Saturday, October 31, 2009

“Fortune favours the prepared mind” – Dr David Crombie

I tend to agree with this statement as the more prepared you are, the less surprises will be. Fortune makes a person to feel free and to have status in society in order to be much prepared to face anything that might happen in any circumstances.

However, some might say happiness is not about money but I believe that money plays a capital role in the lives of human beings. Everything in current days is about money as some people might say money talks. If you want a relationship, you must have money as you have to spoil your partner; when you wanted to get married, you must have money even from the beginning, actually if you are from African cultures when it comes to lobola; if you want to live a happy life, you must have money; to be respected in the community where you live, you must have status i.e. money; etc.

Money is not everything but without money you cannot be recognised within our societies. Nevertheless, others might say that the true fortune comes from a person’s behaviour as when you have peace of mind, you can deal with any situation whether you have status or not. A man with a good background such as great qualifications can therefore be recognised even by rich people whether he has status or not.

Watch this space

This is about the use of Internet. Internet sometimes called the World Wide Web (www) or just ‘the net’, is a massive network of computers from around the world all connected by cable and satellite. When users are connected to the Internet, they can receive text, images, video and sound on their computers anywhere in the world.

According to Butell; in reality, seeing inappropriate material is not the greatest danger to kids online. The real threat comes from those who would take advantage of kids who naively reveal personal information about themselves, such as their name and address.

Therefore, there are many things on-line that are suitable for children or those are cause for concern. The main dangers to children are that they may access inappropriate information; inadvertently form ‘friendships’ with strangers; be subjected to advertising pressures; risk their personal health through excessive use; and endanger their privacy. Some sites encourage children to join clubs and enter competitions. In so doing, they reveal their name and address and may become the target of unwelcome marketing and other material.

However, what parents can do is to comply with the Young Media suggestions as with other areas of children’s lives, parents have a responsibility to provide guidance and to set clear limits. There are therefore several things, according to the Young Media, that parents can do to help counteract the dangers of the Internet while allowing their children to use its benefits such as learn more about it yourselves; be aware of what your children are doing on the Internet; you can do this in a number of ways, including sitting with them while they are using the Internet and chatting with them about what they are doing; establish guidelines about safe Internet use; teach your children to be critical users of the Internet; put in place reasonable boundaries; use blocking software; and if necessary, lodge complaints if you think your children have come across something illegal on the Internet, you can lodge a complaint with the South African Communications & Media Authority.

Jealousy

Jealousy is a killer weapon because when you are jealous of someone for something, you can even kill that person. Jealousy is not good at all and the word exists only for those people who are weak because jealousy leads to betrayal.

Jealousy doesn’t help; it destroys people’s lives as some get sick because of jealousy. When you see you neighbour with something nice, just congratulate him or her and praise God because you don’t know when it will be your turn. There is no need to be jealous if someone deserves something as when it’d be your turn, you will not expect people to become jealous of you.

Some people are however jealous, not of something but of someone. For instance, you would not like to see your partner sharing some kind of feelings he/she shares with you with someone else. That’s obvious that you might get hurt but then approach them, ask them what’s going on instead of imagining things and making conclusions on your own. When you think for instance that your partner cheating on you, better make sure that it’s true before walking away and please do not become jealous because you’d do something stupid that you will never forget.

Jealousy is truly destructive and something to avoid as you can become medically sick by suffering for example high blood pressure, which could cause heart attack or stroke in your life.

Conventional is a good fallback position

Conventional is still a good fallback position as the innovation should not replace all successful things. Why the new technology should replace completely the successful existing way of doing things? That’s where there is a direct realism.

However, in order to break barriers in your ideas, you’ll need a new way of perceiving, conceptualising, implementing…things. You cannot limit your ideas with the conventional as to avoid poor performance because the world develops fast and there are always new things which come up every time. Nevertheless, you can come up with new ideas but based on the conventional due to the fact that what you come with should be measured on existing concepts or methodology.

It is nice to think out of the box but that should not always be forgotten the conventional. As Public Relations Practitioners, we should know the basis of each and every aspect of human beings and companies’ areas. So, practitioners should be able to implement new ideas through new technology referring back to the traditional as this constitutes the basis of any development.

I tend then to agree that conventional is a good fallback position in considering the contribution of platforms of the new technology development as new waves can pass but the traditional approach will remain, dixit some researchers.

What is marriage?

Marriage can be defined in a million ways but for me marriage means everything. It is not only the blessing from the priest, our parents, home affairs, etc. but it is a life commitment , which changes a person form the level A to the level Z i.e. you should not get married today and then divorce one day but you have to remain married until death you part.

