Author: team dotsure.co.za

  • CATS CAN SLEEPWALK? WTFUR?

    CATS CAN SLEEPWALK? WTFUR?

    Kitty wakes up, stretches, eats a pellet or four and makes her way straight back to bed less than 5 minutes later. But why? She’s just spent 10-hours catching Z’s, she can’t still be tired after that…could she? Strange behaviour is part of her DNA – her Doing Nothing Attitude. You can’t blame a feline for being comfortable in her own fur. Let your purr-machine snooze and don’t be green-eyed because she is free to dream whatever cats dream about while you face reality.

    Wait, do cats really dream?

    Just like us humans, cats go through multiple sleep stages. They experience Rapid Eye Movement (REM), which is the stage at which dreams are made. Kittles dreams about her daily life, just as we do. She dreams of chasing butterflies, nibbling on fishy dishes and getting loving cuddles from the one who gives her treats.

    According to Matthew Wilson of MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, the part of the brain “that controls memory is called the hippocampus and it is wired very similarly from one vertebrate or mammal to the next”.

    This means that your kit-cat not only dreams, your other pets do, too. Doggo probably dreams about chasing kitty while kitty probably dreams of running away from him. No wonder Bruno growls during a visit to dreamland. Hmm…makes PURR-fect sense now.

     

     

    Cats and movement during slumber

    According to a behavioural consultant, Amy Shojai, a kitty’s senses remain active during 70% of her snooze time. She remains alert to react quickly to sounds and smells. The other 30% of the time, she’ll sleep deeply and wake up slowly – blinking, yawning and stretching, then grooming – to keep the fur coat shinny.

    During REM’s deep sleep, the body also turns off the feline friend’s large muscles. These control the arms and legs and prevent her from acting out in her dreams. Almost. The off switch doesn’t always function properly, which explains the twitching, kicks, sweet-soft meows and murmurs in her sleep.

    As pets age, the off switch becomes less productive, resulting in more physical movement during sleep. Sometimes the movements can wake Snowball up from his dreams, causing him to be startled and a little confused. Luckily cats recover quickly and go back to their normal purring selves in just a few minutes.

     

    Close-up of a blue-eyed cat looking up

     

    So, cats do funny stuff during sleep, but can they sleepwalk?

    Okay, we know some humans sleepwalk. It happens when two parts of the brain are “awake” at once, usually about half an hour before REM sleep. People twitch and flex during sleep because the nervous system is doing its job. A neurotransmitter called Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, or GABA, limits the activity in the motor cortex so that major movements are impossible. When there is a lack of GABA in the system, lots of moving happens during sleep. That’s when your inner vampire emerges and makes you walk around at night without you knowing about it.

    Although cats move their paws and whiskers during their dreams, they don’t sleepwalk like some humans do. Usually, only cats with brain damage can sleepwalk. In a study done by professor Michel Jouvet from Claude-Bernard University in Lyons, France, cats with lesions around the locus coeruleus in the brainstem can act normal when awake, but they are no longer able to go into a hyper-relaxed mode. The felines in the study would crouch low and act as though they were stalking mice. Or they might go looking for food or play with make-believe toys. And all the while, they were “sound” asleep.  Who’d have imagined?

    The Verdict

    Felines sleep a lot and they dream often. They have some sweet dreams and some not-so-sweet ones. Although your kitty dreams and moves her paws and whiskers during sleep, if she’s alright upstairs, she won’t sleepwalk. If your fur-ball is healthy and happy, she’ll spend more time in her dreams than in the sandpit or in the trees. You needn’t worry about your snoozing fur-heads. Let sleeping cats lie or prepare to be scratched.

    Sweet dreams to all the Snowballs out there. Happy twitching!

     

    Zzzz…

     

     

  • OMG, WHAT’S AN ENDORSEMENT?

    OMG, WHAT’S AN ENDORSEMENT?

    We know ‘endorsement’ is a big word. If you’ve got insurance, the term might not be foreign to you. You could have heard it or read something about it, but do you know what it means?

    Sit back, relax and press play! Here is a video with Palesa Magxidolo, a friendly dotsure.co.za consultant, explaining endorsements in plain English.

     

    Oops. #Dataprobs?  If you’ve run out of data or you’ve got a bad connection and you can’t watch the video, don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

    Here’s that video in words:

    An endorsement is:

    1. a document
    2. that is attached to your policy and
    3. that changes your policy in some way.

    Most of the time, it’s a change that you’ve asked for. e.g. you buy a brand-new car and add a driver OR buy a car accessory that needs special cover. These could affect your premiums, Ts and Cs, etc. which is why it’s essential for you to keep your details up to date.

    However, not all endorsements are ones that you requested. There are some that your insurer may request. For example, drivers with poor driving records who do not meet the conditions on the policy may receive an endorsement. Eek!

    Any changes that you request can happen right away!

    At dotsure.co.za, updating your policy is so convenient, you can even do it in your pyjamas at home.

    • Give us a ring on 0861 dotsure (368 7873) and ask your Personal Portfolio Consultant (PPC) to make the changes,
    • or pop us a mail at [email protected] with your change request.

    If learning long words got you excited about protecting your property, find out how you can insure your car, household goods – even your pets and your life –  by getting a quick online quote.

  • POW! THE ABC OF CRYPTOCURRENCY

    POW! THE ABC OF CRYPTOCURRENCY

    “I bought R200 worth of Bitcoin in December, it is now worth R55.
    I bought R300 worth of Ethereum like 2 weeks ago, it is now worth R131.
    This is why it is best that I avoid gambling.”
    – Facebook Friend

     

    Funny, huh? But if cryptocurrency is the future of finance, as one popular blog suggests, you’d better get to know it. Here’s the next of our Finance 101 series. These are the top ten words for talking Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple and other currencies you can’t see…

     

    Wait, what is cryptocurrency?

    It’s digital money. Its ‘coins’ are secured by cryptography (code). You access it online but, because it’s virtual, it is not located in any one place.  Nobody controls it, and nobody can hack it, so there’s no fraud and no inflation. You can easily and securely buy and sell cryptocurrency on mobile apps like Luno. The transaction charges are cheap, even if the currency itself is not. Cryptocurrency value rises and falls a lot which makes it quite controversial. Those who like a little danger, love its unstable ways.

     

    A bit of (recent) history

    You’ve probably heard of Bitcoin. Bitcoin is the poster child for cryptocurrency. It’s worth much, MUCH more than it was when it was launched in 2010. About twenty thousand times more (at the time of writing). It hit its highest-ever value in December 2017, rose and fell in a steady decline in January 2018 and then slumped beginning of February. Since then, the internet has been kinda quiet about it. Get Ethereum instead, ripple the hushed voices of the crypto choir. But there’s a host of others to choose from, too. What to do?

     

    Know the nature of the beast

    Being a high-risk investment, cryptocurrency also promises potentially high returns.  The commodity itself is 100% verified and so has an integrity that “real” money lacks. Real money is – ironically – often based on gold reserves that don’t exist.

     

    Virtual, with real proof

    As there are no bars of gold in a vault to guarantee it, cryptocurrency operates on Proof of Work(PoW). When computers ‘mine’, they process transactions (blocks) using complicated algorithms. Validated blocks are ‘coins’, the units of the currency. Proof of Work is when a computer’s capacity is verified against its finds to ensure it is correct and unique, in other words, that the find is real. This means that when a computer finds a coin and you buy it (or part of it) you are guaranteed to get what you pay for. No double-spend. No false finds. No faulty mines.

     

    Pain in the eco blockchain

    It’s also deeply unsexy. Why? Have a look at the mining rig in the picture above. Mining rigs need to have major capacity and you need LOTS of energy to run such strong computers.  Humanity’s electricity is still largely provided by fossil fuels and rich fools. Iceland is threatening its own version of day zero because Bitcoin mining uses more energy than all the country’s households do. The worst part of this is that the power they’d be turning off is renewable energy (the kind we want and that we don’t have enough of). Burstcoin is a brilliant, eco-friendly alternative cryptocurrency with much less carbon karma than other cryptocurrencies. It works through a calculation once –  not multiple times –  meaning it takes much, MUCH less energy to mine (see “blockchain” below).

     

    A new beginning

    So now you know a little more, but before you go back to basics and start trading like your life (or at least, your savings) depend on it, remember that even virtual economies must evolve. Crypto is to traditional currency what Facebook was to snail mail – it is the disruptor, but not (necessarily) the enemy or the answer. The saying still stands in this new economic era: invest your excess and protect your profits.

     

    Here are the top ten words you need to know before you join the new kids on the blockch-… yeah, okay. Enough of the puns for today.

