We never get flowers when we can still smell them.This is truth not just a thought.

Excuse me if I haven’t been my friendly self lately, online and in real life. So to borrow from Dionne Warwick “If you see me walking down the street…..And I start to cry…..Walk on by…..Make believe that you don't see the tears…Yes let me grieve in private”. The thing is I am having a difficult time accepting that Brown Dash is gone. And I know that, that is only natural, we live and we die but somehow his death is hard to fathom. Maybe because of the generosity of his spirit. I met Brown before, back when I was still a chain smoker at Wits University School of Art, I stay with a stringent uncle in Ferndale, Randburd-Joburg, he always tried to keep me on a leash but like a sweet sixteen I’d always sneak out, knock about around that vicinity and Brown Dash would pull in at the Zennex Garage on Oxford Rd in his Mini Cooper. You bet he was looking like a superstar, calm as ever, in his white Chuck Taylors, Khaki pants and a plain white T-shirt. He oozed humility, pleasant to watch him exchange pleasantries with the petrol attendants there; he even bought me cigarettes every now and again. And now he is gone. But what breaks my heart the most, is all that postmortem love dude has been getting.MTV Base, Vuzu TV, Channel O, Metro FM, Y FM, Capricorn FM were amongst the first media houses to express their condolences, and I am thinking ‘but y’all didn’t play his music nor videos in a while, why love him now?’. Even TS Records shouted him out on Twitter, and this are the same people that left him out in the cold to dry. Ok, I’ll say this much, I don’t really know the details of that fall out in depth BUT as far as I know they wanted nothing to do with him. Ludacris said it better “Most of this record executives done care nothing about you, if you stop selling records, they’ll act like they don’t know you”. But you see Brown Dash didn’t stop selling records, I mean the people at TS Records are mean at that, look what they did with Zahara, and they could possibly sell water to an ocean. The sin that did Brown Dash in was that he wanted more money off those record sales (I won’t say anything about TS Records repossessing the Mini Cooper from Brown, because that’s just too cruel). Since then even radar couldn’t find him. At least not until Mandla Spikiri brought back to life, he featured Brown alongside bad boy Bricks Mabrigado and hip hop giants Teargas on Ngeke Balunge.Man, he even got another shot at fame at the 18th South African Music Awards but he slipped back into latency right after that performance, I know you were oblivious to that performance because I didn’t see your tweets about how dope that was. Nine days later he died, but he came back, on Twitter, trending. And that’s why I am hurting, that eishhh is messed up. We should have told him how much we loved when he was still here, but I guess it’s true what Kanye said “People never get flowers when they can still smell them”. R.I.P Simphiwe Mpamile.

The A.K.A Review

Alright, listen, seat back relax and allow me to kick some knowledge. You see, there is a rapper and THEN there is rapper, to delineate further: there former is anyone that can jot down a dope sixteen and spit it (hell, you don’t even have to jot it down, if you can spit it off the top of your head like a New Era cap, that’s even sicker. The latter is A.K.A. He is rapper’s rapper, the South African answer to Drake, captain of the in-crowd, the poster boy of the new cool. He is many things that he is also known as (which explicates why he calls himself A.KA. if you didn’t get the memo). Real name: Kiernan Forbes. Anyway, I had not given audience to his anticipated debut album Alter Ego until recently, well? Not until the day after the South African Music Awards to be exact. Not because I am hater or a skeptic but because I wanted dude to prove himself just in case he turned out to be whack and good at nothing but talking smack. And proving himself would take more than radio interviews, television appearances and magazine covers. That off course he got in abundance, thanks to publicist PR guru Farah Fortune, Head Honcho also threw their weight behind him and then there was the Show Love team to plus on that. But to me that was still nothing but hype that I wasn’t buying into, meaning I was Ray Charles to all that, I was thinking sold out concerts, proliferating record sales and awards, especially a SAMA. My reasonable reluctance was due to the fact that A.KA used to be 1/3 of the now defunct rap pack called Entity, and that entity wasn’t so much of an entity when it was all said and done. So you see, he still had a mammoth of a task to win me over. Even when his singles (All I know, Bang featuring Khuli Chana of Morafe fame, and the star studded Victory Lap) were topping the local charts, winning him groupies and veneration, I wasn’t listening. However April 31st came. Hip Hop Pantsula tweeted: If you are still not an @akaworldwide fan, watch the SAMAs tonight. You will be converted. #ConfessedFan. Wa Rocka San. I pulled back into my dusty orange striped couch, glass of red wine in hand, cigarette in another and I kept my eyes glued to the telly that night. And I was blown away, I sipped my Shiraz in awe as A.K.A tore the stage apart along side Jack-Out-Of-The-Box-Parow, his energy on stage is apodictically electrifying. I was heartened by the glint in his eyes that said he is passionate and committed to his art. So first thing the morning after the SAMAs ,I dashed to the nearest music store still in my slippers and I had a good listen. Now I refuse to review the album because mostly likely you’ve already heard it and you have already formulated concrete opinions on that album but I’ll say this much: Snakes and Ladders is a stand out track, so is Reign featuring Buffalo Soldier. Homeboy is aware of his influence on pop culture and honestly he deserves all that glow and all that glory. Plus he has been busy: A.K.A was the supporting act for the 2010 Rick Ross concert in Cape Town, plus he performed at the ESPN 2010 Annual Basketball Event in Pretoria. He was also the Official MC and Host of the MTV Base MAMA 2010 Private Media Event while performing at the Rize Concert in JHB as supporting act. So, yeah, “he is a beast, he is a problem”. Now I am done.

