What? Did I hear a welcome back? Well why thank you! I trust you all have been well in the last 5 or so weeks I have been away. Clearly it seems I need to be helluva busy before I can find time to write this blog ey?! Anyway howzit
Been a pretty exciting and interesting few months I tell you. I think the last time we spoke I was well on my way to being Mr. Zen and letting go of an issue that was kinda weighing on my mind. So I did, well you don’t totally let go, but it is 92.6% gone. Just some context which will hopefully illustrate fully the essence of this part of the mail. So last july I had a divorce with my ex colleague/partner person, wasn’t messy at all, just things weren’t going as we had agreed so it was best for all if we parted company, but post that it got a tad bit messy regarding cash etc. etc. not meant to be slander, cos if u know him best u go get his side of the story man, but anyway I was also pretty pissed with myself cos I made some pretty random judgement calls, btu you live and you learn not so?
Anyway so in as much as I was out there trying to make things happen for myself, there was always this dark little corner, minute little darkness that used to overshadow the light when tweaked in the slightest and I mean slightest…but anyway so i said poke it, not because I am a bigger man or that I am righteous, but because my sanity wasn’t worth financial statements or a couple of bucks. Now let me tell you what, and I aint no Pastor Ray coming out here to testify, but not a word of a lie, 3 weeks post that decision, I got 4 calls to come to some work which allowed me to apply the knowledge that I acquired through ere 12 years of study and work and on top of that earned me a decent amount of money. The most insane part of that as well is that I was fortunate enough to not only be a beneficiary of a ridiculously generous gift of a trip to Canada, but I was also given ‘work’ (work which could well have been done by this person) that paid me enough so I could go and spend without feeling too guilty and concerned about my budget ☺. What did I have to do? Chaperone 25 kids from Jozi to Toronto and bring them back. Would you do it if you could?!!
Now I aint saying this for applause, I’ve got a story to tell you (Bernie Mac, rest his soul). Watching these kids do their thing is amazing. They are damn good at what they do www.smyle.co.za if you want to see what they are about. There is this little girl, Arabella, 10 years old she is, talented, smart and attitude to boosThese kids are absolute rockstars for 3 weeks. I went to one of their performances at a school and the kids at the school absolutely loved them, shoot they could write a book similar to Gibbs’ after this trip I’m sure, ok it wasn’t that kind of party, but if they were older, it could have been ☺. Anyway back to my story. So anyway, we land, make our way to an area called Cambridge where we are staying, in the Kitchener/Waterloo region, and the kids are asked to write in their journals about their thoughts about leaving home, their plane ride and their first impressions of Canada etc. For many of them it was their first time out of Johannesburg, let alone being on an aeroplane. This one guy, he is physically disabled, George…so what does George write? The first thing I noticed is that there aren’t any shacks here and there is lots of water and you don’t have to go far for it, for us when you see lots of water, there is sometimes also a dead dog in it.
How grounding and recalibrating was that? This guy, physically disabled, but he in my mind was the hardest worker in the band when it comes to carrying stuff and doing his fair share. Kids had to lug around some hand luggage, he always had 2 items whilst the others had like one or whatever. I would never have written that as my first impression of a place, mine would have been like the big cars, pretty girls, driving on the wrong side of the road. I was like woow. Sat back and I smiled and learnt so much. No matter how poked you may think you are, man life really ain’t that bad, thanks for that lesson George. Another major lesson learnt focus on positives in life and you will be surprised what the outcome is!! IF there is that thing that is weighing on you and you and its not in a positive way…park it man and drive past it, you will be surprised what the road ahead has instore!
But that’s not my email, just a little intro. Whilst I was away, I was listening to a show on the radio, cant remember what its called but it was really about how women are more and more being seen as sexual objects by men. The reason she stated for this was the p 0rn industry and its ‘acceptability’ in todays world.
Very interesting discussion it was, but it got me thinking…I think she may have a point to a degree. I remember when we were younger, when guys used to watch or read pornographic material it was a proper covert operation…I heard ☺ guys would make sure that the one persons parents are far away from home and knew what time they would be back before the vhs was inserted into the video machine, oh and let the parents come home and the video get tangled when the eject button was pressed…beads of sweat pouring out the pores, like blood from an open wound…I heard. They also say that when magazines were drooled over they were placed inside another ordinary looking book to disguise it. Now what do we do? The ish is everywhere. On the net, type the word and it comes at you from all angles a lot of the sites are free some have to be paid for but more than enough of these sites have free content, and that links you to even more sites with more content. And the content is just OTT, a lot it frankly is debasing women but they seem to like it.
So now we roll on from the film and smut and we come to the world beyond media. I look around me, TV programs like Entourage, which I love by the way, billboards, half time performances at sporting events, just scantily clad lasses being used to sell and promote things, then we ask ourselves why women are so disrespectfully treated. Why is it that in different pockets that I roll in, the topic of conversation that seems to flow is about how many ladies were ‘done’ and what these women wanted or allowed to be done to them. Now I am not saying that all guys are saying/doing this no no not at all, but its quite prevalent in older circles, now imagine the younger ones who don’t seem to have the same I suppose ‘grounding’ that our generation did, the same I guess shame or shyness when it comes to like older people walking in on their viewing of explicit material.
I ask you this though, has the nature of our relationship, the way we interact with each other or maybe the essence of our interaction, become largely influence by popular culture, things we witness? In a huge way I believe it has been, when I was younger puma wasn’t a brand for me, yes they have changed their image a wee bit, but now all of a sardine its cool again. Apple computers etc…I mean what the f… but now I have a Mac and n iPod and if my BB wasn’t the business, I’d have an iPhone too, wear polo, Levis and drive a Mercedes… Yes time are a-changing but I am not convinced that allowing anyone to access p0 rnographic material on the net, just by clicking the box next to “I am older than 18years” (apparently ;)) is the way forward. Yes parents have a role to play, but how can they when they are chasing the cheese to pay for private school because the education systems in a lot of public schools are not up to scratch…
In society today, we find lots of people males and females, and I guess I am generalizing, but man how many people do you know of who take their marriages or relationships lightly? Guys who are married who philander, my wife is a good woman, the mother of my children, she is good to me and the kids, but this one, she is just my play thing?!! And how many women actually allow this hoping what? Is this the new age, is this us going back to our animal ways? Are we as humans no better than animals and we were fooling ourselves into believing we are meant to be with one partner for eternity? Or have we as man lost our way and this whole thing about bigger, better, faster, more, now, taken over and there is not a damn thing we can…wait correction…willing to do about it?
So what if 12 year olds are having se x instead of irritating girls by snapping their bras, and riding skateboards and bicycles and falling down and getting hurt only to go home and get an uppercut from mommy cos you ripped your new shirt? Climbing trees and making dirt tracks for toy cars, hey what does it matter if Little Jamie is smoking cigarettes with his boys after class? What does it matter right because I am making plenty money and I can pay for the best schooling, nannies the works, I don’t need to be there, kids are taken care of, I just made them, I don’t have to really be a part of their lives anymore, they have playstation…
A blow in the bathroom, a threesome with 2 randoms, different girl every week?? Is that right? I guess so because he allows her, she allows him but is it really ok?
Yes I am being facetious, you know sometimes you get involved and observe and take a step back and think, yes the world is evolving but at what cost? Shoot its fun, its exciting…but and then? But maybe that’s good enough? Is it?
I don’t know the answers? Maybe you do.
Birthdays
I know I missed 2 pages of birthdays in the since the 19th Sept and happy birthday to you all hope you all had a wikkid birthday. This weeks bdays are:
1st Nov Zara, Isabel V
2nd Isabel G and Ez,
4th Tanya M, Shashi
6th Adoma, Lesley, Patience Andy
On that note I am out, have a great weekend all and hopefully catch up again next week ☺
Maximum respect to you all and my bad for being off circuit for a while hope this read was worth it
Beeg love,
Y
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Little lessons in life
After being sheltered from it for so long since the advent of internet banking and telephones, oh yes and paying other people to do it for you, I was once again re-introduced to the exciting world of bureaucracy and public service employees….oh my maimed and shattered nerves!! I stand back and shake my head. Something sooo simple can be made to look soooo complex and intricate, but ey I guess it is what it is not so?!
A brief background, my friend Michael has a group immensely talented kids that he sort of manages and gets gigs for them, the hope of these kids is to I guess get some basic discipline in them, expose them to life beyond Dobsonville where many of them hail from but all currently live and also to try and raise funding for them so they can further their education or get some sort of a chance in life. For example one of the lasses who is part of the band got a scholarship to study BComm, from a Canadian lady who was exposed to her and the band. Now this is Michaels project, but he asked me to be a trustee which I accepted, but I must say up until this year, errr a couple of weeks ago ;), just before the world cup, I was one in name only and attending meetings and throwing in my 2 cents here and there... Anyway so a few weeks ago Mike asked me to accompany him and the kids to Canada cos he will need some assistance, I was like errrrr ok…easy part done.
Ok so now we can carry on. So many lessons of humility, patience and gratitude were definitely learnt. So it started on Sunday, when we got all the parents of the kids to come and firstly listen to their kids perform and help fill out the visa applications and permission forms for their kids. Its in times like this and occasions like that, that highlight how fortunate we are regarding education and how we should never ever ever take for granted the little things that we have in life. For you and I, reading and filling out what seems to be the simplest form is like second nature, but that’s because we have been exposed to such things. But it actually isn’t that easy. I guess like most things, practice makes perfect. 25 kids parents later…This was definitely an exercise of gratitude, humility and patience. I know it sounds helluva dramatic, but in all sincere honesty, and not making it a racial thing at all but just stating the facts as they were presented before me. As a man of African decent, yes maybe not born here, but I came here in the early 80s, when I was 7, I have to never ever take for granted the opportunities that I was granted, to attend a superb school, mix with people of all ages from such a young age etc. etc. Its actually how we take the little things for granted, but those things, those are the things that really matter. Anyway so I did what I could and headed off to my folks, you know me and Sunday fufu ☺
Then on Tuesday we, being Jabu, the young leader of the group who really does all the admin, and who helped me sort out all the applications, invitation letters etc etc…so off we went to the visa place, had to make a stop first so got there at about 9.15. There were a few people in front of us, so we waited for about 20 minutes, got to the front and the lady at the counter looked at us, saw like 26 passports and said no, no no no senior, please go to the other counter, I smiled and then stepped aside. So about 9.40, the lady in the other counter begrudgingly summonsed us over to her. Mind you this place closes at 10am right, her unwillingness to assist us was etched all over her face as bright and as prevalent as a Maori’s tattoos. But anyway she humoured us for a few minutes, went through one or two of the applications and found fault with them. Some of the fault she found was that only the mother and not the father had signed the docs. In there was a NOTARISED letter from the parent stating that the father was never there nor does she know the whereabouts of the father, and/or she has sinced heard that he has died. She still insists he must sign or get a death certificate…she sent us packing till the next day. I tried to tell her that she should start processing the ones that were correct and let me go and work on the ones that weren’t…nah bra, that’s logical AND it would result in work, so lets rather not…her excuse to me is that you guys are a group so we do it all together. I shook my head but what to do. Left the house at 7, it was now about 10.15, and no joy.
So I decided ok let me go to CIPRO seeing as I am there, all I need to do is change the address of my CC and get a CK1 printed and pay my annual fees, how hard could that be…left the bloody place at 14h30, and no they weren’t having a disco there nor were there any attractive lasses that caught my attention…no no noo, just a bunch of people that think that doing their job is doing you a favour…definitely a lesson in patience right there, but at least at the end of that I managed to do what I needed to…but I could have sworn that It should have taken maximum of 30 minutes…but alas. You know how it goes, ask clearly, get sent to a queue, get to the front of the queue, and oops sorry wrong queue you should be at counter 6 etc…
So come Wednesday, brand new day, I leave home pretty early because I’d much rather watch paint dry than sit in my car and watch brake lights in front of me and smell exhaust fumes. I had to make one stop though which delayed me a little. I had a plan when I woke up, I said yesterday you were wound up and the only person who suffered was you, so today we have a whatever attitude, try as best as you can to get it done, if you cant, well it is what it is, cos at the end of the day the source of your angst feels nothing and you are the one in a horrible mood and you take it out on everyone else. Lesson of patience and humility so learnt! So that was it. Got to the embassy, same story queue, sent to the other counter, same woman, same stories, just searching for reasons to say no as opposed to helping me find solutions, knowing very well what the nature of the applicants was…I said to her ma’am I am not here to fight, it’s a cultural experience for these kids, no one gets paid, some of these kids have never left Gauteng let alone smell what an airport looks like, if its only 15 that can go so be it, but just help me and let me know what I need to do, all of a sardine attitude softens…foolish!! Anyway, so she found fault with 11 of them, same stuff and the funiest thing was one of them, they hadn’t put an x next to a question that asks if any of the family members had lived outside SA for more than 6 mths or something like that…anyway, after a little over an hr we were done and she said I should wait she has to go speak to her big boss, she came back I was prepared for anything, anyway she said I have news for you, I said you wont accept these 11, no worries, I’ll go tell them, no we taking them all, we will find a way to make it work. Go to the ABSA and get the cheque for the Visa forms, this was way after 10, she said don’t worry, I will tell the guards to let you in. Lesson, my attitude change, her attitude change.
So now off to the bank I go. My mind is made up that I am going to ABSA, the lady mentioned ABSA, the guards told me ABSA so I was going to ABSA. Just as I got to the mall I saw the good old big blue and it called me, something just called me to go there, and so I did. Whilst waiting in the queue, there was a gentleman in the front of the queue, as his turn came, he got asked to wait because someone else from the side was there before him, just had to go back, he smiled and returned to the queue, the other queue became open, no lies as he got there some other person came from leftfield, he returned to the queue and smiled, I passed a random comment to which he responded, boss its life, what are my options, I can get angry and raise my blood pressure (whilst the person behind the counter just carries on with life) or I can smile and just accept it and wait..i choose the latter because when it matters, I wont be judged on what he did to me, but how I reacted or related to him….deep. We engaged in a conversation but then his time came and so too mine, but I said I wanted to hear more, cos he looked and felt like an enlightened fellow.
Anyway so I went in paid for my cheque and got sent outside to wait for it. Fortunately the man was there waiting for me. We carried on the conversation and he reminded me of this life we lead. We oscillate between being worldly and trying to follow a principled life and how as life evolves we are so stuck in the instant gratification of materialism that we forget about being humans and doing the basic things, like respecting one another and being civil etc. It was such a deep conversation, one I would never have expected to have in a bank nogal, but, definitely one of those thank you God moments, when you realize that this life is good to you if you take the time to slow down and let it be. He wrote down a few things for me that I would like to share with you and here they are:
If you focus on the hereafter and life beyond yourself:
• You will be made magnanimous…an open giver;
• Difficult things will be made easy;
• The world will be forced to your feet
On the other hand if you work for the world and all its possessions:
• You will always be in want;
• Easy things will be made difficult
• You will get what is destined for you
Pretty deep I say, such an impact it had on me ☺
Birthdays
12th Bobz
13th Inge, Maud
14th Wardie, Coach, Will, Anoka
15th Goochie
16th Jedd, Maskew
18th Thulz, Chetan, Violet, Tahir
javascript:void(0)
Eid Mubarak and shana tova umetukah to my peoplz
Y
Mad respect always!!
