Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Today we will have a unique time sequence and last month also had a few oddities about it.

Today at 6 minutes and 7 seconds after 5 on the 8 September the time sequence will be 05:06:07 on 08/09/10.

August had 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Tuesdays. According to some clever people (clearly, who have too much time) this only happens once every 823 years.  This means that the last time  it happened was in 1183.

Somebody should have warned me as I’ve had five blue Mondays in August.

We love this useless info and cheers to whoever calculated this utterly unnecessary stats.

Spritzers have been around for years and barmen all over the world describe this drink as the easiest of all the cocktails.

I’m not sure what criteria a drink must adhere to, in order to be classified as a cocktail or a wine drink. This  cocktail is so easy to make and is perfect for spring.

 Here’s how to make a white wine spritzer .

Ingredients:

- 125ml white wine (Versus will be just right)

- Soda water  or mineral water

- Lime wedge for garnish

Preparation:

- Fill a white wine glass or highball glass with ice.

- Pour in the wine.

- Top with club soda or mineral water.

- Garnish with a lime wedge.

Soweto has hosted many amazing events and happenings in the past few months such as the World Cup final (and the amazing opening game), Super 14 final and test rugby matches.

And now the next big thing to hit Soweto is the versatile and unconventional wine brand Versus as we embark in making the great Soweto Wine Festival a more funky affair.  

So please join us for a glass of wine at this great event. Our wines suits every pocket and palate and we are looking forward to pour a glass or two for you

For more details, visit:  sowetowinefestival.co.za

Spring day just around the corner and it seems that love is in the air as a few of my mates recently got engaged.

We (the unconventional folks at Versus) was wondering what is the lamest and unconventional ways to get engaged.

Here is a list of the 7 lamest ways to propose marriage.

Can you add a few?

The list:

7. In a Twitter message:  “Dearest Guinevere, U R the luv of my life. Please make me the happiest man in the world and marry me. Text me your answer”

6. On an answering machine:

“Hi babe. I can see you’re not there. Like I was just wondering, sort of, if you fancied getting hitched like on Monday. That is if you haven’t got anything better to do that morning?”

5. On the phone.

“Hi, is this the Lorento’s?”

“Yeh well this is Mike. Could I speak to Mary-Anne please?”

“Oh she’s in the shower”

“Would I like to leave a message? Ehh O.K.”

“If it’s not too much trouble could you ask her if she would like to marry me?”

4. At the deportation office, even though there are plenty of witnesses there to chose from.

3. In your apartment while going over your bills.

“Priscella, I’ve just been going over the numbers and it would seem that if we got married we could save $1500 a month on our taxes. What do you say?”

2. “Wow I didn’t see that van coming. Are you O.K. ’cause I have  something I want to ask you?”

And the #1 worst way to propose

1. In a McDonald’s with an edible ring hidden inside a double whopper. The guy who actually did this deserved to be turned down.

Source: taitegallery.net

Sometimes the simplicity of life’s little things is what make us the  happiest. This is one of the thoughts of 1000 Awesome Things blogger , whose feel-good blog has become a resounding success.

1000 Awesome Things is a blog, updated daily, that enumerates the little things in life that make us happy. It’s a reminder that even the smallest of feats, like “#936 Perfect parallel-parking on the first try” or “#572 Learning a new keyboard shortcut” are a reason to smile.

The site was launched in June 2008 and has been counting down from 1,000 ever since. Now at post number 449, the site is so popular that creator Neil Pasricha even released “The Book of Awesome Things” in April. When asked what will occur when he reaches number 1, Pasricha said, “Something very awesome will happen.”

Well done to Neil Pasrisha , whose unconventional way of looking at little things is an inspiration and has given the folks at Versus a daily dose of smiles.

Cheers to Neil. He is my unconventional guy of the week.

Can you add a little thing in daily life that makes your day?

To view more visit: 1000awesomethings.com

Keep Flying is a simple idea. An idea that matters. And an idea that belongs to all of us .It believes that its all of our responsibility to fly the flag. Every South African Brand; Every South African, and to recognize what the flag symbolizes: Us, and our unity.

