As Wonkie joins many of you in recovering from the January Blues, Wonkie thought it best to ease into the year with a relaxing Photo Caption Contest. In this week’s Friday Fun, Wonkie challenges readers to submit their funniest caption for the little rodent’s prayer.

Given the exciting start to the year following Moonbeam’s 2012 star sign predictions, our rodent certainly has no shortage of content to be praying about. Whether it is world peace, the recovery of the European economy, the return of Julius Malema to South African politics, that the ridiculous Gauteng toll fees remain permanently delayed, or quite simply nuts, the intensity of the prayer and the apparent alignment of several rodent chakras makes Wonkie believe that there is a good chance that the prayer will be answered… so please choose carefully!

The funniest entry in this week’s challenge will be awarded a glorious, newly designed, 2012 Wonkie CartOOns T-Shirt. Wonkie looks forward to receiving lots of whacky comments. As always, Wonkie kindly requests that if you’re going to submit multiple entries, please submit them all as a single comment instead of lots of individual ones – thanks.

Have fun and enjoy the weekend! This caption contest closes on 6 February 2012 when the best entry will be published and the t-shirt awarded.

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ps: If you are wondering how come this little creature appears so calm and focused in the midst of such global hardships, read all about the benefits of life coaching here!

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If you haven’t already, be sure to visit Wonkie’s other recommended blogs. If you’d like to check out updated offers on silver sands casino or on the top online casinos South Africa directory, Wonkie has recently updated these pages. If you’re based in India, you should check out the latest online reviews on the best online casinos in India site.

For previous photo caption challenges, please visit Wonkie’s photo caption contest archive pages. From next week, Wonkie returns to its former self with some exciting articles on BBBEE, economic development, education in South Africa, human trafficking and more… stay tuned!

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This is a quick post to thank all Wonkie readers and wish them well over the festive season. It has been an eventful year with the North African Islamic uprisings, the global economic turmoil, the death of Osama bin Laden and the untimely demise of brother leader Muammar Gaddafi. Add to that the suspension of South Africa’s beloved young lion, Julius Malema from the ANC and it is clear that the world really does need to pause and catch its breath from the intensity of 2011.

For Wonkie, the last year has been an exciting one – it crossed the 12,500 mark for regular readers and now has over 5,250 fans on facebook. There were MP3 players, Wonkie t-shirts and an iPad that were won over 2011. Wonkie even received prime-time international TV coverage with its commentary on world issues. It has honestly been great reading your commentary too – thanks again for voicing your opinions. Wonkie looks forward to having an amazing start to 2012.

As a little gift for those of you who a need a non-taxing challenge over Christmas period, adjacent is a little Wonkie Christmas puzzle for you.

Best wishes and safe journeys if you’re travelling – please don’t drink and drive!

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If you didn’t get the pressie you wanted for Christmas this year, and peace on earth seems out of reach, perhaps you can try to buy your own with the help of the top online casino South Africa or on Silver Sands casino. If you’re past all those worldly things, and just need a nice tool to help create your 2012 resolutions, be sure to check out this make New Year resolutions article now.

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Following last week’s heated commentary about Desmond Tutu’s suggestion to tax the whites, Wonkie thought it was time to get readers thinking on a completely different track. Here is some long overdue Friday Fun to hopefully get your mind off taxation, the second coming (of the Great Depression), the introduction of the stupidly high toll fees Gauteng, etc.

Wonkie thought that this would be a great photo to remind readers, that no matter how bad you think things are right now, they could always be worse.

NB: You are welcome to submit more than one caption. Wonkie does request though, that you put ALL your entries in ONE COMMENT please. Thanks.

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The best caption will be awarded a juicy tender or Wonkie CartOOns t-shirt.

If you are not a regular Wonkie subscriber as yet, now would be a great to time sign up and put yourself in line to Win an iPad. The competition is open to all confirmed Wonkie email subscribers and ends on 31 October 2011 – sign up today, it’s free!

This caption challenge ends on 5th September 2011, when the top entry will be announced… think hard, have fun and enjoy the weekend.

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If you, like the giraffe above, are in a tight spot and need a good strategy fast, consider using the services of an experienced personal strategy coach. You will be surprised at what you can achieve in a very short time. For more details on personal coaching, visit Fusionfields Coaching today.

