So now there is this big wow about Picasso and Africa, an exhibition of Picasso’s work that Standard Bank has done rather well to bring to some of South Africa’s galleries. Many people have asked me if I have been and my answer had always been nooit, not of much interest to me really. But yesterday I got a kind invitation to attend with the bank and some clients and I thought, home alone watching tv or catch a rare cultural experience…opted for the latter and donned my work kit and off I went. We were ushered around his works by a lady who confidently spoke about the works of Picasso. All good and well, BUT where was she or any one else when he was painting or sculpting his work. Call me ignorant, which I will openly accept on this subject matter, but I cant believe that when Picasso was painting/sculpting he told people I am doing this because of that and this is the emotion I am experiencing hence why I have expressed my artwork as follows…She then went on to say that his work is not abstract, now if any of you have gone to see his work, there is a rather messy, but ‘artistic’ painting that he completed in a day, I have zero idea what to make of it, its not a man, its not a woman, its not a car, a house, a dog, mountain, I cant make heads or tails of it, now u tell me that is not abstract?!!! Someone paid $98mil for some of his work, I aint so sure about that, but as the saying goes to each their own. Some of his work is pretty schweet, but sheesh boss, there is this pencil drawing of an antelope and another which is supposed to be a woman I think, made up of lines and circles in yellow, red etc, boss it’s the kinda shaite that I did in sub B, std 1 and other than my folks telling me wow, aint nobody put that shaite in no art gallery, sheeee I coulda been rolling in the moola!!

Moving swiftly along. So I come back from leave last week and I am going through my inbox and I get an email from my boy JC all the way out in Munich. 2 fantastic email topics. I really hope it sparks much debate. All credit must go to JC though cos he droped me a great email with plenty ideas and questions. Thanks boss.

I actually started doing some research on this and decided to can it and write off the cuff using Johns email as guidance.

There is this guy of slight build, a few blocks from his house lives this brut, Biff, who sees himself as the guardian of the neighbourhood, Biff goes to gym everyday and always carries nunchucks in his back pocket. He claims they are merely for defence, even though everyone who lives in the hood has known of times where even though he didn't use his nunchucks, he has been known to display excessive force on his neighbours’ when he feels the need, even when the cops tell him that he shouldn't, but the cops turn a blind eye anyway. Now when his neighbours, decide to use their own cash to get a personal trainer and hit the gym twice a day, 6 times a week (cos you need rest otherwise u get muscle fatigue, so they say) and they decide to get some nunchucks too, basically so that they can keep their body and mind in check and also possibly to defend themselves just incase biff dude decides to slap them around a bit, biff says guys if i see you going to the gym i will beat u, not only that i will not rule out using my nunchucks neither!

Questions in my mind firstly are:
1) Who died and made Biff king of the castle?
2) What gives biff the right to be able to get to a level where he can protect himself and others cant?
3) If I live in a hood, who must i answer to, Biff, the cops, noone?
4) If i want to go to gym for health's sake or for defence sake, who should stop me?

Think about your answers to those questions and apply them to this that i write below

The oil price is pumping at the moment i know cos our fuel price is going up again next week, i think it just went up by some ridiculous amount a few days/weeks ago, its insane, commuters are going to get it, store owners are going to see it as a gap to increase food prices, inflation, interest rates, eish!! But thats not what i am on about. The latest surge in oil prices, post Katrina, came about roughly the same time as Iran stepped to the plate and made it known to the world that it is in the process of enhancing its nuclear capabilities.

Now lets see, Iran is a relatively small country (in comparison to the US). It is known to have vast oil reserves. It has not in anyway vocally or directly threatened any other country in the world. What it has done is it has played its cards upfront, as have South Korea (I think it was), and have said we are developing our nuclear capabilities our intentions are not to harm the world but to enhance the lives of our citizens. My thoughts are well good for you! The US says uh huh, bad boy! You cant be developing any nuclear capabilities, only we can!

Recent history has shown the whole world that the US does not really behave in an altogether honest and above board manner when it comes to ‘defending the world’. If one had to sit and really think about it, what were they doing in Afghanistan? Delivering the Afghanistan people from the human rights atrocities that were being committed against them, well I know at least 2 countries on this continent where it has been reported that such atrocities are being committed, Sudan and Zim come to mind, but I don’t see any GI Joes rolling in there at pace. Lets be honest, cos there is no upside for the US to invade those countries and ‘liberate’ them.

I don’t trust the current US government at all, I think its intentions are purely selfish. They have a nuclear arsenal and they claim its for defence, Russia also have one if I am not mistaken and that is also claimed to be for defence, every country that has a nuclear arsenal claims its for defence, and just as I have the right to defend myself and my home, just like a bank hires armed guards to protect its cash, I feel that every country in the world has the right to defend itself against intruders, particularly if I have large oil reserves that may be tempting for some other country to invade me for. Who in this world has the right to tell me that I can not develop a nuclear arsenal to defend my land and its people? And who are you to tell me that because of my past or the people I govern, my intentions are not as I say.

Is it cos I is Muslim? That’s honestly the only explanation I can come up with and if that’s it then all I can say is that’s Bull s**t! Just as you and you people have the right to live as you please, who are you to come into my land which is believed to have been amongst the first regions in the world to show signs of the earliest forms of civilisation on earth (even before Mesopotamia) and tell me I must live like you? Perhaps it’s the fears that the weapons may fall in the hands of terrorists?
I have just past my 2 page limit, still have plenty to say, but I must stop there, I think I have planted many seeds I hope, hopefully we can get some debate out from this. www.mondaymail.blogspot.com or just mail me.

That’s me for this week

Birthdays
5th Nana and Peace
6th Taz
7th Shakira
9th Nana S
10th Adjoa
11th Liezl
12th Dearest mother
13th Mel and Andrew

Busy month this, anyway that’s me for this week hope this mail finds you all well. Take care and have a great weekend.

Respect

Y