A unity that brought the World’s Greatest Tournament to life in a way only we could. A unity that still reverberates across continents a world away. A unity that says to the  world, and ourselves: “Hear us, each one of us, as one. Our time has truly come”

“Keep Flying” is simply that. A call to fly the flag. A call to keep flying.

For more info on this initiative visit keepflyingtheflag.co.za

Wanna win some wine? Upload (to our Facebook page ) your craziest or funniest World Cup fan pics or best banners and stand a chance to win wine prizes.

We are all usually so excited to go on holiday that we sometimes have unrealistic expectations of how perfect it will be. Sometimes the weather doesn’t co-operate or the gift shop doesn’t stock our brand of chocolate, but most of us embrace the break from our norm.

Unfortunately, some travellers are never satisfied, but this does make for great entertainment at the best of time. We’ve rounded up the most ridiculous traveller complaints of all time:

1. Briefly after checking in, a woman returns to the reception desk clutching a travel brochure. She then proceeds to point out that the bedspread in her room does not match the one in the   brochure. Even when she was informed that the hotel had recently been refurbished with all new accessories, the woman was not satisfied until an old matching bedspread was found to replace the one in her room.

2. A man took the time to write in and complain that no one had informed him that there were fish in the sea, and his children had been caught unaware and were now extremely frightened.

3. An African safari is usually an amazing experience, but not for one honeymooning couple. The man complained that the lodge overlooked a watering hole where elephants could often be spotted. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Apparently not, after one of the elephants became aroused, the man was left feeling inadequate for the rest of his holiday, ruining his honeymoon.

4. For some people it is the terribly unfair commute that upsets them. One couple sent a formal complaint to the airline stating that it was unacceptable that it took them nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England and it only took the Americans three hours to get home.

5. Apparently many women have also had their romantic holidays ruined. A young woman left an unhappy comment upon leaving a beach resort claiming that all topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. Apparently her holiday was a complete waste because her husband spent all day looking at other women – and it was all the resort’s fault.

6. Lots of people are disappointed with their holiday destination. Heading to the seaside, many complain that the beach is too sandy, while on safari it is ridiculous that no ones warns you that mosquitoes bite. When heading to a water park destination, apparently it is unacceptable not to inform guests that they need to bring swimming costumes and towels. The food is also often unacceptable – one man found the soup to be too strong and thick, but luckily it was ideal as the gravy it was intended to be. Another traveller was disgusted to find that on a trip to Goa in India, almost every restaurant served curry. Their dislike for spicy food was apparently the country’s problem.

7. Staff at a well-known hotel thought it was odd that a woman never left her room, but they didn’t interfere. Eventually the woman emerged and stormed to reception shouting that she was going to call the police – the irresponsible staff had locked her in her room and ruined her whole holiday! In reality, she had simply mistaken the “Do not disturb” sign for a warning to stay in the room.

8. Many people experience some teensy weensy problems when they get home – and directly blame their holiday accommodation. One couple were horrified to be placed in a double-bedroom instead of the twin-bedroom that they had booked. They now hold the hotel directly responsible for the fact that the woman is pregnant. Apparently it would never have happened if they had been put in the room that they had booked.

9. The pregnant couple were not the only ones to be dissatisfied with their accommodation. After comparing her one-bedroom apartment to her friend’s three-bedroom apartment, one woman wrote to demand to know why her accommodation was so much smaller.

10. Other people complain before even getting to their destination. One woman was irate that she was not allowed to take her three-piece suite onboard with her. Yes, that was no typo – suite – as in couch and chairs. The family heirloom could not be put in the hold as cargo and she could not understand why she couldn’t have it with her. Perhaps the size of the aeroplane doors had something to do with it?

