Wednesday 26 February 2014

The 2014 Budget Speech in a Nutshell

Finance minister, Pravin Gordhan (pictured below), delivered the annual budget speech at the Parliamentary buildings in Cape Town earlier today. If you missed it, here are a few highlights:

Sin tax


  • Bottle of 750ml wine - 13c
  • Bottle of 750ml spirits - R4.76
  • 340ml can of beer - 9c
  • Ciders & alcoholic fruit drinks - 9c
  • Cigarettes (box of 20) - 68c
Fuel and environmental levies

  • Fuel levy - 12c/l
  • Road Accident Fund levy - 8c/l
Social grants

  • Elderly and disabled persons - R1 350 p/m
  • Foster care - R830 p/m
  • Child support - R315 p/m
Retirement policies

The tax free lump sum threshold has been raised from R315 000 to R500 000.

Rebates for individual taxpayers

Primary rebate (all taxpayers) - R12 726
Secondary rebate (aged 65 - 74 years) - R7 110
Tertiary rebate (aged 75 years and above) - R2 367.

Follow this link for more information http://www.fin24.com/Budget/Infographics/Budget-infographic-20140225






The Problem With... Uganda's New Homsexuality Laws

People the world over reacted in shock and disbelief at this week's human rights abomination.

Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni stated on Monday that he finds homosexuality "disgusting", and proceeded to sign off an anti-gay legislation that includes life prison sentences for repeat offenders.

Excerpts from his statement, follow below (source News24):



"I have failed to understand that you can fail to be attracted to all these beautiful women and be attracted to a man,"

"That is a really serious matter. There is something really wrong with you," he said.

"Homosexuals are actually mercenaries. They are heterosexual people but because of money they say they are homosexuals. These are prostitutes because of money," he said, asserting that he had taken the time to get scientific advice before signing off on the law.

"No study has shown you can be homosexual by nature," he said. "That man can choose to love a man... is a matter of choice. After listening to the scientists, I got the facts.

"Can somebody be homosexual simply by nature? The answer is no."


Well, Mr President, let me say as a heterosexual South African, that I find your comments disgusting and your lack of knowledge appalling. How did you ever get voted into power? 

Strangely enough this logic sounds familiar - anyone recall Jacob Zuma's ideology to prevent contracting HIV/AIDS? Yes, a shower and some Life Buoy soap - as you do.

This is the very logic that is withholding the African continent from progressing from a third world dimension. Narrow mindedness such as this will hinder growth and development, which is both sad and unfair.

His thoughts on gay oral sex were as follows:
                 
"It is not healthy. You can contract STD [sexually transmitted diseases]. You push the mouth there, you can come back with worms and they enter your stomach because that is a wrong address. You can also contract Hepatitis B," he said.

The poor English and grammar in this statement alone is cause for concern, but the fact that he refers to a component of the human anatomy as an "address" is particularly worrying.

Museveni warned critics of the law not to push the country on the matter.

"I advise friends from the West not to make this an issue because if they make it an issue the more they will lose," he said. "This is social imperialism. To impose social values of one group on our society"

"I would advise Western countries, this is a no-go area," he said. "I don't mind being in a collision course with the West. I am prepared."


Unfortunately the west did not heed your warning, Mr President, and have since issued a statement opposing your views. In my personal opinion, directly challenging the west, or the leader of the United States of America rather, will not end well.  Recently the US amended the constitution to recognize same sex marriages, so Mr Museveni's episode undoubtedly hit a soft spot. The US have threatened to reduce the amount of economic aid it administers to Uganda based on this travesty. 

Has humanity not suffered enough oppression (racism, gender discrimination) that now we need to add same sex couples to the list? 

Love knows no boundaries, be it gender; race or creed.

Live and let live. 


Friday 21 February 2014

Our Anniversary and a Must See Movie

Yesterday William and I celebrated our 6th anniversary of being a couple.

We were introduced by a mutual friend at the end of 2007, and officially started dating a few months later.
As with most normal couples, our road hasn't been an easy one. Rather like a race track with hurdles every couple of hundred meters. We have traveled somewhat, encountered some amazing people and shared in memorable experiences together. We have also spent more time at the home affairs offices than any couple should have to, but that chapter is now closed (and not a moment too soon). One thing I can say is that our journey has been anything but ordinary, and it has matured us in many ways. It has made us stronger, and we will continue to go from strength to strength. We have so much more we want to see and do, and I look forward to writing the next chapter of our book and seeing what the universe has in store for us.