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Wonkie did wonder whether this giraffe is still pondering what numbers to select if it were able to buy buy lottery tickets in Trinidad. Now would certainly not be a good time for it to reflect on whether it should take a chance on the best online slots UK or the best online casinos period!

If photo caption challenges are not your thing, be sure to check out Wonkie’s recommended sites

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Ah, it’s that time of the month again, when Wonkie puts out an interesting Photo Caption Challenge that is. Given all the recent excitement around the local election results in South Africa over the last week, Wonkie thought this particular photo would generate some very creative entries from readers.

We have some great topics coming up for discussion over the next few weeks including a couple of follow up posts on the Consumer Protection Act, your rights and how to protect them. Other topics include corruption in Africa, tenderpreneurship, and how to make a quick buck a la Kenny Kunene – all this and more.

For now, stay focused and get funny with your photo captions – no t-shirt allocated for this week’s challenge but be sure that your name will go up in lights on Wonkie if yours is the wittiest! Those of you who are not already email suscribers can sign up today for free – our current Win an iPad promotion for email subscribers ends on 31 October 2011 and ALL verified email subscribers will be included in the draw – so sign up today for free!

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The best challenge entry will be announced on 6th June 2011… enjoy the weekend!

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Read Wonkie’s tips for getting cheapest car insurance in South Africa.

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Visit here for the latest on SilverSands casino or on the best Indian casinos. Or if you’re based in Canada, be sure to check out Wonkie’s online casino Canada page. For those that are interested, playing lottery online can be very lucrative this week especially since the US PowerBall is sitting at a massive $171,000,000 after this week’s rollover! If all that bores you, check out Wonkie’s other recommendations for more fun alternatives.

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A bit of a delayed start to the year in terms of Friday Fun but Wonkie thought today’s photo caption contest would be a nice break from the political zoo for readers. After spending several hours pondering on who this monkey might be calling and what it intends on telling them, Wonkie had brainstormed a few likely possibilities given what’s been in the news recently. In case you need some inspiration, below are Wonkie’s top 10 guesses:

1. Muammar Gadaffi (Islamic nation uprising warning call)
2. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (asking for VIP protection against speeding fines)
3. Bono (for complimentary tickets to the next U2 360 concert)
4. Julius Malema (to ask about nationalisation of his assets, just for fun)
5. Nazir Alli (to ask what medication he’s on when he comes up with toll fees)
6. Hosni Mubarak (to say farewell, old friend)
7. Eskom (to ask when the lights are coming back on)
8. Jacob Zuma (to find out if he’s in the market for another wife)
9. Cosatu Striker Hotline (to determine what size rocks are legal this year)
10. Johannesburg City Council (because the billing system is working fine)

And now, Wonkie will leave it open to readers to come up with their smartest captions for the above photo. The best entry received by 28 February 2011 wins a Wonkie T-Shirt!

For those among you who are not email suscribers already, please sign up today – our current Win an MP3 player promotion for email subscribers ends on 30 April 2011. ALL verified email subscribers stand a chance of winning – so sign up today – it’s absolutely free!

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The funniest caption in this week’s contest receives a Wonkie CartOOns t-shirt!

The winner will be notified on 1st March 2011… enjoy the weekend!

ps: For those of you that are wondering how this little monkey got so smart, Wonkie suggests you read all about the benefits life coaching can have for you too!

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1 December 2010 has arrived and it is time to observe World AIDS day once more. The day aims to increase awareness of HIV/ AIDS throughout the world and it is particularly relevant for Africa given the high infection rate on the continent.

Between 1981 and 2007, the disease – or if you so choose to believe, the conspiracy of the Western world against black Africans (a la AIDS denialists including some notably senior politicians in the region) – has killed over 25,000,000 people. Over 33 million people are estimated to be living with HIV at present around the world – not an insignificant number at all. Over a quarter million deaths from AIDS each year are children born of an HIV positive mother.

Know your status

Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys and a few other international celebrities have decided to deprive their hoards of fans of their twitter musings for the day in support of World Aids Day. Even South African celebrities including DJ Alex Jay and Nicole Flint, Ms South Africa 2009, joined the international drive to encourage people to know their HIV status. Awareness of whether you are affected or not is obviously critical in helping curb the growth of the AIDS pandemic. With the dramatic improvements in treatment over the last 5 years, the quality of life of those affected can be substantially improved, particularly with early detection.