Read more on www.gotravel24.com

Gevaarlike, romantic Afrikaans rapper Zander Tyler, better known as Jack Parow, seems to have exploded out of nowhere and is taking over the SA rap scene, working with big names like Fokofpolisiekar, Heuwels Fantasties and Die Antwoord. Meneer Parow is spreading his dirty-and-dangerous lyrics and music to all he can.

In a recent interview Parow said that he has pretty much always wanted to rap since Std 3, after he heard Snoop Dog’s Doggy Style, and because of the rise of the Afrikaans culture coolness phenomena brought about by the many musical talents emerging from the other side of the Boerewors curtain, he can now claim it as his full-time career. “I bought that Now Monster Hits 4 and Snoop Dog’s Doggy style was on there and since then I always wanted to rap. I was in Std 3 or 4, that’s when you first decide what type of music you like. And I always liked Dr Seuss, I have always liked things that rhyme – its fun I dig it.”

Parow started out rapping in English, but quickly discovered that Afrikaans worked and sounded a lot better for him. “I rapped in English for long and then I did this song. I was with Juda from Brasse Vannie Kaap and MC Dread and everyone was rapping English cause at the time there wasn’t really an Afrikaans rap market, but we did this one track called Hard Headed Hobo, where they were the Hobos and I was tuning them as an Afrikaans Boer. And it went so easy and sounded so nice and I thought: why haven’t I be rapping in Afrikaans before?”

Read more on bizcommunity

Meet the legend in the Versus Tent:

Jack Parow will be the special guest in the Versus hospitality tent at Splashy Fen this year. Meet and have your photograph taken with the rap star on Friday 2 April from 13:00 – 15:00.

For more info on the Splashy programme visit: www.splashyfen.co.za

Congratulations to Liezel Thomas

Liezel’s comment was the comment of the day (13 Oct) and he has won a VERSUS wine hamper.

Leave a comment on the Versus Facebook page and stand a chance to win daily wine hampers: Versus Facebook Page

We’re giving away fabulous wine prizes daily during October. All you need to do is entertain us with the comment of the day on our Facebook page.

Versus will post daily questions/statements on the blog and Facebook page. Simply leave your comment on the Versus Facebook page

It’s easy and fun, so what are you waiting for!

This week’s weird news includes beggars banned from singing, Chihuahuas cornering a lion, athletes’ unconventional injuries and stupid criminals.

Bad musicians

Two musician-beggars in the village of Moseley, England, were banned from performing in the area in August after a magistrate court heard complaints by desperate residents that the pair played only two songs (Oasis’ “Wonderwall” and George Michael’s “Faith”) over and over and over.

Chi-wow-wows

In June, in Ana Lee Spray’s garage in Riverside County, Calif., a full-grown mountain lion was cornered and held at bay for 45 minutes by Spray’s three Chihuahuas, yapping at it relentlessly. Eventually, animal control officers arrived and removed the grateful lion.

Unconventional sport injuries

Chicago Cubs’ pitcher Ryan Dempster missed a month with a broken toe suffered in July when he tripped on a railing while leaving the dugout to celebrate a victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. [New York Times-AP, 7-8-09]

Kansas City Royals’ Jose Guillen missed over a month after tearing a ligament in his knee while leaning over to put on a shin guard before his turn to bat in a July game.

Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards, a three-time All-American, was to miss the first month of the season after injuring his foot in August while mowing his lawn.

Oops

In August, Democrat Michael Heagerty failed by one name to meet the ballot requirements to run for re-election to the city council in Syracuse, N.Y. He was credited with 334 of the 335 necessary signatures, but realised too late that he had forgotten to list his own name.

Stupid criminals

Two home invaders in East St. Louis, Ill., holding 11 people hostage as police surrounded the house, were eventually tricked outside by the captives and arrested. The hostages, borrowing an idea from several movie scripts, convinced the invaders that their only shot at freedom was to change clothes to look less conspicuous and then to release everyone. The two would appear to be part of the hostage group, and the hostages “promised” to tell police that the home invaders had already escaped earlier. However, as everyone walked out, the captives merely pointed out to police the two invaders.

