Top Ten Guilty Pleasures 2011

As I secretly indulged in some of my favorite things this morning, I started thinking about guilty pleasures. The urban dictionary says a guilty pleasure is something that we shouldn’t like, but we like anyway. I think this is a contradiction in terms. If we really like doing something, we shouldn’t feel guilty about it, right?

CNN did a story on this last year entitled We men don’t have ‘guilty’ pleasures. According to that article, for men, “obsessions are points of pride, not shame.”

What are yours? Here are my top 10 guilty pleasures in no particular order. I wonder if any of yours are the same as mine?

1. Long, very hot showers - the hotter the better, and i consider this my “Me Time” because really, it’s the only place I can have enough peace and quiet to hear my own thoughts.
2. Blogging - Really.  I do this for me.  I don’t make money on it (obviously), and it’s just something I do in my spare time that’s fun.  I read them. I write them.
3. Twitter - Twitter is so full of the awesome.  Like Like Like.  And my friends on Twitter?  You’re worth gold. Seriously, probably more than a lot of the IRL people I know on Facebook, which can be … not so much.  Why can’t yall live closer so we can play???
4. My phone - I love my phone. I got it as an early this year and ahhhh it’s fantastical.  Blackberry? You are my friend.  You aren’t iPhone or a Android, but you’re still full of the awesome and you don’t hang up my phone calls without my consent (mostly).  I love using it to tweet and keep up to speed with my Facebook updates.
5. Re-gifting- is something I think many people do but few will admit. It fits the true definition of guilty pleasure. It’s so fun to take that lame gift and pass it on. No need to feel guilty because the person you gave it to will probably pass it on too!
6. Playing Facebook games - Damn this is a curse and is very addictive. Poker is my current weakness but i use to play many more before such as mafia wars, street racer, farmville ... thats just to mention a few. 
7. Over eating - You know when theres so much made that you love you just cant hold back so you have a helping of each ... yip thats my most valued guilty pleasure. I LOVE FOOD! You know what they say ... the way to a mans heart is his stomach!
8. Just doing... nothing! - I've become so good at this that its become second nature and thats not a good sign. On a brighter note a idol mind is a peaceful mind! My form of meditation (*^,)
9. Staying in my pj's all day - is something i do every chance i get. I make my life a holiday especially now since i am on holiday ... I sit here enjoying this pleasure right now !
10. Going back to sleep after my alarm goes off - I love my phone because it snoozes when i tell it to ... unless... i off it in my sleep instead of snoozing it, happens so often. 

Technology That Empowers Me 2011

1. My Blackberry - So i got this baby starting of this year(2011) and i first hated Blackberry's and was just getting one for convince because they are so cheap to use and you are always socially connected ... It owns me now lol. Twitter, Facebook, BBM, Mxit, Whatsapp, Liveprofile, Facechat (Facebook chat client), on-the-go email and live updates to all of these besides the dying client (MXIT). I've learn't to love it and the calender is heaven, i am a first year Business Information Technology student and always am up to date with where i have to be thanks to my calender. The Blackberry Curve 3G became to common so i decided to trick mine out with OS6 and now love it even more! 
2. My Laptop - I got my laptop after mid last year in preparation for university. It is a Lenovo Edge 14" incredible machine, I love and and there is not a day i do not use it! At campus i use it to take down all my lecture notes in MS Outlook which syncs to my Blackberry. At home i use it to manage my social networks watch movies and programme rubbish lol.
3. My Full HD 32" TV - (Hisense 32" FullHD LCD) This i was given as a gift for my 18th Birthday. I don't watch much live TV but its heaven to use as a computer screen but on that not I'm sad to say my desktop no longer works and when it is fixed i will be handing it over as the family computer. The upside is i can use it as a secondary screen for my laptop so i can watch movies and series.
4. My IPod Touch 3rd Gen - No facetime and other fancy new stuff but it still rocks! This baby i got by luck. I have this since ... hmm let me think ... ok lets just guesstimate and say in the beginning 2009. Only recently had a jailbroke it with green poison and it is like heaven, i have the most awesome premium apps and games such as NFS Hot Pursuit 2 and many more. It also holds my escape to paradise ... My Music Library !!! 
5. My 2x1TB External Hard Drives - What would my life be without a place to store all my data --> Movies, Music, Series, Pictures, Work, Documents, Install Files and so much more. Without my External hard drives i'd still be using DVD's. I have 2 iOmega 1TB DDR2 HDD's and i believe iOmaga makes the best hard drives.

Yes Technology does empower me so does the internet, without it I would not know as much as I do. Also all these products have not given me problems and i would recommend them to anyone.