A brief background, my friend Michael has a group immensely talented kids that he sort of manages and gets gigs for them, the hope of these kids is to I guess get some basic discipline in them, expose them to life beyond Dobsonville where many of them hail from but all currently live and also to try and raise funding for them so they can further their education or get some sort of a chance in life. For example one of the lasses who is part of the band got a scholarship to study BComm, from a Canadian lady who was exposed to her and the band. Now this is Michaels project, but he asked me to be a trustee which I accepted, but I must say up until this year, errr a couple of weeks ago ;), just before the world cup, I was one in name only and attending meetings and throwing in my 2 cents here and there... Anyway so a few weeks ago Mike asked me to accompany him and the kids to Canada cos he will need some assistance, I was like errrrr ok…easy part done.
Ok so now we can carry on. So many lessons of humility, patience and gratitude were definitely learnt. So it started on Sunday, when we got all the parents of the kids to come and firstly listen to their kids perform and help fill out the visa applications and permission forms for their kids. Its in times like this and occasions like that, that highlight how fortunate we are regarding education and how we should never ever ever take for granted the little things that we have in life. For you and I, reading and filling out what seems to be the simplest form is like second nature, but that’s because we have been exposed to such things. But it actually isn’t that easy. I guess like most things, practice makes perfect. 25 kids parents later…This was definitely an exercise of gratitude, humility and patience. I know it sounds helluva dramatic, but in all sincere honesty, and not making it a racial thing at all but just stating the facts as they were presented before me. As a man of African decent, yes maybe not born here, but I came here in the early 80s, when I was 7, I have to never ever take for granted the opportunities that I was granted, to attend a superb school, mix with people of all ages from such a young age etc. etc. Its actually how we take the little things for granted, but those things, those are the things that really matter. Anyway so I did what I could and headed off to my folks, you know me and Sunday fufu ☺
Then on Tuesday we, being Jabu, the young leader of the group who really does all the admin, and who helped me sort out all the applications, invitation letters etc etc…so off we went to the visa place, had to make a stop first so got there at about 9.15. There were a few people in front of us, so we waited for about 20 minutes, got to the front and the lady at the counter looked at us, saw like 26 passports and said no, no no no senior, please go to the other counter, I smiled and then stepped aside. So about 9.40, the lady in the other counter begrudgingly summonsed us over to her. Mind you this place closes at 10am right, her unwillingness to assist us was etched all over her face as bright and as prevalent as a Maori’s tattoos. But anyway she humoured us for a few minutes, went through one or two of the applications and found fault with them. Some of the fault she found was that only the mother and not the father had signed the docs. In there was a NOTARISED letter from the parent stating that the father was never there nor does she know the whereabouts of the father, and/or she has sinced heard that he has died. She still insists he must sign or get a death certificate…she sent us packing till the next day. I tried to tell her that she should start processing the ones that were correct and let me go and work on the ones that weren’t…nah bra, that’s logical AND it would result in work, so lets rather not…her excuse to me is that you guys are a group so we do it all together. I shook my head but what to do. Left the house at 7, it was now about 10.15, and no joy.
So I decided ok let me go to CIPRO seeing as I am there, all I need to do is change the address of my CC and get a CK1 printed and pay my annual fees, how hard could that be…left the bloody place at 14h30, and no they weren’t having a disco there nor were there any attractive lasses that caught my attention…no no noo, just a bunch of people that think that doing their job is doing you a favour…definitely a lesson in patience right there, but at least at the end of that I managed to do what I needed to…but I could have sworn that It should have taken maximum of 30 minutes…but alas. You know how it goes, ask clearly, get sent to a queue, get to the front of the queue, and oops sorry wrong queue you should be at counter 6 etc…
So come Wednesday, brand new day, I leave home pretty early because I’d much rather watch paint dry than sit in my car and watch brake lights in front of me and smell exhaust fumes. I had to make one stop though which delayed me a little. I had a plan when I woke up, I said yesterday you were wound up and the only person who suffered was you, so today we have a whatever attitude, try as best as you can to get it done, if you cant, well it is what it is, cos at the end of the day the source of your angst feels nothing and you are the one in a horrible mood and you take it out on everyone else. Lesson of patience and humility so learnt! So that was it. Got to the embassy, same story queue, sent to the other counter, same woman, same stories, just searching for reasons to say no as opposed to helping me find solutions, knowing very well what the nature of the applicants was…I said to her ma’am I am not here to fight, it’s a cultural experience for these kids, no one gets paid, some of these kids have never left Gauteng let alone smell what an airport looks like, if its only 15 that can go so be it, but just help me and let me know what I need to do, all of a sardine attitude softens…foolish!! Anyway, so she found fault with 11 of them, same stuff and the funiest thing was one of them, they hadn’t put an x next to a question that asks if any of the family members had lived outside SA for more than 6 mths or something like that…anyway, after a little over an hr we were done and she said I should wait she has to go speak to her big boss, she came back I was prepared for anything, anyway she said I have news for you, I said you wont accept these 11, no worries, I’ll go tell them, no we taking them all, we will find a way to make it work. Go to the ABSA and get the cheque for the Visa forms, this was way after 10, she said don’t worry, I will tell the guards to let you in. Lesson, my attitude change, her attitude change.
So now off to the bank I go. My mind is made up that I am going to ABSA, the lady mentioned ABSA, the guards told me ABSA so I was going to ABSA. Just as I got to the mall I saw the good old big blue and it called me, something just called me to go there, and so I did. Whilst waiting in the queue, there was a gentleman in the front of the queue, as his turn came, he got asked to wait because someone else from the side was there before him, just had to go back, he smiled and returned to the queue, the other queue became open, no lies as he got there some other person came from leftfield, he returned to the queue and smiled, I passed a random comment to which he responded, boss its life, what are my options, I can get angry and raise my blood pressure (whilst the person behind the counter just carries on with life) or I can smile and just accept it and wait..i choose the latter because when it matters, I wont be judged on what he did to me, but how I reacted or related to him….deep. We engaged in a conversation but then his time came and so too mine, but I said I wanted to hear more, cos he looked and felt like an enlightened fellow.
Anyway so I went in paid for my cheque and got sent outside to wait for it. Fortunately the man was there waiting for me. We carried on the conversation and he reminded me of this life we lead. We oscillate between being worldly and trying to follow a principled life and how as life evolves we are so stuck in the instant gratification of materialism that we forget about being humans and doing the basic things, like respecting one another and being civil etc. It was such a deep conversation, one I would never have expected to have in a bank nogal, but, definitely one of those thank you God moments, when you realize that this life is good to you if you take the time to slow down and let it be. He wrote down a few things for me that I would like to share with you and here they are:
If you focus on the hereafter and life beyond yourself:
• You will be made magnanimous…an open giver;
• Difficult things will be made easy;
• The world will be forced to your feet
On the other hand if you work for the world and all its possessions:
• You will always be in want;
• Easy things will be made difficult
• You will get what is destined for you
Pretty deep I say, such an impact it had on me ☺
Birthdays
12th Bobz
13th Inge, Maud
14th Wardie, Coach, Will, Anoka
15th Goochie
16th Jedd, Maskew
18th Thulz, Chetan, Violet, Tahir
javascript:void(0)
Eid Mubarak and shana tova umetukah to my peoplz
Y
Mad respect always!!
Friday, September 03, 2010
All about me
Spring 2010, what a glorious day it was on the Highveld! The only thing that we needed less of up here was that disgusting layer of smog ☺ but alas, we best take the rough with the smooth not so?
A mate of mine usually has movie screenings at Atlas Studios every first Wednesday of the month. I have just come back from his latest screening, which was a documentary titled Driving with Fanon. Its shot in Freetown, Sierra Leone. It tells the tale of the war in Sierra Leone, using extracts of some of the work of philosopher, psychiatrist, revolutionary, Frantz Fanon as a backdrop. It’s a pretty interesting tale but what really got to me was the story it told, the story of the war, the story of normal people who took to arms because they had had it with governments corruption on all levels and apathy, the government’s constant and systematic attack on the media and journalists, the working class’ revolt. The result we all know was a 11 year conflict that saw many people lose their lives, lose their dignity, women raped, humans maimed and brutalized.
Now I am not saying that SA is at that point as a nation but we have a lot worse things going for us. In their situation it was just the haves and the have nots and the have nots getting increasingly disgruntled, throw in a little evil element, add a bit of greed and self purpose and whala, you have some of the most inhumane atrocities ever committed. But this is in my opinion, not just something that could happen over there, it could well easily happen over here too. We have a nation that is sooo racially fueled! We try and “pollyfiller” our societal mistrust behind one flag when it suits us, but As a nation, we don’t trust each other on the whole. We are just so violent and self serving. We have a case of someone beating another to death with his bare hands. Even though the course of events is not known many people will take sides based on race.
These last few weeks in South Africa have just highlighted how deep rooted and diverse our mistrust of each other is. The unions are striking and to be honest I believe there is more to it than just an extra 1% and R200 more on a housing subsidy. I am not in the shoes of the public servants so forgive me if I may seem to be trivializing the impact these 2 elements will make in their lives, but from where I sit it doesn’t make sense. I particularly snigger at the petrol attendants who want to go on strike…are they on tik? Do they not know that in many countries, the driver gets out of the car, puts in the petrol and pays for it. Their jobs could easily be done away with and then what???
I can’t help but think that there is more to this than just workers getting more money. I hear where they are coming from in light of some of the other things that are happening regarding governments insane expenditure, but I cant help but feel that the unions digging in their heels is a sign of the trade unions trying to show JZ and co who is really in charge. There are reports and rumblings that the youth league, SACP and COSATU are not exactly ecstatic about the goings on in government and the awarding of large contracts to friends and family of the big bosses of this land is driving a chasm between the ruling party and its allies and youth league.
Once again its all about the distrust of each other. How can it be that an alliance formed of 3 different entities can have one entity within it fighting against a system that they are such a big part of
As a firm proponent of true democracy I cannot help but feel disappointed that COPE is in such disarray, because this would have been the most opportune time for them to get their vote gathering campaign on the road, but alas they are fighting each other…I shake my head!!
I read an article on news24 the other day and its so so true and so indicative of where a lot of this country’s (world’s) citizens minds are. The title of the article is “The great SA dream is a nightmare”… http://www.news24.com/Columnists/ChrisMoerdyk/The-great-SA-dream-is-a-nightmare-20100830
All I can say is how true. We have all become so all about meee man. Many of us have felt the brunt of someone else who is all about me. Boyfriend/girlfriend who ventures out of the relationship because its all about what I want. A boss, colleague, business partner who promises much but delivers little, tries to take u for an idiot so they can get ahead, why cos its all about me. The writer makes reference to government, who are all appointed to serve the people yet they need to do it cruising in a BMW or Mercedes Benz, stay in the Michaelangelo, because its all about me and it will make sure I do my job better than if I was driving a 1400 bakkie, yet these self same people expect people to live off R4000 or so a month, live in squalor and take public transport that could be the death of them. A question that one might ask is how effective are a lot of these government officials in positions of power in delivering?
We have public servants striking when people are dying because what I want is more important. Public hospitals like Baragwanath that usually admits thousands of people a day, only admitted a couple of hundred or less last weekend. People are opting to stay home and some are dying, because, well because if they went to the hospitals there is no guarantee that they would be seen to, what a shame!!
Putting forward a protection of information bill because I don’t want you to know how im siphoning money for my personal benefit. Driving down the highway drunk at 150km/hr on my phone because I wanted to have a big party, I have a fast car and I want to get some action tonight, forget you sober person driving at 100km/h, who cares about your life.
The sad thing is that its not just a South African thing. We look at what happened with the financial industry crash a few months ago, just individuals looking out for numero uno.
We look at the US led war to Iraq, what for? 7 years later it ends with no victory, but plenty dead and lots of instability. Yes, one might argue they have the west’s version of democracy but this so called democracy has come at a huge price to the citizens of the land.
We have Michael Schumacher almost running Rubens into the wall, we have Pakistani cricketers throwing games.
Is this stuff normal? Is it just people who haven’t been successful at meaningfully screwing someone over or haven’t yet made their millions that see this as concerning for us as a people?
On the other side of the coin though there are a lot of people that still believe in the human race and are doing their little bit to make sure that we remember what I believe is one of the main reasons we are all on this earth, and that is to make a positive contribution to society. To the men and women out there who in the face of much temptation and provocation turn the other cheek and do the right thing. To those out there who when sitting on a bus and an old lady comes on board, they stand up and give her their seat. To those who help at hospitals when the nurses and doctors are striking. To those who rather take a taxi home when they have been drinking instead of being in a position to pay a bribe. To those who are true to their word…I salute you, and I for one strive to be more like you, especially in a world where its all about me!
Birthdays
22nd Rushda
23rd Jem
26th Gareth, Charl Lombard
29th Francois, Norm, Leila(lynn)
30th Benji
31st Melissa
2nd Gavin
3rd Stu, Wedders, JC
You all take care of yourselves and keep on keeping on. I am a strong believer in the triumph of the human spirit and the best way to make a change is to be that change…Gandhi said it best…be the change you want to see in the world. If you are happy with looting, killing and selfishness, well then you keep on, but if u believe that we can help each other be better people, well it starts with me doesn’t it?
Out of here
Y
A mate of mine usually has movie screenings at Atlas Studios every first Wednesday of the month. I have just come back from his latest screening, which was a documentary titled Driving with Fanon. Its shot in Freetown, Sierra Leone. It tells the tale of the war in Sierra Leone, using extracts of some of the work of philosopher, psychiatrist, revolutionary, Frantz Fanon as a backdrop. It’s a pretty interesting tale but what really got to me was the story it told, the story of the war, the story of normal people who took to arms because they had had it with governments corruption on all levels and apathy, the government’s constant and systematic attack on the media and journalists, the working class’ revolt. The result we all know was a 11 year conflict that saw many people lose their lives, lose their dignity, women raped, humans maimed and brutalized.
Now I am not saying that SA is at that point as a nation but we have a lot worse things going for us. In their situation it was just the haves and the have nots and the have nots getting increasingly disgruntled, throw in a little evil element, add a bit of greed and self purpose and whala, you have some of the most inhumane atrocities ever committed. But this is in my opinion, not just something that could happen over there, it could well easily happen over here too. We have a nation that is sooo racially fueled! We try and “pollyfiller” our societal mistrust behind one flag when it suits us, but As a nation, we don’t trust each other on the whole. We are just so violent and self serving. We have a case of someone beating another to death with his bare hands. Even though the course of events is not known many people will take sides based on race.
These last few weeks in South Africa have just highlighted how deep rooted and diverse our mistrust of each other is. The unions are striking and to be honest I believe there is more to it than just an extra 1% and R200 more on a housing subsidy. I am not in the shoes of the public servants so forgive me if I may seem to be trivializing the impact these 2 elements will make in their lives, but from where I sit it doesn’t make sense. I particularly snigger at the petrol attendants who want to go on strike…are they on tik? Do they not know that in many countries, the driver gets out of the car, puts in the petrol and pays for it. Their jobs could easily be done away with and then what???