According to me, marriage is about loving the partner the way you love yourself such as carrying, spoiling, admiring, praising, standing on his/her side and being his/her total support. You cannot stay a moment without telling your partner you love him/her. Marriage is about giving the best of yourself to the person you be living with the rest of your life. Although, you should be different from the beginning as you come from different backgrounds i.e. different families, different educations, different ways of thinking, etc, but once married, you should harmonise everything and forget about you both come from and create your own world with own principles and rules. That’s how I personally see the marriage.

Sometimes when I wake-up in the middle of night while my wife is asleep, I tell her I love you “my everything”, then in the morning she will tell me I love you too. So, sometimes I ask her why you don’t just tell me that you love me but you say too; and she’d answer I hear you in the night but I was tired to reply that’s the reason why I say it now.

“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you only have one idea” - Alain

I tend to partially agree with Alain with his statement. When you only have one idea means that you are limited to yourself and everything you will do will be fine for you whether is fine or not.

Everything we do comes first from an idea as this is the conceptualisation phase before going to planning, methodology, implementation, evaluation, etc. Depending on an idea, if it is a positive one, then I would disagree with Alain but as from the experience, mostly when there is only one idea, this seems to only be a negative one because a person with positive ideas cannot limit him/herself on one and unique idea.

An idea is a powerful element in a person’s life as this can lead you to good or bad things depending on how you too monitor it. For instance, a person who knows God and fears the Holy Spirit, whatsoever an idea can come in his mind, he/she will first pray and find solution to such an idea but any person who does know fear the word of God, can be easily influenced by any idea comes to his mind. That is the reason why sometimes we see people regret after have done something that they did not mean to do.

An idea can be dangerous as well as it can be monitored depending on the person having such an idea, no matter if it is the only one.

Cell phone

Cell phone is an important and useful communication tool, which allows people and organizations to be reliable all the times as it is mobile i.e. you can carry it wherever you go. You can purchase from your cell phone, you can make transactions from your cell phone, you can navigate from your cell phone, etc.

However, its use is a whole issue as people do things behind cell phones. People sometimes misuse the cell phones with its recent technology such as Blackberry, a person can seat at home and work from there but for him it’s to be reliable as to reply to emails... actually when he works alone in the office and the boss lives in another region/province.

Some people have developed lies through cell phones. You can call a person, for instance your partner, he/she might be somewhere else, but she can lie to you that she is at home as there is no way to prove the opposite. I remember once I took a bus and a lady who sat next to me received a phone call and obviously from her partner, we were in another destination while she told her partner another one. Everybody in the bus laughed and realised that she was lying.

Other people however can make excuses over cell phones instead of face-to face confrontation; I remember once back home, my friend came to see me claiming will never speak to his uncle for the rest of his life. His uncle used to like to be contacted on the cell number and not the land lines because with land lines; you would notice whether he was where he meant to be. He once promised my friend tuition fees and when my friend attempted to call him, he wouldn’t pick up and my friend told me he decided to hide the number “private call”, he then called his uncle who picked up and when heard his nephew’s voice, he then spoke like it was a voice message: “The cell number you’re trying to call is whether unavailable or switched off”.

Wow, how can people be so clever and cruel? Why give your number to people then when they call, you don’t answer? To be continued...

Andy Warhol said, “In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes” – You can’t choose the 15 minutes but why would you be world...

Andy Warhol said, “In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes” – You can’t choose the 15 minutes but why would you be world famous.

I don’t know how I would e world famous but as that was said by Andy Warhol, I believe that it would be achieved because when he said so, perhaps he was inspired or revealed by the Holy Spirit.

In this world, everybody seems to be great and being great it’s also being famous, isn’t it? I will personally wait and see until such time arrives and when it arrives, I would seize the opportunity as such might only happen once in life.

If I become famous for these fifteen minutes, I would like to realise my dreams. Despite the time, what I could do is to focus and make such opportunity to remain forever. For instance, within fifteen minutes when I would become famous, I would make much money and then save into an investment account in that frame of time. Whatever would be the situation after these fifteen minutes, I would still remain an investor and from there my dreams would become realities.

That’s the reason why people should know how to seize any opportunities offered or presented to them because sometimes things only happen once in life and depending on those who could seize and make positive use of them.

End Violence against Women

Women should be informed about the nature of abusive relationships, safe dating practices, and sexual harassment, sexual assault, and the rights of women since many have been victims in any way, and due to ignorance they cannot report it.

Violence against women is about power and control. Violence against women cuts across race, religion, income, class and culture. Violence against women is deeply embedded in all cultures, so that millions of women consider it a way of life.

However, according to some males, women should be treated as human beings, with dignity, respect and love. It is a shame that men abuse women; men must denounce by all means any violence against any women, and treat women as equal. Real men should not hit women as will gain nothing from it due to the fact that strong men don’t beat women, only cowards do so.

