Tenderness is much nicer

I have no idea what happened after this - but in my tender, Christmas mood - I'm hoping their friends and families all went and had a long and leisurely picnic.

Peace, love and joy to you all.
Merry Christmas!!

Placebo - Running Up That Hill

I absolutely adore the director's approach in this version of Placebo's cover of Kate Bush!

Rainy days and Mondays

... dont neccesarily always get me down,
but this morning finds me slightly melancholic.

I miss home.

Rainy Saturdays are sooooo cool

Good afternoon everybody! (Or evening/morning - wherever you are right now.)

It's Saturday afternoon in Brighton & Hove, and I'm sitting in the Farm tavern, listening to Martha's new CDs (The Editors and Bloc Party) and eating quiche!! Going to have a Hot Toddy soon. It's really helping to kick the sneak flu-attack that welcomed me yesterday ;0)

So yeah, off to Habitat shortly (with Noah) to buy the tavern a funky new christmas tree.

Hope you're having an awesome weekend! See you in the Farm Tavern, yeah?

Brighton & Hove: The Place To Be!!

Cheers!!

It's Friday afternoon and I have just about enough time to quickly update my blog. I waved goodbye to Earl's Court on Wednesday - and took the train down south to Brighton & Hove. An old friend of mine has a pub there, called the Farm Tavern. Everybody is so nice here!! Martha (my friend) and her business partner Noah took me in and made me part of their family. The staff also embraced me with open arms - it's absolutely amazing!!!

I think I have the coolest room in the world! The upstairs bar *lol* It's brilliant - every bachelor's dream, I promise you. The couch is super comfy, there's a christmas tree in the bay window, a fire place and - of course - a real bar!!!

If you're ever in the area, do yourself a great big favour and pop into the farm tavern (Farm road, Hove) If you come by before New Years - I might even serve you a pint!

Untill later then, all my love all over the world,
Willie

Update 4 Dec 2007

Sooooo... here's a quick update on what's been happening over the last week:

I arrived in Dublin, Republic of ireland, last week and Wednesday - where friends of my BF (of 4 months) picked me up. BF is doing a 6 week stint in the Irish midlands and asked me to join him for the last 2 weeks. I couldn't think of a more awesome way to spend the holiday :0) I bought my tickets, packed as little as possible (BF wanted to buy me some winter outfits - seeing as how SA and ROI have WAY DIFFERENT views on what a "chilly" winter is!) and zipped over.

On Thursday morning, BF drove through from further inland to surprise me. Oh and surprise me he did!!! He woke me up quietly - and dumped me.

Thankfully his friends gave me shelter till I could fly back to Heathrow. THANK YOU GUYS!!! When the waves settle and fortune fills my sails again - I'm taking the two of you on a luxury cruise! (Or a braai at my place, perhaps?)

Right. I changed my ticket (from ROI to UK) and flew to London last night. The alteration cost me £104.00 - almost 4 times the origional ticket's price. I can't afford to change my ticket back to SA (not at that rate!) and have decided to make the most out of the remaining 2 weeks in the UK.

Thank you to my dear friend Ella, who's taken me in for the first few nights!! My superstar!!

Next up - rethink the budget. I've contacted the bank and asked for a credit increase - which shouldn't be a problem... apart from the days required for admin.

Priorities:
1) Winter clothes
2) Food
3) Comfortable shoes
4) Train tickets
5) 4 Nights' accommodation
6) Chronic medicine
7) Camera?

Most galleries are free, thank heavens!

I'll keep you posted - and if you feel like contributing to my trip (or my Credit Card's balance) feel free to contact me via my Facebook profile!

Stormhoek - my favourite wine!

Last night, in Johannesburg, the Council of judges for South Africa’s Marketing Excellence awards gave a gold medal and trophy to Stormhoek as the best Brand marketing campaign of the year (Small Budget).

They gave the same awards to other brands for Medium Budget and Large Budget and Extra Large Budget.

Finally, they gave a bigger trophy to the Grand Prix winner for the overall brand campaign winner and this went to Stormhoek.

Gold awards and trophies were handed out for sponsorship campaigns, arts and culture campaigns and an ex-advertising copywriter (now Absa Bank marketing manager) called Happy Ntshingila was crowned Marketing Man of the Year.
[Full story from bizcommunity.com.]

Not only is Stormhoek my FAVOURITE WINE OF ALL TIME – but they have a brilliant marketing strategy as well: Blogging. Yup - go to: www.stormhoek.co.za - that's it! Brilliant.


Probably my favourite part of the Stormhoek image - is Hugh Macleod's (he of gapingvoid fame) cartoons that are used as their labels. A few of them are posted below:

Peace.

Creepy but cool

I found this via Digg... this must have taken hours and hours and days and days and...

New York Decay (JPEG Image, 2000x1351 pixels) - Scaled (51%)

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Mommy I want one!!

Now this is a concept car I'd gladly give my front teeth for!

Mazda Taiki reflects one possible direction for a future generation of Mazda sports cars aimed at helping create a sustainable society. The fourth concept car in the Nagare design series, Mazda Taiki further evolves the "flow" theme to establish a breathtaking presence that clearly distinguishes it as the culmination of the series, and to visually express the atmosphere - called taiki in Japanese - that wraps the Earth in its protective belt. The next-generation RENESIS ("16X" rotary engine) sets new standards for environmental and driving performance and serves as the base for pursuing the sports packaging that is synonymous with the Mazda name and unbeatable aerodynamic performance. From stem to stern the Mazda Taiki concept represents the culmination of the Nagare design series, while standing as a life-size icon indicating the road to the Mazda sports cars of the future.(Designed by Mazda Yokohama Design Studio)To give form to the concept of a next-generation Mazda sports icon that operates in harmony with our planet’s environment, the challenge became to create "a design that visually expresses the flow of air". This inspired the image of a pair of Hagoromo - the flowing robes in Japanese legend that enable a celestial maiden to fly - floating down from the sky.. The lower of the layered hagoromo flows from the front fenders to the sides, where it wraps under the body and gracefully curves up at the rear. The other hagoromo flows from the hood through the shoulder lines it etches, past the unique independent rear fender design, and lends a seductive curve to the rear deck. The fusion of these flowing upper and lower surfaces not only creates a visual depiction of flowing air, well-toned appearance, as well as creating a sense of floating lightly on air. The design also achieves an excellent drag coefficient of 0.25 and zero lift.