     

    ABC of Bitcoin in ten terms

    A glossary for non-geeks

    1. Altcoin – basically any virtual currency that isn’t the big boy Bitcoin (or, possibly, Ethereum. Loyalty is split). It might be used to say, “my altcoin is altogether more stable than your Bitcoin and Ethereum put together, babe.”
    2. Blockchain – the live, digital ledger holding every single block that has been mined since a cryptocurrency began. It records and validates all transactions and is visible to everyone who purchases. Democracy, anyone? If you can afford it, that is.
    3. Bollinger Band – the range that a crypto price moves around in. This is known as its standard deviation. When the price goes higher or lower than this range, it’s considered ‘volatile’(unstable) and risky (and potentially very profitable) to trade with.
    4. Exchange – a website you can buy crypto coins on. Links below.
    5. FUD – Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. This is a universal tactic used to create disinformation and affect market behaviour and the crypto market is not immune to human emotion! If anything, it’s more prone to it, as this market isn’t backed by the known patterns of more traditional markets like stocks and bonds are.
    6. Mining – Computers searching for cryptocurrency using complex equations. Each transaction is validated by thousands of machines.
    7. Mooning – not to be confused with naked bottom-waggers, the in-crowd uses this term to refer to a currency whose price is rocketing sky-high. Can you predict its eclipse? That’s when you want to sell, IF you sell.
    8. Proof of Work – an algorithm used to verify and validate transactions (blocks).
    9. Volatility – how much the price of a currency changes over time. Some cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile.
      “What?” a mother asks her daughter, “a Bitcoin for your birthday? That’s R 224 042.23, my girl. R 80 186.06 is a lot of money. What do you even need R 114 855.84 for, anyway?”
      That’s volatility for ya.
    10. Wallet – where you “keep” your “coins”. It’s a digital or physical address and it’s usually accessed with a mobile app. Links below.

     

    Got it? Good. Now go impress everyone at the next dinner party. And remember the advice of an ordinary guy whose tipsy typo made him famous,

    “traders can only take your money if you sell.”

     

    MORE

    Eco-friendly cryptocurrency: Burstcoin
    Looking for your wallet?
    Luno wallet– an SA favourite.
    Buy Bitcoin at these exchanges.
    Buy a coin based on a meme star.
    Buy a coin that is actually a digital cat.
    Reuters covers crypto in detail.
    Laugh a Bitcoin. Sorry.

  • DINING ON DOG – OLYMPIC ATHLETE ACTIVISTS SAY NO

    DINING ON DOG – OLYMPIC ATHLETE ACTIVISTS SAY NO

    Thousands of spectators visited PyeongChang for the Winter Olympics. Crowds were cheering, athletes got high on electrolytes and clouds of adrenaline draped over the ice rinks and snow-covered landscapes of the majestic town in South Korea. The views were good enough to capture in a snow globe and the entertainment was top-of-the-slope.

    Beneath the snow glazing, however, lies what some may frown-upon. Metres away from the Olympic Games events, thousands of dogs are slaughtered for human consumption every month. According to the Humane Society International, a shocking 2.5 million South Korean dogs are killed for cooking every year. Although eating dog meat is not against the law in South Korea or in many parts of Asia, it snowballs the anger of dog-lovers and animal activists across the globe.

    So, why do some South Koreans eat dog meat?

    In South Korean culture it’s part of their tradition. It’s like eating a beef steak for a Westener…it’s normal and part of everyday life.*South Koreans don’t usually keep dogs as pets and that’s part of the reason why they don’t really think it’s wrong to dish a dog up for dinner. There’s also a belief that dog meat is beneficial because it boosts energy and heats you up during chilly days.

    *Korea has Westernised over the years and lots of modern South Koreans keep dogs as pets and don’t believe in serving them for dinner. It’s taboo to even mention “gaegogi” in some Korean families.

    What’s being done about the dog-killing?

    The South Korean government is on the situation like a snow mobile. They’re moving steady and every gear-change brings them closer to a more conscientious republic. Unfortunately, the ride hasn’t been smooth so far and the slopes they’re on are slippery ones.

    The South Korean Government is aware of many foreigners’ distaste of having pooches on dinner plates and they’ve taken measures to limit it. Officials offered restaurants 2 million won (around R22 000) to remove dog meat from their menus before the start of the Olympic Games. Only two restaurants welcomed the won but lost business from it. The bribery was clearly not enough to stop the South Korean cooks from boiling “gaegogi”.

    Despite its government’s efforts and the global public’s protests and petitions to boycott the Winter Olympics, not much has changed, but the public knows more about the dog slaughtering now. More than 1 million dog-lovers have signed a petition to stop dog-meat farming. The petition is driven by the Soi Dog Foundation which respectfully requests the Government of South Korea to take all the necessary steps to ban the dog-meat trade in the region.  This includes declassifying dogs as livestock in the Enforcement Rule of the Livestock Industry Act.

    Some Olympic athletes also fought against dog meat consumption in PyeongChang. They used media to make their voices heard.

    Olympic figure skater Meagan Duhamel of Canada rescued Moo-tae, her four-legged friend, from South Korea in 2017, and during the 2018 Winter Games she planned to save more pups from ending up in pots and on plates. Duhamel told CNN, “Any meat farming is wrong, whether it’s cows, pigs or dogs. Of course, in our culture in North America, slaughtering and eating dogs is so far from our reality. We see dogs as companions and man’s best friend. We can’t imagine anything bad happening to our beloved pets.”

    Duhamel hopes that all the dog meat farms will shut down and that the slaughtering will end soon.

    Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy would also like to see the South Korean farms shut down. He told CNN, “I’m going to focus on my sport, and while I’m there, I’d love to try and raise awareness for the dogs. … I would love to bring a dog back.”

    The voices of the athletes, the 1 million-plus petition signatures together with the publicity gained by The Olympics started an animal rights snowstorm which is now starting to blow the sensitive subject open. Resulting, potentially, in an end to dog meat on chopsticks.

    The Winter Olympics was not only an economic boost, it was also an event with global coverage that could end the serving of dog meat in restaurants.

    Do you think eating dog meat is wrong?

    Here’s what you can do to stop it:

    There are many actions you can take to help stop the dog-meat trade. It’s most important to educate yourself and others. Dog meat is a risky food and most people are not aware of the dangers of eating it. Diseases like Rabies and other bacteria can be spread during slaughtering and after ingestion. After you’ve educated yourself, educate others and get involved.

    Find more info and ways you can help on the Humane Society International’s website.

    Go for Gold!

     

  • LISTERIA HYSTERIA: CAN MY DOG CATCH LISTERIOSIS?

    LISTERIA HYSTERIA: CAN MY DOG CATCH LISTERIOSIS?

    Symptoms include: weakness, nausea, skin infection, lack of coordination, stiffness, fever, diarrhoea, and/or lethargy. Dogs might not have all these symptoms. If your pup’s showing more than one, please consult your vet immediately. Depending on your doggo’s immune system, Listeriosis can be fatal if not treated fast enough. Prompt treatment could save your best four-legged buddy’s life.

    What’s the treatment?

    Your fur ball’s treatment depends on the severity of the infection. If Bruno is throwing-up or has a runny tummy, the vet will probably only prescribe gastrointestinal and pain medication. If the virus is more aggressive, your pooch will need to be hospitalized for immediate treatment. IV fluids and antibiotics will be given to the sick pup. The antibiotics include penicillin, amoxicillin, ampicillin and other meds with names that medical Einsteins find easy to pronounce.

    Dogs can recover completely from Listeriosis but, in some cases, death may result from vicious infection. Before the infection leaves your hound’s tail hanging, consult a vet and give pooch lots of TLC and the correct medication. Follow the veterinarian’s treatment plan to the T and finish all prescribed meds to ensure the best chance of a complete recovery from a Listeria infection.

    Can dogs pass Listeria on to humans?

    According to the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, “it is highly unlikely that a dog that has eaten contaminated meat would pass the infection on to humans. Only a small percentage of healthy pets can shed Listeria in their stool at any time” which wouldn’t easily infect humans, unless the poop comes into contact with your hands.

    Listeria symptoms in Humans:

    • Fever
    • Diarrhoea
    • Nausea
    • Muscle aches

    *In more serious cases people can develop meningitis, brain abscesses and ultimately pass away.

    *NOTE: Pregnant women, new-borns, cancer patients, people with diabetes, and people with HIV/AIDS or compromised immune systems are at a higher risk of suffering severely OR from the disease and are more likely to die from it.

     

    How to prevent Listeriosis?

                         

    1. Don’t eat meat (from Enterprise)!

    Enterprise polony is the source of the South African outbreak. 85% of 109 patients with the disease reported eating Enterprise processed meats like viennas or polony.

     

    1. Clean your fridge

    Your fridge is Listeria’s home. You might think it’s clean and cold, but this is where the infection multiplies and spreads to ready-to-eat meats and dairy products. Clean your fridge with a bleach solution to kill the infection (10 ml bleach for every 500ml water).

     

    1. Eat cooked meat

    Heat food above 70 degrees Celsius to eliminate the Listeria bacteria. Raw food should be kept separate from cooked food to prevent cross-contamination.

