Robot Performs Heart Operation

Ok, you can get the mental image of a robot dressed in a doctors uniform peforming an intense operation surrounded and assisted by zombie-like humans out of your head. It's Friday, you are excused. Read on...

"Doctors at a British hospital have carried out the first heart rhythm operation using a remote-controlled robot and say its success means patients could be treated by doctors in other cities, or even other countries."

Phew, we are still in control. Click on the heading to read the full article.

Durban's Gossip Girl...xoxo

Cool Historical Fact

Rewind - 30th April 1006: The brightest supernova: 'Supernova SN' is recorded in history appearing in the constellation Lupus

Rewind - 30th April 1957: Elvis Presley records 'Jailhouse Rock'

DURBAN MODEL MAKES THE COVER OF PLAYBOY!

Ahem, guys look up! Do I have your attention? Good! Pictured below is the stunning 27 year old beauty Candice Boucher, who hails from the awesome city of Durban. Candice has taken the international modelling arena by storm, recently becoming one of the new faces of GUESS and has now bagged the honour of featuring in the April edition of the legendary men's magazine: Playboy.

The entertainment and media tycoon Hugh Hefner had this to say via the social network Twitter: "The April issue of Playboy features a stunning nude pictorial on new Guess model Candice Boucher "

Ok guys, you can begin the drooling...enjoy!

Click on heading for more on Candice...

Durban's Gossip Girl...xoxo

JIM CARREY IS A GRANDPA!

Yes, comedian/actor Jim Carrey's daughter Jane, who has her own rock band, has just given birth to a baby boy! A big congrats to the Miley Cyrus lookalike (do a double take..weird hey!)...isnt she just gorgeous?!

Durban's Gossip Girl...xoxo

JAY Z UNVEILS KING SHAKA

Attention all: KwaZulu-Natal's economic development MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu, has confirmed that President Jacob Zuma will officially open the new R8 billion state of the art King Shaka International Airport in KwaZulu-Natal on May 8. The airport will start operating from the 1st of May 2010, however the official opening ceremony will take place on the 8th of May 2010.

Rumour has it that Zuma will be unveiling a stately statue of King Shaka, which is believed to be about 3 m tall, commissioned by local sculptor Adries Botha. The project is all under wraps and no other information could be divulged... hmmm... looks like a case made for Scully and Mulder (and begin x-files theme song!)

Click on heading for full article...

Durban's Gossip Girl...xoxo

KATIE HOLMES TO BE FIRST LADY

Katie Holmes, wifey of scientology fanatic and actor Tom Cruise, has signed on to play the graceful and astute Jackie Kennedy in the upcoming History Channel miniseries, 'The Kennedy’s'. The series is said to premiere in 2011, and the cast includes: Greg Kinnear who will play John F. Kennedy, Tom Wilkinson is to play Joe Kennedy Senior, and Barry Pepper will be cast as Robert F. Kennedy.

The question that that has everyones eyebrows raised (yes you know it!), does Katie have the capabilities to pull of playing one of the world’s most iconic female figures of both political and fashion history?

xoxo...Durban's Gossip Girl

PARIS SNUBS EX TO PARTY WITH LEO DICAPRIO

Spotted: Paris Hilton snubs recent ex boyfriend Doug Reinhardt at the plush Syndicate Group’s MyStudio. The hotel heiress later made an appearance at another celeb hot spot Trousdale, and was seen making eye-catching chitchat with old flame and major hottie Leonardo DiCaprio. Dicaprio while said to be dating Bar Refaeli, was flying solo with his band of brothers.

Hmmm…could there be a possible romance budding between the two perpetual heartbreakers…only time will reveal.

DURBAN MAKES TOP TEN LIST!

RECAP: For those of you who did not know, Durban made the top 10 list for family beach holiday cities in the world, this by world renowned travelling publication Lonely Planet.

Just a reminder as to why Durban so totally rocks!

Click on heading for full article...

Durban's Gossip Girl....xoxo

Cool Historical Facts

Rewind - 29 April 1994: The first South African democratic elections end after an extra day of balloting.


Rewind - 29 April 1945: With World War 2 in play, Allied forces begin to make significant progress closing in on Berlin. Adolf Hitler marries Eva Braun in their fortified bunker. Hitler kills himself the next day by simultaneously biting on a cyanide capsule and pulling the trigger of a gun pointed at his head. Eva follows suite by just biting a cyanide capsule.

