The not so beautiful game

When the idea was first mentioned to me, I thought it was the most absurd thing I've ever heard! TV officials for football? you must be crazy! it will ruin the flow of the game! It will make matches more longer than they're already are, not to mention waste time and take away momentum from the attacking team. Yes having a TV ref for football games doesn't make the least bit of sense but of recent the English Premier League in particular has seen a host of refereeing blunders that are causing massive consequences for teams.

 

I can dig back to many past games but I'll stick to the ones that are fresh in our minds, that is this weekends events. First up Everton vs Liverpool, the Merseyside Derby never fails to disappoint as each side fights for bragging rights of the city. It is a usually no holds barred match with loads of ferocious tackles flying in left right and center. With such high tentions and fast pace of the game there always is loads of cards being shown with the odd red card being brandished as proven over the years. This weekend was no different but getting back to the matter at hand, with so much happening it is only natural for the officials to miss certain things that we at home have the benefit of television replays to help with, for example Suarez treading on a defenders calf only to be shown a yellow when many of the opposition thought it deserved a red.

Then theres the case of Evertons second goal, the ball clearly went out off an Everton player and the touchline official awarded Liverpool the throw but the match official over ruled and awarded the throw in to Everton which subsequently led to the goal. Was the ref 100% sure that it was an Everton throw in? why didn't he consult with his official on the side line who felt it was the other way around? Then the big question mark was the disallowed goal. Suarez clearly onside, blasts home in front of the goal what was sure to be Liverpools winning goal. When questioned after the match by captain Steven Gerrard whether Luis was offside, the touch line official replied "I think so".... now I've harped on this before and many also believe that the EPL is the biggest league in the world and has the largest global audience, is there really room for a "I think so decision?". That decision cost Liverpool 2 valuable points and it was away from home.

Moving onto the next game, a table topping clash between Chelsea and Manchester United. 2-0 up and comfortably in the lead, Chelsea then score 2 goals to put themselves back on level terms. They then had their right back Ivanovic sent off for fouling Ashley Young, minimal contact at that but contact none the less and he was sent off as he offended Young's right at goal. Little later on, Evans catches Torres on his way to goal, albeit it he wasn't past the last defender but was caught,  he did go to ground but the ref seemed to have though that he dived. Torres was then brandished his second yellow and sent off, thus causing Chelsea to play the remainder of the match with 9 men. Inevitably, United did mange to score a winner from Hernandez, but again video replays show he was clearly coming from an offside position to slot home the winner. None of the officials spot this, end result was United get all 3 points and Chelsea are left with 2 men facing bans.

Suarez offisde/ Hernandez onside

Now, if the game did have the technology to review or refer these decisions the outcomes in both matches could have been very different. Yes just like how we have in cricket and rugby, video referrals do tend to take a while but 9 out of 10 times the correct decision is made. Football being a fast pace game, one would think there is no place for such a thing in it. Yes, I still agree that we should just take some of these bad decisions on the chin as its part and parcel of the game as they do tend to swing in favour of every team, one more than the rest *cough* Man Utd *cough* but of recent bad decisions are becoming a bit too common. The only solution other than introducing technology is for the ref's to get a proper beat down to up their game, just like footballers they are professionals at what they do and they have to be the best to be in this league. If I cant do my job properly, I will be replaced and they need to realize that they're aren't there to make "I think so" decisions, it has to be a conclusive one. I can go on about the topic but I think I'll give a rest for now. Lets hope this weekend sees a much better performance by the officials.

Monday Choon: Joanna rays - Just another day (Phonk D'or & Burgundy Vocal Mix)

e

I'm a big fan of vocal trance music, agreed some do tend to have horrible vocalist and stupid lyrics but most are often great for example the likes of BT, Nadia Ali, Aruna just to name a few. I was listening to Tiesto's club life podcast 286 the other day and Joanna Rays song "Just Another Day" caught me, I instantly fell in love with the track. I cant find the single by the French artist anywhere on the web so tiesto must've debut it on his show, here's a rip from the podcast. Enjoy!

Bucket babe: Tamzin Elliott

Its been a week of miserable weather across the country but here at the Bucket we're going to heat things up for you! Today's model hails from the East Coast, and was former Sharks flasher girl, so here's wishing our boys in black and white all the best for tomorrows final.  The Durban beauty was a former Miss Earth finalist and is the Brutal fruit Goddess of Glam 2012. The lady has got good taste in music and cars and has achieved a lot over the years but I'll let her tell you more.

Tamzin Elliott

I studied a BSc in Biological Sciences at UKZN where I specialised in Ecology, particularly of big cats... they are my passion. I currently work as a Project manager in telecommunications and love to break away to the bush whenever I can! Hailing from Durban and now living in JHB its difficult to be away from the coast for too long! Go the Sharks!! Yes, I was previously a proud Sharks Flasher girl!

I'm an absolute adrenaline junkie! give me roller coasters and bungee jumps any day, I'm up for the challenge!

