academy

Football Fridays

The Fridays are fast ticking down until the 2010 Fifa World Cup kick-off, and South Africans are being urged to mark each one by "dressing down" in a way that will come naturally to a sports-crazy population – by wearing a football shirt to work (or play).

What is Football Fridays?

It's a call to all South Africans to get behind the 2010 Fifa World Cup:

• To start getting excited about the biggest sporting show on the planet – arriving on African soil for the first time on Friday, 11 June 2010.


• To start supporting the African team that will run out onto the pitch at Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium on that day – Bafana Bafana.


• To start getting ready to welcome hundreds of thousands of travelling football fans, and hundreds of millions of television viewers, to the southern tip of Africa.

What should I do for Football Fridays?

Wear a football shirt to work (or play) on Friday – every Friday between now and the start of the 2010 Fifa World Cup on Friday, 11 June 2010.
Got that sorted? Now go have some fun:

• Wear one, tell your friends to wear one, tell your work colleagues to wear one, tell your kids to wear one. Kids, tell your parents to wear one. Get one for your dog to wear.


• Get interested. Get excited. Get talking – about the team whose shirt you're wearing. About your favourite players. About football ...

Because it's all about football. And being part of the same team: Team South Africa.

Anything else I should be doing?

Don't let us hold you back! We want to show the world what Team South Africa is about. So: wear a makarapa. Blow a vuvuzela. Fly the South African flag. Practise singing the South African anthem. Get ready to be a good host in 2010!

Can I wear any football shirt?

Yes. Obviously, we'd prefer it if it were a Bafana Bafana shirt. But whether it displays the colours of the national team or of Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Real Madrid or Man United, by wearing it each Friday, you'll be showing your true colours as a supporter of South Africa 2010.

Why Football Fridays?

Because as events go, as audience goes, as media coverage goes, it doesn't come bigger than the football World Cup. Pulling it off is going to take a Team South Africa effort.
And because we won't get another chance like this to show the world that we can. That Africa is not just about war, disease, poverty or crime. That we're a country and a continent that's alive with warmth, energy, resources, resourcefulness, resilience, ambition, ubuntu. Possibility.

Who's behind Football Fridays?

Football Fridays is a joint initiative of the country's major 2010 partners:

• The 2010 Fifa World Cup SA Organising Committee
• The Government Communication and Information System
• South African Tourism
• The International Marketing Council of South Africa
• The South African Broadcasting Corporation

Where did the idea come from?

According to Wikipedia, Casual Friday (or Dress-down Friday, or simply Casual Day) is "an American and Canadian custom which has spread to other parts of the world, wherein some offices celebrate a semi-reprieve from the constrictions of a formal dress code."

South Africa celebrates Casual Day on the first Friday of September each year (coinciding with the arrival of Spring) as a way of raising money, awareness and support for people with disabilities.

On 24 April 2009, South African hotel group Southern Sun launched Football Fun Days, encouraging its 6 000 staff members to don their favourite football jersey every Friday, in order to "start 'living' the message that soon we will be hosting the world's largest football event."

In August 2009, at the 2010 National Communication Partnership conference in Johannesburg, South Africa's major 2010 partners acknowledged the power and simplicity of Southern Sun's initiative, and decided to take it national, under the banner of the Fly the Flag for Football campaign that was launched in April.

Speaking at the conference, 2010 Organising Committee chairman Irvin Khoza urged South Africans to appreciate the enormity of the World Cup, and to make the most of the event to promote the country and the continent in all its energy and diversity.

"Think of the tournament as a 30-day commercial for South Africa," Khoza said. "A 30-day television commercial to be watched by a cumulative audience of billions around the globe. This is the scale of the opportunity for South Africans to present this country effectively and proactively."

Get your Football Jersey's and participate on Football Friday!!!

Happy Easter

Thougth I'd be different this year and get a Kitty to wish you a Happy Easter.

Well, he is wearing Bunny Slippers!

Enjoy and don't eat too many chocolate Easter Eggs!!!

New Porn Channel on D-Sat

eTV, through its pay - TV subsidiary e.Sat, will launch South Africa’s first adult entertainment channel on the DStv platform

Earlier this year reports emerged that MultiChoice was considering adding ‘adult content’ to its DStv offerings.  Jackie Rakitla, MultiChoice’s GM of Corporate Affairs, said at the time that MultiChoice has been inundated with requests to provide adult content on DStv over the last few months.

MultiChoice then conducted research to establish the extent of the interest in adult content and the feasibility of introducing such a service, but after a backlash from the public decided to scrap the idea.

In early March, MultiChoice said that their research indicated that a significant portion of DStv subscribers are against adult channels, while some are indifferent to it and another significant section positive.

“It was unfortunate that the research conducted was misinterpreted by some people to mean that a decision was made to introduce an adult content channel on our bouquets,” said Nolo Letele, Group CEO of MultiChoice South Africa.

Porn channel from e.Sat

In December 2007 – soon after being announced as one of South Africa’s newly licensed pay-TV operators - e.Sat, the sister business to free-to-air television channel eTV, said that it will initiate a multi-channel strategy and in 2008 launched South Africa's first independent 24-hour television news service on MultiChoice's DStv platform.

eTV/e.Sat has now surprised the market with the announcement that its second product will be an adult entertainment channel to be offered on the DStv platform.

The new 24-hour adult channel planned by e.Sat will only be available to DStv premium subscribers as a ‘bolt-on’ package, and will not appear on any standard DStv bouquets.

The price for the bolt-on adult channel is not yet known, but an e.Sat spokesperson said that the subscription is likely to be in the region or R50 per month.

eTV has become well known for its late night adult movies on its eTV free-to-air channel, and according to the company the popularity of these movies clearly indicate that there is a demand for adult content on television in South Africa.

According to e.Sat adult content manager Jeremy Sloof the channel will be commercially available from mid 2010, and will feature content from respected adult entertainment companies like Playboy, Hustler and Vivid.

More information about the e.Sat adult channel and the programs that will be featured is available here.