Calumn and Bailey checking out the mountain

Hey Musica, if you're importing this, you're dumber than I thought:

Taxi Violence is a local band, and the publisher at the back is local too.

http://www.taxiviolence.com/fabrication.php

Call centre IVRs - you gotta hate 'em!

The line that's missing from Facebook emails:

Fabric coated Beemer:

The GINA Light Visionary Model is a fabric-skinned shape-shifting sports car concept built byBMW. GINA stands for "Geometry and functions In 'N' Adaptions".^[1][2][3] It was designed by a team led by BMW’s head of design, Chris Bangle, who says GINA allowed his team to "challenge existing principles and conventional processes."^[1] Other designers include Anders Warming.[4]

She thought she won a toyota. Bwahahahaha!

Wow, just got the raddest early bithday present ever from @craigrodney

No seriously, I'm a bobblehead, and you're not (that sounded better in my head).

Shame, now the pressure's on for all the other poor bastards that have to buy me a present. It's Oct 16th, in case you were wondering.
 
Too much man love Craig, bromance is imminent.
 
Rich...!

Key reasons why the Rand is currently especially strong (and not just because the Dollar is weak):

I got this from my weekly Stanlib newsletter (it's a goodie) www.stanlib.co.za:

Please see below reasons for the current Rand strength. I have also attached a slide which shows R52 billion of net foreign flows into S.A equities:

(download)

• SA is now running a trade surplus due to sharply declining imports. First trade surplus since early 2004
• SA dividend outflows have fallen sharply from well over 3% of GDP in 2008 to well under 2% of GDP in Q2 2009
• SA`s current account deficit has improved dramatically from 7% of GDP in Q1 2009 to 3.2% of GDP in Q2 2009
• SA is running a positive interest rate spread when measured against the major developed economies
• SA's foreign currency credit rating was upgraded on 16 July to an `A' rating
• Foreign tourism inflows have improved  noticeably this year, helped by the sporting events
• There has been a large increase in investment flows into emerging markets this year, including SA. Year-to-date foreign investors has purchased (net) almost R60bn of SA equities; reversing the outflows we saw last year.
• SA's foreign exchange reserves has risen significantly to over $36 billion in August 2009 (including the extra SDP allocation from the IMF)
• SA's banking, financial system and fiscal balances have weathered the global financial crisis extremely well
• The possible MTN/Bharti deal (for which exchange control approval has been sought) could have led to additional `speculative' strength

Current outlook for the Rand:

• A uniquely large range of Rand-positive factors are currently combining to impact the currency (a near perfect-storm)
• These positive factors are expected to remain mostly `in-play' for the next 3 to 6 months.
• The Dollar is expected to remain under pressure over the next 3 to 6 months
• The technical fair-value for the Rand is around R8.20/$. Hence the Rand is currently considered to be over-bought or technically over-valued
• We are currently forecasting a Rand/Dollar rate of around R8.00/$ by year-end 2009 and R8.40 by end 2010
• The Rand remains an extremely volatile currency by emerging-market-currency standards; we don't expect that this will change. Internationally the Rand is viewed as the key `risk' trade currency
• The Rand was the worst performing emerging market currency in 2008 and up until early September 2009 was the second best performing emerging market currency
• The perfect-storm of positive factors are expected to slowly dissipate over the coming 18 months, especially as the economy recovers and imports rise. However, we do not expect to see a significant deterioration

You can't fix stoopid (via @monicabraganca)

"Dang, I sure wish someone would invent something that could keep the sun out of my eyes."

*sigh* Only Apple can tout this as a feature:

The rest of the world sees it as commercial rape.