Check out the rest at: http://www.mazda.com/motorshow/main.html?page=5

Oil, Clarke & Dawe

Oh my... this has to be one of my all time favorites!





So listen, kids - if it's outside the environment - I suppose it doesn't matter if the front falls off.

Thank you Digg!
Peace(green-)

The Knoetze Bloodline

If anyone wondered where I'd gone to - or why I've been relatively quiet lately - check this out! I've been researching and building my family tree - and am at a place where I can show the world!!

*Muwahahahahahaaa*

Click through to http://theknoetzebloodline.myheritage.com and have a peek. If you happen to fit in there somewhere - drop me a line and I'll register you as an administrator!!

All my love,
Willie

MadV - inspire

I've missed the Nov 5 deadline for the Remember project . Wasn't all too happy with myself - but then I realized that 5 Nov wasn't a deadline - it was the birth of a project.

After seeing MadV's latest video - I'm amped as ever to get it together!

How to Learn (But Not Master) Any Language in 1 Hour...

Click through to the original article on the "4 Hour Work Week" blog and end up discovering a whole new world of ideas :0)

For those not prone to that level of exploration - here's a glimpse:

Deconstructing Arabic in 45 Minutes

Conversational Russian in 60 minutes?

This post is by request. How long does it take to learn Chinese or Japanese vs. Spanish or Irish Gaelic? I would argue less than an hour.

Here’s the reasoning…

Before you invest (or waste) hundreds and thousands of hours on a language, you should deconstruct it. During my thesis research at Princeton, which focused on neuroscience and unorthodox acquisition of Japanese by native English speakers, as well as when redesigning curricula for Berlitz, this neglected deconstruction step surfaced as one of the distinguishing habits of the fastest language learners.

So far, I’ve deconstructed Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Norwegian, Irish Gaelic, Korean, and perhaps a dozen others. I’m far from perfect in these languages, and I’m terrible at some, but I can converse in quite a few with no problems whatsoever—just ask the MIT students who came up to me last night and spoke in multiple languages.

How is it possible to become conversationally fluent in one of these languages in 2-12 months? It starts with deconstructing them, choosing wisely, and abandoning all but a few of them.

Consider a new language like a new sport.

There are certain physical prerequisites (height is an advantage in basketball), rules (a runner must touch the bases in baseball), and so on that determine if you can become proficient at all, and—if so—how long it will take.

Languages are no different. What are your tools, and how do they fit with the rules of your target?

If you’re a native Japanese speaker, respectively handicapped with a bit more than 20 phonemes in your language, some languages will seem near impossible. Picking a compatible language with similar sounds and word construction (like Spanish) instead of one with a buffet of new sounds you cannot distinguish (like Chinese) could make the difference between having meaningful conversations in 3 months instead of 3 years.

Let’s look at few of the methods I recently used to deconstructed Russian and Arabic to determine if I could reach fluency within a 3-month target time period. Both were done in an hour or less of conversation with native speakers sitting next to me on airplanes.

Six Lines of Gold

Here are a few questions that I apply from the outset. The simple versions come afterwards:

1. Are there new grammatical structures that will postpone fluency? (look at SOV vs. SVO, as well as noun cases)

2. Are there new sounds that will double or quadruple time to fluency? (especially vowels)

3. How similar is it to languages I already understand? What will help and what will interfere? (Will acquisition erase a previous language? Can I borrow structures without fatal interference like Portuguese after Spanish?)

4. All of which answer: How difficult will it be, and how long would it take to become functionally fluent?

It doesn’t take much to answer these questions. All you need are a few sentences translated from English into your target language.

Some of my favorites, with reasons, are below:

The apple is red.
It is John’s apple.
I give John the apple.
We give him the apple.
He gives it to John.
She gives it to him.

These six sentences alone expose much of the language, and quite a few potential deal killers.

First, they help me to see if and how verbs are conjugated based on speaker (both according to gender and number). I’m also able to immediately identify an uber-pain in some languages: placement of indirect objects (John), direct objects (the apple), and their respective pronouns (him, it). I would follow these sentences with a few negations (“I don’t give…”) and different tenses to see if these are expressed as separate words (“bu” in Chinese as negation, for example) or verb changes (“-nai” or “-masen” in Japanese), the latter making a language much harder to crack.

Second, I’m looking at the fundamental sentence structure: is it subject-verb-object (SOV) like English and Chinese (“I eat the apple”), is it subject-object-verb (SOV) like Japanese (“I the apple eat”), or something else? If you’re a native English speaker, SOV will be harder than the familiar SVO, but once you pick one up (Korean grammar is almost identical to Japanese, and German has a lot of verb-at-the-end construction), your brain will be formatted for new SOV languages.

Third, the first three sentences expose if the language has much-dreaded noun cases. What are noun cases? In German, for example, “the” isn’t so simple. It might be der, das, die, dem, den and more depending on whether “the apple” is an object, indirect object, possessed by someone else, etc. Headaches galore. Russian is even worse. This is one of the reasons I continue to put it off.

All the above from just 6-10 sentences! Here are two more:

I must give it to him.
I want to give it to her.

These two are to see if auxiliary verbs exist, or if the end of the each verb changes. A good short-cut to independent learner status, when you no longer need a teacher to improve, is to learn conjugations for “helping” verbs like “to want,” “to need,” “to have to,” “should,” etc. In Spanish and many others, this allows you to express yourself with “I need/want/must/should” + the infinite of any verb. Learning the variations of a half dozen verbs gives you access to all verbs. This doesn’t help when someone else is speaking, but it does help get the training wheels off self-expression as quickly as possible.

