iDale

In 1924, a bloke named George Mallory was last seen 800 feet below the summit of Everest…

I will conquer this mountain first!

75 years later his death is still stunning the world – in particular a climber named Conrad Anker – who’s life became intertwined with Mallory’s when he found his frozen body with all his belongings intact. The only thing missing was a photograph of his wife, Ruth, which Mallory had promised to place on the summit.

Conrad returns to Everest to unravel the mystery.

This theatrical feature, directed by Anthony Geffen, was released by National Geographic Entertainment in August 2010.

It’s going to be coming to an IMAX theatre in SA soon, so in the mean time watch the trailer here and tell us: would you ever climb Everest?

People will never ever see your collar stays, but sometimes in life it’s not about showing and rather about knowing.

Lets face it… if you are the man, then the collars of your dress shirt need to be kept straight with carbon fiber.

For those that don’t know what collar stays are, here’s a little background: Most dress shirts collars have little pockets on the underside of the collar, and many times come with crappy plastic collar stays when you buy the shirt. They help keep the collar stiff and crisp for a clean look.

Each set of these carbon fiber collar stays comes with two pairs of stays; a 2.5″ long pair and a 3″ long pair.  This will ensure it accommodates the majority of dress shirts out there. They also come in a great looking glass container that will add easy access and something interesting to your dresser:

Are you in the market? Get em here.

#myweakness is trending in a big way today as the world takes to identifying and exposing their weaknesses on Twitter.

It got me thinking about a valuable conversation I had with a successful businessman over a 1/2 chicken meal at Nandos about a month back…

We were discussing mentors and why it’s so vital to get a reality check from people with experience. We all know the sayings: “always get a fresh perspective”, “always get an outside opinion” and “two heads are better than one” – but have we stopped to think why exactly?

He put it like this:

No matter if you’re driving an old beat up Toyota Tazz or the latest Bentley Continental GT – all cars have blind spots. That’s why we have mirrors and when driving around in both business and life, we’re constantly checking our mirrors to ensure we don’t bump into things. Mentors are there to confirm what we see in our mirrors and sometimes help us change direction if we’re heading off course. Very often, we stop checking our mirrors or skim over what’s in them, and that’s when we put ourselves at risk.

He continued to tell me that the most successful people he knew, were people that valued great counsel from others. Particularly those that were willing to first acknowledge their weaknesses.

For example, take the dealmaker with an uncanny skill to sniff out an amazing deal. He’s got an incredible skill that many people would love to have. But he’s no good with numbers or law. That’s why he pays top dollar to several accountants and lawyers to ensure that his weaknesses are covered by people who excel where he would falter.

I’ve got to ask if we should be exposing our weaknesses to the world and if doing this doesn’t put us in a new position of weakness?

I think so, that’s why the only weakness you’re getting out of me today is the fact that I can’t cook great chicken. And that’s what led my mentor and I to Nando’s in the first place.

This past weekend started a tad early on Friday afternoon. While taking a number of shirts to my new tailor in Rivonia, I could not help myself… I had to stroll to Indulge - it’s the only place I know that pulls off the type of things you see in Cake Boss and whenever I’m there I find myself wanting to buy something for the sake of sweetness – this time it was a pair of Lindt cupcakes.

Saturday saw me doing the usual errands typically ending up at Sandton City with a bit of shopping. We were naturally lured into La Senza where they seem to have a super promotion every other weekend – this time it was R150 off Bra’s and Panties at R250 for 2. Can you believe the mind games they play on innocent women out there? I suppose it’s one of the reasons we love em!

As you know I love a great steak! So a weekend isn’t a weekend unless I’ve burnt some meat on the braai – even if it is a quick 45 minute cook-up!

On Sunday I went to Pomodora in Morningside for some spaghetti. I’ve never been before as the centre isn’t exactly my vibe (lets sit at Tasha’s with our Tom Ford shades, watch the Ferrari’s go by and sip on chocochino’s). I was pleasantly surprised at the excellent service and the pricing was reasonable too. Initially I would have said the portions could have been bigger, but for once I left an Italian restaurant not feeling like I was about to explode – it hit the spot perfectly!

Sunday night, right after the depression that is Carte Blanche, I fell victim to a McFlurry. Yes, it’s sad – missioning out in the rain on a quest for sweetness we got Oreo and caramel choc-chip (my favorite) and devoured em while watching The Ugly Truth, Kardashians and The Spin Crowd. Yes, I watch the Kardashians and chick-flicks in addition to hardcore actions and epic war films. Don’t judge me.

I’ve never surfed in my life, but when I see photos like this I can only imagine the thrill these beach bums get when inside a a huge wave… mmm. Pretty!

Let the ads speak for themselves…

Luggage is so boring! But with these great stickers, you can liven up your old bag and get some raised eyebrows from the airport officials (even if they are for the wrong reasons)…

If you’re not that risky and naughty, you could try the cash route…

Else, get your Pablo on…

If all else fails, smuggle an air hostess…

If you’re into covering things up with stickers, check out the range of Garage Doors to Die For.

Every pet owner thinks their pet is the shit (kinda like every oke rates his woman is the shit). But really now, there are some pets (and women) who are just undeniably gorgeous – so much so that anything with a heartbeat is drawn to them.

Take for example my daschund Bailey (Exhibit A):

She’s so sweet you can’t help but let her make herself comfy in the new Woolworths winter linen range. I’m wondering which one compliments the other one more?

On the other hand, for every princess, these must be a crazy dribbling pet (think ed from the lion king), right? Meet Shelby (Exhibit B) who somehow manages to look like a total freak when she fells into a deep sleep (with the help of yours truly lifting her lips and blowing gently into her gums to make them stay open):

Aren’t they just the best? Both are available for to endorse products like this dog did for Saatchi & Saatchi.

Need I say more..?

I’m wondering who would win in a card-contest?

Would it be…

• The Business Card for Tool-Using Guys?
• The Brilliant Therapist Business Card?
• The Stretchy Business Card?
• or, The Personal Trainers Card?

You’re bound to see this branding around town in the coming months:

It’s the second Discovery Leadership Summit to be held in SA and I’m still regretting the fact that I never attended the event in 2009! I missed Branson and Gladwell lined up with other global business leaders and I won’t do it again!

So this year I’m going to the event come hell or high water because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to engage! And two of the several speakers are people I’ve wanted to hear for ages; Rudy Guiliani (former mayor of NYC) and Johann Rupert (Chief Executive of Richemont Luxury Brands)!

If you don’t know who these blokes are, best you check out the event web site and get on with making a plan to be there! Do it!