     

    Now that you know more about Listeriosis, you can prevent it and identify the symptoms (for both you and your doggo). Take care of your health and make sure your pal is happy and healthy. Defeat the Listeria bacteria polony-lover by being cautious and educated. Remember that our Superior Plan covers your pets for up to R10 000 per illness claim.

    Adios Listeriosis!

  • GOING TO THESE AMAZING APRIL OUTDOOR PARTIES?

    GOING TO THESE AMAZING APRIL OUTDOOR PARTIES?

    Aah, April. It’s a special time filled with wild pranks (April Fools) and new beginnings (Easter Weekend). We don’t see any reason the fun shouldn’t last all month, either.

    In 2018, the Easter weekend runs Friday, March 30 (Good Friday) to Sunday, April 1 (Easter Sunday) which makes Monday a day off. We’ve picked a few fantastic outdoor events that long weekend and throughout April to give you something to groove to.

    Looking for a good time in the Easter Holidays? Desperate for a mid-month mini-break? Want a bit of a blast at the end of April? Our guide’s got something for everyone from the spectator to the party animal. Some are free and some are freakin’ insane and all of them will give you something to talk about as Autumn winds down into Winter.

    Splashy Fen

    With a long tradition of partying till dawn, Splashy Fensters see no other way to say, “yay!” than tramping across the Drakensberg foothills’ green velvet slopes. If you love the outdoors, live music and getting festival hair fast, you’ll love this five-stage festival in the mountains. This year you can jam out to national favourites Mango Groove, GoodLuck, pop-rock princes Prime Circle, Matthew Mole and so many others on the scene. Whether you’re camping or glamping, take warm clothes and something for wet weather. And save the sweating for the dancefloor – there’s an app to pre-order alcohol and you can grab a bus direct to the venue.

    When: 29 March – 2 April 2018

    Where: Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal

    Why? It’s known for its friendly locals.

    Entry fee: R10 – R795 (kids to adults)

    If you do one thing: do it in gumboots. Just saying.

    Tickets: http://splashyfen.co.za

     

     

    KKNK

    The arts are alive and well in the historic town of Oudtshoorn. Every year, the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (Arts Festival) floods its wide streets, enchanting allies and gorgeous, antique buildings with creativity and activity. There’s so much to choose from. It’s mostly-Afrikaans-language programme includes a fantastic array of popular and classical music, traditional and physical theatre, fine and contemporary art, family-friendly events and hilarious comedy shows. Pieter Dirk Uys has a new show dubbed “When in Doubt Say Darling”. RSG radio is hosting an opera night. Elize Cawood and Wilson Dunster bring the laughs with the comedy piece “Mike & Mavis”. It’s a good idea to stay a few days and go hang with the Cango Caves folk – they have an incredible zipline adventure waiting for you.

    When: 29 March – 04 April 2018

    Where: Oudtshoorn, Western Cape

    Why? Afrikaans culture means much, much more than koeksisters and potjiekos, my china.

    Entry fee:  per show (varies)

    If you do one thing: Support the “10-sent, 20-sent” street performers. They’re an established fringe act with amazing energy and they’re entrepreneurs, too.

    Tickets: http://kknk.co.za/

     

    April Fools Paintball Charity Fundraiser

    Whether you’re a good shot or not, you can release pent-up energy in a do-good paintball bonanza this Easter. Participants are invited to pick up a (paintball) gun and do it for charity. All proceeds go to Pit Pals Pit Bull support and GRACE Animal Sanctuary (170-288 NPO). The goal is to aim at your frenemies and pull that trigger until they’re a dripping bruise-gripping rainbows of goodwill. There’s a pool to wash off in afterwards and a potjie for every surviving hero.

    When: 1 April (1-day event)

    Where: Zeestock Lodge, Cape Town.

    Why? It’ll be a bullseye of a status update.

    Entry fee: R50 – R300

    If you do one thing: don’t shoot straight up. It comes down just as hard. #justsaying.

    Tickets: https://www.facebook.com/events/267155197152239/

     

    Organik Love Project

    If you couldn’t make it out over Easter weekend, here’s one more chance to say goodbye to summer! Organik Love Project is a thumping, psytrance-music gathering under shady, mid-April trees. Barefoot stompers will have spectacularly beautiful stages to dust up. Revellers in baggies and bikinis will have a stream to play in.  DJs Rinkadink, On3 and more will wow the happy crowds. Lush camping and psychedelic backdrops are all part of the magic. There’s convenient pre-arranged camping and a party shuttle if you want to keep it simple.

    When: 14-15 April 2018

    Where: Caledon, Western Cape

    Why? The Love Project lives up to its name by collecting blankets to give to the less fortunate. Take your donations to the box at the gate.

    Entry fee: R340 – R450

    If you do one thing: take a leaf out of Afrikaburn’s tree and start a cuddle puddle next to the dancefloor. Believe me, you won’t regret it.

    Tickets: http://organik.co.za/

     

     

    Afrikaburn

    Based on Burning Man but with a distinctly South African flair, this colourful art festival will blow your mind. From four-story jungle gyms to forty different parties in one night, it’s a grown-up paradise that’s also family friendly. You must take EVERY-thing you need and that includes washing and drinking water and all your food. The event operates on a gifting economy – no cash at all and there’s nothing to buy (apart from ice, because desert camping). Amazingly, the ginormous art exhibition is volunteer-run and you’re encouraged to play your part. That could mean offering a complimentary massage to whoever asks or sponsoring a ticket for someone less privileged than you. Got a wild idea? It belongs here.

    When: 23 April – 29 April 2018

    Where: Tankwa Town, Northern Cape

    Why? It’s the largest outdoor art gathering in Africa and the biggest dress-up (or down) in the Southern Hemisphere.

    Entry fee:  R180 – R2 300 (Community Tickets – MayDay Tickets)

    If you do one thing: be at the main burn (usually the Saturday night) – it’s when the clan sculpture goes up in flames.

    Tickets: https://www.afrikaburn.com/

     

    Feet tapping? Fingers rapping? Here’s a handy guide to get maximise your leave days because like you, we like to play as hard as we work, too.

     

    More for less: hack your 2018 leave here

     
    Public Holiday What’s the occasion? How many days’ annual leave? Which days do I take off? How many days off do I get in total?
    27 April

    (Friday)

    		 Freedom Day 1 30 Apr

    (Monday)

    		 5 days
    9 Aug

    (Thursday)

    		 National Women’s Day 1 10 Aug

    (Friday)

    		 4 days
    24 September

    (Monday)

    		 Heritage Day 1 21 Sept

    (Friday)

    		 4 days
    16 December

    (Sunday, next day off)

    		 Day of Reconciliation 1 14 Dec

    (Friday)

    		 4 days
    25 December, 26 December, New Year’s Day Christmas Day (25/12),
    Day of Goodwill (26/12),
    New Year’s Day (01/01)    		 5 21,24,27,28,31 Dec

    (Friday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, Monday)

    		 12 days

     

  • TRY THIS HIPSTER RECIPE FOR YOUR DOGGO!

    TRY THIS HIPSTER RECIPE FOR YOUR DOGGO!

    From Top Chef to the bottom of the bowl, humans are spoilt for choice when it comes to what we chew. There’s everything from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cuisine to your mum’s magical cooking. But what about dogs? If you spent your life loving and protecting the people who put food on your doggy plate, would you really want the same food, day after day? No wonder they wander off and eat things out of dustbins when they can or worse. To honour canine taste buds, and kitty ones, too, we are launching a series of recipes designed for dogs and cats (and maybe a few other animal friends). We’ll be digging around the office and the internet over the next months for suitable recipes to make your mutt howl with happiness.

    In honour of Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day (Feb 23rd) – and because we believe in biscuits EVERY day –  swap tedium for taste bomb and get the ol’ canine teeth snapping in antici-

     

    pation with this recipe.  It’s one for early-adopting, health-conscious hounds (and humans can have a taste, too).

     

    Yummy Dog Biscuit Recipe

    • Vegan
    • Sugar-free
    • Yippee
    • Don’t wolf them all down at once

     

    WHAT YOU NEED:

    • 1 cup Rice Flour
    • 2 mashed Bananas
    • ¼ cup unsweetened Peanut Butter**Make sure your dog is not allergic to peanut butter. Some pooches are very sensitive to nuts.

     

    WHAT YOU DO:

    1. Mash the banana and peanut butter.
    2. Combine the flour and mash.
    3. Preheat the oven to 160 C.
    4. Chill the dough for 20 minutes
    5. Place the dough on a well-floured counter.
    6. Roll the dough to 85- 130 mm thickness.
    7. Cut shapes using a cookie cutter (or improvise).
    8. Poke 4 fork holes into the cookies and place onto a baking tray greased with coconut oil*.
    9. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
    10. Allow to cool.
    11. Serve to a deserving pooch or person.
    12. Place the rest in an air-tight container.

     

    *It’s rare but do make sure your pooch is not allergic to coconut oil. Dogs at risk of pancreatitis and hyperlipidaemia are hypersensitive to it.