To the upcoming years (cheers!)

Oh, and for those that were disappointed we haven't gotten engaged - go back and read my post 'So when are you getting married?" :)

On Wednesday night, a group of ladies and I went to watch Winter's Tale at the cinema. Wow, what a mixed bag of emotions this film is. Starring Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, Will Smith and others, the story-line revolves around Colin Farrell's character in New York in the icy winters of 1914 and 2014. Synopsis: a burglar falls in love with an heiress, who tragically dies of consumption at age 21. When he learns he has the gift of reincarnation he sets out to save her. I don't want to give too much away so that's all I'm going to say but this is definitely one for the ladies. With some romance, drama, action and even sci-fi it will not disappoint. Colleen and I particularly enjoyed it after recently reading Theresa Caputo's "There's More to Life Than This" - some of the connotations and references in the film were similar to content in Theresa's book. I can highly recommend it, so if you don't have plans this weekend, phone a friend and have a girls day/night out. Don't forget the tissues!


Have a fantastic weekend.

Until next time
x

Friday 14 February 2014

The Problem With... Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day originates back to the 14th century when it received its first connotations about love, and since then has become one of the most celebrated occasions on the calendar.


Call me a pessimist/killjoy but I’ve never been one to partake in the money making gimmick that is Valentine’s Day. Retailers promote the “day of love” in order to boost profits, and one can almost picture the MD of Cardies rubbing his hands together in delight. An example: 12 red roses normally sell for less than R200 but because it’s Valentine’s Day the price doubles to R400!

R400 for flowers (that although pretty) will wilt and die in a few days. Sure – prove your undying love for your partner with some botanicals that won’t make it past Sunday. Flowers aside, teddy bears; chocolates; and those cheesy “I heart you” mugs are all marked up 200%. Restaurants go the extra mile by offering a three course meal with the clichéd violinist, to serenade their patrons. Oh, and to justify the price they’ll even throw in some chocolates. How generous.

Then there are the couples that get engaged on Valentine’s Day. To each their own, but honestly how many other people (in the same restaurant) are going to be fishing rings out of their champagne glasses? Be original!

My fundamental issue with Valentine’s Day is why not show your love/appreciation for your partner every day of the year? Why are we limited to one day? The best gifts or dinners are the unexpected ones. Prices are cheaper and restaurants are emptier.

What am I doing for Valentines? William and I are going to watch a movie and we’ll probably have a home cooked dinner. There’s no one else I’d rather spend my evening with, partaking in one of our favorite things to do.

Whether you celebrate the occasion or not, have a happy Friday and good weekend!


Thursday 13 February 2014

Conspiracy Theories Surrounding Suspicious Celebrity Deaths

There have been many suspicious deaths of famous people over the ages - think King Tutankhamun’s early Egypt, right up to Princess Diana in the present day.

The following people had acceptable causes of death, but the events leading up to their demise are less simple. Their deaths can, in all likeliness, be considered accidents or coincidences, but what if they were the victims of foul play? Their deaths conveniently aligned with accidental circumstances. There are many conspiracy theorists that believe that some (if not all) of the celebrities below, were in fact murdered. What if there is a secret society in existence? A contract-killing-for-hire entity that acts on clients instructions. The client could be anyone: members of royal families, record label executives, litigation attorneys, even government organisations such as the FBI or CIA.

Samples of the most intriguing cases are listed below:

Whitney Houston (48) died in February 2012, in Los Angeles. The official cause of death was accidental drowning in the bath due to complications caused by heart disease and cocaine use. Whitney died one day before the 2012 Grammy Awards, an event at which she was supposed to make her prolific comeback. She’d cleaned up her drug habit (apparently) and had already returned to the entertainment industry, having completed filming of the movie “Sparkle”. Whitney also wrote and performed the theme song for the movie, hinting that a new album may have been on the cards.


        Heath Ledger (28) died in January 2008, in New York. The coroner listed his cause of death as accidental intoxication from prescription drugs. Heath had finished filming the latest instalment in the Batman series, The Dark Knight – his role as the Joker earned him an Oscar nomination. Posthumously, Heath won the award for Best Supporting Actor at the 2009 ceremony as well as the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. At the peak of his career, and recently having a daughter with actress Michelle Williams, Heath had everything to live for.