I can’t help but think that there is more to this than just workers getting more money. I hear where they are coming from in light of some of the other things that are happening regarding governments insane expenditure, but I cant help but feel that the unions digging in their heels is a sign of the trade unions trying to show JZ and co who is really in charge. There are reports and rumblings that the youth league, SACP and COSATU are not exactly ecstatic about the goings on in government and the awarding of large contracts to friends and family of the big bosses of this land is driving a chasm between the ruling party and its allies and youth league.
Once again its all about the distrust of each other. How can it be that an alliance formed of 3 different entities can have one entity within it fighting against a system that they are such a big part of
As a firm proponent of true democracy I cannot help but feel disappointed that COPE is in such disarray, because this would have been the most opportune time for them to get their vote gathering campaign on the road, but alas they are fighting each other…I shake my head!!
I read an article on news24 the other day and its so so true and so indicative of where a lot of this country’s (world’s) citizens minds are. The title of the article is “The great SA dream is a nightmare”… http://www.news24.com/Columnists/ChrisMoerdyk/The-great-SA-dream-is-a-nightmare-20100830
All I can say is how true. We have all become so all about meee man. Many of us have felt the brunt of someone else who is all about me. Boyfriend/girlfriend who ventures out of the relationship because its all about what I want. A boss, colleague, business partner who promises much but delivers little, tries to take u for an idiot so they can get ahead, why cos its all about me. The writer makes reference to government, who are all appointed to serve the people yet they need to do it cruising in a BMW or Mercedes Benz, stay in the Michaelangelo, because its all about me and it will make sure I do my job better than if I was driving a 1400 bakkie, yet these self same people expect people to live off R4000 or so a month, live in squalor and take public transport that could be the death of them. A question that one might ask is how effective are a lot of these government officials in positions of power in delivering?
We have public servants striking when people are dying because what I want is more important. Public hospitals like Baragwanath that usually admits thousands of people a day, only admitted a couple of hundred or less last weekend. People are opting to stay home and some are dying, because, well because if they went to the hospitals there is no guarantee that they would be seen to, what a shame!!
Putting forward a protection of information bill because I don’t want you to know how im siphoning money for my personal benefit. Driving down the highway drunk at 150km/hr on my phone because I wanted to have a big party, I have a fast car and I want to get some action tonight, forget you sober person driving at 100km/h, who cares about your life.
The sad thing is that its not just a South African thing. We look at what happened with the financial industry crash a few months ago, just individuals looking out for numero uno.
We look at the US led war to Iraq, what for? 7 years later it ends with no victory, but plenty dead and lots of instability. Yes, one might argue they have the west’s version of democracy but this so called democracy has come at a huge price to the citizens of the land.
We have Michael Schumacher almost running Rubens into the wall, we have Pakistani cricketers throwing games.
Is this stuff normal? Is it just people who haven’t been successful at meaningfully screwing someone over or haven’t yet made their millions that see this as concerning for us as a people?
On the other side of the coin though there are a lot of people that still believe in the human race and are doing their little bit to make sure that we remember what I believe is one of the main reasons we are all on this earth, and that is to make a positive contribution to society. To the men and women out there who in the face of much temptation and provocation turn the other cheek and do the right thing. To those out there who when sitting on a bus and an old lady comes on board, they stand up and give her their seat. To those who help at hospitals when the nurses and doctors are striking. To those who rather take a taxi home when they have been drinking instead of being in a position to pay a bribe. To those who are true to their word…I salute you, and I for one strive to be more like you, especially in a world where its all about me!
Birthdays
22nd Rushda
23rd Jem
26th Gareth, Charl Lombard
29th Francois, Norm, Leila(lynn)
30th Benji
31st Melissa
2nd Gavin
3rd Stu, Wedders, JC
You all take care of yourselves and keep on keeping on. I am a strong believer in the triumph of the human spirit and the best way to make a change is to be that change…Gandhi said it best…be the change you want to see in the world. If you are happy with looting, killing and selfishness, well then you keep on, but if u believe that we can help each other be better people, well it starts with me doesn’t it?
Out of here
Y
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Letting go...
This is most probably one of the funniest things ever sent to me…”once upon a time,a prince asked a beautiful princess: "will u marry me?" Princess said: "NO!" and the prince lived happily ever after and rode motorcycles and went fishing and hunting and played golf and dated women half his age and drank beer and scotch and had tons of money in the bank and left the toilet seat up and farted whenever he wanted...The End”
Another super glorious day on the Highveld today and today for a very long time a peace of mind. I’ve been stuck on an issue for a good few months and shaiza you know how an issue can just consume you…bring out the devil? Man that was me. Those who know me, know me to be an easy going easy living kinda guy. But this one guy and some issues just got so under my skin that my mental state would alter. Yesterday was however the turning point.
I had a conversation with a former representative of his and was so enraged post that that I had some pretty nasty thoughts running in my head of how I could make his life uncomfortable even if just for poops and giggles, my mind was racing the blood was boiling so much so that I wasn’t focusing on the road, I got to where I was going but I cant recall how I got there and I wasn’t drinking either ☺. This thing consumed me the whole damn day and ended with me playing one of the cr appiest games of touch known to man, but the a ss holes I played with may well have played a huge part in that though. I went to bed indifferent. Woke up this morning mulling over the issue. Reflected, did my morning readings jumped in the shower and a calm voice came to me and said man, let it go…and it was done, a weight has been lifted. To ensure that I don’t revisit it, I sent an email to the source of my angst saying that I am letting it go and I am also telling you guys as well so if you ever hear me talking about it you tell me to move on. You know how the human mind works, one day its one thing the other it’s the next thing.
I have first hand experience of how you can get consumed by negativity. Better still how when you make an issue of something it affects your functioning. This issue has been going on for about a year or slightly more, became more of an issue near the end of last year. I felt that I was hard done by and I wasn’t able to let it go and it manifested and grew and just morphed into a nasty little cancer that just wouldn’t let me go. But right now as I sit, I feel that I have taken the first positive step and long may it last I pray.
Most humans are pretty emotional beings, I being one such being, some may argue otherwise ☺ but its so easy to believe you have been unfairly or unjustly treated and want to get revenge or justice. But sometimes its really not worth the effort man, if you weigh it all up and you can see this other person is being in your mind a d oos, just because s/he can the option is do you become one too and get into the trenches and fight or just shrug ir off and go look for a more worthy cause to put all your energy into.
I am a strong believer in the universe having a way of placing everything back in equilibrium in some shape or form. I think I may have mentioned this to you before, but when I was younger, I watched an episode of Knight Rider, we used to record them so we had VHS upon VHS of episodes and my fondest one was one called Boca Colibra, there is a part where Eduardo the bad guy throws a boomerang and it comes back to him, he says these words, or something that sounded like these words…life is like a boomerang, what you put out is what you receive.
Trust you me, I aint no martyr, letting go is one of theeee toughest decisions ever, because I was ready to fight, but I’ve got a few positive things going on at the moment and this little issue detracts from all of that…so do a cost benefit analysis…ITS NOT WORTH IT
So if you are where I am…was, focus was…dude/dudette, think about it, is it really worth it? They’ll get their dues…or not, but either way you aren’t stuck in a moment you cant get out of…
Birthdays
8th Nicola, Herusha, Claire
9th Eva
10th Thlaleng, Karim, Milo, William Y
12th Angela, Caroline, Elly
13th Petra, Sharon S
14th That man Degs
17th Betty and Joey
18th Lerato Motsohi
20th Joe
21st Yaz and Fez
Before I bounce though, this public service strike is one thing and in light of government spending on parties and fancy hotels etc, I can understand their grievances, but what I cant for the life of me understand is why beat up people that actually want to carry on working, or worse still blockade hospitals so that doctors cant get in. In this country, jobs are few and workers aplenty. Now im not saying that is an excuse to be paying them poorly, but I do however think for example some of the teachers are toilet. Some of the kids were being interviewed on radio and TV and the standard of their language is poor at best. I say pay the good teachers, cull/train the weak ones. But this business of violence and restriction of movement of those that want to work is not on!
Im out of here, enjoy whats left of the rest of your weeks
Respect always man
Y
Another super glorious day on the Highveld today and today for a very long time a peace of mind. I’ve been stuck on an issue for a good few months and shaiza you know how an issue can just consume you…bring out the devil? Man that was me. Those who know me, know me to be an easy going easy living kinda guy. But this one guy and some issues just got so under my skin that my mental state would alter. Yesterday was however the turning point.
I had a conversation with a former representative of his and was so enraged post that that I had some pretty nasty thoughts running in my head of how I could make his life uncomfortable even if just for poops and giggles, my mind was racing the blood was boiling so much so that I wasn’t focusing on the road, I got to where I was going but I cant recall how I got there and I wasn’t drinking either ☺. This thing consumed me the whole damn day and ended with me playing one of the cr appiest games of touch known to man, but the a ss holes I played with may well have played a huge part in that though. I went to bed indifferent. Woke up this morning mulling over the issue. Reflected, did my morning readings jumped in the shower and a calm voice came to me and said man, let it go…and it was done, a weight has been lifted. To ensure that I don’t revisit it, I sent an email to the source of my angst saying that I am letting it go and I am also telling you guys as well so if you ever hear me talking about it you tell me to move on. You know how the human mind works, one day its one thing the other it’s the next thing.
I have first hand experience of how you can get consumed by negativity. Better still how when you make an issue of something it affects your functioning. This issue has been going on for about a year or slightly more, became more of an issue near the end of last year. I felt that I was hard done by and I wasn’t able to let it go and it manifested and grew and just morphed into a nasty little cancer that just wouldn’t let me go. But right now as I sit, I feel that I have taken the first positive step and long may it last I pray.
Most humans are pretty emotional beings, I being one such being, some may argue otherwise ☺ but its so easy to believe you have been unfairly or unjustly treated and want to get revenge or justice. But sometimes its really not worth the effort man, if you weigh it all up and you can see this other person is being in your mind a d oos, just because s/he can the option is do you become one too and get into the trenches and fight or just shrug ir off and go look for a more worthy cause to put all your energy into.
I am a strong believer in the universe having a way of placing everything back in equilibrium in some shape or form. I think I may have mentioned this to you before, but when I was younger, I watched an episode of Knight Rider, we used to record them so we had VHS upon VHS of episodes and my fondest one was one called Boca Colibra, there is a part where Eduardo the bad guy throws a boomerang and it comes back to him, he says these words, or something that sounded like these words…life is like a boomerang, what you put out is what you receive.
Trust you me, I aint no martyr, letting go is one of theeee toughest decisions ever, because I was ready to fight, but I’ve got a few positive things going on at the moment and this little issue detracts from all of that…so do a cost benefit analysis…ITS NOT WORTH IT
So if you are where I am…was, focus was…dude/dudette, think about it, is it really worth it? They’ll get their dues…or not, but either way you aren’t stuck in a moment you cant get out of…
Birthdays
8th Nicola, Herusha, Claire
9th Eva
10th Thlaleng, Karim, Milo, William Y
12th Angela, Caroline, Elly
13th Petra, Sharon S
14th That man Degs
17th Betty and Joey
18th Lerato Motsohi
20th Joe
21st Yaz and Fez
Before I bounce though, this public service strike is one thing and in light of government spending on parties and fancy hotels etc, I can understand their grievances, but what I cant for the life of me understand is why beat up people that actually want to carry on working, or worse still blockade hospitals so that doctors cant get in. In this country, jobs are few and workers aplenty. Now im not saying that is an excuse to be paying them poorly, but I do however think for example some of the teachers are toilet. Some of the kids were being interviewed on radio and TV and the standard of their language is poor at best. I say pay the good teachers, cull/train the weak ones. But this business of violence and restriction of movement of those that want to work is not on!
Im out of here, enjoy whats left of the rest of your weeks
Respect always man
Y
Proposed 'media gag in South Africa'
Man how I wish Philip was still here. Not even a month yet and there is so much drama being reported which isn’t the refs getting it wrong or Suarez doing what he had to or the Dutch trying to kill the Danish?
But before I go on, let me take the time out to wish all you splendid ladies out there a wikkid womens month. Not cos im trying to suck up cos I don’t have to you all love me anyway, but cos if my dear mother and sisters are anything to go by and what randomness they have to put up with from the likes of me and still remain so strong and focused and still them, well what can I do other than bow my head in admiration. Hope you all enjoy this month….and we will have the other 11….Joookes, but you all know what I mean, nothing but love!
So as I was saying less than a month later and we have the Brett Kebble murder case which is playing out like a Murder She Wrote episode, no wait Series!! Its insane! Then we have tigers breaking loose, imagine if this had happened when the World cup was on, then there is the conclusion of Jackie Selebi’s case, 15 year sentence for the man, but will he actually spend a day in jail? We’ll see. Then the one that has me shaking my head, is this attempted media gag that government is trying to impose.
So this ‘gag’ is taking the form of a Protection to Information Bill that government is trying to pass through. Before we all go on and point fingers at the JZ government, word on the street was it was actually brought up 2 years ago and the powers that be said no thanks and it was squashed and now it seems to be rearing its ugly head again.
In essence what this bill does is it is trying to give the right to a minister if I am not mistaken to grant certain documents classified and if any information concerning such documents the person that brought any such documents to the public domain could be subject to some pretty hectic jail time and fines etc.
The biggest issue with the bill, I understand is that the definitions of what constitutes national interest and national security is very vague and thus the onus of judgment rests solely with the minister or organ of the state that deems this document confidential.
Now I am all for the classification of documents of national security such as army and weapons stuff and presidents movements and security detail and stuff you know the information that if leaked could pose a threat to a nation and its people….but, I want to know if the head of police has just spent R500mil of my money on a new building owned by some cronies, when they have another building costing us R500mil already. I want to know if Julius is involved in tenders that were given to him in a manner that was irregular. I want to know if my minister is spending R10000 a night on a hotel room in a province where he has a state house. You see where I am going with this???
Well damnit I vote for you to be in power not so, so when I exercise my vote, I should have all the information available so I will be able to make an informed decision, not so?
I haven’t read the bill, but just from what I have read about it I would say it would go against the Promotion of Access to Information Act, Act 2 of 2000
Extract from the access to information section states…
32 (1) Everyone has the right of access to:
(a) any information held by the state; and
(b) any information that is held by another person and that is
required for the exercise of any rights.
Need I say more?
The goings ons this last week when the Sunday Times journo was so theatrically arrested is case in point. It really was excessive use of resources and the powers that be making a beeeg storm in a tea cup. To be honest if the man has a crime to answer for let him answer, that’s fine. Even if it wasn’t the case no matter how you look at it, the whole story of 8-10 policemen coming to his place of work to arrest him was a little OTT to put it mildly. Its not like the dude killed someone and is holding 5 people hostage. You want him in for questioning, so come and get him quietly. Now you want to make a scene, what do you think the rest of the community is going to think? Okes aren’t stooped ey, especially after he was the guy who unleashed a damning report splashed all over the front cover of the Sunday Times over the weekend….Think a little please.
We need investigative journalism. The ruling party has itself even admitted that there is corruption etc in its ranks and it needs to be dealt with, so clearly the government and its structures aren’t able to keep a lid on things, so if not them then at least let the generally good investigative journalists do their job, especially if their stories are accurate. I am all for making sure that the journalists are accountable in terms of not inflaming stories or misrepresenting the facts to sell papers. But let them write. We need them to write. I want to vote for a better South Africa. I want to know everything before I put you in power to represent me or maybe I am a naive soul
Birthdays
1st Anna, Cous Doreen
3rd Ruan, Deen
5th Tshego
6th Neven
8th Herusha, Nicola
Heppi long weekend errbadi and wikkid womens day on Monday.
