The Shackled Muse

The Law Of Attraction

The Shackled Muse — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:19:47 +0000

I’ve been reading quite a lot about the law of attraction lately. (for more info, go to www.deliberatereceiving.com)

Most of it makes sense to me. In theory at least. I know that I have to be positive to get positive results, and that focusing on the negative will manifest the negative stuffs. I know that, in order to find the perfect job, I need to start loving my current job. I know what the difference is between denial and positive thinking.

Sometimes though, just sometimes, it’s really hard to be positive. Sometimes I just want to wallow in the realization that I don’t have the perfect job, that o don’t earn what I’m worth, that I don’t have a personal space to call my own, that I cant find half the writing gigs I need to start my freelancing career, that I have bitches in my life pretending to be friends, a someone that I didn’t sign up for and the knight in shining whatever’s ex that stalks my Facebook account.

Sometimes, I really don’t know how to stay positive.

Infographic Depicting Why Cheryl Needs A Vodafone Smart Tab

The Shackled Muse — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:39:49 +0000

The Creative Ransom

The Shackled Muse — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:59:52 +0000

Spotted this over at iMod. Brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT!

These guys deserve a medal for creativity.

Inspirationals And Other Lessons: Week 7 & 8

The Shackled Muse — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:22:05 +0000

An overview of the past two weeks.

• Things that inspired me

• Something that I’m #grateful for

• Somebody that inspired me

• One change I made in my life

• Something I made

• Image of the week

• What I’m working on

Inspiring Things:

Brett Kebble on buying his wife’s wedding ring:

“Marrying the little redheaded firecracker sitting a few feet away from me is one of my greatest victories as a man. I think back to walking around the jewellery store with her, helping her pick out the perfect ring that we couldn’t even kind of afford. It was a fantastic time and now I have a copy of

the slip of paper we got along with the ring; a copy that will never fade, be misplaced or destroyed.”

Pierre de Vos on the “Accountability, transparency and bribing of

Journalists:”

Nevertheless, this saga does raise serious questions about the ways in which politicians or other powerful and rich individuals or groups could pervert the democratic process by bribing journalists, columnists or other opinion-makers.

Last week judge Bennie Griesel released an internal ANC report (after having a so called “judicial peep at it in terms of section 80 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA)) along with a short judgment giving reasons for this. It is very surprising, to say the least, that Griesel J released the report, despite the fact that the ANC might have wanted to appeal his judgment.

As I understand these provisions of PAIA, what should have happened is that the learned judge should have ordered the ANC to hand over the report to Independent Newspapers and the ANC would then have had the opportunity to decide whether it wished to appeal the decision or whether

it would hand over the report as ordered.

In my opinion the judge committed a serious blunder and the ANC had every reason to complain – on legal grounds – about the premature release of the report. The problem is that the blunder cannot be corrected as the report now forms part of the judgment and can be read by anyone.

Clearly, journalists and columnists are not in exactly the same position as politicians. Politicians are elected, journalists and columnists are not. Politicians make decisions about how our money should be taxed and how the taxes should be spent, journalists and columnists do not. Politicians can ride the gravy train, journalists cannot. Some politicians have enormous power: they can give instructions to the police to shoot and kill people, they can order the invasion of Lesotho (and how did that one work out for you honourable Mangosutho Buthelezi?), they can legally instruct spies to spread lies about perceived enemies of the state. Journalists and columnists can do none of these things.

The argument that journalists, columnists and civil society leaders should therefore be held accountable in exactly the same way as politicians can therefore not be sustained. Claiming that they exercise more power than the President who can make life and death decisions about our future is, quite frankly, absurd and also obviously self-serving.

Ali Luke’s article tiltled: “9 ways to motivate yourself to write.”

It was great source of inspiration. Granted, I’ve been writing a teensy bit less this week than last, but the whole process became easier when I followed her steps.

The Painted Hive

Blogger Kristine’s Diary to decorating her home.

My décor style is very different from hers, nevertheless, I still enjoy her posts and pictures.