Source: newsoftheweird.com

*Versus Brand News

Join Versus wines at the White Mountain Folk Festival 24-27 Sep. For more info visit White Mountain

Did you know that one in ten people in the world live on an island and that New Zealand is home to 4 million people and 70 million sheep. Here’s some more interesting facts :

The earliest known pizza dates from about 200 BC. For centuries Greeks and Italians used flat round bread with toppings on it. But it was the Italians who added tomatoes and cheese to make the pizza as we know it.

In 1750 there were about 800 million people in the world. In 1850 there were a billion more, and by 1950, another billion. Then it took just 50 years to double to 6 billion.

Half the world’s population earns about 5% of the world’s wealth.

There are more than 600 million telephone lines, yet almost half the world’s population has never made a phone call on a land line. However, more than half the world’s population has made a cell phone call. There are more than 2 billion cell phones in use.

More personal telephone calls are made on Mother’s Day in the USA than on any other day in any other country.

Most reverse charge calls takes place on Father’s Day.

One in ten people in the world live on an island.

The opposite sides of a dice cube always add up to seven.

If you count the seconds without stopping, it would take you eleven-and-a-half days to reach one million, and 32 years to reach one billion.

In the US, murder is committed most frequently in August and least frequently in February.

In 1870 there were more Irish living in London than in Dublin.

In 1870 there also were more Catholics living in London than in Rome.

The chance of being born on Leap Day is about 684 out of a million, or 1 in 1461. Less than 5 million people have their birthday on Leap Day.

The odds of being struck by lightning are about 600,000 to one.

About 27% of food in developed countries are wasted each year. It’s simply thrown away.

Almost 1,2 billion people are underfed – the same number of people that are overweight to the point of obesity.

The annual world average of egg consumption per capita is 230.

Half the world’s population is under 25 years of age. 10% are over 60 years of age.

On average in the West, people move house every 7 years.

US Post Office handles 43% of the world’s mail. Its nearest competitor is Japan with 6%.

In the developed countries, the proportion of adults married has declined from 72% in 1970 to 60% in 1996. The chance of a first marriage ending in divorce is between 50% and 67%. The chance that a second marriage will end in divorce is about 10% higher than for the first marriage.

The world’s average school year is 200 days per year. In the US, it is 180 days; in Sweden 170 days, in Japan it is 243 days.

Since 1972, some 64 million tons of aluminum cans (about 3 trillion cans) have been produced. Placed end-to-end, they could stretch to the moon about a thousand times. Cans represent less than 1% of solid waste material.

More than a billion transistors are manufactured… every second.

92% of Chinese belong to the Han nationality, which has been China’s largest nationality for centuries. The rest of the nation consists of about 55 minority groups.

In 1998, American people, foundations and corporations gave more than $175 billion to charities and churches. Churches received 40% of the contributions, while public charities and educational organizations received the remainder.

According to the US Weather Service, their one day forecasts are accurate more than 75% of the time. They send out 2 million forecasts a year.

There are more than 150 million sheep in Australia, a nation of 17 million people.

New Zealand is home to 4 million people and 70 million sheep.

Source: didyouknow.org

Some “quick serve” restaurants are now adding beer and wine to their menus

Fast-food customers are hearing something new as they order burgers, pizza and all things fried: Would you like wine with that?

No one’s selling cases of McMerlot just yet, but a number of so-called “quick-serve” restaurants are adding beer and wine to the menu, partly to boost sales but also with an eye to amping up the ambiance.

“We simply wanted to create a different kind of dining experience,” says Jeff Harvey, CEO and president of Burgerville, a 39-unit chain in the Northwest which recently added wine and beer to one of its restaurants in Vancouver, Washington.

More than typical take-out
The trend comes at a time when “quick serve” or “quick casual” restaurants – a restaurant that has counter service but aspires to offer something more than typical takeout – are looking to attract cash-strapped diners searching for cheaper options, but not willing to give up the amenities of full-service restaurants.

Among the quick serve restaurants selling alcohol is Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill, which sells beer and margaritas.