     

    We’re thinking gold pooch bombs or kidney-kind meals for kitty next. Got an idea? Or a recipe to share? Tell us about it on Facebook and maybe it’ll go into a real book…

    Woofer warning: Do NOT feed your doggle snacks containing any of these foods – they are dangerous for dogs.

  • CANCER DETECTION BY CANINE

    CANCER DETECTION BY CANINE

    We’re all familiar with the soft, moist buttons on our pooches’ faces. It’s the cherry on top of a fluffy face, it’s cute, and it can do some serious sniffing. Dogs’ sense of smell is over 100 000 times better than human’ and they can smell things we can’t. The nosy sniffers can snort out bedbugs, diabetes, even the C word…. cancer! WOW!

    Turns out that your doctor doesn’t have to be human to diagnose cancer. Studies show that dogs can smell cancerous cells. A unique odour released by the cells are early signs of cancer.

    It took humans thousands of years to figure this out; it takes a dog a split-second. Eventually, in 1989, doctors at King’s Hospital in London reported a case of a woman’s pup persistently snuffling a mole on her leg. Specialists ran tests which had some stinking results. The tests confirmed the early stages of malignant melanoma – a dangerous cancerous growth.

    So, your doggo knows you’re ill, even before you’ve said a word about the removal of your mole or the nasty nail pricks you’ve had to endure for the confirmation of the deadly disease. Hello, DOG-tor! The only problem with DOG-tor detection is communication. Milly can bark, roll over, jump on your lap or look at you with tears in her syrup-brown eyes, but she’ll never be able to put her actions into words.

    Dogs that go for specialized training at Penn Vet Working Dog Center at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine become qualified DOG-tor translators. They receive top training and go through numerous tests, where A+ is the benchmark.

     

    How training works

    At the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine there are tables with extensions holding different samples of blood plasma, one of which is spiked with a drop of cancerous tissue. A fur-doc sniffs and identifies the sample with the cancer cells and gets a tennis ball from the trainer as a reward for the completion of the procedure. The doggie slides across the room and chases the ball across the floor to celebrate a diag-NOSES with a scent of success.

    Introducing DOG-tor Lucy!

    Dr Lucy is a cross between a Labrador, Retriever and an Irish Water Spaniel. She failed guide dog school because random scents distracted her from her master’s path. Eventually she was kicked out for her Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)… Ag shame.  Luckily this didn’t stop her from pursuing her medical career.  She enrolled in Medical Detection Dogs and was trained to sniff out bladder, kidney and prostate cancers.

    Today Dr Lucy is a highly-qualified Oncologist with a diagnostic success rate of 95%. She’s awesome and she NOSE it!

    Okay, so still not sold on the idea of dogs being able to smell cancer? Let research add an air of conviction.

    3 PAW-some Studies

    1. In a research study by the Pine Street Foundation, breath samples of 31 breast cancer patients, 55 lung cancer patients and 83 healthy humans were presented to five trained doggies. Dogs detected breast and lung cancer with 90% accuracy. They deserve a certificate.
    2. According to U. News & World Report, a black Labrador named Marine was able to detect colon cancer in a study of 200 humans suffering from this disease with what seems a farfetched 97% accuracy. He was even more accurate than the blood tests were!
    3. In Milan, Humanitas Research Hospital took urine samples from 320 men with prostate cancer and 357 healthy men. The sick men had different stages of the disease from low-risk to high-risk tumours. In the group without prostate cancer, some patients had other diseases, including other types of cancer. Two dogs were used for this study. Taken together, the dogs had an accuracy rate of 98 percent.

    Dogs & Diabetes

    Do you have diabetes? Your canine can very likely smell an abnormal drop in blood sugar levels which happens to type 1 diabetes patients. Low blood glucose — hypoglycaemia or “hypo” — can occur suddenly. As a result, charities like Medical Detection Dogs train dogs to act as “medical alert assistance dogs” that tell owners when they’re at risk of a hypo attack.

    So, canines have natural life-saving senses. Bet you’re wondering what your fur-ball is sniffing right now? Hmm…hopefully the aromas of healthy blood cells. You know, the good stuff!

     

  • WHY DOES MY CAR HAVE BODY ODOUR?

    WHY DOES MY CAR HAVE BODY ODOUR?

    “What’s that sweet smell of roses coming from the engine?” said about 90% of people never!

     

    If you’ve got a set of wheels, you’ve most probably smelled unpleasant scents of gas, rotten eggs or rubber at some point. If not, beware of the possibilities of car Body Odour (BO). Like humans, your car can get smelly when there are problems. They usually aren’t problems that your air-fresher and fabric softener pouches can fix. Find out what the different smells mean and how to eliminate them right NOW!

     

    Here are some common bad smells, their possible causes and ways you can fix the funky aromas.

     

    Rotten eggs

     

    So, you smell rotten eggs, but it’s strange since you don’t secretly collect eggs and keep them under your car seat, do you? Although it might smell like a bad batch, it’s not! It’s your car sending out warning signals.

     

    Usually it’s an issue with the engine or emission system that makes your engine overheat. This happens when the weather is hot or when your car is running low on water (possibly from a leak in the radiator or water inlet pipe).

    Don’t panic and call the mechanic. Just park* somewhere safe, switch off the aircon and engine, open the windows and let the roadster chill out for 20 mins. Although it sounds weird, turning on the heater will also help cool down the engine as this draws excess heat from the engine.

    *Note: If you’re stuck in traffic, shift into Neutral (manual) or Park (automatic) and rev the engine for a short while. This will speed the water pump and fan up and draw more liquid and air through the radiator. The increased air and liquid circulation helps cool the engine down.

     

    Burning rubber

     

    Burning rubber is not exactly a fragrance you’d bottle. It’s nasty and something that you’d probably like to avoid.

    Ever wondered why this smell always seem to appear when the traffic flow is heavy and cars are lining up like a queue on Black Friday? Well, it can be because a clutch has overheated under pressure. In manual transmission vehicles, clutches need to be handled with care and used properly. Riding the clutch or bad gear-shifting can cause serious damage to the clutch.

    The burning rubber scent can be avoided by driving with more care. Try changing gears more smoothly and use your handbrake when moving slowly between lower gears or up and down hills. That’s why it’s there, after all.

     

    Electrical

     

    What’s up with that burning toast smell? Is it coming from outside? Nah…it’s your 4-wheel baby’s body odour. Phew!

    The burning toast smell could mean some serious issues. It might be a short circuit* or overheated components which could lead to a little bonfire in your bonnet.

    *Please note that short circuits are dangerous and should be handled with caution.

    If you’re not experienced, don’t try to fix the problem. If you see flames dancing around, it’s okay to give the mechanic or the Fire Department a call. You have a fire extinguisher in the car, right?

     

    Sweet Scent

     

    You forgot to spray your sweet perfume on this morning and your kids didn’t eat a sugary treat in the car, yet you smell something sweet.

     

    Although the syrupy sensation tickles your nostrils, it’s not a good sign. The smell usually means there’s a leak somewhere in the cooling system.  The source may not be easy to locate. For example, the leak could be from a rusted heat exchanger (AKA a heater core), which is usually behind the dashboard. The leak could be in the form of steam that enters the interior, producing the smell and potentially fogging the windows. Take care of the problem ASAP, because breathing antifreeze is bad for your health.

     

    Rotting fruit

     

    This time you can’t blame your vehicle for the bad aroma in the air. Your car didn’t have fruit for lunch last week. You munched it! Somehow a few grapes just managed to roll down to an unreachable destination under the seat and now it’s claiming its presence with a nasty stench.

     

    It happens to the best of us. Ignoring the problem is, however, not a solution. Remove the stinky grapes and clean your car with some germ-killing juice. No need to be a sour grape about the situation. Just clean it!

     

    May the senses leave you in peace!

  • WOULD YOU MARRY A ROBOT?

    WOULD YOU MARRY A ROBOT?

    Soon humans and bots will unite. “The first marriage will be before – not after –  2050,” says best-selling author and robot expert, Dr David Levy. Hmm… ladies, looks like your knight in shining armor might be heartless but handy. Gents, would you fancy a metal-and-microchip lover?

    According to a large group of Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts, robots will become an increasingly popular companion in the bedroom, warranting a system of ethics for their development and use.

    In a study at the conference at Goldsmiths, University of London, researchers surveyed 263 testosterone-bursting humans between the ages of 18 and 67. Participants were shown a 2-minute video of robots that looked like replicas of the opposite sex complete with make-up, long lashes and gorgeous bods.

     

     

    The male species observed and…well, drooled. Turns out that 40,3% of the lusty lovers admitted that they would buy a female robot for companionship and intimacy. According to Dr Levy, interested buyers will be able to purchase celebrity look-alike bots in the future. Buyers will be able to say, “I’ve got a sex robot that looks like Angelina Jolie and she’s fabulous in bed!” and celebs will make even more money out of the sensual robotic sensation as they receive a cut of the purchase price.