Respect and stay blessed cos you are blessed inspite of your present situation!!
Y
But before I go on, let me take the time out to wish all you splendid ladies out there a wikkid womens month. Not cos im trying to suck up cos I don’t have to you all love me anyway, but cos if my dear mother and sisters are anything to go by and what randomness they have to put up with from the likes of me and still remain so strong and focused and still them, well what can I do other than bow my head in admiration. Hope you all enjoy this month….and we will have the other 11….Joookes, but you all know what I mean, nothing but love!
So as I was saying less than a month later and we have the Brett Kebble murder case which is playing out like a Murder She Wrote episode, no wait Series!! Its insane! Then we have tigers breaking loose, imagine if this had happened when the World cup was on, then there is the conclusion of Jackie Selebi’s case, 15 year sentence for the man, but will he actually spend a day in jail? We’ll see. Then the one that has me shaking my head, is this attempted media gag that government is trying to impose.
So this ‘gag’ is taking the form of a Protection to Information Bill that government is trying to pass through. Before we all go on and point fingers at the JZ government, word on the street was it was actually brought up 2 years ago and the powers that be said no thanks and it was squashed and now it seems to be rearing its ugly head again.
In essence what this bill does is it is trying to give the right to a minister if I am not mistaken to grant certain documents classified and if any information concerning such documents the person that brought any such documents to the public domain could be subject to some pretty hectic jail time and fines etc.
The biggest issue with the bill, I understand is that the definitions of what constitutes national interest and national security is very vague and thus the onus of judgment rests solely with the minister or organ of the state that deems this document confidential.
Now I am all for the classification of documents of national security such as army and weapons stuff and presidents movements and security detail and stuff you know the information that if leaked could pose a threat to a nation and its people….but, I want to know if the head of police has just spent R500mil of my money on a new building owned by some cronies, when they have another building costing us R500mil already. I want to know if Julius is involved in tenders that were given to him in a manner that was irregular. I want to know if my minister is spending R10000 a night on a hotel room in a province where he has a state house. You see where I am going with this???
Well damnit I vote for you to be in power not so, so when I exercise my vote, I should have all the information available so I will be able to make an informed decision, not so?
I haven’t read the bill, but just from what I have read about it I would say it would go against the Promotion of Access to Information Act, Act 2 of 2000
Extract from the access to information section states…
32 (1) Everyone has the right of access to:
(a) any information held by the state; and
(b) any information that is held by another person and that is
required for the exercise of any rights.
Need I say more?
The goings ons this last week when the Sunday Times journo was so theatrically arrested is case in point. It really was excessive use of resources and the powers that be making a beeeg storm in a tea cup. To be honest if the man has a crime to answer for let him answer, that’s fine. Even if it wasn’t the case no matter how you look at it, the whole story of 8-10 policemen coming to his place of work to arrest him was a little OTT to put it mildly. Its not like the dude killed someone and is holding 5 people hostage. You want him in for questioning, so come and get him quietly. Now you want to make a scene, what do you think the rest of the community is going to think? Okes aren’t stooped ey, especially after he was the guy who unleashed a damning report splashed all over the front cover of the Sunday Times over the weekend….Think a little please.
We need investigative journalism. The ruling party has itself even admitted that there is corruption etc in its ranks and it needs to be dealt with, so clearly the government and its structures aren’t able to keep a lid on things, so if not them then at least let the generally good investigative journalists do their job, especially if their stories are accurate. I am all for making sure that the journalists are accountable in terms of not inflaming stories or misrepresenting the facts to sell papers. But let them write. We need them to write. I want to vote for a better South Africa. I want to know everything before I put you in power to represent me or maybe I am a naive soul
Birthdays
1st Anna, Cous Doreen
3rd Ruan, Deen
5th Tshego
6th Neven
8th Herusha, Nicola
Heppi long weekend errbadi and wikkid womens day on Monday.
Respect and stay blessed cos you are blessed inspite of your present situation!!
Y
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Science and religion
Yup 2 weeks of silence, I’m sure you guys enjoyed the break, but its over man. Greetings to you all man, hope that the world’s alright with you. I cant complain too much, everyday is another journey isn’t it?!
Shoo on Monday I had one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had in quite a while. In the morning one of my good friends Phils asked me to come to a church thing with him later that evening, there was this scientist who was going to link together Science and God and Dinosaurs etc. I was like happy days.
Anyway, you can see the guy is as smart as they get, but his articulation ability wasn’t quite up there man. He kept getting excited and leaving stories half told and it was insane but it was still very enlightening. The gist of his talk was that both scientists and Christians are singing from the exact same hymn sheet, we just don’t want to see each other.
Lets start from the beginning, astronomy and physics have shown that the world had a beginning, prior to that there was nothing. In Hebrews 11:3 states, and I quote “ 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
Basically saying the same thing, because what is visible is invisible which in my book means nothing. But I am keen to entertain alternative views.
Ok we move on…right so lets talk about the creation because man its always confused me but when you read it in its simplicity, because then it makes sense, if we try to be clever then we miss each other. Which ties into Genesis which says in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. That’s fantastic. But then we all start getting confused by the fact that the world was made in 6 days and rested on the 7th He rested. So the universe was created in the beginning. Wasn’t on day 1 though, it could well have been millions of years ago…ok so we park that.
There is a whole scientific explanation as to how planets are formed and they are merely filled with gasses and they float around in an elliptical orbit due to the different push and pull effects of nature, it is all quite technical and the explanation of this would elongate my blog unnecessarily ☺. So we accept that the universe was created with the earth, but not as we see it now, just a frozen gaseous ball, floating around without orbit because its star could have exploded or whatever the phenomenon is that sends planets adrift. Which fits in perfectly with Genesis too because it says the earth was without form and empty….
Ok so the earth is drifting along and what would in all probability have been its settling point, well I’m no scientist, but id assume when it was in proximity with the sun pushing and the moon pulling, which would have caused its orbit to be as we now see it.
Ok so we proceed, day 1, planet is now orbiting around the sun and the moon around the earth, so day 1 He says let there be light…note it wasn’t create light,so what could have happened is the earth finding its place between the moon and the sun created the essence of light on the planet, which is still a frozen gaseous mass…the elliptical orbit causes night and day right. But even if there was light the planet was still in a haze, because of the gasses.
Day 2 let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters…so now all this time the earth is thawing right cos of the heat of the sun. now whats the upper waters now, cos we all know the bottom water to be the ocean, well duh the clouds, its still water no?
Day 3 was hectic, cos the waters gathered in one place and dry land appeared, then the next thing was creating plants. So the earth and I think most other planets, when created its just filled with Carbon Dioxide and other gasses, but if I am not mistaken its plenty C02. And what do planets do? They absorb CO2 in the atmosphere not so?
Day 4, well after all or most of the gasses had been absorbed by the plants, there was some clarity and the division of the 2 great lights were made visible as well as the little twinkling stars.
Ok I will stop here with this one and move on to dinosaurs. In Job 40 they describe an animal that could be a dinosaur (or kangaroo) if you are keen read v 15 -24. Ok that said so when did they die out? I don’t know. The way he was leading was that they all died in Noahs flood. Which was plausible. Why? Well if you look at all the archeological findings of dinosaur bones, the largest being in Zhuchen, China, where there are bones of plenty different dinosaurs in close proximity of each other, which means one of 2 things they were either in the same place when they died, or they were swept there. Now you tell me if you are a small little grass eating dino would you be anywhere near a massive carnivorous dino, logic says errr no. So could it be that they could have been swept there by a mass of water…floods of Noahs time perhaps? The only question I had though was as far as I can remember Noah was asked to take a male and female of each kind of animal, so why weren’t dinosaurs included? But then there is also a distinction between clean and unclean animals…
Then there is the case of this Homonid found in the cradle of humankind recently. Right now this Australopithecus sediba as it is now being called was found just outside our front door here, it was a mother and a child. Its form is ape like but not necessarily an ape but not human neither. Ok cool, but it was found with other animals such as aber-toothed cats, mongooses, wild dogs, antelopes and hyenas. Note the others are all in their natural unevolved forms, but we humans evolved from the apes, yet there are still apes around now…
Anyway we will never know all the answers now will we, but its still pretty interesting, I wish the dude had Barak Obama to deliver his presentation for him because then I would have been a little more clearer, but alas…
That’s me for this week.
Birthdays
8th DJ, Nadia
9th Dean
11th Rudi, Santie
12th Cohen, Yao
14th Natasha D
15th Garth, Yashika
19th Raksha
21st Mrs B Mountain
22nd Mish Wats
25th Samir, Elmar
26th Karabo Tshailane, Tanya, Gina Linda
27th Harold Rea, Couts
28th Jele, Folks 37th anniversary
29th Sheya Shipanga, reids
30th ETO Maravs, Lesley,
That’s a wrap folks enjoy the rest of your week
Y
Shoo on Monday I had one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had in quite a while. In the morning one of my good friends Phils asked me to come to a church thing with him later that evening, there was this scientist who was going to link together Science and God and Dinosaurs etc. I was like happy days.
Anyway, you can see the guy is as smart as they get, but his articulation ability wasn’t quite up there man. He kept getting excited and leaving stories half told and it was insane but it was still very enlightening. The gist of his talk was that both scientists and Christians are singing from the exact same hymn sheet, we just don’t want to see each other.
Lets start from the beginning, astronomy and physics have shown that the world had a beginning, prior to that there was nothing. In Hebrews 11:3 states, and I quote “ 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
Basically saying the same thing, because what is visible is invisible which in my book means nothing. But I am keen to entertain alternative views.
Ok we move on…right so lets talk about the creation because man its always confused me but when you read it in its simplicity, because then it makes sense, if we try to be clever then we miss each other. Which ties into Genesis which says in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. That’s fantastic. But then we all start getting confused by the fact that the world was made in 6 days and rested on the 7th He rested. So the universe was created in the beginning. Wasn’t on day 1 though, it could well have been millions of years ago…ok so we park that.
There is a whole scientific explanation as to how planets are formed and they are merely filled with gasses and they float around in an elliptical orbit due to the different push and pull effects of nature, it is all quite technical and the explanation of this would elongate my blog unnecessarily ☺. So we accept that the universe was created with the earth, but not as we see it now, just a frozen gaseous ball, floating around without orbit because its star could have exploded or whatever the phenomenon is that sends planets adrift. Which fits in perfectly with Genesis too because it says the earth was without form and empty….
Ok so the earth is drifting along and what would in all probability have been its settling point, well I’m no scientist, but id assume when it was in proximity with the sun pushing and the moon pulling, which would have caused its orbit to be as we now see it.
Ok so we proceed, day 1, planet is now orbiting around the sun and the moon around the earth, so day 1 He says let there be light…note it wasn’t create light,so what could have happened is the earth finding its place between the moon and the sun created the essence of light on the planet, which is still a frozen gaseous mass…the elliptical orbit causes night and day right. But even if there was light the planet was still in a haze, because of the gasses.
Day 2 let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters…so now all this time the earth is thawing right cos of the heat of the sun. now whats the upper waters now, cos we all know the bottom water to be the ocean, well duh the clouds, its still water no?
Day 3 was hectic, cos the waters gathered in one place and dry land appeared, then the next thing was creating plants. So the earth and I think most other planets, when created its just filled with Carbon Dioxide and other gasses, but if I am not mistaken its plenty C02. And what do planets do? They absorb CO2 in the atmosphere not so?
Day 4, well after all or most of the gasses had been absorbed by the plants, there was some clarity and the division of the 2 great lights were made visible as well as the little twinkling stars.
Ok I will stop here with this one and move on to dinosaurs. In Job 40 they describe an animal that could be a dinosaur (or kangaroo) if you are keen read v 15 -24. Ok that said so when did they die out? I don’t know. The way he was leading was that they all died in Noahs flood. Which was plausible. Why? Well if you look at all the archeological findings of dinosaur bones, the largest being in Zhuchen, China, where there are bones of plenty different dinosaurs in close proximity of each other, which means one of 2 things they were either in the same place when they died, or they were swept there. Now you tell me if you are a small little grass eating dino would you be anywhere near a massive carnivorous dino, logic says errr no. So could it be that they could have been swept there by a mass of water…floods of Noahs time perhaps? The only question I had though was as far as I can remember Noah was asked to take a male and female of each kind of animal, so why weren’t dinosaurs included? But then there is also a distinction between clean and unclean animals…
Then there is the case of this Homonid found in the cradle of humankind recently. Right now this Australopithecus sediba as it is now being called was found just outside our front door here, it was a mother and a child. Its form is ape like but not necessarily an ape but not human neither. Ok cool, but it was found with other animals such as aber-toothed cats, mongooses, wild dogs, antelopes and hyenas. Note the others are all in their natural unevolved forms, but we humans evolved from the apes, yet there are still apes around now…
Anyway we will never know all the answers now will we, but its still pretty interesting, I wish the dude had Barak Obama to deliver his presentation for him because then I would have been a little more clearer, but alas…
That’s me for this week.
Birthdays
8th DJ, Nadia
9th Dean
11th Rudi, Santie
12th Cohen, Yao
14th Natasha D
15th Garth, Yashika
19th Raksha
21st Mrs B Mountain
22nd Mish Wats
25th Samir, Elmar
26th Karabo Tshailane, Tanya, Gina Linda
27th Harold Rea, Couts
28th Jele, Folks 37th anniversary
29th Sheya Shipanga, reids
30th ETO Maravs, Lesley,
That’s a wrap folks enjoy the rest of your week
Y
Monday, July 05, 2010
Soccer World Cup more than just a game?
On Friday night/Saturday morning a whole lot of Ghanaians and Black Star supporters had quotes of Alicia Keys song ‘Sleeping with a Broken Heart’ as their status update…
I am 34 years old and I cant remember one single event that cut me so deep man. I’ve lost 4 world cups with the All Blacks, failed at a few things, but this man, this cut me deep! Someone was trying to tell me its ok they tried, in my head I just wanted to say listen pis s the f**k off right now cos I actually do want to feel like this! Anyway on Saturday afternoon I was over it and back on the road again as the saying goes Cest la vie…
But I did spend the whole morning evaluating why I felt like this. Football isn’t really my sport because I cant handle the random decisions based on how much better a player acts, I cant really understand why a sport refuses to use technology available to it, even tennis does, I cant also understand why that sport allows ‘cheating’ but then again if its allowed, then its not cheating now is it?!!
So all thoughts raced through my head and I got to thinking, to some this may have just been a game, but to many others and me this was about more than football. Really it was. It was the continents time to shine and for most part we have.
We showed the world what we are capable of if we put our minds and our bodies to it. The continent, not just South Africans and Ghanaians were united for a common cause, where else in the world would you see a whole bunch of different countries join forces to support another nation? Nowhere but this lovely continent of ours! You cant imagine how proud I felt on Friday before the game to see the masses and man there were puhlenty of people who turned up in the cold to watch the match at Melrose Arch. The beauty of it all was the diversity of the crowd, not just blacks but it was a licorice allsorts.