Meanwhile, Seattle-based Starbucks Corp. announced in July that it will change the name of one of its existing stores in Seattle – to 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea – and begin serving wine and beer as well as coffee and tea.

For Burgerville, wine and beer was a logical next step in their program of using local ingredients to create monthly dishes based on seasonal ingredients.

Sales are up
Sales are up at the Vancouver restaurant selling beer and wine, but says Harvey, “That wasn’t our motivation. My measure of success is really more the dialogue that’s happening at the tables.”

At the three-location Shake Shack in New York City owners decided to sell beer and wine when the first restaurant opened at Madison Square Park five years ago.

The Shack even has its own beer, Shack Meister Ale, created by Brooklyn Brewery, as well as wines including Shack Chard and Shack Shiraz.

Like Burgerville, Shake Shack’s plans to serve beer and wine drew concerns it would create problems, particularly since the restaurant is in a park.

“Of course, the opposite is true,” Garutti says. “People hung out longer and made the park the safest it’s been.”

Serving beer and wine isn’t a step to take lightly. Restaurants need to obtain a license, which can be a complex and expensive process, and the servers must be 21 or older and trained to serve alcohol.

Source: food24.com

Sometime around the turn of this century, guys began buzzing over a proposed showdown between the two biggest icons in comic book history

This debate has drawn a lot of intrest and a website has been created for this debate.

Some comments include

#1: The batman would lose very badly against superman un less ,batman has a piece of kyptonite of planet kypton on hand to negate the powers of superman

#2: Batman would beat Superman every time! The greatest superpower is always intelligence. Batman has beaten Superman on every occasion where they’ve met as adversaries. Superman, from the Lords of Justice, took a serious beat-down from Batman

#3: Superman would totally win!
Why? He would win because he can face any challenge or anyone at anytime!
He has all the right powers a super hero need while Batman only has a few gadgets and can’t really “fly” at all he may have that hot car but Superman could definitely catch in one “whoosh” of his cape.

My call is that it will be the bat by a whisker. Both guys will be pretty knocked up but Lex will give the bat some kryptonite and that will be the final straw.

You can even vote on this site. Check it out.
Superman VS Batman

The wrong leg amputated, a towel left in the chest after an operation and a brain op done with a hand drill. Sound like a movie? Unfortunately not.

But before you cancel your upcoming operation, keep in mind that the risk you run of something like this happening to you is fairly small.

Here are some spectacular medical blunders that have hit the headlines in the past few years.

Towel trouble. Bonnie Valle donated her body to science. A year after her death, her body was dissected by medical students, who found that a hand towel had been left behind her left lung during surgery for emphysema seven years before. She had complained of chest pains incessantly in the years before her death.

Brain drain. An elderly man, who had developed bleeding on the left side of his brain underwent surgery at a Rhode Island hospital. However, the surgeon operated on the wrong side of his brain. The patient survived.

Mastectomy mistake. Linda McDougal (aged 46) underwent a double mastectomy in the US, only to find out after the operation that she did not have cancer. Her test results had been switched with those of another woman.

Hear, hear. In 1991, a patient in Iowa City, had an operation to his ear, because he suffered from vertigo. You guessed correctly – the wrong ear was operated on. He took the doctors to court.

HIV horror. Several Italian doctors from the Careggi hospital are in serious trouble after transplanting some organs belonging to a woman who was HIV-positive. It was only found out after the transplants that she had been infected.

Penny problem. A couple from Nevada took their young daughter to the doctor eight times before it was discovered that she had swallowed a penny. She had been consistently treated for respiratory infection. An X-ray finally revealed the source of the problem.

Wrong leg. Five people in the United Kingdom had the wrong leg amputated between the years 2003 and 2006, according to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Details are not available.

Deadly dose. A patient at the Brockton Hospital in the US, who suffered from depression, was prescribed the sedative Librium, instead of the anti-depressant lithium – at 60 times the normal dosage. The poor man died.