    What’s the price tag?

    The price of the humanoids has not been confirmed yet. They usually go for around R16k to a million depending on the advanced features. It’s pricey, but, hey, like Jessie J says, “Forget about the price tag, ain’t about (uh) ch-ch-ching ch-ching,” you’ll have Angelina (or Brad or both) between your silky sheets.

    What can the droid BAE do?

    In 2016 a graphic designer called Ricky Ma created a life-like replica of actress Scarlett Johansson who gives flirty winks and giggles when people tell her she’s cute. She also answers questions and moves her arms and hands around. She’s not a sex robot, she is a work of art. The mechanic beauty is worth more than R 500 000. Unfortunately, she’s not for sale, but feel free to admire her online anytime.

    Watch this video and be blown away by human and artificial intelligence.

     

     

    ‘Kay, so humanoids are attractive and – ahem – functional. But can they really do what lovers do? Sure, they just can’t reproduce or foster true emotional bonds with people. They are, however, reliable and always on call. If you don’t feel like conversation, wooing a lover, or if you have a fear of commitment, a robot could be your soulbot. Just keep in mind, when you do need true compassion and more intimate connections, warm humans are still more widely available.

     

    Human flesh or Droid metal? It’s up to you. Just remember robots might have cold feet, but they won’t leave you at the altar or run away with another bot AND they will definitely say, “beep, beep, I do,” on your special day.

     

     

  • TRY THESE COOL PUP-STICKLE RECIPES OUT NOW!

    TRY THESE COOL PUP-STICKLE RECIPES OUT NOW!

    Doggos have natural furry jerseys to keep them warm during chilly winter nights. The coats look fur-tastic and stylish, but it gives the name “sweater” a new meaning…It makes the poor pup’s paw pads sweat. Yesh, drops of perspiration gather on their paws and noses when their bodies overheat. You can’t always see it, but it’s there and they can feel it. If you don’t give your dog liquids for a prolonged period they can dehydrate and even die. That’s why it’s super-important to keep your barking buddy cool during the flesh-frying summer days.

     

    You can keep your canine watered by simply keeping their water bowl full or giving them a tasty PUP-sickle or three every day.

    Here are 3 delicious pup-sickle recipes for your pooches’ delight.

     

     

    1. Chicken-licking

     

    Treat your pet with this mouth-watering, 3-ingredient ice lolly. It’s a burst of chickensy goodness mixed with a blend of peanut butter and parsley. YUM!

     

    Ingredients:

    1 cup chicken stock

    1 cup raw, unsalted peanut butter

     2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

     

    This lip-smacking munchie will not only hydrate your doggies but also keep their breaths fresh. So, no more stinky face licks for you, sir/ma’am.

     

    Directions:

    • Put the peanut butter and parsley into a small bowl and mix well.
    • Fill a popsicles tray with the chicken broth and place in freezer for an hour.
    • Spoon the peanut butter-parsley mix into the tray and place it in the freezer for 4 about hours.
    • Offer it to the fur kids and watch them indulge.

     

    1. Watermelove

     

    You don’t need much for this one. All you need is a quarter seedless “watermelove” and a can of coconut milk. This lolly will leave drool hanging from your dogs’ cute little jowls ‘coz it’s succulent and sweet.

    Please note: Watermelon is perfectly okay for dogs to eat if you remove the seeds first. The seeds can cause intestinal blockage.

     

    Directions

    • Scoop about ¼ of a de-seeded watermelon out and share the rest with your human pals.
    • Blend the coconut milk and watermelon.
    • Pour the mix into an ice cube tray, freeze and wait.
    • Now the fun begins. You and your canine can experience a burst of melon bliss.

     

    1. Banana and pumpkin paw-fection

     

    Who’s up for a healthy, frosty treat? Cool your dog this summer with a pumpkin and banana pop which you can also nibble on if you feel like adding more flavour to your palate.

     

    Ingredients:

    1 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt *

    1 can of pumpkin puree

    1 teaspoon irradiated honey

    1 ripe banana

     

    * Use Lactose-free yogurt from Woolworths if your pooch is lactose intolerant, sensitive beast!

     

    Directions

    • Blend all the ingredients together.
    • Spoon the mix into a silicone popsicle tray.
    • Freeze overnight
    • Pop out the moulds and serve on a hot day!

     

    Hope you enjoy making these delicious treats for your fur balls. Remember, although it’s tempting to give your dog a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, it can make pooch sick, because there are high levels of lactose inside your favorite scoops of vanilla. Rather take 5 minutes out of your day and whip up a healthy lolly to make your pet jolly.

    Happy lolly-licking, hounds!

  • VIRAL VIDEO FRIDAY-TGIF!

    VIRAL VIDEO FRIDAY-TGIF!

    Yay, it’s that time of the week again! Your body wants to shuffle like LMFAO and you can already feel the glowing warmth of braai fire on your face.

    Wait, hold that thought and focus! Sorry to burst your bubble, but you are still glued to that spinning office chair and your emails are still rolling in like a relentless set of tidal waves.

    Take a break from the hundreds of emails and watch this awesome video instead. You might just feel inspired to do something extreme this weekend. Hmmm… Icey dip in the ocean anyone?

    Soooo…now that you are blown away by a wind of wonder, dotsure.co.za must ask you a serious question: Are you brave enough?

    If the answer is “hell yes”, then you are dotsure.co.za material. Join us at the Polar Bear Plunge on 29 July at Vic Bay and show us your brave side. Get Freezin’ For a Reason!

    Have a BRAVESOME weekend

     

  • WATER CRISIS? EXTREME TIPS FOR EXTREME TIMES

    WATER CRISIS? EXTREME TIPS FOR EXTREME TIMES

    Human impact is altering weather patterns and bringing water-scarce Western Cape full circle. Are you concerned about your water consumption? Maybe you’re suffering level six water restrictions like 4,3 million others in the Mother City. Our extreme hacks and serious suggestions can help keep hope afloat. Remember: you are not alone and you are not a victim.

     

     

    You ARE living through a challenging time, and that calls for resilience and innovation. If it doesn’t rain soon, Cape Town’s restrictions are going to seem like a luxury and Main Road might have to be renamed “Fury Road”. “Day Zero” pegged at 11 May 2018 at the time of publishing and subject to change, is when the water will be switched off and every person allotted a maximum of just 25 liters of municipal water (for everything) per day. Quite apart from developing the patience that makes queuing for rations with 200 000 other people at a time possible, residents will be forced to learn how to drastically save more and use less water. They’re not the same thing, you see.

     

    To harmonize the hum of dry alarm that makes the usual lists completely redundant, we asked around and compiled a list of extreme water hacks to help you cope. As the climate becomes increasingly unpredictable, we encourage everyone to try these, whether it’s in Cape Town or it’s pouring down. Weather patterns and water supply are no longer guaranteed; your needing water to survive and thrive very much IS.

     

    Extreme Water Hacks

     

    Use less water

    In the bathroom

    • Use germ-killing hand sanitiser to clean your hands.
    • If you must wash your hands with water – actually, you must – use liquid hand-soap to make it easier to lather without water. That way you only use water to rinse.
    • Use biodegradable soaps – they are easier on the greywater you’re going to repurpose and they rinse off more quickly, too.
    • Skip body washes with a few, well-placed, biodegradable wet wipes (the other ones poison the earth).
    • Ditch the shower. Wash with a basin and a bakkie (decanter). A good ratio is 1 kettle hot and 2 cold depending on your comfort requirements. The least we’ve used for the entire body, including long hair, is 3 liters. 5 liters is more comfortable. You can lather up the same way you would with the liquid hand-soap.
    • If you must shower, stand in a big basin. This will catch the water while it warms up and the water you use. Just remember, depending on the water pressure, that’s 15 liters per minute…! and re-use the grey water for flushing and car washing.

     

    Use less water

    In the kitchen.

    • Wash your dishes in one go (not lots of little ones. Saves eco-dishwashing liquid, too)
    • Wash dishes in a tub (not under running water)
    • Re-purpose all water used for cooking and rinsing perishables into pot plants/garden. Must use non-toxic cleaner, though.
    • Use vinegar and bicarbonate of soda as cleaning products. They’re greywater friendly
    • Don’t pour fat from frying pans etc down the drain – they’ll clog it.

     

    Use less water

    In the toilet. Oh wait.

      • No flush toilets from Day Zero. Practise these in the meanwhile:
      • Water your plants with wee, they love it.

    TIP: spread it out because, although it’s sterile, it smells when concentrated. You don’t want to know.

    • Buy a no-flush loo or build a compost toilet. The organic farmers can advise.
    • If you can’t afford a readymade water-free loo – or don’t know anyone to build you a long-drop out back. Just kidding. Or maybe not – improvise with a DIY no-flush loo. A pool noodle around the rim of a bucket lined with an airtight lid and the correct enzymes to control bacteria. Remove the noodle when finished and close the bucket for hygiene. Empty it regularly with someone producing humanure. Yes, you read right.