View her blog here

#GratefulFor

A place to live. I roof over my head. And even though we sometimes have problems with the water, or the stove, or a slightly not-clean apartment, I still have a safe place to call

home. Not many people can say that.

Inspiring Person:

SheBee (Sheena Gates) also known as SA’s Blog Queen (A title I’m still aiming for…) from If These Walls Could Talk. I follow her blog religiously. In fact, I stole the #GratefulFor segment from her site.

I’m sorry….

One Change:

(Zen Habits’ Leo says you must ONE small change at a time, instead of 20 at once.)

Wake up early, EVERY WEEK DAY.

Edit 23 Feb – Yes, I’m still stuck with this change. My alarm is set for 04H45AM. I have to be at work at 07H30 (some days I’m at work from anytime between 06H00 and 06H30, so those days don’t

really count.)

So far, I’ve only managed to get up early for a total of… wait for it… three days! Progress, I tell you!

Those three days were glorious. I got up before 5, made some coffee and had me-time. I wrote articles, did research, job hunted, applied for some jobs, read, done some studying. All the good stuff I don’t have time for during the week.

Something I Made:

UHM…. Nothing….

BUT! I’m working on a gift for somebody. It’s a LOTR map (Take a look at my products page if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

Okay, I’m not really working on it, per se… But I already know who I want to give it too, I have the stuff I need. In my defense, my laptop crashed. All my image editing tools are on my Laptop (not my Netbook, or my work PC.) So as soon as I have my laptop in working condition again, the map shall

be made.

Image Of The Week:

Not my own – I stole this from one of those chain mails send around by the employees who don’t

have enough work to fill their days….

What I’m working on:

Writing articles:

Lots and lots of articles.

My goal is to

a) earn a profitable amount of $,

b) get my name out there and built a better Resume. (Oooh, note to

self: make a page on this site with links to my writing.)

c) get a better page rank.

My First e-book:

Once all the writing and editing and re-writing is done, the e-book will be

available to the public. However, all my subscribers will get a free copy

So, you see that little block thingy to the left of this article? It says “blog me, baby!” with an inviting field to type your email address in? Yes, that one.

Go. Sign up. And you’ll receive a free copy once I’m done with my book.

My newsletter Campaign:

I recently wrote an article on RichWP about auto responders, and realized how neglected my own account is. I don’t think I even finished filling out my profile. And I don’t want the hordes that are going to sign up (any moment now. any… moment… now…) be left feeling disappointed and unsatisfied. So, the account will be updated/upgraded, regular news letters will be planned, written and sent timeously.

And that’s my week!

What have you been up to?

Inspirationals And Other Lessons: Week 6

The Shackled Muse — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:31:08 +0000

I wanted to start this series from the first week of January, but sadly didn’t get to it. Inspirationals and other lessons. Anything that inspired me during the week, awesome people who need recognition, achievements, what ever. Published every Sunday for the week past.

For now, I will focus on:

Things that inspired me
Something that I’m #grateful for
Somebody that inspired me
One change I made in my life
Something I made
Image of the week

So, lets start:

I’m really unprepared for this week, please bear with me…

Inspiring Things:

1. The day is done,
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

My all-time favourite poem.

The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.

I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o’er me,
That my soul cannot resist:

A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.

Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day.

Not from the grand old masters,
Not from the bards sublime,
Whose distant footsteps echo
Through the corridors of Time.

For, like strains of martial music,
Their mighty thoughts suggest
Life’s endless toil and endeavor;
And to-night I long for rest.

Read from some humbler poet,
Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eyelids start;

Who, through long days of labor,
And nights devoid of ease,
Still heard in his soul the music
Of wonderful melodies.

Such songs have power to quiet
The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer.

Then read from the treasured volume
The poem of thy choice,
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
The beauty of thy voice.

And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away

2. Moosrivier (aka, Moses River.)

7km out of Marble Hall, Limpopo, South Africa, when travelling to Groblersdal on the Hendrik Schoeman Road.

