Professional Crook, Jackie Selebi, Leaves Court
After Being Sentenced To 15 Years In Jail

Jackie Selebi Gets 15 Years Behind Bars – Opposition parties have welcomed the 15-year jail sentence handed down to former police national commissioner Jackie Selebi on Tuesday. Selebi was found guilty on charges of corruption for accepting money from convicted drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti while he was the chief of the South African Police Service and president of Interpol. Judge Meyer Joffe called Selebi “an embarrassment to SA.” I’ll second that. [mail&guardian]

Eminem Blocks Tom Jones From Becoming Oldest UK Chart Topper Ever – Sir Tom Jones has missed out on the number one slot in the album chart, with his record Praise And Blame going in at number two. The 70-year-old is bidding to become the oldest male musician to have a UK number one album, but failed to dislodge Recovery by US rapper Eminem. Sir Tom is trying to take the crown from Bob Dylan, whose album went to number one in the UK in 2009 at the age of 67. [yahoo]

Art world goes mad for Britain’s ‘Mini Monet’ – His paintings fetch thousands and attract buyers from all over the world. But while his watercolours, pastels and oil paintings hint at a talent honed through decades of practice, Kieron Williamson is barely halfway through primary school. The seven-year-old prodigy sold his latest collection of paintings for £150,000 at the weekend, with all 33 works sold in just 30 minutes. That’s close on R2 million. He should put that in his piggy bank. [dailymail]

Morpheus Angry About Daughter’s Sex Tape – In a surprise move, it seems Laurence Fishburne is upset with his daughter’s decision to publish her own porno sex tape. His daughter reckons, “I heard that he’s mad at me, but I haven’t spoken to him yet. I feel pretty confident that I can work things out with him. I think he wants to support me in everything I do, and though he sees this now as a negative, I believe in time he will view it as a positive.” Yes, of course he will. Dad’s dig strangers seeing their daughters’ vaginas. [popeater]

Another Yank Loses The Plot And Kills Co-Workers – Nine people are dead in a workplace shooting at a family-owned beer and wine wholesaler, police said. Sources said Omar S. Thornton, 34, was a driver for Hartford Distributors and was described by a Teamsters Union official as a recent hire and a “disciplinary problem.” I’ll say. Thornton shot a number of people and then shot himself with a .223 caliber semiautomatic rifle as police approached and is dead, sources said. [latimes]

Lady Gaga Admits Using Cocaine Occasionally – Lady GaGa has said that she takes cocaine “maybe a couple of times a year”. However, despite speaking openly about her “occasional” use of the drug, the singer warned her fans not to copy her, saying: “I do not want my fans to ever emulate that or be that way.” She also said she was “quite celibate”, adding that she’s worried that if she sleeps with someone she’ll lose her songwriting talent. Don’t worry babe, we don’t want to sleep with you. [nme]

“Heroes” Creator Tim Kring Discusses ‘Transmedia’ & The Future of Television – In a world where a single TV or laptop screen can no longer contain a worthwhile story, one man dares to spill his epic across multiple platforms. “Heroes had an underlying message about inter-connectivity and global consciousness,” says show creator and writer Tim Kring. “I think we used the phrase ‘we are all connected’ at least 100 times in the first season alone. It’s a message I’m very interested in putting out in the world.” [fastcompany]

Online Threat To Media Tribunal – Online media could thwart the ruling party’s plan to launch a media tribunal that would oversee the content of local publications. The ANC recently released a discussion document on the media in SA, which included the recommendation that a media tribunal be established to regulate the industry. Sadly for them, regulating what is published on the Internet through news blogs etc. would be extremely difficult to police.. [itweb]

Sandra Bullock Is The Highest Paid Actress – and far between, and their paychecks are usually smaller than their male co-stars’. It seems that no number of female-centric hits (like Mamma Mia and Sex and the City) can convince studios to treat the ladies better.And if you’re a woman over 40, you might as well just play a grandma. The roles are even scarcer. But last year Sandra Bullock bucked the trend in a big way. [forbes]

Luxottica Adds A Touch Of Disney To Eyewear Shopping – A wind tunnel. A concierge. A store that’s shaped like an eyeball. It doesn’t exactly sound like an eyeglasses retailer, but then, it’s not supposed to. Luxottica, the $6.6 billion eyewear company with retail outlets like Sunglass Hut and LensCrafters, is experimenting with a concept store that draws a little bit from Apple, and a lot from Disneyland. Very cool! [newyorktimes]

Teleportation Is Basically Just Around The Corner – It’s a tongue-twister, and it can get messy, but “quantum entanglement” may one day make it possible to teleport people across the galaxy faster than the speed of light. And it won’t happen like Star Trek, with people beaming from one place to another. Rather, it involves quantum mechanics in which atoms in different places can take on the properties of the other. [newser]

Local Foodie Blog Right Up Your Alley – It’s not often a new local blog gets me excited. “Confessions Of A Hungry Woman” had me at the intro picture. Written by famed foodie, Sam Woulidge, she reveals, “Perhaps the answer does NOT lie in dieting. Perhaps at age 40 (and a bit), I should begin to honour my body ( in whatever shape it is) and make peace with food. See food as my friend. A delicious, delectable friend. And not some two-faced frenemy whom I profess to love, but secretly fear.” Brilliant! [coahw]

Pamper Yourself Or Your Babe – A lot of people think I might use Maybelline, others think I’m born with it. But the truth is I spend time at Equinox spa – it’s in the Cape Royale hotel after all – so why wouldn’t I? And check this out, they’re doing a promotion at the moment: Aromatherapy foot compress; back, neck & shoulder massage; aromatherapy hand compress, facial & head massage + parking for only R580. Please, give me a break – it’s too easy! [equinox]

Cape Town Winter Specials – Cape Town is a spectacular city to visit in all seasons and in winter, the spotlight falls on the senses: the Mother City is the perfect place to relax and unwind, be wined and dined or be pampered and entertained in style. Cape Town winters are quintessentially cool and can be loads of decadent fun if you’re privy to the secrets of the season. Visitors who came to the city for the 2010 World Cup discovered just how much there to do on the Peninsula and beyond in June and July – and now you can too! [capetowntourism]

[thanks dad, justin, andy]