     

    Use less water

    In general

    • Wear hardy trousers and shorts twice or even thrice (for exercise if they’re soiled)

    TIP: hand wash single-wear items like underwear.

    • Swim in oceans and rivers more to stay cleaner for longer without washing. Deodorant also helps.
    • Stockpile drinking water (from retail suppliers, not from the municipality – you can be fined) and keep it far away from heat or the sun. Remember to account for your pets, too!
    • Get large, 5L jerry cans with a tap for drinking water. If you can’t afford metal, get the plastic ones without BPAs and all the other acronyms.
    • If you’re unusually sensitive to chemicals, it’s worth storing your drinking water in glass decanters with taps or bottles with lids. Re-used whiskey and wine bottles work wonders. Just rinse them out properly! If you get plastic ones, turn them into eco-bricks when they’re empty.
    • Drink less coffee, eat fewer sugary drinks and go slow on the salty snacks. They all make you thirstier than normal.

     

    What about the animals?

    • Empty old water in pet bowls onto your plants/into your toilet cistern.
    • Stockpile drinking water for homeless animals. Animal relief groups and shelters will need support. Thank you for this thoughtful post, Herman!

    Save more water

    Catch and keep rainwater.

    Lots of water simply runs over the surface of the ground and down drains and is lost forever.

    • You can do so much with harvested rainwater – water your veggie garden, clean your clothes and linen, wash your body, hair and car, use in cooking and cleaning.
    • It can be active (store in a tank) or passive (redirect to garden); simple (putting a big bucket on the balcony or a funnel in the garden) or advanced (redirecting your gutter water to a tank or empty pool).

    TIP: Keep your gutters clean and lids on to avoid blockage and bacteria

    WARNING: Don’t drink, cook with or rinse fresh produce using rainwater without checking and treating it properly. Otherwise, cholera, anyone?

    Save more water

    Install a greywater system.

    A good greywater system is an investment, not an expense, for you as well as for mother nature.

    • Installing a long-term solution lets you re-use your household’s water waste.
    • And even if you don’t treat and repurpose the water for re-use inside, you can keep your garden lush and help replenish the water table outside.
    • Swales can capture and direct rainwater to create a lush wetland in your garden, no hose required.

    Save more water / Use less water

    Help your neighbours.

    If you are curious about others’ hacks, or if it comes to queues (Cape Town), you are not alone.

    • Share knowledge and work together.
    • Check with your community and see who needs help.
    • Making new friends through generosity and consideration goes a long way to creating a sense of goodwill and positivity at a challenging time and this applies outside of #thinkwater crises too.
    • You never know, Jo, there might be a day when you can’t make it to the pickup point.

    More here

    Good to get going? If you’re in Cape Town, keep your eye on the city’s progress here and get water updates here. Good news, for now, is that the drought levy (water tax) is probably going to be shelved. Thanks for that, Pat. Now, how about finishing those desalination plants so that we don’t suck the aquifers dry?

     

    P.s. Dot’s thought for the day:

    “Rain dances are okay but positive action is the way”

     

     

  • WORK WITH US

    WORK WITH US

    We love it. Most people think of the Garden Route as a place they go on holiday; for us, it’s a truth, every day. It’s a small town for all seasons with some of the country’s best beaches, rivers, wetlands and forests right on its doorstep. We surf, ski, paraglide, hike, cycle and work with smiles on our faces.

    dotsure.co.za forms part of one of the town’s largest employers, Badger Holdings, which consistently and effectively promotes wholesome values, hard work and high standards. dotsure.co.za is dedicated to reinventing processes in an established industry that is yet to fully embrace the digital age. Our modus operandi is to disrupt, and our tailored, intelligent and customer-centric approach is changing the game by putting consumers first:

     

    • We were one of the first South African companies to offer insurance purchase and policy management entirely online.
    • We were the first to let you Name Your Price, South Africa, and it’s now our trademarkWoohoo!.
    • We offer the most competitive and comprehensive pet insurance packages in the country.
    • We hold a world record in fun stuff you can do with furry friends.
    • We are constantly making online insurance easier and simpler. And better.
    • We make a point of earning our fans.

     

    As a result, we’re growing fast and looking for new talent to join the dream team. We aspire to be a tech giant, to go global and help humans (and their dependents) all over the world with efficient and effortless financial solutions. We also believe that giving back is part of going forward, and incorporate community support into our business structure.

     

    What does family feel like? We asked the brothers and sisters of dotsure.co.za.

    The best thing for Ray Ray is that “you can express your individuality.”

    “Here, being ‘different’ is encouraged and not frowned upon,” Nikiwe agrees. She also admires her colleagues’ “constant support in reaching our individual targets and therefore our team target.”

    “Everyone is so talented in their own way,” Amore continues, “and brings their own spice and flavour to the office. Everyone likes working hard – no flakes. Everyone has a ‘personality’ – never a dull moment.”
    “Everyone here is themselves,” Anastachia affirms.
    Nikki noodles in again. “Best part for me being part of the dotsure.co.za family is the constant motivation and help I get from my teammates.”
    “We truly believe in ‘work hard, play hard’,” Robyn reveals. “We are always very honest with each other. We always have each other’s’ backs, no matter what.”
    We are “passionate, genuine, lively,” adds Ru, pithily.
    Heather sums it up. Life at dotsure.co.za is a celebration of “characters, banter and passion for the brand.” Also, #welikebraai

     

    Are you special and different and brilliant?

  • SIT, ROBOT. MECHATRONIC METAL POOCHES FTW.

    SIT, ROBOT. MECHATRONIC METAL POOCHES FTW.

    Would you welcome a robot dog into your home? Do you wonder what else a robot animal might (be made to) do? We do, too. Here’s the second of our Furry Futures pieces, in which human’s best friend gets a mechatronics makeover.

    Meet Spot
    Spot can run, hop and open doors, and, in time, probably also kill on command. Spot is a system of springs, electrodes, metal and microchips, an autonomous machine that mimics a living, breathing, loving canine. Could you love a robot dog with mechanical paws?

     

    Robots are hard; humans are softies
    Robots have no hearts for the time being, yet those that mimic live, loving creatures like dogs or people, pull at our heartstrings.

    and put fear into them and while they started out creepy and clumsy

    they’re getting really good

    and it doesn’t even have to be a real robot

    It’s difficult to resist the characteristic wag of the electric tail even if you know there’s no known life in it. Try not to feel sorry for this poor piece of metal.

     

    and behold a synthetic prairie dog entirely fooling his adopted wild family.

    The capacity for empathy at both ends of the dog-and-human deal is what makes the human-canine bond so brilliant. It also leaves us open to manipulation when the canine is a can of electrodes and code, perhaps not by robots just yet, but certainly by their makers.

    And that’s okay if it’s positive manipulation – it’s perfectly natural! Domestic dogs evolved to contribute to human well-being as a way of ensuring their place in a changing world. They’re nice to us and we feed, house and adore them. But they get lonely if left without company (don’t!) and need to be fed at certain times (there’s an app for that ). Furry bots don’t. No poop scooping! No 4am wakeup calls. If robots are making decent companions to the aged, could robot dogs be our new best friend? Could Frodo 2.0 replace your real-life pooch?

    Maybe they aren’t quite the watchdog you want, but robot dogs like Spot are more real than Robo-Dog and could offer companionship of a sort.

    Some real dogs are wary.

    We think it’s when AI integrates into robotics and its technology begins to evolve of its own accord that the question really gets interesting. Wouldn’t it be weird if an AI dog did what the discontinued AI Twitter handle did? Dogs are a reflection of their humans, after all. We already have robot birds, scorpions, spiders, fish, salamanders, kangaroos and cheetahs (that look like a dog and sound like a fly). It’s the intelligent hybrids we’re waiting for. When robot dogs acquire drone functionality, they’re going to fly off the supermarket shelves and into our hearts. And then take over the world? Artificial intelligence is on its way in a real way, and we want to live in peace with the future, so maybe don’t name your robot dog Tay, K?

    In the meantime, the odds are still stacked in favour of living loved ones… who can give you warm cuddles and soulful stares…

    (just tolerate the copy machine; it has big dreams)

  • DOTSURE.CO.ZA – CREATING FANS NOT POLICY HOLDERS

    DOTSURE.CO.ZA – CREATING FANS NOT POLICY HOLDERS

    It was Bill Gates who famously said that your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. We take our customer feedback very seriously and we crave your feedback.

    At dotsure.co.za our products and services are truly centred on real customer value, as such we are fanatical about learning what customers want.

     

    Don’t take our word for it though, here’s what some of you had to say.

     

    Super friendly service & fantastic benefits- by Shardha-Hari on Jun 2, 2017

    I have recently discovered Dotsure and I extremely impressed with the fantastic benefits they provide their clients.  Not to mention their super friendly & super-efficient staff when you call into their call centre with any queries.  I have recently had interaction with Marguerite and she was just great with answering my questions. 