Women reflect our mothers and research has shown that to abuse a woman is to abuse your mother, and the concept of abusing your mother is a terrible one. Violence against your mother is a terrible thing. Violence against women is violence against God and violence against women should be fought by demonstrating dignity and fairness in all personal and public relations with women. It is from these immediate personal interactions that the ripple effect of equality will be spread. The simple key, however, is that every male has to commit himself to his behaviour.

It should be noted that some women stay in an abusive relationship because of number of reasons such as many women believe that they love their partners; they think that the relationship has its good pints, it’s not all bad they tell themselves; many women live in the hope that it will change and many others are afraid that the threats by their partners to kill them or the family will become a reality.

“Rock journalism is people who can’t write interviewing people who can’t talk for people who can’t read” – Frank Zappa

This is a very complex statement and it’s only engaging Frank Zappa. How people who cannot talk be interviewed? It should be understood when it’s about people who cannot write interviewing people who can talk for people who cannot read and that should make sense.

I am not trying to negatively criticise the statement as the message can only be explained by Frank and to decode someone’s idea, you have really to enter into is understanding. Nevertheless, as from the media, we can constructively criticise such a statement as one of our roles is to educate and inform people.

Therefore, from Frank’s codification, it can be understood that “rock Journalism” is about interviewing people for people cannot read due to the fact that the interviewers cannot write. In this situation, rock journalism, I believe, should have to spend a lot as it involves lots of media tools which could allow such interviewers to do their job.

Media people should be very careful about what they write and the way they write it. It should be noted that stories or statements should be kept as simple as possible as to allow readers or viewers to face validity i.e. allow lay-persons who have no technical knowledge about your topic or such as statement to understand the message you attempt to convey.

Refugee Centre in Cape Town

Refugees living in Cape Town have seen the tears of their cries being wrapped as the Department of Home Affairs has moved from Nyanga, where many have been targeted by local residents, to the new office in Maitland.

Foreign nationals living with Asylum, Refugees Status... have encouraged the initiative of the Minister of Home Affairs as she was personally involved in making this dream comes reality. Nevertheless, Mr. Richard Sikakane, the Manager for the Department of Home Affairs Refugee Centre in Cape Town has been congratulated by Refugees for his hard work as well as the hard work of all Home Affairs officials.

In the past months, foreign nationals have faced challenges going to Nyanga as every day one was at least robbed if not stabbed or killed; some people were even scared to go and renew their expired papers, others who took the risks to go were sometimes victims of crimes such as robbery, murder, hijacking, etc.

With the new office, there is a secured parking lot for as many people driving as possible, which was not the case in Nyanga. In fact; in Maitland, it is noticed that Home Affairs inspectors visiting the office so far in weekly basis as to investigating how the work is going and how many people are being served.

So, congratulations to the new Minister of Home Affairs with the visibility of her hard work, and particular and special congratulations to the entire office of Home Affairs Refugee Centre in Cape Town. The work well done cannot be hidden or ignored!!!!

10 most unexpected consequences of being online

1. Being online opens doors worldwide in a frame of time
2. You disclosure your personal information to the world
3. You are exposed to fraud as people can decode the password of your bank details
4. Being online facilitate to find your old friends, classmates…
5. You can become obsessed as you will feel
6. You can get into trouble in you relationship, the more time you send online, and the less attention you pay to your partner
7. Being online for kids is a greater danger as they can easily reveal their personal information
8. You can get useful information faster than being in a traditional library
9. Being online make people lie as many socialise in some specific interest
10. You can build relationships with new friends

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Self-esteem

People are very proud of themselves as they value their personalities, reputations, etc, which leads them to self-esteem. They believe more on themselves despite their weaknesses and they rarely recognise them.

Is self-esteem a quality or a defect? This is real dilemma due to the fact that for some people, other people’s self-esteem should be seen as a defect while they cannot judge themselves and for other people, self-esteem is the way of standing strong and not letting people to judge you negatively.

Most human beings are the same as no one easily accepts his/her weaknesses and threats. Being negatively judged by others is seems like a failure for human beings even though their conscience know that it’s true. That’s the reason why they say it easy to judge others than to be judged; it’s because of self-esteem as you will not want people saying bad things about you or about your family, etc.

From my point of view, self-esteem could be better for those who really feel that they want it and not need it as from there, they will do things right as to position themselves within the society and that will contribute to the development of mentalities, not only fir such people but for the all society as the true development starts with the change and/or development in people’s mentalities.

What motivates me...?

Actually, I am a smart person as I can adapt easily in any situation that my life could face. Nevertheless, motivations also impact on my opinions as being a human being. I am always motivated by positive thoughts and opinions as well as positive acts.

Every human being is motivated by good things such as good remuneration in the context of work, awareness of his/her effort when serving a certain community, academic recognition when studying hard i.e. a hardworking student who distinguishes himself amongst others, should pass with a distinction in that particular subject or graduate with a cum laude.