I think short is cooler than long, that's if size matters off course.

Back in the 50s, maybe, everyone strived to have the same things and even look the same as their neighbors, but those days are long gone. Now we are open to so many different styles, and there are many options short haircuts to give a man his own identity and style. Choosing the perfect short haircut may not be the easiest decision for a man to make, but it can definitely be fun for anyone to pick out a new, great short haircut.

Men can choose from short haircuts that are softer and more tapered, or that are sharper and more bold, like a razored style. The choice is simply up to an individual man and what he is looking for in terms of style and comfort. Short haircuts can evoke a fun, wild image, or a modern, conservative aura.

Short haircuts for men may not leave much hair, but there is certainly room for style and creativity. Regardless of what an individual man chooses, there are many available choices, and the right stylist or barber can even give you a great short haircut that takes years off! Who doesn’t want to look younger at some point in his life? A clean, tailored short haircut is perfect for any place and any time, be it the office, the sports game, or the weekend. With a little bit of time and consideration in choosing the right hairstyle, you’ll be happy with the results.

It doesn’t matter what texture or color your hair is, there are always good-looking short haircuts for men out there.

Gents,I think we ought to think like this.

The world is a hard place to survive. Falling in love. Broken hearts. Standing up for what you believe. Arachnids and an entire week dedicated to sharks. Earthquakes and economic meltdowns. Nine dollar beer nights at your favorite pub, and fashion statements that should have died years ago returning from the grave. It’s not easy to be alive through all this, let alone survive it as a gentleman. We must remain intact and stand out amongst the rest. No matter how difficult it gets out there. And the best part is, you can still look cool while doing it.

Now that you have the essential tools for surviving the 21st Century as a gentleman, it’s time to be cool.

Call her the next day. The “wait three days rule” will always be cool to break.

Rules that are not cool to break: Never date your friend’s ex, never date your ex’s friend, never date your ex’s roommate, no cutting in line, no cutting a “line” in the bathroom, keep a napkin on your lap while dining, and it’s still not okay to go in a woman’s purse.

LOL is not only NOT okay, it’s never cool.

Your socks should be as colorful as your wardrobe. Don’t be afraid of plaid, argyle, or stripes beneath your jeans or black slacks.

A gentleman never publicly worries, complains, or comments about money. A gentleman who is cool never hesitates to pick up a tab or loan to a friend in need. Remember, if you’re making more than 2 dollars a day, you’re considered in the top 3% of the richest people on the planet. Would you like some perspective with your coffee this morning?

At a business lunch, give your credit card to the waiter before you’re seated. This ends the debate when the meal is finished before it even starts.

Make eye contact with a woman. Then buy her a drink before going on your way, and leave it at that. The transaction is over, and she’ll be left thinking about you the rest of the night.