Drugs trial. Six healthy men recently took part in a drugs trial at Northwick Park Hospital in London. The men were given the anti-inflammatory drug, and soon after became ill. Several of them landed in the intensive care unit, suffering from organ failure. Two were said to be critically ill. They responded to treatment.

Drilling drama. And to end on a slightly more positive note, a Peruvian doctor used a drill from the hardware store and his own pair of pliers to do brain surgery on a man injured in a fight. There were no instruments at the hospital. The operation was successful.

Source: health24.com

Call it fluoride for grown-ups: new research suggests a crisp chardonnay may fight cavities.
Italian researchers who tested supermarket-bought red and white wines report both were effective in controlling the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay and sore throats.

Sadly, though, the ingredients work best when you remove them from wine.

The researcher says the components in wine that fight oral bacteria might one day be added to mouthwashes and toothpastes. Experiments are already being carried out in humans to test wine’s effects on cavities and upper respiratory tract infections, according to Gabriella Gazzani of the faculty of pharmacy at the University of Pavia in Italy.

Her research team has been looking at components of food that might possess any kind of biological activity. The finding suggests wine “enhances oral health,” the researchers conclude.

Picture this, a Mouthwash in a Chardonnay flavour or Aquafresh with a 5th wine stripe.

I don’t think so….

Source: Canada.com

Here are a few cool pics

The fortune cookie you don’t want to get in a dodgy Chinese restaurant

A smoking room ceiling

So true

Beer will help my bones but shrink my brain. Which should I sacrifice, wonders Michael Deacon

For years I’ve tried to hide it but at last I must confess: I have a problem. It’s my drinking. And I’m terribly worried. Either I’m drinking too much – or I’m not drinking enough.

So science tells me, at any rate. Seemingly every week sees the publication of new research into the effects on health of alcohol consumption – and each set of results appears to contradict the last. Last week it was reported that drinking half a glass of wine a day adds five years to your life. Excellent, I’ll stick at it.

But hang on. Does that override the results published in February that said one small glass of wine a day increases the risk of throat cancer? I’m ashamed to say I didn’t study science beyond GCSE level but my understanding is that cancer tends to shorten your lifespan, rather than lengthen it.

Then again, in November, research showed that a substance found in red wine could help to mend damaged backs. Great news. But while I’m sinking red wine to sort out my back, I’m simultaneously increasing my risk of heart failure (according to research from last February). Beer will help my bones (March) but shrink my brain (May 2007). Oh dear: which is more important to me, my skeleton or my mind? I wonder which one I should sacrifice to save the other.

Drinking wine improves the memory (December). But drinking wine weakens the memory (October).

It’s all too difficult. Perhaps I should give up booze altogether. Wait a minute, can’t do that: giving up booze can lead to depression (last July).

Following the results of scientists’ research can be stressful. They are medical experts, after all, and I am not, so I dutifully obey each new set of instructions. One week I can’t get the stuff down my neck fast enough, the next I’m recoiling from the bottle as if it contained a cocktail of polonium-210 and anthrax spores mixed by a Mexican pig. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going, and not only because half the time, on what are practically doctors’ orders, I’m leathered. It’s enough to drive a man to drink.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

From its early beginnings back in 1990, Splashy Fen has evolved into one of South Africa’s premier music festivals which nowadays sees thousands of people making the annual pilgrimage to Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal for what is regarded by many as the ‘ultimate outdoor experience’.

Over the years, this much-loved festival has built a strong reputation as being a financially viable, responsible and well-organised event that continues to reinvent itself so as to stay relevant. Although continuously adapting to changing trends, Splashy Fen has nevertheless managed to retain its unique character and appeal; that special ’something’ – the people, the vibe, the sense of family – which has allowed it to endure for nearly two decades to become the longest-running music festival in the country

The 20th Splashy Fen Music Festival from 9-13 April 2009.

Versus  is one of the sponsors at Splashy Fen and will have a hospitality tent near the secondary stage.