        Phillip Seymour Hoffman (46) died in February 2014, in New York. As the investigation into his death in on-going, no official cause has been determined but evidence of prescription drugs and Heroin paraphernalia found at the scene suggest an accidental overdose. Phillip struggled with substance abuse and relapsed last May resulting in him returning to rehab.

         Amy Winehouse (27) died in July 2011, in London. A member of the “27 Club”, a notional group of popular musicians who have died at age 27 as a result of drug/alcohol abuse or murder/suicide. Alcohol poisoning was listed as the official cause of death, which was suspicious as her family announced she’d stopped drinking to improve her health, and she was working on a new album. The doctors went as far as saying that it was the shock of cutting out alcohol immediately which brought on cardiac arrest, and Amy should have rather gradually reduced her alcohol intake. That doesn’t make sense, surely?

        Michael Jackson (50) died in June 2009, in Los Angeles. Michael’s personal physician was charged with homicide following the singer’s death. The autopsy report listed acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication which lead to cardiac arrest, the medication which Dr Murray had administered to Michael that fateful day. Michael was rehearsing for his comeback tour prior to his death, a tour of 50 dates in the United Kingdom that was set to his best work ever and ease his financial woes. While some speculate he committed suicide in order to escape the pressure of fame and mounting debt he was accumulating. Sources close to Michael insisted he was in a positive frame of mind and was looking forward to the tour, so the suicide rumors were unfounded.

      Kurt Cobain (27) died in April 2004, in Seattle. Fellow member of the 27 Club. The coroner’s report stated “suicide by shotgun wound to the head” as the cause, but upon further investigation no gunpowder residue was found on the singer’s hands which surely would not have been possible had Kurt pulled the trigger himself. Furthermore, toxicology results showed that Kurt had so much Heroin in his system that it would have rendered him unable to handle a shotgun, if not unconscious. The letter found at the scene did not mention suicide until the last few sentences, and the handwriting did not match that of the beginning lines in the letter.

      Anna Nicole Smith (39) died in February 2007, in Florida. As with so many cases before her, Anna Nicole’s cause of death was an overdose (accidental) of prescription drugs. Strangely enough, none of the 11 medicines found in her system had been prescribed to her, but rather her common law husband (they were never officially married having only partaken in a commitment ceremony). At the time of her death, Anna Nicole was embroiled in a paternity (no less than three men claimed to be the father) and custody battle over her new-born daughter. She was also depressed following the death of her son (also a prescription drug overdose) a mere six months prior to his mother. One questions the logic behind abandoning her young daughter, despite the recent drama in her life.

      Sonny Bono (62) died in August 1997, in California. Sonny died in a water skiing accident after colliding with a tree. Sonny had exchanged the entertainment industry for politics, and being elected as the mayor of Palm Springs. Furthering his political career, Sonny was voted into the United States House of Representatives and was set to launch an investigation into US government employees allegedly selling drugs and weapons in Central America. He died before having the opportunity to do so. Was his death a cover up?

      Elvis Presley (42) died in August 1977, in Tennessee. Fame had taken its toll on Elvis, and he was addicted to prescription medications. He’d lost his ability to perform, and his last tour was cut short. He was found in the bathroom of his home, having choked on his own vomit. As many conspiracy theorists argue, Elvis (like Tupac) faked his own death to get out of the limelight and live his life off radar. Many sightings of “the King” have been reported the world over.

      Bruce Lee (32) and son Brandon Lee (28), died in July 1973 in Hong Kong and 1993in North Carolina respectively. The first of the multiple family member suspicious deaths discussed here. Bruce’s cause of death was ruled a “death by misadventure” following a cerebral oedema. Prior to his death, Bruce complained of a headache and the actress he was visiting at the time gave him a painkiller. The coroner blamed an allergic reaction to the ingredients in the painkiller which then caused Bruce’s brain to swell by 13% and therefore killing him. Many people disregarded his death as accidental, and accused a secret martial arts society of killing the renowned actor. Brandon was killed on the set of the film “The Crow”, when a prop gun used in the scene discharged an improperly deactivated cartridge with the same force as a live round and struck him in the abdomen. An investigation was launched but all interested parties were acquitted, including producer Steven Spielberg. Some believe that the same underground cult that killed Bruce also killed Brandon.