If these auxiliaries are expressed as changes in the verb (often the case with Japanese) instead of separate words (Chinese, for example), you are in for a rough time in the beginning.

Sounds and Scripts

I ask my impromptu teacher to write down the translations twice: once in the proper native writing system (also called “script” or “orthography”), and again in English phonetics, or I’ll write down approximations or use IPA.

If possible, I will have them take me through their alphabet, giving me one example word for each consonant and vowel. Look hard for difficult vowels, which will take, in my experience, at least 10 times longer to master than any unfamiliar consonant or combination thereof (”tsu” in Japanese poses few problems, for example). Think Portuguese is just slower Spanish with a few different words? Think again. Spend an hour practicing the “open” vowels of Brazilian Portuguese. I recommend you get some ice for your mouth and throat first.

The Russian Phonetic Menu, and…

Reading Real Cyrillic 20 Minutes Later

Going through the characters of a language’s writing system is really only practical for languages that have at least one phonetic writing system of 50 or fewer sounds—Spanish, Russian, and Japanese would all be fine. Chinese fails since tones multiply variations of otherwise simple sounds, and it also fails miserably on phonetic systems. If you go after Mandarin, choose the somewhat uncommon GR over pinyin romanization if at all possible. It’s harder to learn at first, but I’ve never met a pinyin learner with tones even half as accurate as a decent GR user. Long story short, this is because tones are indicated by spelling in GR, not by diacritical marks above the syllables.

In all cases, treat language as sport.

Learn the rules first, determine if it’s worth the investment of time (will you, at best, become mediocre?), then focus on the training. Picking your target is often more important than your method.

[To be continued?]

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Getting Physical

If anybody knows where this morphing facility is - let me know!

What if 15 had the power of a nation?

This advert might be a bit TV-game/Chronicles of "Naff" - but hey, we kicked BUTT!!







Photos courtesy of Getty Images, as found at http://www.rugbyworldcup.com

Do I really need to say "WE WON!!!!!" ?
Nope, I guess not... but
WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO BOKKE!!! (SA vs England)

In the same vein as the ad above (maybe a little bit harsher) - I'd like to pass along one message to the Springbokke for their game tonight:

Got get'em boys!
(no lube!)

Tequila

Weigh less now! (but don't ask me how)

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!"

That was my initial (shock! shock! horror! horror!) reaction when I first saw this photo of myself. "Fat, fat, fatty-fat fatty!"

I weighed in at 117Kg's then. Not even my 1,87m frame could disguise that! So I decided to do something about it.


Dieting brought me down to 102Kg in three months - but I wasn't completely satisfied. My beer-belly (or "boep" as it's called in Afrikaans) was still giving me a headache.

So I moved on to the next (lazy-ass) step: Annemarie Beukes' Weight Loss Clinic. 5 weeks of electronic muscle stimulation later - things are looking a whole lot more promising! (Yup, I changed the color in the snapshots. I don't want to give you arc-eyes!)


I lost a total of 54cm around my torso, and 2Kg in weight.

Yup, I now weigh 100KG and am aiming to bring that down to at least 98Kg. (That way I win a bet I made with a friend when all this started: a whole case of Heineken!!) *lol* Of course I'll have to share the Heinies - in order to keep the weight off ;0)

Next 6 month goal: quit smoking!

supper funny baby panda

this had me in stitches!!!

Gay words on Faith

I found this little clip by accident. Americans have a "National Coming Out Day" (October 11), and this post was part of 2007's "Video Quilt".

Check it out.

Raising the Dead: trying to phone a South African Governmental Department

Here's a brief glimpse of what it's like trying to communicate with the South African Government. I've spent hours on the phone waiting for the Department of Home Affairs to just ANSWER THE PHONE!! "Batho Pele" my ass.

Good morning

Originally sung by Cilla Black (I think), this version of "If I thought you'd ever change your mind" by Agnetha Faltskog (of ABBA fame) has me by the tearducts.

I'm SO not in the mood for work today...

Seen on the streets of Vancouver

Wooster Collective

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Kareem’s 6th letter from prison

Below you will find a translation of the 6th letter Kareem sent from prison. The Arabic version is available here.

I write, while the completion of a “whole” year in prison approaches, with my cuffed freedom and restricted movements. The tough experience pushed me to realize the bitterness of injustice that indescribable feeling which has no resemblance, particularly if applied on a victim that committed no guilt. I did nothing but merely practicing my legitimate right to speech, guaranteed by all civil and humanitarian rules despite the tyrants who do not approve it.

Apparently, a quite long time has passed since the day of unjustly sentencing me to four years in prison. Until recently, I was not able to comment on the event because I had no access to media and I was deprived from exchanging mails or talking. I spent more than two months in the cells dedicated to those sentenced to death and serving punitive penalties. The prison officials claimed that there was no other proper place for me. They prevented me from having pens. Whenever I wanted to write a letter, I had no choice but to dictate it!

Now, things have changed greatly. At least, I can write and exchange mails, not with complete freedom though. My letters unlike the letters of other prisoners are subject to censorship. However, the prison officials deny that any of the letters coming to me is confiscated. They confirm that they send them to me after reading the content regardless of content. Therefore, I found it a good opportunity to talk after a long period of forced silence and staying away from those who “invested” my crisis – according to my Tunisian friend, Emad Habib – because they do not deserve my slightest attention.

I still clearly remember that day. I prepared myself, psychologically, to the final session of announcing the judgement. I did not care for the expected sentence, then. I was preoccupied with history and the anniversary that coincided that day. History repeats itself all the time; yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all alike. My final judgement session was held on February 22nd the day that I can never forget.

