Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror

"Man in the Mirror" was released as a single in January 1988 off Michael Jackson’s seventh solo album, Bad. The video features a montage of footage from various major historic events.

"...I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change..."

First UNWTO Report on LGBT Travellers Highlights Economic Benefits for Tolerant Destinations

A benchmark affiliate report has been published by the United Nations World Tourism Association (UNWTO) in partnership with the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association. The Global Report on LGBT Tourism was released in January 2012 and found that destinations offering a tolerant culture were reaping the benefits of increased travel to - and spend by - gay travellers.

The report cautioned against making assumptions about this market, as sexuality is not necessarily an indicator of socio-economic status or leisure choices. Although difficult to accurately measure the impact of gay tourism, sources in the USA attribute 5% of tourism spend to the LGBT market. In Cape Town, this is thought to be 10-15% of all tourists.

Progressive attitudes in countries such as South Africa, Argentina, India, Spain, Mexico and South Korea have attracted the LGBT market in droves. The wedding market for this sector is a big driver and the LGBT sector appears to have bucked the recession trend bringing higher than average spend to their holiday destinations. In addition, the advent of same-sex marriage laws have meant that many gay couples are now travelling with children and spending in the family market.

Generally savvy in digital media, LGBT travel is influenced by social media and digital or actual word of mouth. Cape Town is a favourite with gay travellers for its matchless beauty, diverse lifestyle, colourful people and large local gay population. South African events such as Gay Pride, The Pink Loeries Mardi Gras, the Out in Africa Film Festival, MCQP and Mr Gay South Africa are further reasons for LGBT travellers to choose SA as their destination. The UK’s Guardian recognised Cape Town as ‘One of the Ten Most Popular Gay Destinations in the World.’

Destination marketing associations who were successfully attracting the LGBT market were working proactively at gay-targeted expos and fairs but were also aligned with equal rights organisations that promoted tolerance. Says the International LGBT Travel Association, “reaching out to LGBT travellers in an informed, authentic manner is essential”. In particular, LGBT travellers were sensitive to destinations who were only interested in their money.

In 2011, a total of 76 countries in the world still made homosexuality illegal and of these, five still find it to be punishable by death. The UNWTO points out that the struggle for gay rights is a human rights struggle.

Global Report on LGBT Tourism

Internet meme

The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The concept or idea may take the form of a hyperlink, video, picture, website, hashtag, or just a word or phrase. 

Public relations, advertising and marketing professionals have embraced Internet memes as a form of viral marketing and guerrilla marketing to create marketing "buzz" for their products or services. The practice of using memes to market products or services is known as memetic marketing.

“what my mom thinks i do/what i think i do” memes

Microsoft's new Windows 8 logo looks like a window

Microsoft announced that Windows 8 is a complete reimagination of the Windows operating system. Nothing has been left unexplored, including the Windows logo.

Sam Moreau, principal director of user experience for Microsoft, said in a blog post that the new Windows 8 logo redesign was approached with a few key goals in mind:

1. We wanted the new logo to be both modern and classic by echoing the International Typographic Style (or Swiss design) that has been a great influence on our Metro style design philosophy. Using bold flat colours and clean lines and shapes, the new logo has the characteristics of way-finding design systems seen in airports and subways.

2. It was important that the new logo carries our Metro principle of being “Authentically Digital”. By that, we mean it does not try to emulate faux-industrial design characteristics such as materiality (glass, wood, plastic, etc.). It has motion - aligning with the fast and fluid style you’ll find throughout Windows 8.

3. Our final goal was for the new logo to be humble, yet confident. Welcoming you in with a slight tilt in perspective and when you change your colour, the logo changes to reflect you. It is a “Personal” Computer after all.

The new logo is already drawing various levels of criticism on the Web from technology blogs. 

Evolution of Microsoft's Windows logo

Mirror Mirror

The year of 2012 will see two Snow White movie releases competing for the top reflection.

This is the official trailer for Tarsem Singh's upcoming film Mirror Mirror. This is Julia Roberts' second film playing an iconic fairy tale role; two decades earlier, she played Tinkerbell in Hook. 

In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Oscar-winner Charlize Theron) out to destroy her. 

In the end, why choose?

South African Bank Notes to bear Mandela’s image

The South African Reserve Bank is pleased to announce that we are in the process of producing a new South African Bank Note series

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma holds up a banknote bearing the face of former president Nelson Mandela in Pretoria, 11 February 2012. Zuma on Saturday announced the launch of new notes bearing the image of Mandela to coincide with the 22nd anniversary of Mandela's release from prison.

Credit: Reuters/Stringer

International best practise is that the security features of bank notes are upgraded every seven to ten years, particularly given the constant improvements in technology. Such proactive upgrades endeavour to prevent counterfeiting. The current note series was upgraded in 2005, and while the security features remain effective, we decided that it was time to produce a new note series.

In consultation with President Jacob Zuma and the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, it was agreed that the new note series will be designed. The currency will have the same denominations, sizes and colours but the front of all notes will carry a specially designed engraving of former President Nelson Mandela. The reverse side of each denomination will have an image of one of the big five.

