edwardviljoen's posterous

I Don't Have An E-mail Address

About five years ago I was organizing a team to work on a presentation and the first item was to organize our communication by setting up a group email system.  There was a cold and frigthened hush in the room when one of the key participants announced that she didn't have an e-mail addres.  "I don't have an e-mail address," she confirmed when it was clear that no one in the room understood the plain English she had spoken.

What followed was commical and revealed a lot about our e-culture even five years ago.  The remaining members of the team began to trouble shoot the situation, inquiring where her PC was, was it broken, could she access her account on her phone, was she changing subscribers until it was clear that this high functioning, very desirable team mate, had neither e-mail address, nor cell phone, nor PC.  Not even a Mac, for that matter. 

Nothing.

Today, the PC isn't the primary way to get to the Internet anymore.  I read in WSErverNews Weekly that the ratio of mobile devices to PCs is no longer even 1-to-1.  Everyone has a mobile device.  Everyone?  Not everyone.  No.  My prized team member of five-years-ago still does not.  And, she remains highly sought after.  And, continues to cause blank stares when she says her words again slowly for those, who like I did back then, cannot take in the full meaning of her words "I don't have an e-mail address."

I went with a different friend, also light on web connections, to get a phone.  He explained to the customer service representative that he wanted a phone that only made telephone calls and had no other functions.

No camera?   No.

Nothing?

Just a phone, please.

Laughing

In the sweetness of friendship, let there be laughter and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things, the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

Kahlil Gibran

LAUGHING

When laughter is shared, people are connected. Laughter has the ability to spread in a disarming way. A belly laugh is difficult to ignore and can easily bring a smile to other people, even if they have no idea what the laughter is about. Vigorous laughter gives the body a release from tension and is reported to boost the immune system and stimulate the chemicals our bodies use to feel good.

What makes you break out in laughter? Who has the ability to make you laugh, and when last did you spend time with them? How can you get more laughter in your life? What was the last funny joke you heard? Learn a new joke and tell it to a friend.

Jewish philanthropist gives £6,000 to each Chilean miner

Jewish philanthropist gives £6,000 to each Chilean miner

 By Jennifer Lipman, October 13, 2010

A Chilean Jewish businessman has announced that he is donating more than £6,000 to each of the 33 miners trapped underneath the Atacama Desert.
Leonardo Farkas, a philanthropist with stakes in the mining industry, has written cheques in each of the trapped miners’ names. The 53-year-old, who is of Hungarian descent, has also launched a fund for others to donate to.
In 2008 Mr Farkas gave nearly £100,000 to a children’s charity. 

Story at - http://goodnewsdaily.com/show_story.php?ID=10179

Good news is so fantastic to share!  What is your good news?

What's Going On In Johannesburg?

Just a few newsy links about my hometown. 

 

Joburg 2010 <http://www.joburg.org.za/fifaworldcup/>

JOBURG – host city for the FIFA 2010 World Cup™ and the Festival of Champions – is ready and waiting. Find out the lowdown on all things football, from teams to coaches to buying tickets to what to do when you're not watching football.

 

Maps <http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/393/145/>

A SET of Adobe Acrobat maps of popular Johannesburg neighbourhoods, including road and suburb names, schools, parks, shopping strips and historic areas.

 

Print-resolution image library <http://www.joburg.org.za/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,147/>

A COLLECTION of photographs of Johannesburg, commissioned by the marketing department of the City of Johannesburg, and suitable for use in general printed material. Images are available free of charge, but the photographer must be acknowledged and the City of Johannesburg identified as the copyright holder.

 

CitiChat <http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/442/58/>

FOR a weekly perspective on Joburg, by a prominent city champion, read Neil Fraser's column.

 

Exhibitions <http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/118/58/>

JOHANNESBURG is the country's top exhibitions venue, landing more than half the number of all exhibitions held in South Africa, and way ahead of rivals Cape Town and Durban.

 

Soweto <http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/921/159/>

SETTING trends in politics, fashion, music, dance and language.

 

Events calendar <http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=285>

FOR a calendar of cultural and entertainment events, see the events calender.