On the same day forty six years ago – particularly in February 22nd, 1943 – a military court in Germany headed by a “racist” judge sentenced three University of Munich students to death. They are the brothers Sofia and Hans Scholl and their friend Christoph Probst. They were punished because they dared to confront the fascist regime in a non-violent way. They established a resistance movement against the ruling regime. They called it “White Rose Movement.” Their peaceful activism, for which they were executed, was limited to confronting the ruling fascist regime by simple tools like drawing on street walls at night, writing and distributing street bulletins, with the purpose to expose the inhuman crimes against ethnic and religious minorities in Germany. They used to distribute their bulletins inside the campus; computers and blogging was not known for them.

Sixty-four years later, a “tyrant” judge in an Egyptian court, motivated by Al-Azhar University, sentenced me to four years in prison because I practiced my right to free speech online. Al-Azhar University released me recently by expelling me out and I am still paying for this freedom.

I am not trying to compare myself to those brave heroes; I just wanted to focus on the historical coincidence. The blogger friend, Shahinaz mentioned in one of her letters that “tyrants and dictators looks alike in every place and time” However, I was preoccupied by the situation of university in both cases. At that time, University of Munich took the initiative to expel the three students out and handled them to the Gestapo. At this time, Al-Azhar University took the initiative of expelling me out, then informed the prosecutor with my activities… No comment!

Every day in the morning, I find an urge need inside my mind to think of my current situation, as if I am discovering it for the first time. I ask myself many questions with hope to find appropriate answers to justify my current situation. I am detained with dangerous criminals who resemble danger against individuals and properties. I tried to find convincing answers for my questions. At a certain moment, I decided to abandon logical thinking. I decided to look for a good interpretation based on the prevailing inherited concepts of inhuman characteristics and which are mostly related to our miserable facts.

I found out that the accusations levelled against me, regardless of its legal paraphrasing, can be divided into two sections:

A total section related to using my right to free expression in an unfree climate and daring to exceed social, political, and religious limits and redlines.

A detailed section, which can be summarized in the following points:

First: my absolute rejection of violence, particularly that hidden under religious covers and justified by Quran texts, which lost their value by time.

Second: using my mind to analyze the unseen and unbelievable facts derived from religious superstitious heritage.

Third: my rejection to be classified according to any affiliations imposed forcefully on me because I decided not adopt something which does not express what I feel.

Fourth: I believe naively that I live in a democratic free atmosphere and that I enjoy my basic civil rights, including my absolute right to free expression in addition to the aforementioned points. I did not realize the bitter fact that I live under the rule of repressive regime chasing those who have different opinions.

Fifth: Bending myself to frankness and transparency in expressing my views. For example, I am not disguised behind a false name and had been able to do so. It was evident during the investigations conducted by Disciplinary Council of Al-Azhar University and the Public Prosecutor. I think this is the real reason behind everything that happened to me so far.

I think these are the true accusations leveled against me. Things will not change as long as our country does not change. These days, we cannot neglect the tyrant judgment against columnist and poet, Ahmed Abdel Muti Hijazi who was charged with defamation against a mohatasib. He simply talked about religious fundamentalism in one of his articles published in Rosalyousif newspaper, few years ago. He compared between political Islamists and inquisition courts in the Middle Age and Israeli religious extremists who insist that their country is a religious one.

Al-Azhar University is currently planning for a new conspiracy against freedom of thought and expression against Ph.D. Dr. Mahmoud Al-Khayal. He mentioned a TV show that he wants to translate an American book titled “End of Faith” into Arabic. Now, the supporters of retardation are preparing to chase him with the charge of disdaining Islam like what happened with me.

I announce from her that my accusation is not a shame for me. I have it like a crown on my head and necklace on my chest. Every one must know that I did not force myself to respect any tyrant law that hinders freedoms. I am against any act to limit the right of freedom of expression of any person. Laws were created to regulate the relationships between individuals inside the same society. They are not meant to limit their freedoms and violate their basic rights. It is not logic to say that: “… there are limitations on the right to freedom of expression …” according to those who work against freedom. These limitations, according to them, include justifying suppression and intellectual circumcision supported by shallow-minded fundamentalists who cannot go abreast with the modern age.

Let everyone, including the tyrant judges who sentenced me and those who misused my crisis to get me, know that prison will not work out with me. I do believe in myself, respect my right to free thought and expression, and use their minds all the time. My thoughts which deprived them of night sleep, will not change until I get convinced of other thoughts. Terrifying and intimidating me, expelling me out of university and putting me in prison will not change my mind. Also, inciting people to kill me and claiming hisba cases against me and any other barbarian methods will not panic me. Only stupid, weak, and inflexible people use these methods to justify their violent actions by breaking the pencils of writers and silencing their voices. They cannot achieve what they want.

I do not know how to address Al-Azhar University that led me to jail, the tyrant judges who sentenced me to prison, and the leaders of the repressive regime who are preventing us from breathing. The best message I want to deliver to them is quoted from the young Sofia Scholl who were in my age at the time of her execution. She said to the judge who sentenced her to death: “One day, you will be at my place!” This happened.

To the enemies of freedom, tyrants, and authoritarians, heads of religious institutions, officials of the governing regime and their supporters, I say:

“The garbage of history will be stuffed with you soon. The coming generations will not have mercy with you. They will do as I am doing now. They will curse you. Please, make sure that no one will shed a tear for your sake, because you do not deserve it. Tomorrow is ours. It does not matter how tyrant you are in your attempts to silence us and confiscate our views. You should be aware for our revival because your days are counting down. Your dark night approached its end. Our dawn will come up very soon. Tomorrow is ours.”

Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman

To read all previous letters, click here.

Also see a previous post on this blog.

Steve Clayton: Geek In Disguise : Digital Design: AvenueA|RazorFish Report

If you're interested in the latest authoritative report on Digital Design - and what your online presence should learn from it - click through Steve Clayton's blog for the motherload:

Steve Clayton: Geek In Disguise : Digital Design: AvenueA|RazorFish Report

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Giliam - Forever

Here's an interesting track by one of my old school-chums. We used to work at the Uni's radio station before going out to conquer the world! *muwahahahahahahaaaa*

This track is from his debut album "Adventures of a Boy".