Buy a cup of coffee for the person in line behind you.

Displaying your masculinity at the bar or club or Sunday morning church service like a lion stalking a wounded herd of scattered sheep is never cool. This representation of the circle of life in the animal kingdom always ends in a bloody massacre, so take note: stay cool, calm, and collected when she walks into the room. Eye contact with a smile from across the way is often your green light to casually approach the situation, and make your introduction.

You are not your job or how you pay the bills. Upon introductions, ask someone what it is they “do,” really do with their life, and not how they put food on the table. Not only can this question change a person’s entire day, it will also tell you more about them than any question regarding their salary.

The cooler you are, the less of your phone I should see. This is not a green light for your wireless earpiece to be worn at all times. If your hands are not at 10 and 2 on a steering wheel while you’re closing a million dollar deal in Japan, then take it out, jerk. You’re not as cool as you think you are.

Don’t be afraid to make decisions, even if you’re not the authoritative type. Call the shot. Whether or not your gun is loaded, pull the trigger.

Stay cool by being creative on dates. Anything is better than going for drinks. Take her for a balloon ride, a hike, or bowling and forget to keep score. Play cards in the park, or even steal street signs if she’s the mischievous type.

Never lose your cool. This is very un-cool.

Throwing up is never cool unless you’re with the band.

Facebook is a public place. Stay cool by staying mysterious. Lose the inside jokes and status updates every 30 minutes. No one cares about what you are eating, where you are going, how cute that little dog was hanging out the window, how you take your coffee, or what you are wearing. And that picture from college of you with a funnel, standing on a keg, and your best friend, Pete, licking your face…untag yourself, brother.

Make your yes’s mean yes, and your no’s mean no.

Always speak with confidence no matter the subject matter.

Hang out with people cooler than you. This makes you cool by association.

Lose the baggy clothes unless you make millions performing gangster rap.

Popped collars are not cool. They were never cool. Unless you’re Dracula or an Elvis Impersonator, keep ‘em down. This look only works with your winter jacket. All other occasions: unacceptable.

Ask her out. It’s that simple. She’s been waiting for you to do it, I promise. There’s nothing cooler, or sexier, than a man who has the confidence to walk across the room and ask out a woman. And if she says no? Treat her exactly the same way you did thirty seconds ago before asking. Surprise. Your world didn’t stop and implode. The exhilaration of taking this risk is hard to top, no matter the results. Disclaimer: This is NOT permission to go asking out every woman in a thirty-mile radius like the world is going to end tomorrow. Very un-cool.

Am I cool? I own five shirts and one pair of boots, and wear the same jeans six days a week. My hair is too thick and I can’t grow enough facial hair to look rugged. I sometimes talk too much instead of listening too well, and I don’t have a six-pack. You’re damn right I am cool. Because it’s not about the way you look or the sound of your voice or your job, it’s your state of mind. It’s confidence in the man God created you to be.

So be cool.

I fink Die Antwoord freek.

Die Antwoord's latest album Tension is definitely a tensile offering.Bullheaded,complete with that rags-to-riches-cutthroat-attitude and a rat-a-tat repartee to match.Totally unorthodox,incontestably futuristic.And just by the way,your sudden interest interest in them,does not trip them up.They know you are now curious because they are blowing up overseas,so they let you know vehemently.Most local musicians would agree unanimously that nothing spells out 'success' than 1 :a Rolling Stone magazine cover, 2: performing at the Future Music Festival along side Jessie J and Gym Class Heroes amongst others.What more can Die Antwoord say? except "Fok Julle Naaiers",meaning the critics,the haters and the nay-sayers,irrefutably.

The production is outstanding,pretty much an amalgamation of NWA gangstar beats with that pronounced Cape Town electro meets rave kind of techno music.Track number 2 'I fink U Freek' is a catchy melody,I bet you'll struggle to shake it out of your head long after you've heard it,if you haven't already.Another good song is 'You make a ninja wanna f**k', which naturally will make you want to uhm! well, I'll let your imagination run with that one.All in all this is a dope album,Ninja doesn't mince his words,he let's us have it.Yolandie is click,witty and straight up cool.There is a certain camaderie between them that reminds me of Bonnie and Clyde.They are a talented duo parallel to none,there is a pronounced novelty about their artistry and their musicality is refreshing.Go cop yourself a copy.