What Ghana represented was the fact that a country from proper ‘black Africa’ for a change, weren’t no good, thieves, lazy so ds, no good nig gas, useless Africans who aren’t worthy of jobs, education, dating your sister/brother/child. Just for a few weeks…days…they carried a continents hope and their send off yesterday and its attendance showed this clearly
No offence intended, and if you do decide to take offence I guess you are entitled to, but it also made me feel as if South Africa and South Africans started seeing themselves more as part of the continent. Why do I say this, well many a corporate and indvidual refers to other countries beyond our borders as Africa, and that grates my cheese no end. We are looking for opportunities in Africa, I want to go and take a look at Africa..etc etc, no man, I am looking at mineral deposits in the Congo, Zimbabwe, Nigeria etc. I am looking at expanding into other parts of the continent….
All these good things being said though, the counter to this rang true and loud in my head. Once again we failed as a people to proceed and yet we are ok with it. Yes the handball was blatant but it’s allowed by the current rules of football. The ref red carded him and gave us a penalty. Now instead of my countryman putting the ball down and taking his time to reflect on the magnitude of the moment, I am just speculating based on his persona on the field and in interviews. The thought that ran through his head was its MY time, I’m going to be the guy, im going to be the hero. Typical, stereotyped, African mentality, Idi Amin (Uganda), Mobutu Sese Seko(Zaire), Jean Bedel Bokassa (CAR), Teodoro Obiang (equatorial Guinea), Mangistu Haile Mariam (Ethiopia), Omar Al Bashir (Sudan), Charles Taylor(liberia),Laurent Kabilla (DRC), Robert Mugabe (Zim)… I’m not saying he wanted to miss, because just as shaite as I was feeling on Friday eve/Saturday morning, I can only imagine that he felt 3million times worse, but still man, once again Africans being what the world knows to be African, those guys who seem content with mediocrity. I look at countries like Nigeria and Ivory Coast, before the world cup, they changed their coaches, players, like Eto of Cameroon, were threatening not to come to the world cup, even our 7th team at the world cup France, dominated by players of African decent, now this may be hugely inflammatory, but it is what it seems to be, they imploded and it doesn’t matter if no one says it out loud, many of us are thinking just that.
We are always victims, always something else or somebody else’s fault. Slavery, apartheid, dictators, white bosses don’t give us opportunities, business partners scre wing us, there are remedies and means and ways to change your position, but as a collective rather than individually. Croatians had mad genocide and look at them now, they are blossoming as a country, Jews had the holocaust, but look at them now they run the world basically. But Africa, we are still everyone’s poor little Africans, nah man!
Cameroon and Nigeria should have easily walked out of their groups into the last 16, its not that the other teams were better than them, its more a case of their mentality letting them down. No sportsman goes onto the field wanting to lose, unless you are Hansie and whoever else the bookies get to, but the desire isn’t enough there has to be the attitude the mentality that we are not just doing this for me but for all who went before and will come after, all at home who have placed so much hope in us. Its about pride man the will for my country to succeed. Its evident in ze Germans, the Dutch, even the English, Koreans, Japanese and the Italians, Koreans showed it too, but I felt that ‘gees’ was missin from many of our African sides.
4 weeks ago if someone had told me that the Ghanaian team would have gotten as far as they did, I most probably would have taken it. But then as the tournament wore on, I saw they were capable of greater things. So I readjusted my hopes to semi finals at least. So I am not happy with where they ended. I am not happy with how the rest of the teams fared. Its not like they are not good enough because they are! They make all their European team mates look good when they play together and sometimes even out shine them. In a way, I say bigups to the Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, who has banned his team from participating in any international tournaments for 2 years, a bit harsh I think, because FIFA is also taking a hardline and will ban the youngsters and the women teams too, should they not reconsider and that will be counter productive. But I hail him in that he said this sh it is not good enough! Ghana, had a chance to reach the semi finals. Last kick of the game, it was there on a silver platter but we instead said, oh master boss, please we cant take it, you have it. NO MORE dam nit we are better than that!
Still very proud of the way we hosted the cup, Im proud my country of birth carried the hopes of the continent as far as it did and gave us as much joy as it did and maybe its part of my disappointment in the loss, which was that my little country was on the map, people in South Africa, painting their face red, yellow, green. I cant even try and imagine how much pride the people there were feeling, but if my pride is anything to gauge it to, then they must have been tooo happy ;) but alas…we failed to see it through once again. Maybe im being harsh, maybe its me who had high expectations. I say im glad I have high expectations, because that’s the only way to get to the next level, you can’t accept misfortune and complacency as the norm. You can achieve higher if you desire. I am over hearing shame the poor little Africans tried, a bit of pride. Im over Bob Geldolf, Richard Branson, Bono etc. coming to help the poor little Africans, what about all the high flying African cats who can pop champagne at Moloko or Rehab, why cant we help our own? Bit of pride man and compassion for those around you…
Birthdays
8th July Dinesh Joseph
9th Dean Peters
and that’s a wrap. Have a blessed week
Maximum respect
Y
I am 34 years old and I cant remember one single event that cut me so deep man. I’ve lost 4 world cups with the All Blacks, failed at a few things, but this man, this cut me deep! Someone was trying to tell me its ok they tried, in my head I just wanted to say listen pis s the f**k off right now cos I actually do want to feel like this! Anyway on Saturday afternoon I was over it and back on the road again as the saying goes Cest la vie…
But I did spend the whole morning evaluating why I felt like this. Football isn’t really my sport because I cant handle the random decisions based on how much better a player acts, I cant really understand why a sport refuses to use technology available to it, even tennis does, I cant also understand why that sport allows ‘cheating’ but then again if its allowed, then its not cheating now is it?!!
So all thoughts raced through my head and I got to thinking, to some this may have just been a game, but to many others and me this was about more than football. Really it was. It was the continents time to shine and for most part we have.
We showed the world what we are capable of if we put our minds and our bodies to it. The continent, not just South Africans and Ghanaians were united for a common cause, where else in the world would you see a whole bunch of different countries join forces to support another nation? Nowhere but this lovely continent of ours! You cant imagine how proud I felt on Friday before the game to see the masses and man there were puhlenty of people who turned up in the cold to watch the match at Melrose Arch. The beauty of it all was the diversity of the crowd, not just blacks but it was a licorice allsorts.
What Ghana represented was the fact that a country from proper ‘black Africa’ for a change, weren’t no good, thieves, lazy so ds, no good nig gas, useless Africans who aren’t worthy of jobs, education, dating your sister/brother/child. Just for a few weeks…days…they carried a continents hope and their send off yesterday and its attendance showed this clearly
No offence intended, and if you do decide to take offence I guess you are entitled to, but it also made me feel as if South Africa and South Africans started seeing themselves more as part of the continent. Why do I say this, well many a corporate and indvidual refers to other countries beyond our borders as Africa, and that grates my cheese no end. We are looking for opportunities in Africa, I want to go and take a look at Africa..etc etc, no man, I am looking at mineral deposits in the Congo, Zimbabwe, Nigeria etc. I am looking at expanding into other parts of the continent….
All these good things being said though, the counter to this rang true and loud in my head. Once again we failed as a people to proceed and yet we are ok with it. Yes the handball was blatant but it’s allowed by the current rules of football. The ref red carded him and gave us a penalty. Now instead of my countryman putting the ball down and taking his time to reflect on the magnitude of the moment, I am just speculating based on his persona on the field and in interviews. The thought that ran through his head was its MY time, I’m going to be the guy, im going to be the hero. Typical, stereotyped, African mentality, Idi Amin (Uganda), Mobutu Sese Seko(Zaire), Jean Bedel Bokassa (CAR), Teodoro Obiang (equatorial Guinea), Mangistu Haile Mariam (Ethiopia), Omar Al Bashir (Sudan), Charles Taylor(liberia),Laurent Kabilla (DRC), Robert Mugabe (Zim)… I’m not saying he wanted to miss, because just as shaite as I was feeling on Friday eve/Saturday morning, I can only imagine that he felt 3million times worse, but still man, once again Africans being what the world knows to be African, those guys who seem content with mediocrity. I look at countries like Nigeria and Ivory Coast, before the world cup, they changed their coaches, players, like Eto of Cameroon, were threatening not to come to the world cup, even our 7th team at the world cup France, dominated by players of African decent, now this may be hugely inflammatory, but it is what it seems to be, they imploded and it doesn’t matter if no one says it out loud, many of us are thinking just that.
We are always victims, always something else or somebody else’s fault. Slavery, apartheid, dictators, white bosses don’t give us opportunities, business partners scre wing us, there are remedies and means and ways to change your position, but as a collective rather than individually. Croatians had mad genocide and look at them now, they are blossoming as a country, Jews had the holocaust, but look at them now they run the world basically. But Africa, we are still everyone’s poor little Africans, nah man!
Cameroon and Nigeria should have easily walked out of their groups into the last 16, its not that the other teams were better than them, its more a case of their mentality letting them down. No sportsman goes onto the field wanting to lose, unless you are Hansie and whoever else the bookies get to, but the desire isn’t enough there has to be the attitude the mentality that we are not just doing this for me but for all who went before and will come after, all at home who have placed so much hope in us. Its about pride man the will for my country to succeed. Its evident in ze Germans, the Dutch, even the English, Koreans, Japanese and the Italians, Koreans showed it too, but I felt that ‘gees’ was missin from many of our African sides.
4 weeks ago if someone had told me that the Ghanaian team would have gotten as far as they did, I most probably would have taken it. But then as the tournament wore on, I saw they were capable of greater things. So I readjusted my hopes to semi finals at least. So I am not happy with where they ended. I am not happy with how the rest of the teams fared. Its not like they are not good enough because they are! They make all their European team mates look good when they play together and sometimes even out shine them. In a way, I say bigups to the Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, who has banned his team from participating in any international tournaments for 2 years, a bit harsh I think, because FIFA is also taking a hardline and will ban the youngsters and the women teams too, should they not reconsider and that will be counter productive. But I hail him in that he said this sh it is not good enough! Ghana, had a chance to reach the semi finals. Last kick of the game, it was there on a silver platter but we instead said, oh master boss, please we cant take it, you have it. NO MORE dam nit we are better than that!
Still very proud of the way we hosted the cup, Im proud my country of birth carried the hopes of the continent as far as it did and gave us as much joy as it did and maybe its part of my disappointment in the loss, which was that my little country was on the map, people in South Africa, painting their face red, yellow, green. I cant even try and imagine how much pride the people there were feeling, but if my pride is anything to gauge it to, then they must have been tooo happy ;) but alas…we failed to see it through once again. Maybe im being harsh, maybe its me who had high expectations. I say im glad I have high expectations, because that’s the only way to get to the next level, you can’t accept misfortune and complacency as the norm. You can achieve higher if you desire. I am over hearing shame the poor little Africans tried, a bit of pride. Im over Bob Geldolf, Richard Branson, Bono etc. coming to help the poor little Africans, what about all the high flying African cats who can pop champagne at Moloko or Rehab, why cant we help our own? Bit of pride man and compassion for those around you…
Birthdays
8th July Dinesh Joseph
9th Dean Peters
and that’s a wrap. Have a blessed week
Maximum respect
Y
Friday, July 02, 2010
The absolute top of the morning to you all!! I wasn’t going to write anything this week and then I logged on to read my daily new and then I read the first few lines of the main story which read “We Ghana win it”.
Man I don’t want to jump on the band wagon and pledge my unfailing and unquestionable allegiance to the land of my birth, because in all honesty if I had to decide between my Ghanaian citizenship or my South African one, I’d most probably bin my Ghanaian one. That being said, sheesh, words can not even describe the amount of pride I’m filled with as I lie here and type. Our ‘little’ country, with a football association that isn’t overflowing with resources, I don’t think the players are being paid bonuses or the like and yet the dedication and the will to succeed is there for all to see.
Those 23 players are not only representing Ghana (the name, which by the way means warrior King), but they are representing the whole continent. Country with a population of roughly 24million people of which around 30% live off $1.25 a day, is now on the map man. About 1billion Africans have put their hopes and wishes for success behind this our nation. I know I sound all emo and all but man the last few weeks in this country…on this continent have made me insanely chuffed to be a child of the soil. We have shown the whole world that we can, we are not the bunch of monkeys that they say we are or let us believe we are. Who would ever have thought that a simple activity of kicking a round ball between sticks would do so much to heal a nation, stop wars, reduce crime, give hope to many, even if its for 4 weeks. Julius has kept quiet, JZ isn’t marrying anyone, traffic isn’t an issue, who is Robert Mugabe, elections are going on without much fanfare. Yeah, I know little Busi and her 7 orphaned siblings, still don’t have much food to live on and this will still be the case after the world cup, but for 4 weeks, the continent kind of looks past its problems….
Who needs politicians I ask. All we need is a bunch of footballers and the world would be alright with us. If you, like me have ever doubted the credibility behind the assertion that soccer is the biggest and possibly the most influential game in the world, doubt no more because the last 2 or so weeks have cleared up whatever doubt that may exist in my mind. I have experienced a rugby world cup, which to its credit did wonders for South Africa, South Africans and our humanity in general, the cricket world cup was really a non event, but this my friends, this….wooow!! There is no where else id rather be!
After we (Bafana) lost, there was an email doing the rounds and shaiza I had to take a moment! Here is a transcript of that presentation, even if you have seen it before…
It does not matter that we did not qualify. What matters is our team inspired us all. What matters is they gave us hope. It does not matter that we were alone... because now we are together. What started as a game ... is becoming something more.
What matters is what we are creating ...
... the jobs ...
... the skills ...
... the infrastructure ...
... and our common future. It does not matter that we did not qualify. What matters is that we host the best World Cup ever. What matters is that we host the best World Cup ever. Let’s not stop now. We have opened our hearts to each other ...
... now let’s open them to the world.
* Starting now ...
* choose another country to support
* paint your face for that team
* fill the fan parks
* help a tourist
* say hello to new people
* fly the flags even higher
* and be proud of our country
K e n a k o ! This is our chance. Let’s keep it going.
I know many are all world cup fanfared out, but don’t be man, we have the rest of the year to be bleak, and angry and complain, but for the next week and a bit lets get lost in the silliness that is the first world cup on African soil. Lets not worry about the white elephants that may or may not remain. Lets be chuffed that we did it. Lets be chuffed that as Africans or just people in general there is nothing that is insurmountable if we put our minds to it and work together.
I am such a chuffed Ghanaian South African today…we are ok man, we are ok!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana if u wanna read more about Ghana..
Birthdays
13th Fiifi
16th Abo, Simpiwe
17th Tasneem
18th Satish, Lebo Baloyi, sarah
20th Kgashane, Jake
21st Hamish
22nd Dakes, simone, Zulfiq Isaacs
23rd Pete
24th Gretchen Maree
25th Ofei
27th Gail, Minky, seanie
29th Simone
30th Dineo, Alun
1st Keith Magill
3rd Jen
Respect and have a wikkid weekend…
Y
Man I don’t want to jump on the band wagon and pledge my unfailing and unquestionable allegiance to the land of my birth, because in all honesty if I had to decide between my Ghanaian citizenship or my South African one, I’d most probably bin my Ghanaian one. That being said, sheesh, words can not even describe the amount of pride I’m filled with as I lie here and type. Our ‘little’ country, with a football association that isn’t overflowing with resources, I don’t think the players are being paid bonuses or the like and yet the dedication and the will to succeed is there for all to see.