"My latest Track!! I'm so glad its finally finished and sorted - after 5 different versions and 14 different instruments in all the mixes - I am bushed! I truly hope you like this! Let me know what you think!" Giliam Johan Winckler @ FaceBook

Woof Wan-Bau's art

"Superflat is a postmodern art movement, founded by the artist Takashi Murakami, which is influenced by manga and anime. In a response to the homogenisation of Japanese media and art, “Superflat” attempts to critique the vacuity of post-war Japanese culture, including criticisms of the otaku lifestyle, consumerism, and related issues." Wikipedia

Up until this morning, I was blissfully unaware of the Superflat art movement. Thanks to Jockohomo's blog - I've been introduced to the work of Woof Wan-Bau. This particular video (for lack of a better term) still has me in its grip.

Right now I'm dying to read "Superflat and Otaku Nationalism", a paper presented at MOCA gallery at the Pacific design Center, West Hollywood, on 5 April 2001. Especially after seeing this:

"An ad campaign for LOUIS VUITTON by Mamoru Hosoda. an updated alice in wonderland, in which a girl, searching for her lost cell phone, floats in a dizzying world of the company's logos. While waiting to meet her friends outside of a Louis Vuitton store, Aya's cell phone is eaten by the LV Panda, who then promptly swallows Aya - but the inside of his stomach is gateway to a psychedelic wonderland. Based on characters created by famed superflat artist Takashi Murakami." YouTube

Correct me if I'm wrong - but isn't the Superflat art movement anti-consumerist in nature? How horribly fascinating it is to see the perversion of another manifesto by (seemingly all powerful) consumerism.

what do you want the world to remember?

On the 5th of November you are invited to post a video about what encompasses you as a person, what inspires you, what brings you hope, and most importantly those little things that you may have forgotten.

You may choose any topic, any idea, any person, event or place that you feel people need reminding of. You can use any style and any method to get your message of remembrance across.

The aim of this project is to gather together people from all over the world on one unique day to celebrate the important things that we forget, and to remind each other of what we need to keep ideas alive.

Get ready, be creative - but please don't post until the 5th November.

Remember, remember
Chin up,
MadV

Facebook Off

A little parting shot before I hit the shower and face the day. Whether you love or hate Facebook - you'll enjoy this video by 'CollegeHumor'. (And we thought identity theft only happened to people with money?)

Final Words...

Once again Geoff manages to post content that makes my day!

After a weekend of thinking, re-thinking, ignoring and making light of my own concepts of (and issues with) work, commitment and relationships - this post by Kareem Minhas (Khareem TV) puts me on the spot.

Admittedly, my reaction to his video-post is an emotional one - and many people might not think it blog-worthy at all. However, I get the feeling that a lot of us are going through patches of significant change at the moment. Personally, I'm inspired by how other people navigate these waters. I find solace and renewed hope in personal accounts of journeys towards self realisation.

Maybe you do too.

and then they do this

Ich+ Ich - Du erinnerst mich an Liebe.

This has to be one of the most beautiful music videos I've seen in a very, very long time. "You remind me of love"

them crazy Germans

How cool is this!! "I am a gummy bear..." darnit - it's corny, silly and addictive. This won't make the list of "All Time Classics" - but it's good for at least a few parties ;0)

when Love and Politics collide

I found this clip on kellystern.net If you've ever wondered if the US had humans in politics - this emotional speech about a resolution to support/veto gay marriage might open an eye or two. It has me reconsidering some of my (less open-minded) opinions regarding the States.

an old favourite

Reaching out to all the homophobes out there:

Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's law. I have learned a great deal from you, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. How should I deal with this?

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as it suggests in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

Lev. 25:44 states that I may buy slaves from the nations that are around us. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans but not Canadians. Can you clarify?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 10:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

Lev. 20:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear prescription glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

More from the Dr. Laura Collection

Lest We Forget

Lately it seems Geoff is my main source of inspiration for blogging. But if you look at this video he made - you'll understand why.

Brilliant job Geoff!!

Cool new toy!

Animoto (beta) makes photo-to-video conversion fun and easy!!
Thanks to Geoff for finding this little gem ;0)

One moment of compassion

Geoff has the uncanny ability to stir emotions that have been bottled up for years. Read this, and click through to his blog to show how much you love him! (Keep your kleenex handy!)

The Pinwheel

I saw a rainbow pinwheel on the way to work this morning. It was spinning furiously in the wind, the colors blurring together under a storm filled sky.

It only took a fraction of a second for it to grab my attention, a bright patch of color on a dank morning. Scattered rays of morning sunlight made their way through the gloom as if to shine a celestial spotlight on this pinwheel and it was beautiful ---the colors were luminous.

As a gay man, I’m conditioned to claim sight of the rainbow.

The rainbow flag is a symbol of pride, living your life openly without apology so my first thought as I drove by was “How cool”…. and then before I could finish the next thought, “I wonder who would put that……”-- I realized I was passing the cemetery.

It was placed on someone’s grave.

My disappointment evaporated quicker than it took for me to hurtle by at 60 mph as I realized someone must have been loved very much to deserve such a colorful announcement. I resolved to stop by on my way home after work and have a look.

I was right.

Someone was in fact loved very much.

As I drove into the cemetery and wound my way along the narrow road I found the pinwheel. It marked the grave of a little boy.

The pinwheel was only one part of an elaborate collection marking the baby’s grave. I stood there looking at the shrine, cars and trucks whizzing by several yards away just as I had that very morning and I was surprised at my own emotions viewing the grave of this infant.
I didn’t know him or his family. I didn’t know the specifics of their situation or the circumstances of his death, but I felt the loss nonetheless.

I could imagine the excitement, all the planning and preparation that must’ve gone into his intended arrival. I could imagine the laughter and joyful anticipation as his parents discussed their dreams for their miracle of life.

I could also clearly imagine the tears and heartbreak which must have replaced all those hopes and dreams. It was evident by the care and choice of their display on his grave.