It’s where I grew up, and the place I long for when the workings in my head start to malfunction. My grandparents owned a piece of land, and a river runs through it. The Moosrivier.

My Marble Hall&Surroundings Facebook album

3. Rain:

It rained nearly every day last week. I love the rain. It soothes my tired mind. I love the smell, the way everything seems cleaner and greener after a storm. I’m at my most creative (and at peace) when it rains

#GratefulFor

I’m grateful for the best boyfriend in the whole wide world. He’s my best friend, my confidante, my partner in crime, and my shoulder when I need to cry. We have such a strange and amazingly weird relationship, I cannot envision myself being with anybody else.

My folks love him, and constantly tell me I need to be more grateful to have such an amazing man in my life. I really am, even though I don’t show it sometimes as well as I should.

Inspiring Person:

Watch this space. (I need to give this more thought.)
Though my boyfriend would argue that he deserves this spot too, even though I pointed out he’s already featured in the #GratefulFor segment.

But yes, he inspire me. This week, we’ve been talking about the big move to Cape Town (we currently reside in Johannesburg, South Africa, but would like to move to CT by 2015.) So, 2015, it’s bye bye Jo’burg, Hello Cape Town.

One Change:

(Zen Habits’ Leo says you must ONE small change at a time, instead of 20 at once.)

No changes made yet, but I undertake to wake up EARLY every day this week. 5AM. Early. I’ll use the extra time to write and/or read.

Something I Made:

I promise I’ll design/make/create something brand new this week. For now, here’s one of my older creations: A LOTR map I made as an Wedding Gift. (It’s of the couple’s wedding and honeymoon location.) Feel free to order one!

Image Of The Week:

Again, nothing new. This photo was taken a few months ago. One of my favourites. My cousin, Clayton and his dog, Zach (named after Zach from the Dark Angel Series…)

My latest addiction: Pinterest

The Shackled Muse — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:50:09 +0000

Yup. I’m addicted. Thoroughly and ridiculously hooked. They say there is no cure…

What is pinterest, I hear you ask? Simply put, it’s visual online pin boards. Pin boards were one of my weaknesses growing up. I was constantly pinning photo’s, poems, letters, leaves or anything else that tickled my fancy to corkboards or polystyrene sheets.

Now I can do all that online! Honestly, I thought Pinterest is just gonna be another fad that will soon fizzle out, but I’ve been proven wrong.

I have boards for nearly everything now. Stuff I need to do/Make, Stuff I need to make, Photography, art, decor ideas, Wedding ideas (not that I have any wedding plans right this second…) cool ideas for kiddies (not that I have children or plan to have anytime soon…) books to read, tattoos, you name and you’ll find a board for it.

It madness, I tell you, madness!

Follow me, if you like. The button is on the side bar to the left:

The day the Berries died…

The Shackled Muse — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:05:29 +0000

October 10th 2011 will forever be remembered as the day that productivity, the will to carry on and the like, came to a stand still. A complete standstill, spanning 3 different continents, affecting millions of people.

Cries of sorrow and distress reached the grey heavens as those millions faced their biggest challenge and their worst fears. They wept, they swore, they cried, they mourned. They lost the will to live. A sadder day hath never been seen, since first the sun arose.

I’m talking about the globad disaster created when the Blackberry Internet Service crashed.

Think I’m over-exaggerating? Just take a look at some of the gems from my Facebook Newsfeed:

The Broken Hearted:

EV: All dogs go to heaven. All blackberrys go to hell

EV: The new abbreviation for “bullshit” is BIS.

JK: ‎….BBM….

JK: Europe, middle east and africa is affected by the bb problem, its not clear what the problem is yet, but they promise to release a statement soon… wtf? they have had more than 5 hours to find the problem and a solution. #not happy

RN: I’m at that point where I will do anything to get bbm working again #majorwithdrawlsymptoms

JK: Like seriously, when the f*#@ are they gonna fix the bb service??? This is insane!!!! I am lost…. #help me

SB: Die Blackberry storie moet nou einde kry, hulle wil my nou forseer om my ou Sony Ericsson uit die kas uite gaan haal en weer te begin mxit!!