Personally, what motivates me is hard work, energy, enthusiasm, professionalism, so many more. I am a very ambitious person and once strengths are being motivated or supported, I’d do perform in the way to benefit not only myself, but also the organisation where I work, the community where I live as well as the country where I reside.

However, my weaknesses are also part of what motivates me as being challenged, I try the best of myself to prove what I am able to as I do not believe in failure in my life because I am of winner’s race. Finally, whatsoever is the situation, prayer always motivates me as to stand victorious.

Why taking someone’s life?

When it comes of killing, assaulting, murdering... these kinds of word always let me think that life means nothing for some people. They do not care about taking someone’s life as just as they were playing a game or as they were in an action or horror movie.

People are fear to walk or to live their lives peacefully as crime has occupied a place of choice in our society. On a daily basis, crime is reported on air and some happening in townships are not sometimes even reported and people now think it’s not important to report anymore as it became usual.

However, from a religious view point, it should be fair to take lives of others without having any reproach or feeling guilty. People if really did something as ending by taking someone’s life, should confess if that was accidently and should in reality remain punished as to give examples to the remaining ones who do commit crimes. But what happens, everyone at the court pleads not guilty even when his/her conscience know that he/she is lying.

Life is a precious thing that God has ever given to human beings because being alive, a person can determine his/her future as will do good things a to praise God or will not do such and as result, will know that will end in hell after the final judgement. So, those who prefer to take other people’s lives, they must know what they do and they will have to explain themselves to God.

Personal autonomy – how far does it extend?

Personal autonomy should be defined first as to give readers a certain idea of what it really is in order to better apply it since many tempt to ignore it or just do not know what it is at all. In ethics, autonomy refers to a person's capacity for self-determination in the context of moral choices; therefore, the core idea of personal autonomy is to have personal rule of the self while remaining free from controlling interference by others. The autonomous person acts in accordance with a freely self-chosen and informed plan as the research has shown.

Despite the Section 16(1) of the Constitution of South Africa (part of the Bill of Rights), which states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, which includes – freedom of the press and other media; freedom to receive and impart information and ideas; freedom of artistic creativity; and academic freedom and freedom of scientific research”, but no-one can write (or say) anything at all or anything they want about someone else without possibly infringing a right of that person as the individual (you and me) has certain common law safeguards. Nevertheless, people by ignorance or expressly tempt to extend their personal autonomies over others’ boundaries and overstep the law as some tempt and others do encroach others’ freedom by infringing the law.

People currently think that they are above the law because such law seems to apply only for a category of people and another category of people, seems to be protected by such a law as they are privileged and therefore do not care about others and even go far by doing things that could ruin the common interest of the county. That’s the reason why some of them tempt to extend, for not saying all of them do so, their personal autonomies as to encroach lives of others.

Therefore, the extension of personal autonomy of a person should be bound on his/her own limits as to avoid interfering in others’ space and this should also apply to institutions.

Choice of life

Making a good choice in life is a good thing to do but the opposite will lead you to adversity/misfortune and that applies in every aspect of life. People should learn what is best for them and for the society where they live and they should start making good choices regarding their lives.

For example when you pay your bills is good thing that you do, that’s even why we see it with TV licence as they say paying your TV licence is a good thing to do because they will continue to broadcast and with performance as they have what necessary to improve the quality of the service offered as it’s a win-win relation. Same applies with bills such as electricity, water... bills as they need revenue to rehabilitate power stations, to clean water’s storerooms, etc.

Making a good choice in marriage, you will be happy for the rest of life as a good partner will support your ideas, will stand on your side and everything will be fine but the opposite, you will leave hell on earth and that will end in divorce and then your life, I believe, will not be the same as you could therefore choose to live alone or to get married again. In case you decide to get married again, will your partner treat your kids the same way their mother or father would? I do not think so. That is the reason why you should know how to make the choice of your life!!!

“Bunch of animals” is one comment on CPUT strikes in August. What is yours?

This is a very extremist comment as people should not at the first place be called or considered as animals. Animals do not protest as they do not have a conscience to do so. Only human beings, unless someone comes to oppose my belief, have been given the capacity of thinking when created by God.

Strikes have been existed ages ago and will still exist and only human beings can strike or protest for whatever reason that has to be. Nevertheless, what matters most is the approach in which people do it. Striking by destroying, damaging the institution, that was not nice at all and students went far and even according to me lost the sense of their claim/demand, which I believe was the basis even of such strikes. Damaging the institution when striking, which could involve gangsters, thieves, criminals, etc as in that moment it was difficult to identify who was a registered student and who was not.

The best way to claim your right should not be in violence as violence does not resolve things but only makes them worst. CPUT students should have reason to strike but this could be done through the SRC as by submitting a memo to the management and then could wait and see until next year during the registration period whether the memo was taken into consideration or not.