      John F. Kennedy (46) and John F. Kennedy Jr (38) died in November 1963 in Texas and July 1999 in Martha’s Vineyard respectively.  John F Kennedy Sr was assassinated whilst his motorcade was travelling through the streets of Dallas; he was shot three times by a sniper. Lee Harvey Oswald was convicted of his murder but many say that the president was killed in a cover up. Numerous government agencies and even JFK’s successor, Lyndon Johnson, were implicated but without evidence this theory remained just that. There was also the Marilyn Monroe affair rumor, and Marilyn herself died in suspicious circumstances 15 months earlier. A recent poll showed that 61% of participants believed in a conspiracy.
JFK Jr was killed when the light aircraft he was piloting crashed off Long Island. Oddly enough, he did not send out an SOS signal nor contact air traffic control with a request for assistance. Witnesses reported a "blinding, white flash” in the vicinity that the airplane crashed sparking speculation of a missile or explosive on board. No evidence of foul play was found, but many believe JFK Jr may have been killed by the same people/organisation behind his father’s untimely death.

Bob Marley (36) died in May 1981 in Miami. A cancerous lesion in his big toe quickly spread to the rest of his body, and a brain tumor ended his life. The lesion stemmed from the singer putting on a new pair of shoes and a small piece of coiled copper in the shoe injected his toe with radiation, hence weakening the bone and metastasizing as cancer. There was political turmoil in Jamaica, Bob’s home country, and in November 1976 Bob was the victim of an assassination attempt – thought to be orchestrated by the CIA. The boots were a gift and the sender unknown, although it is thought that the CIA sent them after threatening Bob that he would be murdered if he returned to Jamaica before the election. Also, the director of the CIA’s son was seen near Bob’s property the day of the assassination attempt. Consider this: many of the CIA’s files on Bob remain classified to the present day.

Tupac (25) and The Notorious BIG (24) died in September 1996 in Las Vegas; and March 1997 in Los Angeles respectively. Tupac was gunned down by a rival gang following a boxing match featuring Mike Tyson, and taken to hospital. The doctors performed emergency surgery but were unable to stop the internal bleeding. Many speculate that Tupac faked his own death to escape the dangers of the hip hop world, and since his death two albums have been released and he has been listed as number 86 in the “Top 100 Immortal Artists of all Time” by Rolling Stone Magazine.
The Notorious BIG died six months after his long time rival Tupac, also in a shootout. Whilst evidence of involvement from Death Row Records, the record company that had signed up Tupac, and a revenge killing, the LAPD refused to investigate the matter, stirring up suspicions that the record company had members of the law enforcement agency on their payroll.

James Dean (24); Natalie Wood (43); and Sal Mineo (37) died September 1955; November 1981; and February 1976 respectively in California. The three actors all worked on the same film “Rebel without a Cause” and following their deaths, speculation as to whether the film was indeed cursed arose.
James was killed when his Porsche collided head on with another sports car. Emergency services on scene deduced that James had been speeding and tried to execute a racing manoeuvre called “side stepping”, but due to insufficient time and space, veered into oncoming traffic. He had only released three films in his short career but had been destined for many more.
Natalie drowned when she tried to embark a small dinghy from the luxury yacht she and her husband owned, although she was fearful of the ocean and unable to swim. Allegations of her husband pushing her arose when witnesses told authorities they had heard the couple arguing, and Natalie had flirted with their guest, Christopher Walken. Ante-mortem bruises were fund on her body, and her husband later admitted they’d had a fight before she died. Her death was ruled an accident, but to this day neither her husband nor Christopher Walken have ever spoken of the tragic incident again.
Sal was stabbed by a pizza delivery man in an alley. The suspect was convicted and although he denied the charges during court proceedings, prison guards overhead him admitting to the stabbing. Sal was one of the first major actors in Hollywood to publicly acknowledge his homosexuality.

Take from this post what you will. Form your own conclusion. However, it is impossible to deny the fact that not everything is as it seems and one, if not a couple, of the above examples open your mind to alternative theories than those officially stated.


Question everything.


Friday 7 February 2014

Job Hunting is not for Sissies - Part 2

You'll recall in part 1 of this saga that I am in the job market (read shark tank) at the moment.

Since that post, there have been a few developments. Some good, some not.