Those 23 players are not only representing Ghana (the name, which by the way means warrior King), but they are representing the whole continent. Country with a population of roughly 24million people of which around 30% live off $1.25 a day, is now on the map man. About 1billion Africans have put their hopes and wishes for success behind this our nation. I know I sound all emo and all but man the last few weeks in this country…on this continent have made me insanely chuffed to be a child of the soil. We have shown the whole world that we can, we are not the bunch of monkeys that they say we are or let us believe we are. Who would ever have thought that a simple activity of kicking a round ball between sticks would do so much to heal a nation, stop wars, reduce crime, give hope to many, even if its for 4 weeks. Julius has kept quiet, JZ isn’t marrying anyone, traffic isn’t an issue, who is Robert Mugabe, elections are going on without much fanfare. Yeah, I know little Busi and her 7 orphaned siblings, still don’t have much food to live on and this will still be the case after the world cup, but for 4 weeks, the continent kind of looks past its problems….
Who needs politicians I ask. All we need is a bunch of footballers and the world would be alright with us. If you, like me have ever doubted the credibility behind the assertion that soccer is the biggest and possibly the most influential game in the world, doubt no more because the last 2 or so weeks have cleared up whatever doubt that may exist in my mind. I have experienced a rugby world cup, which to its credit did wonders for South Africa, South Africans and our humanity in general, the cricket world cup was really a non event, but this my friends, this….wooow!! There is no where else id rather be!
After we (Bafana) lost, there was an email doing the rounds and shaiza I had to take a moment! Here is a transcript of that presentation, even if you have seen it before…
It does not matter that we did not qualify. What matters is our team inspired us all. What matters is they gave us hope. It does not matter that we were alone... because now we are together. What started as a game ... is becoming something more.
What matters is what we are creating ...
... the jobs ...
... the skills ...
... the infrastructure ...
... and our common future. It does not matter that we did not qualify. What matters is that we host the best World Cup ever. What matters is that we host the best World Cup ever. Let’s not stop now. We have opened our hearts to each other ...
... now let’s open them to the world.
* Starting now ...
* choose another country to support
* paint your face for that team
* fill the fan parks
* help a tourist
* say hello to new people
* fly the flags even higher
* and be proud of our country
K e n a k o ! This is our chance. Let’s keep it going.
I know many are all world cup fanfared out, but don’t be man, we have the rest of the year to be bleak, and angry and complain, but for the next week and a bit lets get lost in the silliness that is the first world cup on African soil. Lets not worry about the white elephants that may or may not remain. Lets be chuffed that we did it. Lets be chuffed that as Africans or just people in general there is nothing that is insurmountable if we put our minds to it and work together.
I am such a chuffed Ghanaian South African today…we are ok man, we are ok!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana if u wanna read more about Ghana..
Birthdays
13th Fiifi
16th Abo, Simpiwe
17th Tasneem
18th Satish, Lebo Baloyi, sarah
20th Kgashane, Jake
21st Hamish
22nd Dakes, simone, Zulfiq Isaacs
23rd Pete
24th Gretchen Maree
25th Ofei
27th Gail, Minky, seanie
29th Simone
30th Dineo, Alun
1st Keith Magill
3rd Jen
Respect and have a wikkid weekend…
Y
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Ow man, a pretty lazy week last week I must admit, in terms of writing. Shoot its getting pretty cold on the Highveld I tell ya, nights are lonely and the days are so sad…joookes
Trust you are all superbly well. Been loving the football fever in the country, particularly up here in Jhb, CT I must say was a bit pap, but what to do ey. Pity about our 7 african teams and their rubbish performances. Saddest of all being Nigeria and Cameroon, they were in groups they should have gotten out of, but alas story of our continent isn’t it?!!
Speaking of which, how useless are we on this continent? BP spills oil in the USA and 20billion or so is set aside for starters to clean up etc. I wonder how many such spills/accidents have taken place on this our continent…a palm or 2 greased here and there and poof…oil spill what oil spill. It got me thinking about something. Here in SA we have been thinking, what’s this Julius guy shooting his mouth off about nationalization of the mines. I was one of those saying guy, please hush little baby don’t u cry. But then I got to thinking, look at this continent… and before I go on let me add that I have not done any research into the failure or success of nationalization of national resources.
So lets look at this continent. I cant say I have travelled extensively on this continent, shame on me, but I think it would not be misplaced for me to say that the state of this continent is dire, to say the least and its not due to the lack of resources, because resources we have aplenty! Both in people and natural minerals. Lets see,
Oil - Nigeria, Guinea, Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Gabon to name but a few.
Gold – South Africa, Ghana, congo, Gabon, etc.
Iron – Botswana, South Africa
Copper – Zambia, Congo
And the list goes on…but look at the continent sub-sahara, the majority of its inhabitants live on less than $1 or so a day. Come now how can that be? When the price of platinum > $1500, gold is over $1000/ounce and Oil at over $70. Yeah I know most of this is of our own doing, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t change.
Before I go on, I am not saying that nationalisation is the way forward because we have all dealt with organs of the state and man, they are more frustrating than watching African teams in this years soccer world cup. Other than maybe China, I am not sure which nation has got that right. But then again, China is a special animal, in that service and I guess pride in their work is part of who they are (but once again, its me speaking from the sidelines). But this was thought and we too can learn this on this continent
Mining definitely does drive a country’s economy on many fronts, it provides jobs for many, generates taxes for governments, has many spin offs into other industries and its integral in countries flourishing in a way. But let me look at a miner. Lets say an 18 year old or however old. Comes to a mine not much of an education and learns the trade of a mine. The mines resources run out and his job is done, what is his future? He goes back to not a mansion in Sandhurst or a villa in Camps bay, but perhaps a little shack in the sticks where there is no running water, electricity perhaps no ablution facilities either. All he has on his CV is I know how to dig holes. Lets look at the spin offs of that. He has 3 or 4 children. His wife is more than likely not a heavy hitter regarding income neither, so food problem, kids education…problem, healthcare…problem, and the domino effect is endless.
On the other hand right lets take at a push the top end of the company even if we say 15 – 30 people at a push, they run these companies and they most definitely run them well. But them and their families live the rockstar lives, homes in Sandhurst, Camps Bay and Knysna and for each of the 2 kids who are at Saints and St Mary’s life is peachy. There are other foreign investors who are invested in these company’s who benefit greatly too. Now I am not saying that this is wrong and this is huge dramatization, but just so we understand the extreme polarization that leads to people like Julius saying that mines should be nationalized. Trust you me its not just talk, because something will have to change. From what I have read the mining charter is still so far behind in relation to the Mining BEE charter set out and agreed upon a few years ago.
I don’t think I know enough about this topic to get into an in depth discussion about, but as a lay man sitting on the sidelines, I can definitely see that there is a huuuge disconnect, shoot I like that word. This disconnect, used it again, will result in disharmony and a ‘paradigm shift’ is inevitable one way or another. But to me it is pretty simple, but then again that’s cos I aint making all that money. But how hard is it to set aside a portion of your billions in profit and reinvesting it in the country in which you are generating this wealth, because at the end of the day when you deplete all the resources all that is left is a big hole and poof like Casper, you are nowhere to be seen! Shee, if I was a president of a country and your company was making plenty moolah out of the resources you are taking out of the ground. I would definitely want to keep you mining because you win…we win, but I would want a lasting legacy. Ie for every X’000 ounces/barrels you extract, $Y has to be re invested in schools, hospitals and roads in certain communities. A lot of people would argue in developed countries this would work, but not in Africa, these same people said Africa could not host a World Cup.
I don’t know man, I really don’t believe its that hard and maybe some of these mines are doing this but I have no idea about it. Anyway my rant for today, let me try get some shut eye before I go watch the Black Stars play for the first time ever tomorrow.
Birthdays
20th Jake, Kgashane, Gareth and Belindas little baby girl…yay for them
21st Hamish
22nd Cader, Zul, Simmy
23rd Pete
24th Gretchen
And that’s me, maximum respect to you all as always!
Trust you are all superbly well. Been loving the football fever in the country, particularly up here in Jhb, CT I must say was a bit pap, but what to do ey. Pity about our 7 african teams and their rubbish performances. Saddest of all being Nigeria and Cameroon, they were in groups they should have gotten out of, but alas story of our continent isn’t it?!!
Speaking of which, how useless are we on this continent? BP spills oil in the USA and 20billion or so is set aside for starters to clean up etc. I wonder how many such spills/accidents have taken place on this our continent…a palm or 2 greased here and there and poof…oil spill what oil spill. It got me thinking about something. Here in SA we have been thinking, what’s this Julius guy shooting his mouth off about nationalization of the mines. I was one of those saying guy, please hush little baby don’t u cry. But then I got to thinking, look at this continent… and before I go on let me add that I have not done any research into the failure or success of nationalization of national resources.
So lets look at this continent. I cant say I have travelled extensively on this continent, shame on me, but I think it would not be misplaced for me to say that the state of this continent is dire, to say the least and its not due to the lack of resources, because resources we have aplenty! Both in people and natural minerals. Lets see,
Oil - Nigeria, Guinea, Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Gabon to name but a few.
Gold – South Africa, Ghana, congo, Gabon, etc.
Iron – Botswana, South Africa
Copper – Zambia, Congo
And the list goes on…but look at the continent sub-sahara, the majority of its inhabitants live on less than $1 or so a day. Come now how can that be? When the price of platinum > $1500, gold is over $1000/ounce and Oil at over $70. Yeah I know most of this is of our own doing, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t change.
Before I go on, I am not saying that nationalisation is the way forward because we have all dealt with organs of the state and man, they are more frustrating than watching African teams in this years soccer world cup. Other than maybe China, I am not sure which nation has got that right. But then again, China is a special animal, in that service and I guess pride in their work is part of who they are (but once again, its me speaking from the sidelines). But this was thought and we too can learn this on this continent
Mining definitely does drive a country’s economy on many fronts, it provides jobs for many, generates taxes for governments, has many spin offs into other industries and its integral in countries flourishing in a way. But let me look at a miner. Lets say an 18 year old or however old. Comes to a mine not much of an education and learns the trade of a mine. The mines resources run out and his job is done, what is his future? He goes back to not a mansion in Sandhurst or a villa in Camps bay, but perhaps a little shack in the sticks where there is no running water, electricity perhaps no ablution facilities either. All he has on his CV is I know how to dig holes. Lets look at the spin offs of that. He has 3 or 4 children. His wife is more than likely not a heavy hitter regarding income neither, so food problem, kids education…problem, healthcare…problem, and the domino effect is endless.
On the other hand right lets take at a push the top end of the company even if we say 15 – 30 people at a push, they run these companies and they most definitely run them well. But them and their families live the rockstar lives, homes in Sandhurst, Camps Bay and Knysna and for each of the 2 kids who are at Saints and St Mary’s life is peachy. There are other foreign investors who are invested in these company’s who benefit greatly too. Now I am not saying that this is wrong and this is huge dramatization, but just so we understand the extreme polarization that leads to people like Julius saying that mines should be nationalized. Trust you me its not just talk, because something will have to change. From what I have read the mining charter is still so far behind in relation to the Mining BEE charter set out and agreed upon a few years ago.
I don’t think I know enough about this topic to get into an in depth discussion about, but as a lay man sitting on the sidelines, I can definitely see that there is a huuuge disconnect, shoot I like that word. This disconnect, used it again, will result in disharmony and a ‘paradigm shift’ is inevitable one way or another. But to me it is pretty simple, but then again that’s cos I aint making all that money. But how hard is it to set aside a portion of your billions in profit and reinvesting it in the country in which you are generating this wealth, because at the end of the day when you deplete all the resources all that is left is a big hole and poof like Casper, you are nowhere to be seen! Shee, if I was a president of a country and your company was making plenty moolah out of the resources you are taking out of the ground. I would definitely want to keep you mining because you win…we win, but I would want a lasting legacy. Ie for every X’000 ounces/barrels you extract, $Y has to be re invested in schools, hospitals and roads in certain communities. A lot of people would argue in developed countries this would work, but not in Africa, these same people said Africa could not host a World Cup.
I don’t know man, I really don’t believe its that hard and maybe some of these mines are doing this but I have no idea about it. Anyway my rant for today, let me try get some shut eye before I go watch the Black Stars play for the first time ever tomorrow.
Birthdays
20th Jake, Kgashane, Gareth and Belindas little baby girl…yay for them
21st Hamish
22nd Cader, Zul, Simmy
23rd Pete
24th Gretchen
And that’s me, maximum respect to you all as always!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
If you not with us , then you not a member!! So yesterday(Tuesday) I was hanging out with my mate Andrew the Bean, and he said: “Yaw, come on lets go on the Gautrain to OR Tambo!” with such excitement he said it. I was like nah, man I’ll take it when I have to go to the airport, cos I am so durrr like that. In the end I did actually go and all I can say is, South Africa is the future!!
As I mentioned last week, not much really excites me, maybe rugby or fighting a good fight, but yesterday, when I jumped onto the train, shot off to the airport in 14.53 minutes, jumped off in the middle of the new look OR Tambo international, man it felt like I was at Heathrow, but I wasn’t, had lunch and headed back...i smiled a very content smile!
Later that evening, I went to Sandton to go and catch a movie, the place was abuzz man. Think it might be time for me to head out and make the opposite of war (peace people peave) with some Mexican, French, Serbian or German lasses before we meet on the pitch…waakaaa!! The place was a blooming jamboree I tell ya, people errhwere. I left close to 11pm and it was still hectic…as I said in the beginning, if you not with us then u not a member!!
I take away all this mad hysteria and I step back and ask myself which other Sub-Sahara African country can get this right?? And at the moment I can think of none and it really saddens me. It’s not like we don’t have the people nor the natural resources we can harness to create the necessary wealth, it boggles the mind I tell you. But then again as I tend to say quite a bit nowadays, it is what it is!!
So lets see roll the clock forward to the 11th July 2010. Will we all start working our way back to the norm of bi thcing and moaning about how bad we have it and how crime is this how blacks are that how whites are blah and how government is **@##... I guess it is only human to, but can we just all try and think about it before we go back into that depressing and angry and aggressive mode?? Just a thought…
Another thought which I hadn’t paid much mind till the recent happenings with the Turkish flotilla (Spanish for a fleet of ships) incident a few days ago, and that’s the Israeli blockade on Gaza. Now I am on the side of reasonableness, if you take it any other way well I guess that’s why we all have our own opinions isn’t it?
So, I did some research into the Gaza blockade to find out what its all about and why. And I guess everyone has their version and opinion but I found an article on BBC which I hope is independent enough which gave me some insight into what the blockade is about. The blockade intensified in June 2007 after Hamas took over. The main reason behind it is to weaken Hamas, and prevent those senseless rocket attacks. Now I understand that, but forgive my ignorance. Can a country just sommer decide I am going to block your people from getting any aid just because I can? The range of the blockade is quite intense. Israel blocks just about everything from coming and out of Gaza, food, fuel, fertilizer, light bulbs, clothes, matches, pasta, tee coffee, chocolate, nuts, shampoo, concrete and wood etc. Some items have been allowed in since early 2010.06.10
Now lets look at this. You stop all these things from coming into this area and what are the consequences and repercussions? Civilians suffer, Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world have more of a case against Israel and its alleged unreasonableness and illegitimacy, tree huggers and the rest of the world who were neutral start to see Israel as the big bad wolf!