Eclipse

Rewind: 28 April 585 - An unforeseen total eclipse of the sun interrupts a battle between Lydia and Media, thus bringing a sudden end to their six year war.

Gold Diggers Gone Aquatic!

So I met up with some of my gorgeous friends for sundowners this weekend that passed. Sipping on delicious cosmos and enjoying the breathtaking view of the ocean, life could not get any better. What’s interesting about these relaxed social gatherings is the fact that our group always seems to encounter the most interesting and quizzical characters under the sun. In this particular instance we managed to score with two chicks that redefined the meaning of dating and finding happiness. Very beautiful and quite articulate, I shall dub them Gold Digger One, and Gold Digger Two respectively (there is a reason I assure you, read on).

We all began a discussion about dating and meeting guys and girls in Durban. This is where it got really gripping. According to Gold Digger One and Gold Digger Two, they are two kindred souls who are secretly on a hunt to bag themselves rich/wealthy men aka sugar daddies in Durban. While listening to their torrid and unbelievable adventures with much older and generous men, for some reason the song Gold Digger performed by Kanye West began to play in my head like a broken record, no jokes! It gets even more amusing… They actually have a well thought out modus operandi to reel these men in!

1. Step one: Look extremely hot from head to toe. They make sure to show a bit of cleavage but not too much so as to give of the ‘refined yet sexy’ look (also depending on the age of the poor sod, to prevent any heart failures etc);
2. Step two: Pick out all the hot spots and events that these rich guys may show up at. They have carefully researched and narrowed down this list to: visiting museums; attending the theatre; going out to up market supper clubs; roaming through popular casinos; attending private house auctions; as well as boat and yacht shows; plane shows; golf courses etc;
3. Once they select a location or event from the above list, they attend, circle the crowds and when a potential sugar daddy has been spotted, they strategically place themselves near their prey. When the moment is right (yes, there is a moment), they go in for the kill.

Insane am I right?! Apparently their strategy works 80% of the time, and no, I did not even bother to find out how they worked out the percentage! They proudly began ranting on about their next escapade, the Durban International Boat and Lifestyle Show, which according to them is guaranteed to be a miner’s paradise.

As they giggled with glee, I realized that in some strange and psychotic way, Gold Digger One and Gold Digger Two may actually be onto something. Come to think of it, the uber rich did brush shoulders in places mentioned above. Take the Durban International Boat Lifestyle Show for example. Chances are that more than half of the men set to attend the show are in fact loaded (that’s both South African citizens and foreigners combined). I mean they would have to at least have a six digit bank account balance in order to consider buying a boat or yacht for that matter! The Gold Diggers may very well be successful in catching a sugar daddy after all… hook, reel and sinker.

On that note, the acclaimed Durban International Boat and Lifestyle Show is said to be a water world event that is not to be missed. Showcasing new exhibitors, first time launches and all the water crafts and gadgets you can imagine, it is sure to tease any marine lover’s appetite.

The Durban International Boat and Lifestyle show will be running from 30th April 2010 to 2nd May 2010 at Durban Marina. There will also be a first time Boat and Classic Car Auction to take place on Sunday, 2nd May 2010. The famous entertainment extraordinaire Chico da Silva is rumoured to be present at the said auction… be there, and at all costs avoid bumping into the Gold Diggers!

DURBAN STADIUM UNDER PRESSURE!

News just in: It has been reported and anticipated that the 'Sky Car' at the magnificent R1.3 billion Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban will be up and running soon (date to be confirmed).

the Sky Car which is build to accomodate up to 20 visitors at a time, has become a fast growing tourist attraction in Soccer City Durban primarily because of the incredible 360 degree view of the city when taken to the highest point of the stadium's arch.

The Sky Car was stuck with technical problems, the root cause being a defective data cable. The replacement cable had to be ordered from Switzerland, hence the delay.

Watch this space for updates! xoxo...Durban Gossip Girl

Facebook Plan's for World Domination

"Facebook wants to be the center of the social Web," said Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst for the research firm eMarketer Inc.

Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg outlined his vision of linking the "social graphs" of the more than 400 million Facebook users to the rest of the Internet, creating an efficient, interconnected Web of social interaction.

Numerous companies are already on board with the plan, including Yelp, CNN, the New York Times, IMDb, Time Inc., Fandango, the National Hockey League, USA Networks, Levi Strauss, Univision and ABC-TV.