I know tomorrow when I pass that little pinwheel on my way to work, I’m going to smile at the sight of it just as I will each day it greets me. I’ll smile because of the love that child was met with before and after his birth. A physical existence all too brief. A spiritual existence which will last forever in the hearts of the people who knew him…..and in my heart as well, even though I only came to know him through a spinning pinwheel on a rainy morning on my way to work.

Life and Times of a Gay Man In Idaho

Relationship advice

Love should be honest.
Avoid that which is bad in favor of that which is good.
Let your affections be kind, sincere and honorable.
Honor each other.
Be the example.
Never cool in your commitment.
Nurture and develop your enthusiasm!
Serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope.
Be steadfast in the face of oppression.
Pray.
Help those around you.
Always be courteous.
Bless those who persecute - for they are hurt.
Never curse another.
Share in the joy of those who rejoice.
Share in the sadness of those who weep.
Always find agreement amongst yourselves. ("find" is a verb.)
Never, ever be conceited - in fact, avoid the conceited.
Choose in stead those who are humble - and be humble.
Be mindful (not proud) of your opinions. Learn more.
Forget about getting even - hurting those who hurt you, hurts more.
Rather fill your hearts with goodwill towards all mankind. All year long.
As far as possible, live in peace with everybody. Make it possible.
Revenge is not in your jurisdiction - leave that to God.
Rather care and provide nourishment to those you believe to be your enemy.
Even more so to those who believe you are their enemy.
(The lesson goes both ways.)
Do not let evil overcome you.
Defeat evil with good.

This is taken from Romans 12:9 onwards. It's the passage my dad read this morning and, when he read it, I realized that those guidelines would work perfectly in same-sex relationships. Especially those around me at the moment - and most definitively when it comes to the one I'm hoping for! Obviously I translated loosely - but I really like it! My heart feels all fuzzy now :0)

Here's hoping you have a glorious Tuesday (or had, if you happen to be on the other side of the planet)!

Oh, one last bit of advice: Talk.

Love you all,
Willie

Missing Persons

I've just been contacted by a supposed "missing" person - informing me that he's never been missing and that the notice was an incredibly embarrassing hoax!

In light of this, I am removing all missing persons reports from my blog. Rather look towards www.missingchildren.co.za (they have a facebook group and applet too).

just now a homo saved my life from a broken heart

just now a homo saved my life with a song!
again, thank you to Perez Hilton for introducing me to Sia Furler.


I just ordered her album. "Breathe Me" is probably one of the most amazing indie songs I've ever heard!

This is Sia's bio on her space: http://www.myspace.com/siamusic

"my name is sia furler. i am a unicorn fart. i was born out of the butthole of a unicorn called steve. someday i'll die. between now and then i'm going to keep my shit together and sing my fucking heart out. i love dogs. they're my people. one day i'll write a real biography."

also check out: http://www.siamusic.net/

Tori Amos sings "about" Lindsey Lohan

Thank you Perez Hilton!
(this is copied directly from perezhilton.com)

This gem is from earlier this summer, but Perez Hilton just discovered it.

During one of her legendary improvs, the Goddess that is Tori Amos sang a song about Lindsay Lohan!!!

Click here (hand-held cam-corder) to listen to the brazilliance.

Lyrics below!

“Just a little chat
I need to have
When I was 21 do you think I had a bag of cocaine
in my car?

If I did - if I did
You’d never know it because it would have been hidden
I’m not stupid.
But why are so many 21-year old millionaires so stupid?
Stupid and cute.
But stupid - I don’t know.

Let’s just say
When I was 26 (or seven - or eight)
And I was a billionairess
What would I have done?
Many naughty things.
Many, many, many naughty things.
But I would have had a DRIVER!

‘Cuz I’m not stupid, no.
I’m not stupid, no.
Not THAT stupid anyway
‘Cuz if I had been naughty
(I like being naughty)

But I haven’t been caught so far
and I am almost 44
44
And I’ve done many, many, many, many, many bad things.

They are hidden inside my *mmm - mmm*
Inside my *mmm - mmm*
So there’s no record or no fingerprints on it

‘Cuz I’m not stupid
‘Cuz I’m not stupid
No, not stupid!”

a psalm for busy people

(translated from Japanese)

The Lord is my Pacesetter,
I shall not rush.
He makes me to pause and rest for quiet intervals.
He provides me with images of stillness,
which restore my serenity.
He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of spirit,
and His guidance of peace.
Even though I have a great many things to do each day,
I will not fret,
for His presence is here,
His all-importance to keep me balanced.
He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of
my activity by anointing my
mind with His oils of tranquility.
My cup of joyous energy overflows.
Surely harmony and usefulness shall be the fruit
of my hours,
for I shall walk at the pace of my Lord
and dwell in His house forever.

Update

I went to see my Gran today.

She's alive - and that's supposed to be enough for me. But it isn't.
Seeing her there, pale as the white linen around her, with 6 machines plugged into her and an enormous amount of pipes feeding into and out of her... it took all I could muster to bear it. And even then, only for a little while.


They say her brain is functioning 100%, even though it might not look like it.

She squeezed my hand and told me that she loves me...

Pray

My Grandmother just went into surgery for another (3rd) bypass op. The surgery is scheduled from 7AM to 4PM today.

The doctor isn't exactly enthusiastic about the chances of success, as her arteries are severely weakened, clogged and damaged.

Those of you who believe - please pray for her.
Pray that the surgeon and support team do a better job than ever.
Pray for her to live.

Thank you.

Unbelievable

Here's a little something I found on stii.za.net (stii = an amazingly cool dude). If I didnt see this, i would never have believed it was possible.

Watch this space

keep your hat on folks - i'm going on a new mission.

see blog rise

Perfume

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer | Official Perfume Movie Site | Perfume

Visually, this rendition of the novel is magnifficent! Add to that genius in storytelling - and you have a winner!

Feel free to check out the site as well - and crank up the volume! The score is amazing!!

Blogged with Flock

From Geoff's blog

Life and Times of a Gay Man In Idaho: Virtue In All Things

"...Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection..."