Let me explain the extent of the civilian suffering. The situation is so dire that the UN provides food aid to about half of the population of Gaza. But its functions are somewhat limited because there is a restriction on fuel supply to the area and sometimes even they suffers shortages which restricts their ability to fulfill their obligations adequately. So whats the next logical option? Grow the stuff locally for local consumption. Perfect in theory, but remember there is a shortage of fertilizer, so crops will struggle to grow on a large scale. The whole agricultural sector which used to be a good source of income is in shambles, because even if you do manage to grow the crops you cant sell them elsewhere. Chickens had to be slaughtered because the incubators ran out of fuel.
So that’s food. A few months…years ago, exact timing escapes me, but Hamas shot a few rockets into Israel, Israel said stop or we’ll mo er you, the guys in Gaza didn’t stop so Israel came and mo ered them. But when they came they left a mess. Hospitals, homes, schools, buildings, destroyed…so lets fix them then, oops we cant, cos there is no cement allowed. Whats that machine spare parts, sorry you cant come in. This blockade has some hectic spin offs because industries die, no fuel, no parts, no industry, no jobs, no life...you get angry. I mean lets think about it. You stop parts from coming in. Water and sewerage facilities, which require constant maintenance aren’t maintained, boom you have an issue, people get sick. Oh wait they cant go to hospital because firstly not all the medicines are allowed in, secondly part of the hospital is blown away and not rebuilt, thirdly not enough power is being generated or allowed in, oh wait there are generators…ehhh wrong, COS THERE IS NO FR IGGGIN FUEL, and the spiral continues.
Now I understand the thinking behind why Israel did what it is doing! But what I don’t get is why the rest of the world allows it to happen! Iraq invaded Kuwait, bye bye Sadam, Dessert Storm and the recent Operation Iraqi Freedom made sure of this. Imagine you stay in a complex right and your body corporate doesn’t like the neighboring complex and keeps throwing rubbish over the wall into their complex. So as a result the other complex says no none of you guys can leave and you cant sell anything outside or get any food in, we’ll tell you what you can or cant do. Now I know its an overly simplistic way of looking at things, but I have a simple mind. But say it was me ne, and I had the power and the ability Id go tell the other complex dudes to go stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. If you have an issue address it with those who you have issue with!!
Yes, I know it is written that the people of Israel are Gods chosen people etc. and there was the Holocaust and that was tragic and should never be forgotten, but wait there was also slavery. I haven’t done the research, but I would not be surprised if more Africans were killed there than during the Holocaust. To make matters worse slavery still continues today, how you ask, well how much do you pay your helper? How much does it cost her to travel to you and how hard does she have to work etc…, but I digress. What I am saying is this, the world doesn’t run to protect Africa and its people, yet Israel seems untouchable in my mind. I am not hating, just someone explain to me why it is?
Just a thought….
Birthdays
6th Helen, Jill
7th Jody K
9th Ivan Missankov
10th Sturae
11th Ameer Kahn
12th Mark E, DC, Sam
And before I go…ayeye bafana bafana!!
Maximum respect to you all
Y
As I mentioned last week, not much really excites me, maybe rugby or fighting a good fight, but yesterday, when I jumped onto the train, shot off to the airport in 14.53 minutes, jumped off in the middle of the new look OR Tambo international, man it felt like I was at Heathrow, but I wasn’t, had lunch and headed back...i smiled a very content smile!
Later that evening, I went to Sandton to go and catch a movie, the place was abuzz man. Think it might be time for me to head out and make the opposite of war (peace people peave) with some Mexican, French, Serbian or German lasses before we meet on the pitch…waakaaa!! The place was a blooming jamboree I tell ya, people errhwere. I left close to 11pm and it was still hectic…as I said in the beginning, if you not with us then u not a member!!
I take away all this mad hysteria and I step back and ask myself which other Sub-Sahara African country can get this right?? And at the moment I can think of none and it really saddens me. It’s not like we don’t have the people nor the natural resources we can harness to create the necessary wealth, it boggles the mind I tell you. But then again as I tend to say quite a bit nowadays, it is what it is!!
So lets see roll the clock forward to the 11th July 2010. Will we all start working our way back to the norm of bi thcing and moaning about how bad we have it and how crime is this how blacks are that how whites are blah and how government is **@##... I guess it is only human to, but can we just all try and think about it before we go back into that depressing and angry and aggressive mode?? Just a thought…
Another thought which I hadn’t paid much mind till the recent happenings with the Turkish flotilla (Spanish for a fleet of ships) incident a few days ago, and that’s the Israeli blockade on Gaza. Now I am on the side of reasonableness, if you take it any other way well I guess that’s why we all have our own opinions isn’t it?
So, I did some research into the Gaza blockade to find out what its all about and why. And I guess everyone has their version and opinion but I found an article on BBC which I hope is independent enough which gave me some insight into what the blockade is about. The blockade intensified in June 2007 after Hamas took over. The main reason behind it is to weaken Hamas, and prevent those senseless rocket attacks. Now I understand that, but forgive my ignorance. Can a country just sommer decide I am going to block your people from getting any aid just because I can? The range of the blockade is quite intense. Israel blocks just about everything from coming and out of Gaza, food, fuel, fertilizer, light bulbs, clothes, matches, pasta, tee coffee, chocolate, nuts, shampoo, concrete and wood etc. Some items have been allowed in since early 2010.06.10
Now lets look at this. You stop all these things from coming into this area and what are the consequences and repercussions? Civilians suffer, Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world have more of a case against Israel and its alleged unreasonableness and illegitimacy, tree huggers and the rest of the world who were neutral start to see Israel as the big bad wolf!
Let me explain the extent of the civilian suffering. The situation is so dire that the UN provides food aid to about half of the population of Gaza. But its functions are somewhat limited because there is a restriction on fuel supply to the area and sometimes even they suffers shortages which restricts their ability to fulfill their obligations adequately. So whats the next logical option? Grow the stuff locally for local consumption. Perfect in theory, but remember there is a shortage of fertilizer, so crops will struggle to grow on a large scale. The whole agricultural sector which used to be a good source of income is in shambles, because even if you do manage to grow the crops you cant sell them elsewhere. Chickens had to be slaughtered because the incubators ran out of fuel.
So that’s food. A few months…years ago, exact timing escapes me, but Hamas shot a few rockets into Israel, Israel said stop or we’ll mo er you, the guys in Gaza didn’t stop so Israel came and mo ered them. But when they came they left a mess. Hospitals, homes, schools, buildings, destroyed…so lets fix them then, oops we cant, cos there is no cement allowed. Whats that machine spare parts, sorry you cant come in. This blockade has some hectic spin offs because industries die, no fuel, no parts, no industry, no jobs, no life...you get angry. I mean lets think about it. You stop parts from coming in. Water and sewerage facilities, which require constant maintenance aren’t maintained, boom you have an issue, people get sick. Oh wait they cant go to hospital because firstly not all the medicines are allowed in, secondly part of the hospital is blown away and not rebuilt, thirdly not enough power is being generated or allowed in, oh wait there are generators…ehhh wrong, COS THERE IS NO FR IGGGIN FUEL, and the spiral continues.
Now I understand the thinking behind why Israel did what it is doing! But what I don’t get is why the rest of the world allows it to happen! Iraq invaded Kuwait, bye bye Sadam, Dessert Storm and the recent Operation Iraqi Freedom made sure of this. Imagine you stay in a complex right and your body corporate doesn’t like the neighboring complex and keeps throwing rubbish over the wall into their complex. So as a result the other complex says no none of you guys can leave and you cant sell anything outside or get any food in, we’ll tell you what you can or cant do. Now I know its an overly simplistic way of looking at things, but I have a simple mind. But say it was me ne, and I had the power and the ability Id go tell the other complex dudes to go stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. If you have an issue address it with those who you have issue with!!
Yes, I know it is written that the people of Israel are Gods chosen people etc. and there was the Holocaust and that was tragic and should never be forgotten, but wait there was also slavery. I haven’t done the research, but I would not be surprised if more Africans were killed there than during the Holocaust. To make matters worse slavery still continues today, how you ask, well how much do you pay your helper? How much does it cost her to travel to you and how hard does she have to work etc…, but I digress. What I am saying is this, the world doesn’t run to protect Africa and its people, yet Israel seems untouchable in my mind. I am not hating, just someone explain to me why it is?
Just a thought….
Birthdays
6th Helen, Jill
7th Jody K
9th Ivan Missankov
10th Sturae
11th Ameer Kahn
12th Mark E, DC, Sam
And before I go…ayeye bafana bafana!!
Maximum respect to you all
Y
Friday, June 04, 2010
Aaah I had one of those moments today ey. So I woke up pretty early, nice and warm in an otherwise cold world, checked my phone and I had received a potentially promising email about some stuff I have been working on for a while, had a chat…shoo she is lovely ;) and got ready for gym and set off, all the while thinking, man what a pretty ordinary start to my day but man am I blessed, and I guess to those not yet believers…man am I lucky.
After gym, which was largely painless, and if you know me well then you would also know that that in itself is a huge accomplishment me and my rattled bones and joints. Anyway as I was merily cruising along I saw this old dude on the side of the road struggling to put this large load on his head and bags in his hand…I started wondering how far he had walked and where he was going to. It to me was one of those ow shucks moments!
I guess I carried on driving shrugging my shoulders and thinking wow this life ey one minute contentment with my lot and the next despair at another’s with a coating of apathy, but I guess it is what it is!
So they said stadiums, why do we need stadiums? They wont ever be finished in time, look at all these strikes. They said airports, our airports are a joke they cant even handle the people that fly domestically what are they going to do? They said Gautrain, what’s that, for and what are the chances of them finishing it in time? Our roads, man what a mess what a nightmare. Hotels and accommodation where are these people going to sleep?
I ask now what are they saying? Yes I know it hasn’t started yet and plenty could go wrong, but be that as it may. Taking into consideration what I have seen around me, the atmosphere in Soweto with the Bulls, people with their flags, man we have done well for a third world African country!! I must say, Im not a big hype hype world cup kinda person, but its so damn good to see people getting into the mix. There were 2 Monday night Bafana Bafana games and the stadiums were packed to the hilt. Football Fridays. Its an absolute ripper. It gives a guy that ow shucks kinda feeling.
I received an email yesterday which was the transcript of a speech made by Christo Wiese and below is an extract…
How does one define a successful country ?
Would you agree that a country with the following score-card can rightly be defined as successful. Let us call the country X.
• X has the world’s 26th largest population and 29th largest economy.
• X’s per capita GDP, corrected for purchasing power parity, positions the country as one of the 50 wealthiest in the world
• X’s currency is the 2nd best performing emerging market currency of the 26 monitored by Bloomberg.
• The IMF’s World Economic Outlook ranks X in the top 10% of countries in respect of real GDP growth projections for 2010.
• X was ranked as the 18th most attractive destination for foreign direct investment by Global Strategic Management Consulting Firm AT Kearney.
• In the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Survey of Democratic Freedom, X ranks 31st of 184 countries.
• X has sold $1.8bn worth of cars to the US last year, putting it ahead of Sweden and Italy as supplier to the US auto market.
• X, according to the Open Budget Index, ranks 2nd worldwide in terms of the transparency surrounding its budgets, just behind the UK, it ties with France, and is ahead of New Zealand and the US.
• X is ranked 30th out of 178 countries for ease of doing business ahead of Spain, Brazil and India according to a joint publication of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.
• X’s media ranks 26th out of 167 countries in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007, higher than any country in Asia, the Middle East or South America, and ahead of Spain, Italy and the US.
• Tax revenue in X has increased by 220%, over the past 10 years.
And no points for guessing who country X is, its our very own South Africa. Its such an inspirational piece I tell you. Yes, yes we have our faults and its only right to point this out. Crime is a massive issue. We have a police force that really spends a lot of time looking for cooldrinks as opposed to fighting crime. We have a lot of money being pumped into education but frankly the results are no where to be seen. Our public healthcare system is in slight disarray at the moment, with a few such institutions being largely indebted, running out of food, having their power supply suspended and the list could go on.
If you take where we were in 1994 and compare it to where we are now and what we have achieved, boys and girls we haven’t done half bad. The article also makes reference to a piece written by Roelf Meyer in Die Burger, where he highlights that when we want to really see how well we have really done as a nation, we shouldn’t compare ourselves with developed world because we were never part of that world, but rather we should compare ourselves to developing countries and countries that have come out of internal conflict. If we use that as a point of reference we will see how well we have truly done.
I have mentioned this before in the past, there is no way we can sit back as a nations people and expect government to make everything nice nice for us. It wont happen. I take for example a simple event like taking rugby to Orlando, when it was first promulgated there were heads shaking fingers wagging, but when we as a people embraced it, how did we make it work??
In closing for this week let me plagarise another piece of this inspirational piece of literature….
Henry Kissinger once said:
“No policy – no matter how ingenious - has any chance of succeeding if it is born in the minds of a few and carried in the hearts of none” and Ronald Regan said: “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government and I am here to help”.
Every South African who has the best interests of this country at heart, will need to do his or her bit. As general pointers I would like to leave you with a few suggestions:
"Make a positive difference, no matter how small, inter alia, by developing a positive mind set: Perhaps along the lines of what George Bernard Shaw said "You see thing and you say "WHY?, but I dream things that never were and I say "WHY NOT?"
1. Harness the power of community
2. Engage in constructive participation
3. Do not be overwhelmed by all that is still unacceptable or sub-standard. Look around at the great things that are happening - Soccer World Cup.
We should not only see the positive - but embrace it and contribute to it. Surely then, but only then will exponential benefits flow to all of us who share this beautiful country.
I’ll never stop saying this, as an individual I can make a difference. A lot of my mates are in the UK and Australia and more are looking to head out, and you have your reasons and good luck to you, but those of us staying, sheet man, lets do this thing!!!
Birthdays
30th Bedil
31st Nana Yaa, Rachel, Andre
2nd June Wande, Kitty, Vossie, Mame Ekua
5th Anton
And that’s a wrap, have a wikkid weekend, if you are in joburg, please join us tonight for a fun fund raising event at the restaurant next to Moloko in Rosebank, from 9pm. It’s the Cheesekids dance off 3. Cheesekids is an organisation of ordinary suburbian lets call ourselves youth ☺ who get together on occasions to help out less fortunate communities. Our events range from assisting habitat for humanity build houses, help out at soup kitchens, painting and assisting at orphanages, recently some people donated money which was used to take 30children to the new soccer city to watch the Nedbank cup final
Anyone can be a member, there are no rules and regulations, its simple we post events, if you can make it then you can if you cant next time…easi ne. There is a Cape Town chapter too.
Maximum respect my peoples
Y
After gym, which was largely painless, and if you know me well then you would also know that that in itself is a huge accomplishment me and my rattled bones and joints. Anyway as I was merily cruising along I saw this old dude on the side of the road struggling to put this large load on his head and bags in his hand…I started wondering how far he had walked and where he was going to. It to me was one of those ow shucks moments!
I guess I carried on driving shrugging my shoulders and thinking wow this life ey one minute contentment with my lot and the next despair at another’s with a coating of apathy, but I guess it is what it is!