Truvada, also known as the AIDS pill, has reduced the risk of HIV transmission by 50% to 73% in men. The Microbicide gel for women which is still due to be released will further help reduce the spread of AIDS. The greatest impact however will be the change in attitudes toward HIV/AIDS especially among young people, and the consequently more prudent behaviour associated with those new attitudes. Last week’s article on Wonkie spoke of the low value of life in developing countries. Getting tested is one more step people can take to show that they do in fact value life – not only of others around them but also their own.

Given the applaudable precedent set by Jacob Zuma in South Africa earlier this year (see Jacob Zuma HIV status), Wonkie is curious to see if he will join the Know your Status awareness drive today.

PS: For those readers who did not get the reference to FourSquare.com in today’s cart00n, be sure to check out the site. It’s an innovative new social network that takes the likes of facebook one step further and offline. It enables members to ‘check-in’ to various locations using their mobile phones. You can also tell which of your friends are in the area if you’d like to meet them, or check out recommendations/ warnings others have posted about things to do in the part of the city you’re in. As you check-in to more locations, you unlock various badges ranging from newbie to the virtual ‘mayor’ of a place. Wonkie sincerely hopes that there are many, many foursquare.com check-ins in HIV testing centres around the country today.

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After a long break from what used to be regular Friday Fun, Wonkie decided to return to it by moving away from the dog-eat-dog world of South African politics to the mad bird-eat-bird world of Wonkie.

Wonkie had a really interesting rhino photo lined up for today’s caption photo but given yet another cruel rhino poaching in South Africa incident earlier this week, Wonkie thought it best to hold back on that one for now.

The funniest photo caption for this week’s Friday Challenge gets a Wonkie T-Shirt. So get creative, enjoy yourselves and enter as many times as you’d like… please get your caption(s) in before Friday 26 November 2010. Look forward to reading your entries!

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Diwali, Deepavali, or the Festival of Lights as it is known in the West is one of the most significant festivals in the world. Considering that about a billion people in the world celebrate it, Wonkie finds it quite surprising that many people know little more about it than it being the Indian “Christmas” equivalent of sorts.

The Diwali celebration takes place over five days during the Hindu lunar month called Kartika – usually around October-November in the western calendar. The main Diwali festival itself falls on the no moon phase of the lunar cycle. The darkness in the sky is offset by streets and homes lined with lit clay lamps. Add to that the amazing firework displays, rich sweets, delicious food and festive atmosphere and you’ve the makings of quite a celebration. This year, Diwali falls on the 5 November.

Although the festival represents different things to different communities in India, one of the core reasons for the festival is rooted in the epic Hindu scripture, the Ramayana. The day commemorates the triumph of good over evil and represents the conclusion of the story narrated by Amitabh Bachchan in today’s cart00n. The story as it is told is a long and fascinating one.. in summary though, it is a hero’s journey. Prince Rama and his wife Sita are banished from the kingdom and leave to live in a forest for 14 years. During their exile the king of Lanka, an evil demon named Ravana deviously managed to kidnap Sita. After many trials and with the help of the devoted monkey warrior Hanuman and his army, Rama manages to successfully rescue Sita from Lanka.

After Sita was rescued, their period of exile was over and they returned home to Ayodhya. In celebration of his victory over evil and with great symbolism, the streets were lined with lit lamps called diyas. Hence the name Diwali or Deepavali which translated from Sanskrit means row of lamps.

The remaining four days of festivities (two days before and two after) include giving appreciation and thanks for wealth, acknowledgement of siblings – particularly between brothers and sisters, and the spreading of general goodwill. The day following the Diwali festival itself marks the start of the Hindu New Year in many parts of India.

The Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore eloquently communicated the significance of Diwali in a single beautiful verse:

Wonkie would like to wish all readers a very Happy Diwali filled with positive spirit and goodwill. May you all have a great year ahead!

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It’s official – Wonkie CartOOns is a thrilled winner of the 2010 SA Blog Awards. Wonkie scooped the Best Political Blog category and was runner up in the Most Controversial Blog category which was won by Cape Town based news blog 2oceansvibe.com.