I love to gym and take part in adventure sports, as well as travel to new and exciting places! Try everything once - or it might not be there to experience again!

Ive just won the 2012 Brutal Fruit Goddess of Glam search, a really amazing competition where I was mentored by the likes of Bonang Matheba, Gert Johan Coetzee and Ntatho Mashishi

Last year I was a finalist in the Miss Earth South Africa Pageant and I'm Currently competing in Miss Pretoria. Beauty Pageants are a hobby of mine, they're fun and Ive done a few before, previously winning Miss Heritage KZN, Miss Umhlanga Beach, Princess in Miss Suncoast, Top 5 Miss South Coast... and such...

Twitter: @tamzin_elliott

Q & A

1. Hot girls and hot cars go hand in hand, what ride would you like to see yourself in?
McLaren MP4 Spider

2. What sandwich are you most likely to make for me? and will it be toasted or plain?
Lets up the ante a bit here, Steak prego with caramelised onions on toasted ciabatta

3. What type of music gets your booty shaking?
Im a big house and dance fan, swedish house mafia, david guetta, deadmau5

4. Dream cover shoot?
Glamour Mag or Sports Illustrated for sure!

5. If given a choice, full time model or full time executive, what would you choose?
Cant I be a full time traveller? Guess I'll go with the full time executive then...

6. Everyone loves popcorn (well I think they do) whats your topping/ sprinkle of choice?
Plain Salt... you cant beat a good classic.

7. Anyone holding that hand yet? or is it available?
A girls got to be a little mysterious...

8. Growing up you must have had someone you aspired to be, so who is your role model?
Growing up I had a few role models, there are so many inspiring people out there, doing so many different things, with us now and whom have passed on, Lawrence Anthony, Charlize Theron, Victoria Beckham, Richard Branson, Sir David Attenborough... the list goes on


9. Obviously being a female you would love fashion, favourite label/ designer? 
I do love fashion! there are a few local loves: Reine by Kathrin Kidger, Bianca Kim clothing, Gert Johan Coetzee, Bianca Warren
Internationally I love Top Shop, Victoria Beckham, Chanel, Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, Versace....
yup, I LOVE shopping!!!

10. Which city is your dream party destination? 
Ibiza!!!!

Windows 8

The 26th of October sees the official launch of Windows 8 to the world, the much awaiting operating system from Microsoft is a complete change to what we have been used to over the years from the software giant. If you recall my previous post on the Microsoft Device Update I did touch on Windows 8 and made it
known that it is very touch orientated. Seeing that most devices are now full touch screen, it only makes sense to integrate one of the most powerful OS's to suite.

The first obvious thing that you will realise about Windows 8 is that it doesn't have a desktop, well there is one along with a start bar but its located in one of the tiles. If you have used or seen a windows phone with Win7.5 or Win8 you would be used to this setup by now and it makes it much easier to scroll through to various items. I was supposed to attend the official launch on Thursday the 25th but due to work reasons I had to decline the offer but as soon as I can get more info on Win8 I will post it up.

Also rumoured to be launch is the Surface tablet, Microsoft's competitor to the Apple iPad. Now like any guy, I love my gadgets but I just didn't see the practicality the iPad had, this on the other hand is a different story, for starters it has USB3! So that's winning for me already, then there's the magnetic snap on keypad for when you need to type something fast, it also doubles up as a screen protector. It also has a built in stand. The prices were leaked last week and they seem pretty competitive, yes the standard models will be running a scaled down version of Windows 8, which they've called Windows 8 RT but it still looks like a good buy, cant wait to get my hands on one, maybe the powers at be can give me one ;)

Surface pricing *leaked

Monday Choon: Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike, Coone & Lil Jon - Madness

Before you ask, no this has nothing to do with the famous quote from the movie 300 but the sick beats mixed by the Tomorrowland legends and Coone along with vocals by Lil Jon will make you go mad. The Belgian brothers were recently voted in at number 39 in the DJ Mag top 100 DJ's and as one of the key lyrics to this song will detest, they're are making it "to the top" very fast. They're due in South Africa this December for Matric Rage and personally I would love to see them in action.

World Day of Remembrance

Every year 100's if not 1000's of lives are lost on South Africa's roads and many are left with life long injuries caused by accidents. Despite many campaigns and initiatives by government, the numbers accidents on our roads keep increasing by the year. Where in some cases the accidents are unavoidable, many could have been prevented as the most common causes are drivers who were speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that either of the two are dangerous, we have laws in place to prevent them! So what gives you or anyone the right to ignore them, especially when you are going to endanger the lives of other innocent motorists. The change has to come from the individual and that's the only way we can solve this problem.

18th November 2012 has been dubbed "World Day of Remembrance", it is a day that will be recognized internationally as a day we remember loved ones,  friends, family  and all whom were affected by a road traffic accident. Besides remembering the deceased, we will also help create awareness to the problem at hand, especially drinking and driving.

