With a toddler in my house, what is shown on television is extremely important. Over the last two and a half years, I’ve been figuring out how it all works, what the best channels are, programmes, etc. I have always been fascinated by the psychology that goes into creating children’s programming. In his book, the Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell gives us a peek into how Sesame Street was created and the amount of creativity, research and testing that went into producing Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues. It is not about merely finding something that is perceived to be funny or educational for...
The Assassination of Malcolm X
Today, February 21st, is the 45th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X. He had an impact on my life in a way that is inexplicable but very real. When I was in university and Spike Lee created the film with Denzel Washington as Malcolm X, I had a wall of my res room covered with pictures. The hype around the film made it easier to collect everything Malcolm X. I was able to acquire books with all of his speeches, even the script for the film. I had medallions, t-shirts and even a duffel bag. Last year, I was asked by a magazine to write about a book that changed my life and what I...
The Red Bulletin
a man on a bike hops over a fountain machine in full rev in mid-air he lands at the feet of those watching, to their delight doing the seemingly impossible in a courtyard outside a nightclub in the day time a b-boy defies the pull of the planet’s natural forces and hovers for a brief second as if suspended by the thinnest of wires before moulding himself into the ground’s crevices a deejay dances with 2 turntables he and the music are in intricate dialogue as his fingers manipulate word, rhythm, sound head half-cocked to the side balancing the headphones between ear and shoulder between...
The Flüds Are Coming
It had a black strap, white face with a picture of Mickey Mouse, his arms the hands to tell time. I was still trying to figure out the whole time thing but had practically begged my father to pick me up a Mickey Mouse watch on his travels. I was more into Disney characters than actually telling time but that was my first watch. Later, the in-thing was a watch with the calculator. It had tiny little rubber buttons, was a bit of a mission to work with and wasn’t allowed in tests or exams, but it was straight out of the future. It was also the last watch my father would buy me because I was...
The Artist: Activist Publication
The power of Twitter. Through a relationship created through Twitter, I was invited to submit some poetry for the publication Artist: Activist - Rehearsing For The Revolution put together by Joi Sears: www.theatreforthefreepeople.com. If you would like to be included in future publications or would like more information on some of the initiatives taking place, check out the site. In the meantime .....these are the words, thoughts, feelings, images and artistry of a range of artists ..... myself included . Click to launch the full edition in a new window.
Beyond borders – Free Air Tickets
Opportunity exists in abundance. The problem lies in exposure or awareness. Some pass us by because we operate with blinders; others because we are not exposed to them. I randomly came across a great opportunity for small to medium-sized businesses in South Africa. British Airways is offering 50 South African companies the opportunity to win a Business Opportunity Grant with each Grant consisting of “10 return Business Class flights anywhere on the British Airways network (valid for a year and excluding taxes, fees and charges). Every winning company will also receive valuable business...
