City Press’s Ferial Haffajee, journalism professor Anton Harber, media activist Mark Weinberg and ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu have their last say on media freedom in South Africa at the M&G’s Critical Thinking Forum in Johannesburg earlier this month. M&G editor Nic Dawes is the chairing the discussion. Click here to read the Daily Maverick story on the forum.

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If you haven’t caught the Penguins of Madagascar spin-off series on DStv’s Nickelodeon then you’re missing out. They have all the makings of a cult classic and my five-year-old daughter and I race for the remote when they’re on. Here’s a tribute to Rico, who’s soul reason for being in the Fab Four is to regurgitate useful stuff up. These penguins have, as Skipper would say, major moxy.

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So Piers Morgan might be replacing Larry King (click here to read the Daily Maverick story), which would be pretty interesting if it came to pass. I rather liked the “Piers Morgan On…” show, especially the way he asked awkward questions in such a nice, nonconfrontational manner — and usually got the answers. One of the things Morgan is most famous for is being punched by Jeremy Clarkson at a British Press Awards function. In this vid, Parkinson asks him about it.

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Lord, but “Ludwig” — that bizarre little animated egg set to Beethoven’s music — used to bore me to tears when I was a kid and waiting for what little they had for kids on SABC to get a move on already to “Bagpuss” and “Senor Onion”! But look at it now and it’s really clever and charming. Click here to find out more about the British-made animated series by a Czech father-and-son team. It was clearly one of those animation ideas conceived by an adult with the intention of injecting a bit of culture into the rabid youf. Takes you back though… and if anyone stumbles across Senor Onion and Mees Tomato on YouTube, please let me know.

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Need we say more. I think I can speak for all our countrymen when I say we wouldn’t have minded if Parreira had decked Domenech.

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Is this video really of a real Argentina soccer training session? It looks like chaos. Very wacky, Wilde…

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Remember this! The cool Italian line guy that was shown as inserts on SA TV in the 70s and 80s? Well, they haven’t dated at all. Click here to read more about La Linea created by Italian cartoonist Osvaldo Cavandoli.

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Though I think arrogance-management classes would be more appropriate for ANC Youth League President Julius Malema, let’s all imagine for a moment him singing this dainty little ditty under Jack Nicholson’s beady eye. This was such a great scene from the movie, Anger Management — one of Jack’s best and I love the way Adam Sandler veers off into some kind of undefinable East European accent! And click here for a M&G story on what Malema can expect from his classes.

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Call me out of the loop but I only came across Owl City’s “Fireflies” yesterday, when I happened on this music video on TV. I love it. What a fey little ditty. Great lyrics. Cool video too.

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As we face the dubious – but diverting – prospect of having Shakira gyrating her behind at the World Cup opening ceremony, I truly hope the organisers have got their shit together with showcasing all the wonderful musical talent of South Africa and rest of the continent for the rest of show. And no lipsynching light-weight kwaito artists like we had the ICC opening ceremony last year, puhlease! For the national anthem at our opening game, I’m also hoping they get a choir in to help our players along. Remember we had the absolutely world-class Sibongile Khumalo leading the singing of the national anthem at final game of the 1995 rugby World Cup? I vote for her again — and here is that seminal 1995 clip to remind us just how incredibly cool Nkosi Sikelel’ really is. (When are we ever going to ditch Die Stem? I think it’s time, myself.)

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