If you live in Durban, the guys at one of the cities most popular restaurants, Spiga D'oro along with Anna Savage who is one of the creators of the iHeart Market will be hosting an event on the 18th of November, the venue still remains a secret buto the promises to be a great one with plenty of good food, art, music and craft. Prior to the day, they will be hosting other events to generate a hype for the event, first of which being next Tuesday, the 23rd of October 2012 where a tweetup will be held at the Upstairs Bar above Spiga. Here you can meet and spend the evening with the people you mainly communicate with via your phone or a computer, at the same time you can tweet about the event using the hashtag #rememberme. You can also join the facebook fan page, this event is not limited to people on social media so spread the word to family and friends and lets make this a great day to remember those we have lost.

Those details again:

Date: 23rd October 2012
Time: 18h30
Dress: Casual
Food: Snacks will be supplied by Spiga
Bring: your phone
Hashtag: #rememberme


...btw, if you're drinking that night, don't forget to call a cab for your journey home ;)

Journey of Hope

KFC is undoubtedly one of South Africa's favourite fast food franchise, with outlets nationwide all making that delicious crispy fried chicken just the way the Colonel used to. Now although they're mostly noted for the food, locally KFC have been running a campaign for a while, a campaign known as "add hope". Add hope is a national feeding program which ensures children have access to nutrition in order to live, grow and thrive. How can one be a part of this? Simple, after placing your order at any KFC, you can donate R2 towards this cause by adding it to your bill. Your R2 can go a long way to feeding the less fortunate.

Riaanon his journey

Recently KFC partnered up with renowned South African adventurer Riaan Manser to help feed South Africa's children. In September he embarked on his journey, an epic adventure to cycle the country and his route will read the message of "hope". In total Riaan would travel 4100km in 2 months, stopping off in many towns along the way to highlight both, the plight of hunger and the positive impact that Add Hope is making to the countries children. This Friday, the 19th of October see's him making a stop in Durban at the North Beach KFC, situated in the Mangrove Beach Center on Somtsea Road at 9am. Come join in and support Riaan in his inspiring journey across the country, to better the lives of the children. You together with KFC, Riaan and the Add Hope campaign can help a nation prosper.

 

You can follow Riaan on his journey via twitter through @KFCSA or @riaanmaser  or follow the hash tag #addhope

Monday Choon: Otto Knows - Million voices

If you're going to debut a song, might as well let it be like Swedish DJ Otto Jettman otherwise known a Otto Knows. His first single "Million Voices" which was released in May this year became some what an anthem for more trance parties. There are various remixes out there but I like many still prefer the original.

Red Bull Stratos

I

If you follow me on twitter, you would have seen me go ape shit (excuse me for the lack of better words) over this. Why? because its probably one of the greatest human achievements we'll get to witness in our life time. One man, Flex Baumgartner is to go when no man has gone before as he attempts to break the sound barrier by jumping out of a capsule approximately 36 kilometers above ground level and free fall towards the ground.

Felix on his test jump

There are many risks involved here, one being the weather as wind has delayed the launch for 2 days now. Others include the capsule and balloon as it ascends with Felix to the desired height but one of the biggest risks is definitely when Felix opens that door at 36,000m above the ground. With the air pressure and temperature relatively unknown at that height, anything could happen. Then there's the jump itself, Felix will be free falling for 5 minutes 35 seconds or longer which will surpass the old record of 4 minutes and some change, there after he will deploy his parachute and begin a 10 minute descend to earth.

Click to view larger image

Many would be asking why are they're doing such a thing? What is the point and what are they're trying to prove? Well like most experiments, its all done in the name of science. From the special suit that Baumgartner will wear to the material that the balloon is made off, each item is specially designed for this very mission. Also he will be strapped and monitored during the jump to see what the human body experiences during this incredible feat.

LIVE STREAM

It will take the capsule about 3 hours to reach the desired height and only 15 minutes for Felix to be back on the ground, the numbers are astonishing and like many I hope this happens as it would be incredible to witness. For more you can visit the website: www.redbullstratos.com

Monday Choon: Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, M83 and Moguai - Mammoth vs Midnight City

I know, its a mouthful but this song is so worth it. If you watched the Tomorrowland after movie theres no doubt you'll recognise this track. Im not sure if they're going to release it as a single but it sure is one hell of a mix that was done by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, which includes parts of the hit M83 track midnight city, enjoy.

Monday Choon: BT and Arty feat Nadia Ali - Must Be TheLove

When three of my favourite artists work on one track it either can go horribly wrong or brilliantly well, thankfully for more me it is the latter. BT the legend of the dance industry and Arty the relatively new boy on the scene from Russia combined their talents to produce this track and added the sultry voice of the sexy Nadia Ali to give it that edge it needed to be a chart topper. It was the opening track to ASOT 579 and has already recieved raved reviews and requests world over.