     Well done Dotsure!!  I AM HOOKED.

     

    Amazing service by Dotsure consultant Kimley  by Bebe001

    This review serves to credit the amazing customer service by Dotsure consultant Kimley. She was professional, polite and incredibly helpful. On top of that, she even managed to arrange a discount on my policy fee.  I have been with Dotsure just over a year now, and I have no complaints. All consultants are attentive and quick with feedback. Kimley made sure to put me at ease and sorted out all queries wonderfully. I am so impressed with her service. Well done – I am a very happy client.

     

    Great service and value for money! – by Ettienne-Poley

    Friendly and immediate service when I requested to cancel my Platinum Top-Up Insurance, as well as an unexpected 10% refund on my April policy premium because it is my birth-month!

     

    We’d love to hear from you. Rate our service, let us know what you like, what you don’t and most importantly, what you need.

  • HILUX RECALLED: AIRBAG DEATHS ARE NOT HOT AIR!

    HILUX RECALLED: AIRBAG DEATHS ARE NOT HOT AIR!

    Since Ford refined the production line back in 1913, we’ve come to expect standardisation and, more recently, automation, in the things we use. High-tech machinery and AI software do not, however, entirely iron out factory faults as both are subject to human error. We are no stranger to occasional product defects, but we’re not really used to them killing us. Until Takata.

    A recent batch of the automotive supplier’s airbags have an inbuilt “ the potential for moisture intrusion over time ” that has killed 22 people across the globe. The airbags explode (no joke) and send metal fragments into the body of the vehicle and its occupants. 46 million of the things are out there, sitting quietly behind the cubby hole of 34 million cars, pretending to protect you.

    In addition to the deaths, 280 people have been injured worldwide, but at present no South Africans have suffered. And Toyota is making sure it does what it can to keep this so. The automotive producer, loved and trusted for its reliable cars, is playing it safe and called for a recall. Again.

    In 2015, they recalled (and replaced) the killer components in their Corolla, RunX and Yaris models (built from 2002 to 2007) and Rav4, Hilux and Fortuner models (from July 2003 to December 2005). It happened again in 2017, and now again in 2018. Tsk, Takata; product improvement much? And while the faulty goods have affected many car brands (full list here ), Toyota South Africa is playing it down some. Their press release doesn’t mention these deaths but it admits that the detonating Takata safety cushion “poses a danger” . Would you say an exploding safety cushion that embeds metal bits into your body only “poses a danger”?

     

    How did it come to this? Cars are crash tested; it is law and it is good for business. How did the airbags get past the dummies? Or into, as it were. We’re not sure, and neither Takata nor Toyota are telling, with Takata consoling the bereaved with an inadequate public apology on their website. (search ‘airbags’)

    But it turns out these safety inflatables are dangerous just as they are in your car, working perfectly.

    They must be. They’ve got to stop you going through the windshield, amongst other things. Since 1998 they’ve counteracted the impact of collisions and crashes and saved lives across the globe. To do that, they use force. Sitting “too close” to one can mean burns and bashes as it opens at a high speed. These same “pop-up cushions” have saved thousands of lives and are a huge success in automotive safety design. You’re safer with one than without one, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t had an – ahem – impact of their own on road deaths. While stats prove that they reduce the chance of dying in a head-on collision by just under a third, they killed 238 in America between 1990 and 2002, without factory faults. And then there’s the airbag “nose job”…
    Warning: not for sensitive viewers.

    Children and adults with small frames are the most vulnerable, so the bigger you are, the safer you are from them, though “rear-facing child safety seats should never be used in the front seat of a car because an airbag could cause serious injury or death if it strikes the back of the seat.”

    The reality is that only about 2,5 percent of drivers involved in serious crashes are likely to suffer serious harm from this standard safety measure …if it’s not a faulty one, that is!

    Find out if your Hilux model needs its airbag changed

    1. Find your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on your licence disc.
    2. Enter your VIN into the form on  www.toyota.co.za/recall,
    3. Or contact the Toyota Call Centre on 0800 139 111 with it.

    Yippee, it will be fixed for free! It takes on average one to two hours to replace the offending component so take a book and make them check it (again) before you sign it off. With you outside the car, eh? Driving is a high-risk reality and while we can’t ensure the airbags in your vehicle won’t hurt you, we can insure your car …and your life.

  • CAR SAFETY CHECKLIST FROM US TO YOU!

    CAR SAFETY CHECKLIST FROM US TO YOU!

    You’ll arrive home safely after your holiday with a little help from dotsure.co.za. Before you step on the petrol and feel the summer air blowing through your hair, do the checklist and service your car.

    Although your car is a strong 4-wheel lion on the road, it still needs some TLC to keep it roaring. You can’t expect to just hop in and drive from Durbs to Jozi without a maintenance check. Like us humans, our 4-wheel babies tend to get tired. Tired means they can break-down far from help.

    Keep a copy of this car service checklist and make sure your car is road-trip ready.

     

    The service checklist

     

    If it’s on the car maintenance list, it needs to be checked even if it costs an arm and a leg. At least it won’t be your arm and leg… Saving a few bucks is not worth the risk of losing something money can’t replace.

     

    6 Car checks

     

    Engine Oil

     

    If your engine oil levels are low, your 4-wheel lion maybe thirsty. Keep it juiced by adding some vital fluids.

     

    How to check your oil?

    1. Switch the engine off and wait a minute or three.
    2. Pop your bonnet and pull the oil dipstick out (it usually has a bright handle saying, “engine oil”).
    3. Wipe the dipstick off on disposable paper or engine lippie. Insert it again and pull it out to check the oil level.
    4. The oil level should be between the “low” and “full” mark. If the levels are low, add some fresh juice.
    5. Check the color. It should be golden brown not pitch black. If it’s black, you need to change the oil entirely. Chat with your mechanic about this.
    6. Read the owner’s manual for the best oil for your car.
    7. Check the oil again and put the dipstick back in its rightful place when you’re happy.

     

    Battery

     

    If you have trouble starting your mechanical feline, you might need to check your battery. Are the energy levels running low? It might be on the Highway to Hell.

     

    How to take care of your battery?

    1. Remove your battery terminals. Always remove the negative cable first.
    2. Clean the posts. Coca-Cola or special products you buy at your auto shop will do the trick.
    3. Rinse the cleaning liquid with a little water.
    4. Dry the posts with rags.
    5. Replace battery terminals.

     

    Wipers

     

    The road lion’s lashes might get sticky and it might need some replacing.

     

    How to replace your blades:

    1. Lift the wiper blades and remove the old rubber.
    2. Pay attention to how the old rubber connects to the metal arms.
    3. On most models, you’ll see a tab on the underside of the wiper. Push the tab to remove the old rubber.
    4. Attach the new rubber and voila you’ve got brand-new lashes!
    5. Remember to reposition the blades against the windscreen…

     

    Clean windscreen

     

    Dirty windows mixed with the sun’s eye-blinding rays is a deadly combo. Keep your windscreens squeaky clean and wash away blurry views.

     

    How to clean your windscreen:

    1. Spray eco-friendly window cleaner on your windscreen.
    2. Use a clean cloth and wipe in an up and down motion. Microfiber is magical.
    3. Remove all the wetness with a clean, dry cloth. An old towel works well.

     

    Hint: Keep window cleaner and cloths under your car seat for those unexpected window blobs and blurbs.

     

    Tyres

     

    Tyres tend to deflate. Check and adjust the tyre pressure before every long drive.

    How to pump your wheels?

    1. Buy a decent pressure gauge.
    2. Find the recommended tyre pressure in your car’s manual.
    3. Follow its instructions. If the pressure is above or below the limit for your load, it needs adjusting.
    4. Pump it up or release pressure and start your journey.

     

    Hint: Feel vibration at cruising speed? Balance your tyres. If the car is pulling to the side or feels unstable while you’re driving, check the alignment. Correct alignment means better cruising.

     

    Lights

     

    Your car’s lights need to be shining when the sun goes to bed.

    How to check car lights:

    • Grab a buddy to help you out.
    • Brake lights – Press the brake pedal and see if the red lights at the back of the vehicle illuminate.
    • Indicators – Left and right should flicker.
    • Reverse light – Shift into reverse and white lights at the rear should come on.
    • DRLs – Some cars have daytime running lights on the rear as well as the front. Check if your car has them and whether they work. It’s easier in the dark.
    • Number plate light – Your number plate must be well-lit for driving in the dark.

     

    Car Warranty

     

    Is your car still under warranty? There is almost nothing worse than the unexpected shock of a mechanical failure in your beloved vehicle. This tends to happen almost immediately after your factory warranty expires (thanks Murphy you bastard!). Our range of extended warranty products has spared many a budget in recent times and remains one of the best out there.

    Give dotsure.co.za a ring on 0861 dotsure (3687873) if you’re not sure about your car’s warranty details or you’re not insured with us yet.