Click on heading to read full article...

Iron Man 2 Premieres in Durban!!

Robert Downey Jr. has made a comeback with a bang of note. This brilliant suave actor who at some point in history had us all fooled into believing that he was on a one way ticket to loserville filled with drugs and self loath has slowly risen from the smokes of a train wreck to prove us all wrong. Mr. Downey Jr. has never ceased to amaze me in terms of his acting abilities. “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” and “Tropic Thunder” are two films worth watching which showcases his talent and abilities as a method actor.

Polished, sophisticated and devilishly handsome, Mr. Downey Jr. brings Tony Starks marvel comic character to a whole new league of awesomeness. Gwen and Scarlett, both A-list actresses are sure to contribute to the movie with their presence however in short, let’s be honest, Robert owns this movie.

Iron Man 2 premieres at the Suncoast cinema, Durban, this Thursday, 29th April 2010.

News just in: Iron Man 2 – Official After Party hosted by Café Vacca Matta at Suncoast, Durban, Thursday, 29th April 2010. Be there for some prizes up for grabs and other surprises (as rumoured)… xoxo Durban’s Gossip Girl

Avatar turns James Bond

News Just In: Melborne, Australian actor Sam Worthington has been tipped off as the next person to suit up and take on the privilege of playing the role of the sexy and charming spy James Bond.

Bond 23 producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have this to say: “Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM, we have suspended development on Bond 23 indefinitely.”

The dashing Worthington rose to fame after starring in the ridiculously expensive and fantastical box office hit Avatar. Should Daniel Craig not take on the role to play James Bond again, rumour has it that Worthington has become an apparent favourite, ahead of the likes of Christian Bale and Will Smith.

Daniel Craig vs Sam Worthington…there can be only one Bond to utter the famous archetypal line: “shaken not stirred”…but who will it be?

Xoxo…Durban’s Gossip Girl

Oh Cacao!

Rich, Smooth, Velvety…Chocolate. We have the Olmecs, Mayans and Aztecs to thank for discovering and treasuring the superb cocao bean. Finding its way through Mexico, Spain and trickling through Europe, the versatile bean evolved into a gloriously addictive substance known as Chocolate. For centuries people have indulged in the guilty pleasures of this magnificent creation and with good reason. I am unequivocally quite proud to declare that I am a statistic.

Being the chocolate lover that I am, I was quite troubled to discover that I was unable to locate a place in Durban that made a super awesome chocolate milkshake. Ok, so you are probably thinking that I am crazy and right now you have retrieved from your memory archive that, ‘not so bad’ chocolate shake that you drank recently at that, ‘so and so’ restaurant/takeaway…well let me stop you right there. When I mean chocolate milkshake, I am not talking about the bottled shakes that you can obtain at convenience stores, nor am not talking about those artificial chocolate syrups that are swirled into vanilla ice cream and camouflaged as a ‘chocolate milkshake’ with a cherry on top for good measure, famously served at restaurants.

Oh no, you are sorely mistaken. What I speak of is something so much more special. I speak of a drink that would leave your knees weak, take your taste buds on a decadent adventure, a drink that would set the gods pulses racing. And this is where I let all of you in on little secret fellow friends. After what seemed like years of failed tastings, I finally found it. The perfect chocolate milkshake! A rich, thick, sublime concoction which is positively sinful and oh so orgasmic (dare I say it) that after you are hesitating down to the last slurp of the chocolate goodness, you don’t really care as you will have been elated to a place equivalent to nirvana. Well, that may be pushing it to the extreme and I may sound a bit melodramatic but trust me this shake is friggin awesome and feeds the chocolate lovers appetite.

Place: Cacao, Gateway Theatre of Shopping
Drink: Belgian Dark Chocolate Milkshake
Damage: R26.00 (worth every cent)
Service: Great
Ambiance: white urban modish

Well there you have it. Cacao is a chocolate bar and serves as the title would imply all things decadent and made with chocolate. The menu caters just about anything you can imagine. From cakes, tarts, ice cream, fondues and pancakes, to colds drinks, hot drinks and an entirely wicked drinks (with alcohol) menu all playful chocolate and infused with chocolate.

To end I shall leave you with an awesome quote by Michael Levine, a nutrition researcher, as quoted in the Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey Mars:

“Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world’s perfect food.”

Hmmm… I conquer...xoxo Durban's Gossip Girl