Blogged with Flock

Audio Bullys/Nancy Sinatra -Shot me down(Maximus 3000 vid)

Oh how I've searched for this...

Instinct Magazine - Henry Rollins

(With thanks to jockohomo.com)

Written by Henry Rollins - Illustration by Dave Arkle - Moderated by Jonathan Riggs

This is a call to arms, boys. This is your world, and you’re inheriting it from your parents. Unless you want to fight their wars and drink their dirty water and go through this maddening repetition, brought to you by people who not only refuse to learn from history but love to repeat it—unless you are going to be the change, you are going to inherit a world with far less resources than the one I walked into at your age. Twenty years, the world has changed so much, and in 20 more, the lines drawn in the sand will be very different. This is all up to you: to look for alternative fuel sources, to acknowledge global warming, to fix the appalling racist and homophobic tendencies our government has. All that’s within our grasp. You can make a difference. This is a great country to do that in. It needs it. It needs strong, brave people trying to make a difference. If not you, then who? In some ways for you guys, being gay today is better than it was 20 years ago, and in some ways it’s worse. I think America has accepted homosexuality as a fact, but the downside is the Bush administration giving the psychotic, ignorant wing of the Christian right—who are very homophobic and very hateful—a voice. A few State of the Union addresses ago, the president said, “I defend the sanctity of marriage,” which is lip service to the Christian right, saying, “You queers are on notice.” I don’t understand it. If Bill and Tom want to get married, why does anyone have a problem with it? Get a life and leave them alone. That you would deny these people that happiness because of something you think you understand about the Bible is quite awful. Homosexuality is not an abnormality. It’s maybe rarer than heterosexuality, but it is no less a truth. I don’t really see the difference between gay and straight other than a basic difference in the preference. The needs are the same: company, love, fulfillment, all of that. So equality to the point where it’s no longer an issue anymore, emancipation and progress, is what’s needed. The message that I think will be seen in the next several years is gay people saying, “We’re really, really good parents and our kids are really great.” I know a few couples who are married or joined in some way with kids, and their kids are fantastic: They’re funny, they’re smart, they’re considerate. If I were raised by two women or two men, I don’t see what the problem would be. As it is, I had two people who hated each other’s guts, and it definitely did a number on me—I’m still working it out. Now, with Mary Cheney leading the way, I think you’re going to see children of gay couples growing up and being quite “normal,” no fangs or claws, and becoming very useful and great parts of society. The good will always defeat the bad. Sometimes it doesn’t look like you’re winning, but as long as you’re on your feet, talking about it and finding allies, you’re beating these people who rely on intimidation, on your apathy, your silence, on you eventually giving up. It is very easy to feel defeated. I do, some days. I feel very weary at the state of this country and what this president is doing and potentially will do before he finally leaves. It’s easy to put your head in the sand and just go, “Screw it! I’m going to stay home with a bunch of comfort food and just stop checking in!” I hear ya, but we can’t. When you see the extraordinary depths that these people have to plumb to get talking points, like when Ann Coulter calls John Edwards a faggot and gets laughs, well, that may have worked for people like my father, but it’s not going to work for me. If that’s what they’re bringing to the table, then believe me, that does not hold water in the real world. When the lights are on and court comes into session, that’s not rockin’. With all these bright young people coming out of the halls of academia, guess what? It doesn’t rock with them either. So I think you’re going to see a change in your lifetime, in a lot of different ways, and maybe sooner than later. And so, basically, one must take heart. Like Churchill said—and I remind myself of this always—never, ever, ever can you give up. I have to repeat that to myself, ’cause man, some days I get up and these bastards got me beat, you know? They got me pretty whipped, and I’ve got to keep whipping myself up and throwing myself into that propeller and fighting the good fight. You have to be part of the solution and part of the change, because cooler, calmer, more interesting and innovative heads will prevail. We will find alternative energy sources—they’re out there, they’re being utilized by other countries— we, too, will utilize them. We will save the world. We will save this country. We will wrest it back from these awful people who think they have a lock on it. They don’t!

Blogged with Flock

Question of Monogamy

Keo Nozari has fun with probably the biggest issue in my bit of the dating pool...

More rejectedmemories.com

http://web.mac.com/bkueppers/iWeb/RejectedMemories/misc_files/slideshow.html?slideIndex=10

FRICHED.NET

friched.net - Sanatorium F. Bezançon

Happy Birthday Kareem - we love you!

We would like to note that Kareem's birthday is coming up VERY soon - the 17th of June - and we would like to make this day be as special as possible for him.

Even if most letters and packages won't be able to be sent by the 17th at this point, later is better than never!

The Free Kareem Coalition compiled a list of things that we think might be very useful for Kareem:

1. Clothes (between medium and large - Kareem is around 5'6 or 5'7 tall.)
2. Writing materials
3. Books (be careful with your selection, and remember that prison guards will see it before Kareem does. Therefore it\'s very important to select something that will not trouble him.)
4. Food / sweets
5. Blanket
6. Postcards and birthday cards
7. Letters!
8. Anything reasonable of your personal choice, but always keep in mind that his safety comes first, thus as we noted before, be extra careful with your selection.

Please send any of the above to the address posted here:
http://www.freekareem.org/2007/06/05/updating-kareems-prison-address/

We stress the importance of supportive letters and birthday cards to keep him in high spirits and to let him know that the world protests the unjust human rights violation which left him behind bars. Don't forget this brave young man on the day he especially needs to be remembered!

For comments or questions, please don't hesitate to e-mail us at either: editor@freekareem.org or director@freekareem.org

The Free Kareem Coalition
www.FreeKareem.org

davidbdale_rocks!

Future Perfect « Very Short Novels

Do yourselves an immense favour and click through to this blog! If the catch phrase: "299 words each. Anything more is a waste" doesn't grab you - this speciffic 'Very Short Novel' most definitely will.

Like The Secret

"YOU HAVE TO take risks, he said. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.