Get More Done Each Day

Seven Ways to Get More Done Each Day By Brian Tracy

There are seven methods you can use to get more done each day. Each suggestion is simple, direct, and costs no money.

Work Harder
Work harder than you are working today. You can concentrate with greater intensity on your work. You can focus single-mindedly and discipline yourself to work without interruption, diversion, or distraction. You can work harder than anyone else, which is a secret to great success.

Work Faster
You can work faster than you do today. You can pick up the pace. You can develop a faster tempo. You can move more quickly from place to place and from job to job. When you combine working harder and working faster, you can get more done in a single day than most people get done in a week.

Batch your Tasks
You can batch your tasks. You can do a series of similar jobs together, taking advantage of the learning curve.

Do More Important Things
You can batch your tasks. You can do a series of similar jobs together, taking advantage of the learning curve.

Do Things You’re Better At
Do things at which you excel. The better you are in a key skill area, the more you can get done, and at a higher level of quality. Because you are better at these tasks, they will be easier for you, so you will get them done with less effort, and you will have more energy as a result.

Make Fewer Mistakes
To get more done, you can make fewer mistakes. You can take the time to do it right the first time. You’ve heard it said, “there is never enough time to do it right, but there is always enough time to do it over.” One of the best time management techniques is to do it right the first time, even if it takes a little more effort and concentration.

Simplify the World
You can simplify the work by reducing the number of steps necessary to complete the task. This makes the job simpler and easier to get done.

Action Exercise
Focus on doing a quality job the first time you do the task so that you do not need to waste time to go back and fix that task.

A Zen 9 Mindfulness Rituals

Are you simply moving through your day, without fully living?

I did this for many years. It was as if life were just passing by, and I was waiting for something to happen. I always felt like I was preparing for something later.

But today isn’t preparation for tomorrow. Today’s the main event.

Fully live today by being mindful. I realize this is easier said than done — mindfulness is a habit that’s not easily picked up. And so I’ve decided to share with you some of my favorite mindfulness rituals to help you appreciate every moment.

You don’t need to do all of these, but give a few of them a try to see if they make your day better.

Mindfulness Rituals

Ritual isn’t about doing a routine mindlessly. It’s a way of building something good into your life, so that you don’t forget what’s important. Done mindfully, a ritual can remind you to be conscious. Done mindlessly, a ritual is meaningless.

Here are a few of my favourites:

1. Sit in the morning. 
When you wake up, in the quiet of the morning, perhaps as your coffee is brewing, get a small cushion and sit on the floor. I will often use this opportunity to stretch, as I am very inflexible. I feel every muscle in my body, and it is like I am slowly awakening to the day. I’ll also just sit, and focus on my breathing going in and out. I’m an absolute beginner when it comes to meditation, but this always starts my day right.

2. Brush your teeth. 
I assume we all brush our teeth, but often we do it while thinking of other things. Try fully concentrating on the action of brushing, on each stroke of each tooth, going from one side of the mouth to the other. You end up doing a better job, and it helps you realize how much we do on autopilot.

3. Eat mindfully.
 Turn off the TV, put away the computer and mobile devices, even put away the book or newspaper. If you eat with any of these things (most people do), eating without them will seem boring. And yet, unless you do this, you are not truly appreciating your food. I like eating my oats (with nuts and berries — see my diet) mindfully, paying attention to each bite. It makes the food taste better, and I eat slowly and with gratefulness.

4. Wash your bowl. 
When you’re done eating, wash your dish immediately. Do it while paying full attention to your washing, to the water and suds.

5. Drink tea.
 There’s something ancient about the tea ceremony — and when you drink tea as a mindfulness ritual, you’re connecting with millions of others who have done so over the centuries. Make your own tea ceremony — prepare the tea carefully and mindfully, pour it slowly, sip it with thoughtfulness. See if you can set aside one time each day to do this, and it will transform your day.

6. Walk slowly. 
I like to take breaks from work, and go outside for a little walk. Walk slowly, each step a practice in awareness. Pay attention to your breathing, to everything around you, to the sounds and light and texture of objects.

7. Read in silence.
 Find a quiet time (mornings or evenings are great for me), and a quiet spot, and read a good novel. Have no television or computers on nearby, and just immerse yourself in the world of the novel. It might seem contradictory to let your mind move from the present into the time of the novel, but it’s a great practice in focus. Also, I love a good novel more than almost anything else.

8. Look at someone gratefully.
 Each day, find someone you care about. Instead of just seeing what you always see, really look at the person. Try not to do it creepily. See this person for the miracle that she is, and be grateful for her existence. If you’re feeling generous, tell that person how thankful you are for her.