The redesign is being accompanied by a significant recapitalisation of the South African Note Company (SABN), which is being modernised with state of the art printing equipment. The upgrading also entails significant training and up-skilling of the SABN staff.

11 February 1990 stands as one of the most significant days in the history of South Africa as it is on this day, twenty-two years ago that President Nelson Mandela walked out of prison a free man. The iconic image that will be carried on the Rand, the South African currency that is widely used in Sub-Saharan Africa and traded globally, is a tribute to one of Africa and the world’s greatest leaders and statesmen.

We need to stress that the current notes remain legal tender and there will be a programme of replacement with the new notes over time. It is expected that the note will be introduced towards the end of 2012 and further details will be communicated to the public during the course of the year.

EXCLUSIVE: Charlize Theron Dogs the Fur Trade

by Paula Moore

ARCHIVE: African Mirror inc.

Oscar-winning actor Charlize Theron and her dog, Tucker, seen here in an ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, have a heartfelt message for “furry” fashionistas: “If you wouldn’t wear your dog, please don’t wear any fur.”

As Theron’s ad illustrates, the only difference between our “best friends” and animals killed for their fur is how they are treated. And how they’re treated should sicken anyone who has a fur coat or fur-trimmed jacket hanging in the closet. Visit FurIsDead.com to watch the first-ever video exposé of fur farms in China - the world’s largest exporter of fur - and you’ll see what I mean.

During a year-long undercover investigation, Chinese fur farmers were caught on tape roughly grabbing animals by their hind legs and slamming them head-first against the ground, in a crude attempt to kill them. Other animals are bludgeoned with metal rods or wooden sticks. Some animals are killed, some are merely stunned. Many are skinned while they are still alive.

One investigator recorded a skinned raccoon dog, tossed onto a heap of carcasses, who had enough strength to lift his bloodied head and stare into the camera.

Why should this concern fur-wearers in South Africa? Because the globalisation of the fur trade has made it impossible to know where fur products come from. Raw-fur pelts often move through international auctions before being sewn in other countries. Even if a fur jacket was “made” in Europe, the animals were likely raised and killed somewhere else.

If you’re going to wear fur, you should watch the investigators’ video. I promise, you’ll never look at a fur coat the same way again.

Paula Moore, senior writer for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). 

4 Strategic Ways to Improve Your Blog - and Sell It

4 Strategic Ways to Improve Your Blog – and Sell It | Network Solutions Small Business Resources

Lil Wayne - Mirror ft. Bruno Mars

Samsung announces the availability of App for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations

As an official sponsor of the Orange Africa Cup on Nations Gabon-Equatorial Guinea 2012, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., is excited to announce the availability of the ‘Africa Cup of Nations’ App, on the Samsung SA Apps store.

Says Deon Liebenberg, MD of Samsung South Africa: “As Samsung has been a long-time supporter of African football, we felt it only natural for us to invest in such an application; the application will offer fans an opportunity to keep up to date with the latest information and results around the event, with ease and while on the move.”

The application features competitions, galleries, live scores, downloads and fixtures for the 2012 tournament and is available for fans to download for free.

“We are committed to our customers and through this app we aim to offer the best possible enjoyment of the tournament. Fans can now follow the tournament passionately and not miss out as we understand that it is not always possible to catch all the live action. We, at Samsung, are again meeting the needs of our consumers - in this case sports fans - and are providing them with content that not only allows for great entertainment, but fuels the spirit of African soccer,” concludes Liebenberg.

Deon Liebenberg, MD of Samsung South Africa

Mastering Pinterest for Marketing

Over the past few months, you may have heard some chatter about a brand new social network called Pinterest. Not surprising. According to Compete, unique visitors to Pinterest.com increased by 429% from September to December 2011, and the social network already boasts a user base of 3.3 million. Pinterest is only growing in popularity as the hottest new social network, and in December 2011, it made Hitwise's list of the top 10 social networks, currently sitting at #5 and beating out big names like LinkedIn and Google+. And as with any hot new social network that comes onto the scene, marketers are chiming in with, "Can I use it for marketing?" "...and, how?" 

The short answer? Absolutely. The longer answer? Follow the link below to find out how. 

The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Pinterest for Marketing

Creating Remarkable Poetry Through Subtraction - My Modern Metropolis

TIME magazine recently revealed its 30 Must-See Tumblr Blogs which includes the highly creative, user-generated Newspaper Blackout. This blog is the brainchild of Austin-based artist and writer Austin Kleon. The main objective is to display poetry through the omission of words in already printed text. Essentially, it is poetry by way of censorship, executed with the aid of a black sharpie.

Taking published works in the form of newspaper articles, novels, and even horoscopes, this style of "blackout poetry" reveals only carefully selected words to create a new, shorter composition of expression. Often, the poems produced offer a sense of hope and inspiration. At times, they can be depressing but thought-provoking. We love the way this Tumblr reflects how art inspires art.

Creating Remarkable Poetry Through Subtraction - My Modern Metropolis