Wonkie was surprised to find Helen Zille presenting the award for the category, particularly considering that the Malema vs Zille celebrity deathmatch was one of the most popular posts last year. To be honest, Wonkie was a little disappointed it didn’t get to do a little toyi-toyi and say a little victory speech… particularly given Mrs Zille’s presence at the ceremony. Can you picture it:

“Excuse me, Madame Premiere but I must dedicate this award to my mom, dad, amazing fans and subscribers,… (a few minutes later), but most of all to our comrade JULIUS MALEMA – without whom this award would just not have been possible. So, thank you Julius for making the headlines and just being yourself – this one is for you…!”

Seriously for a moment though, it was great meeting fellow bloggers in person at the Cape Town event which was held at the exclusive One&Only hotel. Below are the other winning best South African blogs in their respective categories:

Ogilvy Twitter Micro Blogger of the Year: @mandyjwatson
The Best Group Blog and Company Blog: RLabs
The Evox Advanced Nutrition Best Sports Blog: PaddleSweep
The Ogilvy Best Media and Marketing Blog: CherryFlava
The Old Mutual Best Green Blog: Sprig
The Best Blog about Politics: Wonkie CartOOns
The UCT Graduate School of Business Best Blog: Memeburn
The Havana Club Rum Best Blog Design and Best Personal Blog: IndieBerries
The Jameson Whisky Best Fashion Blog: Kim Gray
The Olmeca Edicion Black Best Music Blog: Don’t Party
The Best Parenting Blog: Reluctant Mom
The Best South African Podcast/Video Blog: ZANews
The Best Science and Technology Blog: ShesTheGeek
The Best Food and Wine Blog and best new blog: Simply Delicious
The Best Photographic Blog: GuyWithCamera
The Best Overseas South African Blog: Pharside
The Kulula Best Travel Blog: Getaway
Exclus1ves Best Entertainment and Most Controversial Blog: 2OceansVibe
Best Post on a SA Blog: BrainWavez
Best TV/Radio Blog: ECR Breakfast Blog
And finally, best Indigenous Language Blog and overall winner in 2010: WatKykJy

Wonkie would also like to make a special mention of a few others that did not win this year but are certainly worth checking out:

- Cooksister – who was a runner up in the best overseas blog category
- e4Africa – Kobus van Wyk’s excellent blog on Education
- SA Venues for some interesting travel posts on some really cool places in South Africa
- Cape Town Girl in the best new blog category
- Slick Tiger – who was in the running in the top post category as well
- Life is Savage – containing some entertaining posts on a variety of topics
- Pfangirl – Noelle Adams’s fun pop culture blog
- IMod – one of the top ranking technology blogs in South Africa

If you would like to include a thumbnail and link to this cartoon on your blog or website then please copy the code below and insert it into your post or webpage:

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<a href="http://www.wonkie.com/2010/09/29/sa-blog-awards/" target="_blank" title="SA Blog Awards cartoon"><img src="http://www.wonkie.com/comics-rss/2010-09-29_22-sa-blog-awards-cartoon.png" alt="SA Blog Awards cartoon thumbnail" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.wonkie.com/2010/09/29/sa-blog-awards/" target="_blank" title="SA Blog Awards">2010 SA Blog Awards – Wonkie CartOOn!</a>

As an added highlight at the event, the ZANews team had brought along their Helen Zille puppet to interview Helen Zille. Below is a video of the interview:

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Thank you all for supporting Wonkie through the awards and we’re really going to try harder to be more regular… hopefully one or more of us is going to be in the country to update the blog weekly from now on.

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It’s been a while since Wonkie has unleashed some Friday Fun so today’s photo caption contest is long overdue. With all the recent talk about the ANCYL being above the law, the return of xenophobic violence in South Africa, the ANC threatening to regulate the print media and stifle freedom of the press, birds being affected by the BP oil spill in the Gulf etc, we could all use something fun to get us thinking positively and more creatively.

For those among you who are not email suscribers already, please sign up today – our current MP3 player promotion for email subscribers ends on 31 October 2010.

ALL verified email subscribers stand a chance of winning – so sign up today at absolutely zero cost!

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The winner will be notified on 13th August 2010… enjoy the weekend!

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