The Smug:

The Nephew: Steve jobs way of saying iphone is better than bb

MH: Lol @ all of the people who told me to get a blackberry coz it’s just sooo awesome! … I love my droid thankyouuu

RN: My name is Donovan Stewart. I am a survivor living in Joburg. I am broadcasting on all BBM frequencies. I will be at the Keg fourways everyday at mid-day, when the sun is highest in the sky. If there’s anybody out there… anybody… please. You are not alone. My BBM also crashed yesterday

LM: im glad i never owned that CIA fone called Blackberry

RS: Mwahahahaha how self satisfied am I writing this from my amazing iPhone (that always works) to all the people who always say that Blackberry phones are soooo much better. Better luck next time!!!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not some old fashioned techno-hater incapable of understanding the social media culture. I have a Blackberry myself (that I won last year in a MYDL give away.) I use BBM, I check my facebook updates many times a day, and having all my mails in one place is a dream.

BUT…

Unlike a scary percentage of BB users, I’m pretty sure I can survive without it.

I feel a tiny bit betrayed though that RIM kept their loyal customers (albeit crazy and addicted customers) in the dark. “Undermining our intelligence,” as one reporter put it. The competition is very tight these days, and the iPhone/Android/Blackberry war is far from over… Do they really want to lose the people keeping them in business?

So we approach the end of the third blackberry-less day.

I’m happily browsing using WiFi.

I’ll survive a few more days without my BB.

Please please don’t take my Android away, though….

Hello Cerebra Peoples! My Name is Smudge

The Shackled Muse — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 22:00:33 +0000

Helloooo! My name is Smudge, and I’m Cheryl-Anne’s adorable little kitten. (I’m cute, ne?)

Pwease pwease pretty pwease call Cheryl on her Blue Berry phone thingy for an interview?

She read and re-read the job advert that you guys posted on this thing called the Interwebs. I don’t know much about it, but it’s a big deal for humans, right? And she’s been obsessing about working for Cerebra ever since.

Pwease pwease hear her out? She’s a really hard worker, and she hardly ever forgets to feed me… (Except when she’s on line. I never see the line, but she’s likes it a lot I thinks)

Okiez, I need to go claw something now. Maybe the couch.

Bye Bye Cerebra Peoples!

Social Networks, And Then Some

The Shackled Muse — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 21:49:42 +0000

Can one really have too many social networking profiles? This is the question I ask myself while configuring my new Shareaholic button.

And a good question too, as I realize how many profiles I added: Google, Twitter, Facebook , Tumblr, digg, delicious, reddit, stumbleupon, livejournal, blogger, wordpress, evernote, dropbox, hootsuite, linkedin, youtube. Those are just the ones I remember…

What would we be without our social profiles? What would we do if we could no longer tweet about where we are or what we’re doing. If we could no longer share our daily this-and-thats as a facebook status, or update or professional profile on linkedin. What would a world be like without Google+, hootsuite that makes sharing (and marketing) just a tad easier, and evernote that keeps all our notes creepily organized.

My images are on flickr, deviantart, 500px and facebook. My PDF’s are safely stored in dropbox. My documents I keep in Google Docs, everything else in evernote. I use twitter and hootsuite to promote my blogs, articles and such. My poetry is on deviantart. My thoughts, opinions, rants and raves? Well I have 6 tumblr blogs for that.

I do believe I have a profile for each of my personalities. And I’m not even joking about that.

Where would we be without our soft fluffy cloud? Between all the myriads of Social Networking Profiles, who are we really?

You Are What You Tweet

The Shackled Muse — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 17:22:34 +0000

Interesting new thingy, go to Visual.ly, click on labs, sign in with your twitter account, fill out all the info, and voila: your own twitter infographic.

Originally posted on My Digital Life