The recruiter that set me up for the interview in Booysens contacted me with an accountant position at a manufacturing company in Edenvale. I agreed to an interview, which took place this past Monday. To say the interview was a disaster would be an understatement. Simply put, the workplace/job and myself were not a good match. I was interviewed by the general manager (husband of the CEO), whom I suspect hated me on sight. I must have reminded him of an ex girlfriend that broke up with him. His manner (rude) and lack of people skills made it a rather uncomfortable 40 minutes, and no matter what answer I gave to his questions they never seemed satisfactory. He would sigh, or even roll his eyes and look out the window at times! I willed myself to stay in my chair and not leave the interview, which was very tempting. The interviewer also insulted me saying I did not score very well on my Excel competency test. As you read in Part 1 I did say that some of the questions involved pivot tables and reformatting graphs, which the average person doesn't work with on a daily basis. I maintained my composure and politely explained this to the interviewer and he smirked. Blood boiling!! Apparently I didn't ask the right questions either, because if he asked if I had any and I responded with "no" he abruptly ended the interview. Frankly, I don't think I could work with someone like that so it was a blessing that it never worked out. Week three of the hunt - going well.

I applied for a position advertised on PNet, and the human resources manager set up an interview at an IT company in Kempton Park this past Wednesday. The environment was stunning: professional and modern. I loved the place and the people immediately. The Financial Manager interviewed me, and told me more about the business and the role I had applied for (or the job spec as it is called). The duties and responsibilities were right up my alley, but my interviewer warned me there would be no room for growth as the company had reached its full potential in the field and the only promotions on offer would be for her position or the CEO, neither of which were available as they were in it for life. Upon hearing that, I wasn't that put off as a job with less stress whilst I'm en route to becoming a chartered accountant would be ideal. Climbing the corporate ladder could come later. During our discussion of remuneration, my interviewer told me that my salary expectation may be too high. This is what worried me. No room for growth and staying on a low pay-grade for three to five years was not ideal. The interview ended with the interviewer telling me that she would forward my CV along with the other candidates' to the CEO for perusal, who would then determine a short list of candidates he personally wanted to meet with. I was disappointed. This company and the role were exactly what I was looking for, but am I willing to sacrifice growth AND finances? Tough one. Let's see.

After telling a friend about the interview woes following the manufacturing company debacle, she encouraged me to apply for a position at the sister company of the one she works for. The position was advertised on LinkedIn and the title "a Key Account Manager" of a consumer product. This was a diversion from the accounting field I am used to, but seeing as though my accounts interviews had gone so badly I figured a change of field may not be the worst idea in the world. After briefly speaking with the human resources manager, my interview was set up for Wednesday (yes, same day as the IT company). The interview was conducted my the managing director, a Jewish man, at the company's premises in Spartan. Thankfully my friend had pre-warned me that it is against the Jewish tradition to shake the hand, or even tough another woman except his wife. You can imagine how odd it felt not being able to greet the interviewer with a smile and firm handshake, as good business acumen prescribes. I willed myself to stay seated when he entered the boardroom and kept repeating "don't reach to shake his hand, don't reach to shake his hand." I didn't and immediately mentally high-fived myself. The interviewer's main concern was that I would not be the perfect fit for the position, having only had a purely financial background. I tried to convince him otherwise, stating that I felt business is only built on customer relationships and that it is a skill that always has room for improvement. True, I do still want to become a chartered accountant, but having some customer interface experience could only assist me later in life, whether I am in the finance field or not. The interview was less than half an hour and purely consisted of discussion as to whether or not I was suitable for the position. I was told my application would be considered and discussed with another member of senior management after which they will contact me. Before the interview I was positive and upbeat about the change in career direction but coming out of it, self doubt had crept in. Whether or not the job is offered to me remains to be seen and if offered, whether or not I will accept it will require A LOT of thought.

In between these interviews, I have still been trawling the websites, following up with the recruitment agents and (out of desperation) yesterday I bought the classifieds newspaper. There were no suitable vacancies but at least it was another option investigated.

In summation - three weeks and four interviews. Hours of "selling myself" and getting all worked up with nerves prior to each interview. I understand that candidates need to put their best foot forward and mention all their good points to stand a chance of being offered a job, but what if someone were to over-sell him/herself and not be able to deliver once employed? Modesty goes out the window in interviews and that fact makes me uncomfortable. 

Overall the job hunt process is draining: mentally and emotionally but I am eternally optimistic that this series ends with Part 3.

Have a great weekend!