     

    Well done, you’ve completed the checklist. Thumbs up to all the good drivers.

     

     

    Safe travels!

  • GETTING HANDS-ON WITH DRIVERLESS CARS IN 2018: AN UPDATE

    GETTING HANDS-ON WITH DRIVERLESS CARS IN 2018: AN UPDATE

    To date, self-drive has been a dream of those who prefer staring at the view to handling the road with two hands. Cars today express a sliver of the automotive independence we envision for them. Some can self-park, others break by themselves in limited circumstances, a few enforce safe distance or steer for you at 5km/h in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Revelatory, right? Wrong. It makes Kit and Back To The Future seem progressive.

     

     

    Sarcasm aside, the future of driving is, indeed, racing towards us in 2018. Automotive designers and red tape regulatory bodies are slowly unraveling a knot of reluctant permissions and high-speed possibilities and we’ve come a long way from the world’s first self-driving car crash 3 months ago.

    Most of us are still stuck in the passenger seat of this progress but those hoping for escalated road-equality and eyes-free rides are running out of gears to control the building excitement.

     

    Is 2018 the year we get to relinquish the wheel for real? Here are a few self-drive updates:

    1. Nissan wants to read your mind to autocorrect your driving. Mind you, it makes educated guesses and we are prone to unexplainable decisions; it is machine, and we are emotional beings, so it’s anybody’s guess what future its technology has beyond correcting your swerve (if a swerve is, in fact, the right thing to do right then).

    2. Assembly line grandfather, Ford, is trying to figure out the emerging market with a fleet of no-driver delivery vehicles that take the small talk and the illegal parking out of door-to-door deliveries. For now, it’s pizza, but soon it might be everything if they reach their goal of becoming the self-driving operating system (OS). You order, a driverless car delivers, if you’re in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that is. Users are so grateful, they explicitly thank the empty cars.

    3. Disruptors in related industries are jumping in the self-driver seat, too. Rideshare rebel, Uber, is elbowing in using AI to make its already-compromised human drivers redundant in its take on autonomous lifts. Are we surprised? Not by this, but…

    4. As technology redefines the automotive industry, it’s a giant that’s in top gear. GM (General Motors) wants to be the first to let you knit while you drive or clip your toenails in the fast lane. To move things along swiftly, it took the DIY-drive wheel by removing it. The steering wheel, that is. As aspiring automotive tech stars go, it’s in cruise control, already calling the first widely-available electric car its own, ahead of early-adopter Tesla. Their car-sharing service cashes in on an increasingly popular preference for renting over buying. They aren’t just pandering to millennial purchase habits by reinventing business models to thrive outside of a need for individual car sales; they already have a generational advantage. Four of them, in fact. They’re four generations deep into self-driving research and development and not about to slow the process down. That’s the Geneva Convention’s role.

    5. The Geneva Convention is an international treaty governing global traffic regulations completely contradicts the essence of self-driving. For now. It actually makes sense to more than the practically-minded pedestrians of future-thinking. Driving IRL (In Real Life) presents a wild array of unpredictable circumstances from unannounced obstacles to untameable road rage and AI just ain’t there yet. But how will we evolve to the no-stress road trip if the law requires a “driver to always maintain control of his vehicle” as it commands? Slowly. Geneva has begun to allow testing, testily, and “there must be less than one in a billion chance of a mistake,” for a technology to be considered for public dissemination, says Guillaume Devauchelle, director of innovation at Valeo, an auto equipment company. Driverless vehicles are already roving around Phoenix in the USA without the once-mandatory backup controller with a heartbeat. Still, once we’ve appeased the data crunchers, it’s looking like the technology will be aimed at shuttles and robotic taxis rather than private vehicles. That’s an uber let-down, until you remember the carbon footprint of a private vehicle.

    Call it slow-reflex if you like, but it’s going to be some time before the research and technology become an everyday reality for every one of us. Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone in dreaming of a world without car crashes. In the meantime, improve your real driving and road safety with these ten tips:

     

     

    Remember, we offer cash back on your car insurance premium if you’re in the top 200 of our drivers with a smartbox, an electronic telematics device fitted to your vehicle to track your trips to encourage you to drive more safely.

  • 8 FACTS ABOUT NUMBER PLATES

    8 FACTS ABOUT NUMBER PLATES

    Are you hitting the road this coming holiday?

    Here’s 8 number plate facts to share with your fellow road trippers…

     

    shallow focus photography black Mustang sports car parked beside the street

     

    1. Since 1994, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are the only two provinces where the registration can be still linked to specific towns and cities – woah!
    2. With the exception of diplomatic, government, police and military vehicles, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are also the only two provinces with a plain white background on their number plates and no background graphics #lekkerboring
    3. The Free State is the only province in South Africa that has an expiry date on registration plates. Say what?! Every five years, the owner is required to replace plates, irrespective of their condition. This is only enforced in the Free State so if an owner uses a vehicle with “expired” plates in any other province, he or she will not be prosecuted. Licence plate expiry is independent from the annual license renewal required by national law. Can anyone say Cheat-aaaahs
    4. Vowels are not used on the plates of private vehicles. Mmmmm…never payed attention to this but now that you mention it!
    5. The fewer letters you include on personalised number plates, the pricier they become. (The cost for a single digit registration – for example, CA 1 – can be as much as R6 000, while a longer number, like CA 12345, can be as low as R600.) So, I drive a 20k Golf 1 but my number plate cost 5K.
    6. Heading into 2012, Gauteng Province (GP) was running out of licence plate variations and had to adopt a new system: two letters, two numbers, two letters and a province indicator (GP). GP drivers are also prone to run out of patience when stuck in traffic.
    7. The towns in the former Cape Province were originally assigned prefixes in order from largest to smallest and following the corresponding letters of the alphabet. Thus “CA” represented the largest city, Cape Town, “CB” the second largest, Port Elizabeth, and so on. Shame so don’t judge those poor folk with CAW number plates….they’ve never seen a traffic light.
    8. A vehicle can only be registered in the town the owner lives in. It is also not possible to renew a licence in any other town than the one in which the registered owner lives. Has this happened to you? You’ve stood in line at the licencing department for 2 days when you finally get to the front just to be told to go somewhere else. No? Well, you’ve been warned and you’re welcome!

    Congratulations! You made it! You’re a persistent one, aren’t you?

    At dotsure.co.za we value our clients and we value their time (sure you might have your doubts after that article) BUT with dotsure.co.za’s Licence Protect you don’t have to stand in long que’s at the post office or licencing department ever again! We sort out your vehicle licence renewals and even drivers licence renewals and post it to your door step! Now you’re impressed right?!

    Get a quote with dotsure.co.za, join our family and enjoy these great benefits!

    And there you have it folks! We hope you TREAT your friends to these awesome facts! Safe travels!

  • HOW TO REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY SAFELY

    HOW TO REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY SAFELY

     

    Be their voice

    As a society we have a collective responsibility to protect our pets against cruelty. Don’t turn a blind eye to animal abuse, use your voice to stand for every pet in need. Report animal cruelty to your local SPCA. Include as much detail as you can possibly give the inspectors (including physical evidence of the neglect or abuse in the form of photos where possible). Report animal cruelty via telephone to your nearest SPCA. click here for a list of phone numbers of your nearest SPCA

    Or

    The Animal Anti-Cruelty League (AACL), which has been protecting and caring for animals since 1956, is another channel you can use to report animal cruelty. They are the second largest independent Animal Welfare Organization in South Africa and get involved with all aspects of animal welfare. They provide shelter for abandoned animals, promote an efficient adoption programme, prosecute animal cruelty cases, run welfare hospitals for lower income groups, visit underprivileged areas with fully equipped mobile clinics and regularly address schools and clubs on the challenges of animal welfare.

    To report animal cruelty to the AACL, you can simply click here: http://www.aacl.co.za/report-animal-cruelty/ or alternatively phone them on 011 435 0672.

    What happens after your report?

    A trained inspector will visit the scene and investigate the complaint or report. Should it be found that there is a case of animal neglect or abuse, the owner will be issued with a warming to take corrective action. This will be followed-up with a second visit to check on the animal’s welfare. Within the parameters of the Animals Protection Act, no 71 of 1962, no animals may be confiscated without a warrant obtained from a magistrate. Should it be found that an animal is outright being abused or wilfully neglected, the inspector will instigate criminal charges against the owner.

    We can make the world a safer place for animals, by coming together to combat cruelty against animals!

     

    You have the power to protect vulnerable animals from abusive parents, but you also have the power to protect your own fur baby from illness and accidental injury. Don’t deny your fur-ball the veterinary care they deserve. Get a dotsure.co.za Pet Insurance quote today. Premiums starting from as little as R82p/m.*

    * T&Cs and possible exclusions may apply and can be obtained by emailing [email protected]. Risk profile and policy dependent. Limits and prices displayed applicable as at date of publishing and may be subject to change.