2 Sep 2010

The Law of the Wild (txs Paul)

 This is totally amazing and yet so true to nature,


The law of the wild says kill only when you are hungry!!!

           
Photographer Michel  Denis-Huot, who captured these amazing pictures on safari in  Kenya's Masai Mara in  October last year, said he was astounded by what he saw:

"These three  brothers have been living together since they left their mother at  about 18 months old,' he said. 'On the morning we saw them, they  seemed not to be hungry, walking quickly but stopping sometimes to  play together. 'At one point, they met a group of impala who ran  away. But one youngster was not quick enough and the brothers  caught it easily'".

These extraordinary  scenes  followed.

 

 

 

 




       
Click here to download:
The_Law_of_the_Wild_txs_Paul.zip (900 KB)

14 Aug 2010

Yesterday I Went To Visit Rebecca In Scarborough

(download)
14 Aug 2010

Early Morning As I Walk Along A Simon's Town Beach With Geeno

(download)
10 Aug 2010

Wise words from Bill Gates

Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world. 


Rule 1
: Life is not fair - get used to it! 

Rule 2
 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself. 

Rule 3
 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both. 

Rule 4
 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. 

Rule 5
 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity. 

Rule 6
: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault
so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them. 

Rule 7
: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. 


Rule 8
: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. 


Rule 9
: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND OURSELF. Do that on your own time. 


Rule 10
: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. 


Rule 11
: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. 

 

 

9 Aug 2010

You Ask, “Can You Make It?” And I Ask “What’s Your Self-Worth Like?”

designCanvasILoveMe.jpg

Many people ask me if they will be able to make a success of their business. 

Every time they ask I am reminded of what a potent illusion a business is.

Many businesses that become hugely successful start in a garage or home-office. It's not expensive to run and it does not take the bank to make it work. Unfortunately many businesses reach a ceiling. They can not break through. Something changes. And many times the business owner can justify a reason for the poor performing business. 

Given all these setback,  can you make it?

Can you make a huge success of your business?

And people running a successful business like themselves.

Any business, at some time, will expose any lack of self worth. If you value yourself highly, if you believe in your own abilities, if you have confidence, if you have guts, then you will make it. If not.... you'll go through the pain until you trust in your own abilities, demand that you get paid, stop giving money away, start asking questions of your staff. If you cannot do the basics right then look inside....

Making friends with yourself worth.........

That’s good.

At the end of the day nothing matters more than realizing your own self worth. And a business is one of the tools used to expose you. Have fun and expose your limitations because that’s they only way you’ll overcome them.

Johan Horak

21 Jul 2010

Ideas On How To Sell Coffee News Adverts


I just received an email from Coffee News Paarl/Wellington asking for advice on cold calling, doing a better selling job and books to read on the subject selling in general. All though the idea is written for Coffee News, other businesses can also benefit from giving away apparent high value gifts.  

Here's my answer that I would like to share with you:

I start at Amazon.com. I search for books that I am interested in. I then read the reviews. As I read the reviews the reviewers recommend the book in question and others that may be better. 

I had a book Cold Calling Techniques That Really Works. Please read the reviews. If you like it you can buy it in South Africa from www.loot.co.za

Here is my advice on selling:

  1. Never make an appointment to sell.
  2. Make an appointment to give; advice or a free gift.....
  3. Write down what you expect to gain from each appointment. Here's what I suggest:
  1. Selling of a Coffee News advert is a bonus. If you follow my suggestions and have a website/newsletter and Facebook page, then the appointment will pay off over time.
  2. If you did not get the bonus then ask  them if the advertiser would like to receive your newsletter, get the email address, or ask the person to join your facebook page or follow you on twitter.
  • Never give advertising space away. Rather create a Coffee News marketing Tips book, print it and give it as a gift. When you phone for an appointment, tell him that you are from Coffee News, that you would like to bring him a free local marketing book published by Coffee News. Ask if you can see him for 15 minutes. Take it from there....... 
  • Another idea, that is controversial, is to send a sms marketing tip once a week. You can use a service like www.smsmalls.co.za
  • Hope this helps.

    Please continue asking questions. The answers are free

    Have fun

    Johan
    17 Jul 2010

    2010 Soccer Well done SA


    …. and MADIBA was there

    We’ll ignore Graca Machel’s “controlling”tendencies.

    Trophy arrives in its Louis Vuitton Bag..

    Whatta closing ceremony, well done South Africa! This was awesome!

     

     

     


                           
    Click here to download:
    2010_Soccer_Well_done_SA.zip (940 KB)

       
    Click here to download:
    02010_Soccer_Well_done_SA.zip (84 KB)

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    17 Jul 2010

    Images 2010 Soccer World Cup South Africa

    (download)
    15 Jul 2010

    RUSHING THROUGH LIFE . . . .

     

     

           
    THE SITUATION

    In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about an hour.  During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. 


    About 4 minutes later: 

    The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
     

     
    At 6 minutes: 

    A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.  


    At 10 minutes:

    A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.  The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.


    At 45 minutes:

    The
     musician played continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while.  About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32.

    After 1 hour:

     

    He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded.  There was no recognition at all.

     No one knew this, but the violinist  was 

    Joshua Bell, 

    one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $200 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.


    This is a true story.  Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.  

    This experiment raised several questions: 

        *In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? 

         *If so, do we stop to appreciate it?  

         *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

    One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: 

    If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, 
    how many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

    Thanks to our friend Jean Spence for sharing this with us....

    1 Jul 2010

    Using Social Media In The Wild: Video On 3 Female Wild Dogs in a Boma

    The three females in this boma, are next to six males in an adjacent boma. They will be released with the males as soon as the Wildlife Act Scientists decide they are ready. [This snippet was taken with a cellphone and emailed to Facebook]. Become Wildlife Active and share your encounters with endangered animals here. Johan Horak

    (download)


    I am busy helping an endangered wildlife monitoring company implementing a social media strategy. I will tell you more later. At the moment we are trying to get visitors to gameparks to collaborate by publishing video to social media sites. I have been trying out Facebook's email video function and get an error messages.. I am now trying Posterous and will then republish.

     

    Johan Horak's Posterous

    When I am not busy making soup and trying to stop thinking I teach individuals and business on How To Stay In Touch With Self and Others