So you thought you knew Mona Lisa,huh?

The most mysterious painting in the history of European art just got a little more mysterious. For centuries, Madrid's Prado Museum has held what was believed to be a mere replica of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, the Mona Lisa. But researchers at the museum recently discovered that their copy wasn't just any copy. Thanks to the use of infrared technology, they deduced that the work was not only painted in Leonardo's workshop, by one of his students, but that it was done at the same time as the master was completing the original.

Although the copy, which depicts La Gioconda with a narrower face, redder dress and significantly more pronounced eyebrows than the original, has been in the Prado's collection for centuries, no one thought much of it, and it was generally attributed to an unknown Flemish artist. But when the Prado's conservators began to study it in preparation for an upcoming show in Paris, they realized there might be more to the work than previously recognized. Using infrared technology, they detected a lush Tuscan landscape -- the same as in Leonardo's original -- hiding beneath the coat of black varnish that had been added probably in the 18th century and obscured the original background.

That wasn't all they found. Infrared reflectography can reveal the sketches -- called underdrawings -- and changes that a painter makes in the course of composing a work. By comparing reflectography images taken of the Mona Lisa in 2004 with the copy (they matched), Prado conservators determined that the replica was painted while Leonardo was himself still at work on the original. "There is textual evidence from contemporary observers that Leonardo had assistants in his workshop making copies," says Miguel Falomir, the Prado's curator of Italian Renaissance art. "This is the first time we've found technical evidence of it as well."
The painting is still being cleaned and restored, but the findings were presented two weeks ago at a technical conference for specialists held in conjunction with the blockbuster Leonardo exposition currently on show at the National Gallery in London. The reaction from experts in the field has been unanimously positive. "So far, I haven't heard one discordant voice," says Falomir.

Which isn't to say that the discovery hasn't raised questions, including who painted it and when. "It had to have been a pupil, and someone very close to Leonardo at the time," says Matthew Landrus, art historian at Oxford University and the Rhode Island School of Design. "And no one was closer than Andrea Salai and Francesco Melzi." Still, he points out, that there is no definite evidence of their work. Salai, who some historians believe became Leonardo's lover, entered the workshop in 1490; Melzi, who the Prado believes to be the likelier author, joined around 1506.

But the bigger question is why Leonardo would have had his students replicating his work in the first place. Certainly the practice of making copies was not unique to him; many Renaissance artists had their students attempt to recreate their work. The reason may have been pedagogical, but more likely, says Falomir, it was financial. "When people think about these great geniuses creating, they forget that even these artists had to eat. Selling copies was a way of earning money."

Landrus suggests it may have been more than that. After all, the Mona Lisa was still in Leonardo's possession when he died. It was never turned over to Francesco del Giocondo, the man who, according to 16th century biographer Giorgio Vasari, had commissioned the portrait of his wife, Lisa Gherardini, in celebration of the birth of their second son. "It's possible that Leonardo realized, 'Hey, I've got a pretty good painting here,' and had the copy made so he could keep something for himself," says Landrus. "Only later did he recognize that he didn't have to give the original away."

But Alison Wright, a specialist in Italian art at University College London who attended the meeting where the Prado discovery was presented, sees the copying as contemporary recognition of Leonardo's importance. "It's just conceivable that there was a copy made to sell, but it's an odd painting, and a commissioned portrait, so it's hard to imagine what the market would be," she says. "It's more likely that it was a matter of Leonardo's students recording his every movement, even while they were still falling from his brush."

The discovery is already causing art historians to re-examine their understanding of how Leonardo's studio functioned, and to revise the picture they have of how the most famous painting in Western art captured a singular moment between sitter and artist. "Once again," says Wright, "we see that technical analysis can shed light on a case we thought was shut."

But if the Prado copy raises new mysteries, it also clarifies some things. The newly restored copy, with its gleaming landscape in the background and sharp lines defining the spindle of the chair and the ruffle of the bodice, fills in details obscured by the yellowing varnish on the real Mona Lisa. "The original hasn't been restored in a long time," says Prado curator Falomir. "The copy invites you to see it with new eyes."