 For more info visit: Splashy Fen

Join the 2009 Splashy Fen Facebook Group:  Splashy Fen Facebook Group

This new technology is mind-boggling. Have a look at this photograph taken at the inauguration of the first black US President, Barack Obama, on 20 January 2009.

This photo was taken using a robotic camera with 1 474 megapixels.

Using the zoom functions, zoom to any section of the crowd, then wait a few seconds for the focus to adjust and clarify. Amazingly, you can see the face of each and every individual which attended the historic ceremony – completely in focus.

Makes one feel a bit like a member of the FBI or CSI.

Click on this link to see the mega-megapixel photo: gigapan.org

Foodie Jeanne Horak-Druiff  discusses some of The most unusual flavour combinations

Spice company Schwartz recently unleashed their Flavour Forecast of unusual flavour combinations for 2009 on an unsuspecting public, and at least one UK newspaper warned readers that the combinations are “pretty weird”.

What’s really interesting about the list of unusual flavour combinations for 2009, though, was this: usually South Africa lags a season behind European fashions, whether couture or culinary. But quite a few combinations on this list might strike South African palates as strangely familiar.

No longer shocking:

Raw fish with horseradish – when my parents visited Japan in the 1970s, they came back with tales of horror for the children: “Never order fish if you go to Japan because they bring it to you RAW!” Now there can hardly be a city in South Africa where it’s not possible to order sushi with a side order of wasabi.

Strawberries with balsamic vinegar and black pepper – my Italian sister-in-law’s dad used to wax lyrical about this combo which we though was a particularly crazy eccentricity. Now this combo is available in restaurants up and down the land and scarcely raises an eyebrow. Expect a strawberry and balsamic McMilkshake soon.

Chilli and chocolate – the first time I read about this unusual combination in the classic Mexican mole sauce, I pictured Cadbury’s Dairy Milk melted over Jalapenos or similar. Of course, the real thing is far more like cocoa powder mixed with a dash of spice and I defy you to name a top South African restaurant that has not yet dabbled in this combination in some form. Positively passé.

On the Schwartz list for 2009:

Carrot and cinnamon – If you grew up in an Afrikaans household in South Africa cinnamon was practically compulsory with vegetables. My father still refuses to eat any squash or pumpkin without a ton of cinnamon sugar. The only carrots my mom used to make were sweet caramelised carrots, and I don’t see that adding a pinch of cinnamon would be a stretch for any South African’s tastebuds.

Pineapple and star anise – clearly the authors of this list of novelty pairings have not been to Durban lately, where pineapple chunks coated with chilli powder are sold on the beachfront. Star anise is the sissy option.

Apricot and saffron – similarly, the writers are unfamiliar with Cape Malay cuisine. The fragrant curries for which the Bo-Kaap is famous frequently call for saffron (or its cheaper cousin turmeric) as well as dried apricots which are a vital ingredient of dishes like sosaties or bobotie. Shocking? Novel? Hardly.

Flavours that still perturb me:

Seafood ice cream – I regard myself as a pretty broad-minded foodie. I eat oysters, I like ox tongue, and I have enjoyed wholegrain mustard ice cream as a garnish for a soup. But the Japanese take broadminded to a whole new level. Anybody keen for fish, squid, shrimp or eel ice cream? Nope, I didn’t think so.

Chocolates filled with cheese – Paris chocolatier Jean-Paul Hevin makes cheese and chocolate appetisers and naturally I was dubious but curious. I got hold of some of these little cubes of French cheeses each paired with a flavour-enhancing dried fruit and coated in excellent chocolate and gave hubby one without telling him what it was. “These chocolates are off!”, he cried, and sadly I have to agree. Never again.

Bananas on pizza – clearly against the Geneva Convention, and the Natural Order of Things. Just wrong, on so many levels.

So what unusual flavour combinations have you tried lately – and did they work?

Source: food24.com

From the gorgeously memorable to the downright ugly, can you match the dress to the celebrity?

Take our fun red carpet dress quiz to find out.