Every day, God gives us the sun - and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy. Every day, we try to pretend that we haven't perceived that moment, that it doesn't exist - that today is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow. But if people really pay attention to their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment. It may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-door key in the lock; it may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that seem the same to us. But that moment exists - a moment when all the power of the stars becomes part of us and enables us to perform miracles.

Joy is sometimes a blessing, but it is often a conquest. Our magic moment helps us to change and sends us off in search of our dreams. Yes, we are going to suffer, we will have difficult times, and we will experience many disappointments - but all of this is transitory; it leaves no permanent mark. And one day we will look back with pride and faith at the journey we have taken.

Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never e disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. But when that person looks back - and at some point everyone looks back - she will hear her heart saying, "What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days? What have you done with the talents God bestowed upon you? You buried yourself in a cave because you were fearful of losing those talents. So this is your heritage: the certainty that you wasted your life."

Pitiful are the people who must realize this. Because when they are finally able to believe in miracles, their life's magic moments will have already passed them by."

[Paulo Coelho: "By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept"]

Liberty and Justice for all

Facebook | Photos from "The word "gay" is not a synonym for "stupid"."

Loving that!

Facebook | Photos from "The word "gay" is not a synonym for "stupid"."

gay daisy

Facebook | Photos from "The word "gay" is not a synonym for "stupid"."

I am surrendered

Facebook and Second Life have consumed me.
Pardon the silence, but someone just wrote on my wall :)

Write me a letter

For everyone who mourns the art of letter writing, go to http://rks.f2g.net/

It is wonderful!

The Gift of Giving

This past week I had the privelage of sharing some amazing moments with people who are dear to me. Some got married, some are expecting a bundle of joy (aches and pains aside) and others managed to create - and help me hold on to - a Moment in time.

Gifts played prominent roles in every joyous moment. It is never so much about the actual gift, than the giver and the spirit in which it is given.

Unfortunately, I had the displeasure of witnessing a gifting going sour when the receiver couldn't "accept such an expensive" gift.

Bad blood now flows where good friendships blossomed.

A gift not accepted, for whatever reason, is not a rejection of the actual gift - but an act of disrespect towards the giver.

We must never allow our pride to destroy that which is good, by rejecting that which is freely given.

Some quotes from QuoteGarden:

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. ~Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

What is bought is cheaper than a gift. ~Portuguese Proverb

The only gift is a portion of thyself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers. ~Seneca

We do not quite forgive a giver. The hand that feeds us is in some danger of being bitten. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays

But it is a cold, lifeless business when you go to the shops to buy something, which does not represent your life and talent, but a goldsmith's. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Gifts," Essays, Second Series, 1844

If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give. ~George MacDonald

The manner of giving is worth more than the gift. ~Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur

A hug is a great gift - one size fits all, and it's easy to exchange. ~Author Unknown

If you give what can be taken, you are not really giving. Take what you are given, not what you want to be given. Give what cannot be taken. ~Idries Shah

To give and then not feel that one has given is the very best of all ways of giving. ~Max Beerbohm

Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.~William Wordsworth, 1806

What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell

The Lord loveth a cheerful giver. He also accepteth from a grouch. ~Catherine Hall

God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame. ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

God waits to win back his own flowers as gifts from man's hands. ~Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, 1916

You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. ~Author Unknown

Nothing's as mean as giving a little child something useful for Christmas. ~Kin Hubbard

I hate the giving of the hand unless the whole man accompanies it. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~William A. Ward

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~William Arthur Ward

It isn't the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it. ~Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. ~Jean Anouilh

Tori Amos- Big Wheel video

Tori manages to tickle me every time. I love the simplicity of the concept of this video!

Positively Geminian

Mind like a razor
focus
butterfly in spring

My apologies for my digital absence. My attention was diverted, and then again, and again.

Oh look! what was...

Comming out some more

In recent years I've learnt that standing up and saying: "I am..." is incredibly liberating. Not only for myself - but also for the many who suffer in silence, or cower in shadows.

Like Jack Nicholson as The Joker in Batman - we need to give a name to our pain. For in giving it a name, we take away the mystery and the fear of the unknown. The answer to overcomming our fears, or obstacles, lies in the name as well.

Here are the names I've taken ownership of thusfar:
1) I am Afrikaans. It is my heritage and my reality. I am not scared of that name.
2) I am Protestant. I do not denounce other forms of worship, but I do not identify with them either.
3) I am Gay and I'm fine with it.
4) My mom has cancer. We're in it together - for Life!

Today I realised that I have more to bring to the table. That there is another name in my back pack to share with the world:

5) I'm Bipolar (type 1).

I know others are out there - and I'm here to say: "We're cool".

Good night kids,
W

Going the obsessive route

(aside) My addiction to the HBO series "Carnivale" was abruptly transformed into an obsession. I watched the last episode of series two last night... I'm still struggling to deal with the fact that series two is "all she wrote". There's nothing else. All the hanging plot lines are left unresolved.

I couldn't sleep last night. Sophie's transformation bothered me that much! And now that I know there's no 'next episode' - it's driving me crazy!!

Why HBO? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!????????????

*sob*

Effective system needed

Okay, so I'm trying to commit myself to the cause of missing children (persons) by posting links, images and notices of open cases. Though I believe that the blogosphere and it's inhabitants can greatly contribute to create awareness - I am not convinced that what I'm doing is enough... or entirely effective.

A better system is required. It is time for me (and hopefully some of you) to use our knowledge, skills, talents and abilities to create a better system.

First off - let's work on a conceptual model:
1) What approach/es already exist in child protection strategies?
2) How are missing persons reports dealt with in practice?
3) What are the pros and cons of these approaches, strategies and practices?
4) Which technologies are applied in these cases - and which technologies remain untapped?
5) Who is involved in these cases - and how does one get the broader community actively involved?
6) What is meant by 'active involvement'?

Any thoughts? Any more questions to add? Anything at all?

I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Together we can come up with a better solution than by ourselves.