9. Work with focus.
 Start your workday by choosing one task that will make a big difference in your work, and clearing everything else away. Just do that one task, and don’t switch to other tasks. Single-tasking is a great way to find focus. Increase your Monk Mind.

These rituals aren’t the only time you should be mindful, but they’re great reminders. Today, try a few of them to fully live and fully appreciate this wonderful day.

Human Rights Day on the 21st of March

We celebrate this day each year to remind us of the great suffering and loss of life that accompanied the struggle for human rights. It is to remind us that people in South Africa will never again be denied their human rights.

The History

On 21 March 1960, events were planned for many parts of the country, for people to protest against the Pass Laws. These laws required all Africans living or working in and around towns to carry a document (known as a pass) with them at all times. Failure to carry this document would lead to arrest by the police and to people being sent away from the towns in which they lived. On this day people decided to go to police stations without their passes and to demand that the police arrest them.

The idea was that so many people would be arrested and the jails would become so full that the country would not be able to function properly. It was hoped that this would lead to the Pass Laws being scrapped.

At Sharpeville in Gauteng, thousands of people gathered at the police station demanding to be arrested. They were met by 300 police officers. After a scuffle broke out, the police opened fire on the crowd. At least sixty-seven people were killed and 180 injured by the shooting. These people were protesting against unfair laws and were really demanding their human rights. Many of these rights are now included in our Bill of Rights, and include the rights to:

• Equality (Section 9)
• Human dignity (Section 10)
• Freedom of expression (Section 16)
• Assembly, demonstration, picket and petition (Section 17)
• Freedom of association (Section 18) and
• Freedom of movement and residence (Section 21).

Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein

I find these interesting ...

• "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."
• "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
• "Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."
• "I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details."
• "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax."
• "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
• "The only real valuable thing is intuition."
• "A person starts to live when he can live outside himself."
• "I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice."
• "God is subtle but he is not malicious."
• "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character."
• "I never think of the future. It comes soon enough."
• "The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility."
• "Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing."
• "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."
• "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
• "Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds."
• "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
• "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
• "Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it."
• "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
• "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."
• "God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically."
• "The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking."
• "Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal."
• "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."
• "The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible."
• "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
• "Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."
• "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
• "Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater."
• "Equations are more important to me, because politics is for the present, but an equation is something for eternity."
• "If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."
• "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
• "As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality."
• "Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods."
• "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
• "In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep."
• "The fear of death is the most unjustified of all fears, for there's no risk of accident for someone who's dead."
• "Too many of us look upon Americans as dollar chasers. This is a cruel libel, even if it is reiterated thoughtlessly by the Americans themselves."
• "Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately I hate them!"
• "No, this trick won't work...How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?"
• "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."
• "Yes, we have to divide up our time like that, between our politics and our equations. But to me our equations are far more important, for politics are only a matter of present concern. A mathematical equation stands forever."
• "The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking...the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker."
• "Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."
• "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."
• "A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeeded be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death."
• "The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."
• "Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."
• "You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."
• "One had to cram all this stuff into one's mind for the examinations, whether one liked it or not. This coercion had such a deterring effect on me that, after I had passed the final examination, I found the consideration of any scientific problems distasteful to me for an entire year."
• "...one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one's own ever-shifting desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the world of objective perception and thought."
• "He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder."
• "A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
• "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." (Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton)

Traffic In Johannesburg South Africa

JOBURG TRAFFIC ... So today i woke up the usual time (5:30am) for campus and it was raining and i thought oh well i will make it to campus because i leave early... I WAS SO WRONG. I left home at 5:45 and reached campus @ 8:45 which is 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) away, thats 3 hours of driving in traffic ! Normally it would only take me 25 - 35 minutes to get to campus.


Here are some pics of which road I use ( The N1 North )

This is usually how the police toucher us!

The jam up in the mornings!

Its been said this horrible traffic jam was because of the rain , but i say why blame the rain ??? Its all the horrible drivers on the road, a 5 car pile up caused this huge delay today ! There ware a handful other accidents that happen today and i passed 4 of them .


Some pics of todays nightmare on the N1 North

Is the presenters on the radio stations right , do people really forget how to drive when it rains?

My first post! (The meaning behind the title)

An Immaculate Wolf’s Expedition !

The meaning behind the title.

Immaculate:

Free from moral blemish or impurity; pure; undefiled.

Wolf:

The wolf symbolizes free will, the ability to escape. Wolves symbolize unity and toughness. Since Wolves are also related to dogs, they will also represent loyalty and friendship. Wolves are usually leaders, and run in groups called packs. A wolf that hunts, and lives on its own has no pack, and therefore is called a lone wolf.

Expedition:

* an excursion, journey, or voyage made for some specific purpose, as of war or exploration.

* promptness or speed in accomplishing something.