The quiz

Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn both won the Best Actress Oscar in 1968 for their performances in The Lion In Winter and Funny Girl. This was the first and only time that the Academy announced a tie in the Best Actress category, and Streisand famously greeted her gong with the words: “Hello gorgeous.”

And the Award for Most Excitable Winner goes too… Cuba Gooding Junior. In 1996, the Jerry Maguire actor jumped on stage to collect his Best Supporting Actor Award and launched into an exuberant speech, which was only cut short when he couldn’t be heard above the orchestra.

The late Christopher Reeves received two standing ovations when he appeared at the 1996 Oscars ceremony. The Superman actor had been paralysed from the waist down after a riding accident the previous year.

Lots of actors get emotional when they win an Oscar but few can compete with Gwyneth Paltrow’s spectacular performance when she scooped Best Actress in 1999. The star has since spoken of her embarrassment over the weepy episode: “I keep it [her Oscar] tucked away at the back of the bookshelf in my bedroom because it weirds me out.”

In 2001, Julia Roberts won a Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich. When the actress realised that she had passed her 45-second speech limit, she shouted: “A girl’s got to have her moment. Everybody tries to get me to shut up. It didn’t work with my parents and it didn’t work now.” She thanked everyone, except Erin Brockovich on which her character was based.

For more memorable Oscar Moments visit: Glamour Magazine

Valentine’s Day is a minefield. Whether you’re single or hooked-up the potential for misery is high because, much like New Year’s Eve, it rarely lives up to its reputation.

For the single ladies

1. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that because there won’t be some significant other mailing you a mass-produced cardboard sentiment this year, that you are somehow lacking or unworthy of love.

Valentine’s Day was designed specifically to sell greeting cards. (And to make single people miserable.) Does being single on Halloween make you wish you were a zombie? No. See how silly you’re being?

2. Unless you’re going out with a group of friends, stay away from bars. There is a certain breed of predatory guy who lives for February 14. He douses himself with cologne, opens his shirt an extra button and packs a pocket full of terrible pick-up lines. It may sound like it’d be cute to tell your grandchildren you met on Valentine’s day, but most likely the only thing you’ll come home with will take a full course of antibiotics to get rid of.

3. Don’t go into desperation dating overload, trying to scare up a date — any date — just so you won’t be home alone on V-Day. Only a masochist or a maniac would ask a woman out on a first date on 2/14. Here’s hoping you want neither.

4. Stay home and sulk if you want, but instead of making yourself miserable with romantic comedies, check out the “War of the Roses” or “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.” And whatever you do — don’t eat a pint of ice cream. Nobody should willingly reduce themselves to a cliché. Have some nachos instead.

For the taken ladies

1. If your boyfriend forgets what day it is, you have nobody but yourself to blame. Do you know when the World Series is? Probably not. If you want your man to remember something, remind him.

2. Along with the above, if you have big expectations for THE MOST ROMANTIC VALENTINE’S DAY EVER, you should also convey that. Hinting never works with men — whether it’s willful or just obliviousness, I’ve never heard of a heterosexual male who is capable of picking up a subtle hint.

Give him restaurant suggestions, remind him that he needs to make a reservation in advance, advise him that you’re getting him a gift (if you are), so he might want to select a little something for you. If you must, resort to PowerPoint and pie charts. It’s not very romantic, but it will get your point across.

3. You are not allowed to get upset if he doesn’t propose. Unless it’s completely spontaneous, V-Day proposals rate way high on the cheese-o-meter and you can hardly blame him for not wanting to be part of a real-life Diamonds R Us commercial.

4. Don’t you dare compare your relationships to other couples. Competitive dating is a loser’s game. That twosome making out at the next table? Chances are, they’re married to other people. Your bigmouth coworker who can’t stop talking about the ginormous rock her FIANCE (say it loud!) bought her? He’s probably compensating for shortcomings in other departments. The more in-your-face the display, the more likely they’re just masking the unhappy truth. Be glad for what you’ve got.

Source: CNN