Movember Starts Tomorrow!

I've always wanted to do something for charity. I always thought that I would perhaps shave my head for cancer etc... But, I have found a get 'thing' to do for charity and we start tomorrow! Thats because its MOvember.

Here's an extract from the website:

Movember (the month formally known as November) is a charity event held during November each year.

At the start of Movember guys register with a clean shaven face. The Movember participants known as Mo Bros then have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their moustache and along the way raise as much money and awareness about male health issues as possible. Movember culminates at the end of the month at the gala parties. These glamorous and groomed events will see Tom Selleck and David Boon look-a-likes battle it out on the catwalk for their chance to take home the prestigious Man of Movember title.

So! You All have to sponsor me we can raise money for a good cause!! Please visit the site and tell me what you think - www.movember.com... I just hope I can grow a mo thats decent, watch this space and I'll keep you posted...

Cheers

Ryan

The Photo of the week...

THE REAL REASON MEN DIE YOUNGER!!

Koos in London, Family in South Africa

Hello Everyone,

And now for something completly different... A letter from family far away, to Koos, probably on a working-holiday makers in the UK....

Dearest Koos

I'm writing this slow because I know that you can't read fast. We don't live where we did when you left home. Your pa read in the newspaper that almost all accidents happen within 20km of home. So we moved.

I can't send you the address, because the last family who lived here took the house numbers when they moved, so they wouldn't have to change their address.

This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine. I don't know that it works so well though. Last week I put in a load of clothes and pulled the chain. We haven't seen them since.

The weather isn't bad here. It rained only twice last week. The first time for four days, and the secondtime for three days. About the coat you wanted me to send you. Your oom Frikkie said it would be too heavy to send them in the post with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put them in the pockets.

Piet locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were really worried because it took him two hours to get me and your father out.

Your sister had a baby this morning but I don't know what it is yet, so I don't know if you are an aunt or an uncle. I was told that it is almost black. I think she spent too much time in the sun when she was pregnant, always helping Jonas the farmhand with the mealies.

Oom Wessels fell into a whisky vat last week. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off and drowned. We had him cremated. It took five days to put the fire out.

Three of your friends went off a bridge in their oupa's bakkie. I always new this thing was dangerous. Janneman was driving. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. Your other two friends were on the back..

They drowned because they couldn't get the tailgate down.

There isn't much more news at this time. Nothing much out of the normal has happened.

Your favorite aunt

Hanna

P.S. I was going to enclose R25 but I already sealed the envelope!

Ja Nee, only in South Africa....

Scott Adams Rocks!

Recently on the Dilbert Blog, there has been much debate on the existence of Free Will... Being a philosophy major, this struck my interest. It's a pitty their are so many induhviduals who like to post stupid comments on the posts. Scott Adams's way with words and sharp sense of humour and witt really makes most of the comments posted look like drivel! But that's just what I think.

What I'm really writing about is the fact that, even though I can't imagine how many email Scott Adams gets a day, of which most could be the same as this complete drivel, he read my email and replied. Whats even better, I got mentioned on the blog... REALLY Cool! The Dilbert Comic and all its spin off media keep me smiling, even through the worst days. Scott Adams has also gone up in my estimations because he doesn't just sit in an ivory cubical and 'talk' to the world. His writings are always funny, most of the time thought provoking and usually quiet insightful.

Thanks Scott for making us all laugh!!



The following is the copy of my email and Scott's reply, below that is the link to the post...

From: Ryan Ballantyne
To: ScottAdams
Date: 02-Oct-2006 17:30
Subject: Free Will etc...

Hello Scott,

I think its fantastic the debate you have sparked re:Free Will. As a philosophy major, I am interested in the so-called layman's opinions which usually make for better reading than the ivory tower tomes found in most university libraries.

Check out what the Philosopher David Hume had to say about free will verses determinism.. he basically threw a large spanner in the works by saying that they are both right and are necessary for each other to exist... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hume - gives a basic intro in the paragraph Free will etc...)

I want to also say that Dilbert is the most amazing, brilliant and funny comic in the world! I think Catbert, Dogbert are especially brilliant! Thank you for making me laugh everyday, without fail!

Cheers

Ryan Ballantyne
Cape Town, South Africa

From: ScottAdams
To: ballantyne.ryan@gmail.com
Date: 02-Oct-2006 23:56
Subject: Re: Free Will etc...

Ryan,

Thank you for passing that along, I will have to check it out.

Scott Adams

( Please Note - "I will have to check it out" :P )

The Link to the post on the Dilbert Blog is:

http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2006/09/free_will_updat.html

Cheers

Ryan

Comming Soon....

The Cedarburg photos will be up soon, as soon as I get the photos from Shannon and Dean!!!

Everyone Hates Clippy

Don't you just hate it when good o'l clippy, the microsoft office assiant, comes up on the screen and trys to 'help' you? Wow is only pisses everyone off.... Even in this situation....

Thats the screen shot of the week....

I intend to do this more....

Well, its been a while since I have posted on this blog... I intend to open this up to some of you guys to post on... and on that note - the picture of the week!!


Cheers

Ryan