So they said stadiums, why do we need stadiums? They wont ever be finished in time, look at all these strikes. They said airports, our airports are a joke they cant even handle the people that fly domestically what are they going to do? They said Gautrain, what’s that, for and what are the chances of them finishing it in time? Our roads, man what a mess what a nightmare. Hotels and accommodation where are these people going to sleep?
I ask now what are they saying? Yes I know it hasn’t started yet and plenty could go wrong, but be that as it may. Taking into consideration what I have seen around me, the atmosphere in Soweto with the Bulls, people with their flags, man we have done well for a third world African country!! I must say, Im not a big hype hype world cup kinda person, but its so damn good to see people getting into the mix. There were 2 Monday night Bafana Bafana games and the stadiums were packed to the hilt. Football Fridays. Its an absolute ripper. It gives a guy that ow shucks kinda feeling.
I received an email yesterday which was the transcript of a speech made by Christo Wiese and below is an extract…
How does one define a successful country ?
Would you agree that a country with the following score-card can rightly be defined as successful. Let us call the country X.
• X has the world’s 26th largest population and 29th largest economy.
• X’s per capita GDP, corrected for purchasing power parity, positions the country as one of the 50 wealthiest in the world
• X’s currency is the 2nd best performing emerging market currency of the 26 monitored by Bloomberg.
• The IMF’s World Economic Outlook ranks X in the top 10% of countries in respect of real GDP growth projections for 2010.
• X was ranked as the 18th most attractive destination for foreign direct investment by Global Strategic Management Consulting Firm AT Kearney.
• In the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Survey of Democratic Freedom, X ranks 31st of 184 countries.
• X has sold $1.8bn worth of cars to the US last year, putting it ahead of Sweden and Italy as supplier to the US auto market.
• X, according to the Open Budget Index, ranks 2nd worldwide in terms of the transparency surrounding its budgets, just behind the UK, it ties with France, and is ahead of New Zealand and the US.
• X is ranked 30th out of 178 countries for ease of doing business ahead of Spain, Brazil and India according to a joint publication of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.
• X’s media ranks 26th out of 167 countries in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007, higher than any country in Asia, the Middle East or South America, and ahead of Spain, Italy and the US.
• Tax revenue in X has increased by 220%, over the past 10 years.
And no points for guessing who country X is, its our very own South Africa. Its such an inspirational piece I tell you. Yes, yes we have our faults and its only right to point this out. Crime is a massive issue. We have a police force that really spends a lot of time looking for cooldrinks as opposed to fighting crime. We have a lot of money being pumped into education but frankly the results are no where to be seen. Our public healthcare system is in slight disarray at the moment, with a few such institutions being largely indebted, running out of food, having their power supply suspended and the list could go on.
If you take where we were in 1994 and compare it to where we are now and what we have achieved, boys and girls we haven’t done half bad. The article also makes reference to a piece written by Roelf Meyer in Die Burger, where he highlights that when we want to really see how well we have really done as a nation, we shouldn’t compare ourselves with developed world because we were never part of that world, but rather we should compare ourselves to developing countries and countries that have come out of internal conflict. If we use that as a point of reference we will see how well we have truly done.
I have mentioned this before in the past, there is no way we can sit back as a nations people and expect government to make everything nice nice for us. It wont happen. I take for example a simple event like taking rugby to Orlando, when it was first promulgated there were heads shaking fingers wagging, but when we as a people embraced it, how did we make it work??
In closing for this week let me plagarise another piece of this inspirational piece of literature….
Henry Kissinger once said:
“No policy – no matter how ingenious - has any chance of succeeding if it is born in the minds of a few and carried in the hearts of none” and Ronald Regan said: “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government and I am here to help”.
Every South African who has the best interests of this country at heart, will need to do his or her bit. As general pointers I would like to leave you with a few suggestions:
"Make a positive difference, no matter how small, inter alia, by developing a positive mind set: Perhaps along the lines of what George Bernard Shaw said "You see thing and you say "WHY?, but I dream things that never were and I say "WHY NOT?"
1. Harness the power of community
2. Engage in constructive participation
3. Do not be overwhelmed by all that is still unacceptable or sub-standard. Look around at the great things that are happening - Soccer World Cup.
We should not only see the positive - but embrace it and contribute to it. Surely then, but only then will exponential benefits flow to all of us who share this beautiful country.
I’ll never stop saying this, as an individual I can make a difference. A lot of my mates are in the UK and Australia and more are looking to head out, and you have your reasons and good luck to you, but those of us staying, sheet man, lets do this thing!!!
Birthdays
30th Bedil
31st Nana Yaa, Rachel, Andre
2nd June Wande, Kitty, Vossie, Mame Ekua
5th Anton
And that’s a wrap, have a wikkid weekend, if you are in joburg, please join us tonight for a fun fund raising event at the restaurant next to Moloko in Rosebank, from 9pm. It’s the Cheesekids dance off 3. Cheesekids is an organisation of ordinary suburbian lets call ourselves youth ☺ who get together on occasions to help out less fortunate communities. Our events range from assisting habitat for humanity build houses, help out at soup kitchens, painting and assisting at orphanages, recently some people donated money which was used to take 30children to the new soccer city to watch the Nedbank cup final
Anyone can be a member, there are no rules and regulations, its simple we post events, if you can make it then you can if you cant next time…easi ne. There is a Cape Town chapter too.
Maximum respect my peoples
Y
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
How good has the world been to me this week? Man so much material to work with. How are you my good people really do hope all is going splendidly, if its not, worry not cos promise that wont help.
So last week I wrote about the fact that there was word on the street that Islamic fundamentalist want to bomb the stadiums where the Danes are set to play in the Soccer World Cup, here in South Africa. A day or so later I hear on the news that our very own Zapiro has done the same thing, in the Mail and Guardian. I read the cartoon and its typical Zapiro, quirky and highlighting a point. Now I have the utmost respect for Islam and its followers, (I even contemplated converting once upon a time), but I have had a debate with a whole bunch of people most of whom are at best Atheists over the weekend, they were of a similar thinking. The caption was not meant to be inflammatory. We all laugh when he draws anyone else, though some people may find his ways offensive but we have all at one stage laughed at his work even though someone may have felt that someone they hold dear has been ridiculed. We live in a world of diversity, diversity in thought, word, deed, beliefs, culture you name it and we cant all be the same otherwise we would all be called Yaw, size 10.5 shoes, 104kg (yes pie eater) Ghanaian born, South African raised….blaaah….wait I mean zzzzzzz.
If government was to gag Zapiro and forbid him from drawing pictures of JZ with with a shower over his head, most of these people that are vehemently opposing the depiction of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, will be the self same people crying foul over the slow murder of democracy and freedom of speech. Yes I know some might think its not the same but it so is exactly the same. To those who voted for JZ, some of them believe strongly that he is their chosen one, just like Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last prophet of God…we all have our belief systems and we all live in a diverse world…cant we all just get along??!!
Let me give you another example of diversity but absolutely beautiful. So on Saturday, cos I know people, we managed to get some tickets to the first ever S14 game in Orlando, Soweto. Now from memory, the last time there were more than a tour bus of Afrikaans people in Soweto was in 1976, and they were there to kill some blacks. This weekend my good people was just superb. People walking through Soweto as if they were walking through Menlyn, Vuvuzelas blasting. Not one single comment about hey Pirates aren’t playing Chiefs here. The people were so accommodating. We walked past this house I think it was which had one wall painted in light blue and white with the Bulls logo on it and read Soweto welcomes the Bulls. People were being allowed to park in peoples houses it was all too nice (for a lack of a better word) busses were stuck in traffic so people got out and started walking to the stadium I mean have you ever?! Mhlungus (white people) not foreigners, cruising on foot in Soweto?
That to me is a clear indication of the power of the mind. We create our own fears and perceptions in our minds and that becomes our realities. Yes, I know truth is that a majority of the ill will in this country are committed by a black face, but a lot of the times there is a white face acting as the puppet master, but that isn’t my point, my point is say out of 30mil or so black south Africans, say if 100000 are criminals does that make they all criminials? Say out of say 8 mil white south Africans, and say if 100000 are racists are they all racists. This thing is so easy, but we insist on complicating it. Take a little time. Try and get to know your neighbour, understand why is it that he likes to blow the Vuvuzela and you like to sing Delaray and lang arm, in the end we will find out that in as much as we are different we are so alike.
But that being said, there could be a situation where we should be very similar but in reality nothing could be further from the truth. For this one I take you on a lovely picturesque trip down to the Western Cape. The only place that the ANC doesn’t run in the country, the only metropole that apparently is the best run in the country, id say this is true, if you live in Sea Point, Camps Bay, Constantia, Bishops Court, Rondebosch…you get my drift. Anyway in one of the areas where things aren’t so rosy, Khayaletsha, there has been a little fracas of late. This fracas is over ablution facilities. Unacceptable ablution facilities were established, which were uncovered, so basically anyone wandering past could see you doing a no 2. The residents were supposed to pay for structures to cover them themselves but weren’t able to so as a result with the permission of the residents (allegedly), the DA erected corrugated iron structures to enclose these ablution facilities. Along comes the ANCYL and tears these structures down, saying that this is not acceptable, thus leaving them bare and open to the elements. I shake my head….again I shake my head!!
Lets start from the obvious. The DA has only been in power in this area since the last elections, so just about a year or so. They erected these ablution facilities. So tell me please, what were the people using prior to this which was more acceptable?
Next observation, I as resident x used to do a no 2 for all to see, now at least I have some dignity and I can go and be with my own damn self and not the rest of the community, yes its corrugated iron and not concrete, but that’s bliss man, I can lift up my legs and let it all go…now you tell me how much better off I am now that you have torn down my only bit of privacy whilst performing an entirely private affair?
If I had to follow that logic, then I as an individual have every right to go and tear down all the informal settlements in this country, not just in the DA run Western Cape, but all over because, such accommodation is unacceptable. The rains are coming, so too the bitter cold, but u know what u should sleep outside because currently sleeping in corrugated iron structures is totally unacceptable!!!
And these are our future leaders? Once again I shake my head vehemently
And for the last little one, well not so little considering that about 31 people have died, the majority being civilians…There is this drug lord in Jamaica called Charles Dudus Coke, middle name and last are quite apt aren’t they?? Anyway, this man is seen as a Robin Hood of sorts, but not really because he kills people and feeds others drugs and kills them too, ok maybe not at all. What he does do though is he builds schools and hospitals for the community, he provides food sometimes even shelter. Now this community that he does assist is the poorest of the poor. Story goes that his crime networks are far reaching and most deadly and so America is wanted him extradited to face charges. So along comes Mr Jamaican police to arrest Mr Coke, the community says fork that mate you aint getting our guy!! He gives us this that and the next, what do you give us mr governmet and secondly who will look out for us when he goes?
I think the drug pedaling etc is wrong and he should have his day in court, but is the community wrong for protecting him? And for me that’s a leetle grey area. It goes with mans survival instincts and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Our most basic needs being physiological (food) and safety form the 2 base levels that we strive for then it moves to the sexy stuff and ends up with self actualization (morality).
Now lets be some dude who has a kid or two, but no food, no school, no shelter. Along comes Dudus, and offers me all of this and life is ok. Do I care where he got the money from? Emm I think not. Do I care about how many people have become junkies so my kid can heat a peanut butter sarmi and go get medicine for chicken pox…err I think not! So when mr police man comes and threatens my safety and that of my children, what will I do, I will fight….yessir.
Anyway those are my thoughts for now, lets hear yours. http://mondaymail.blogspot.com
Birthdays
23rd Chacha
24th Rich
25th Inge
27th monica
28th Candice, Nielfaar, Monde
29th Delia, Lauren, nyamekye, Keyser, Vuyo, Zeze
And that’s me outta here
Enjoy the rest of your week and weekend even more.
Maximum respect
Y
So last week I wrote about the fact that there was word on the street that Islamic fundamentalist want to bomb the stadiums where the Danes are set to play in the Soccer World Cup, here in South Africa. A day or so later I hear on the news that our very own Zapiro has done the same thing, in the Mail and Guardian. I read the cartoon and its typical Zapiro, quirky and highlighting a point. Now I have the utmost respect for Islam and its followers, (I even contemplated converting once upon a time), but I have had a debate with a whole bunch of people most of whom are at best Atheists over the weekend, they were of a similar thinking. The caption was not meant to be inflammatory. We all laugh when he draws anyone else, though some people may find his ways offensive but we have all at one stage laughed at his work even though someone may have felt that someone they hold dear has been ridiculed. We live in a world of diversity, diversity in thought, word, deed, beliefs, culture you name it and we cant all be the same otherwise we would all be called Yaw, size 10.5 shoes, 104kg (yes pie eater) Ghanaian born, South African raised….blaaah….wait I mean zzzzzzz.
If government was to gag Zapiro and forbid him from drawing pictures of JZ with with a shower over his head, most of these people that are vehemently opposing the depiction of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, will be the self same people crying foul over the slow murder of democracy and freedom of speech. Yes I know some might think its not the same but it so is exactly the same. To those who voted for JZ, some of them believe strongly that he is their chosen one, just like Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last prophet of God…we all have our belief systems and we all live in a diverse world…cant we all just get along??!!
Let me give you another example of diversity but absolutely beautiful. So on Saturday, cos I know people, we managed to get some tickets to the first ever S14 game in Orlando, Soweto. Now from memory, the last time there were more than a tour bus of Afrikaans people in Soweto was in 1976, and they were there to kill some blacks. This weekend my good people was just superb. People walking through Soweto as if they were walking through Menlyn, Vuvuzelas blasting. Not one single comment about hey Pirates aren’t playing Chiefs here. The people were so accommodating. We walked past this house I think it was which had one wall painted in light blue and white with the Bulls logo on it and read Soweto welcomes the Bulls. People were being allowed to park in peoples houses it was all too nice (for a lack of a better word) busses were stuck in traffic so people got out and started walking to the stadium I mean have you ever?! Mhlungus (white people) not foreigners, cruising on foot in Soweto?
That to me is a clear indication of the power of the mind. We create our own fears and perceptions in our minds and that becomes our realities. Yes, I know truth is that a majority of the ill will in this country are committed by a black face, but a lot of the times there is a white face acting as the puppet master, but that isn’t my point, my point is say out of 30mil or so black south Africans, say if 100000 are criminals does that make they all criminials? Say out of say 8 mil white south Africans, and say if 100000 are racists are they all racists. This thing is so easy, but we insist on complicating it. Take a little time. Try and get to know your neighbour, understand why is it that he likes to blow the Vuvuzela and you like to sing Delaray and lang arm, in the end we will find out that in as much as we are different we are so alike.
But that being said, there could be a situation where we should be very similar but in reality nothing could be further from the truth. For this one I take you on a lovely picturesque trip down to the Western Cape. The only place that the ANC doesn’t run in the country, the only metropole that apparently is the best run in the country, id say this is true, if you live in Sea Point, Camps Bay, Constantia, Bishops Court, Rondebosch…you get my drift. Anyway in one of the areas where things aren’t so rosy, Khayaletsha, there has been a little fracas of late. This fracas is over ablution facilities. Unacceptable ablution facilities were established, which were uncovered, so basically anyone wandering past could see you doing a no 2. The residents were supposed to pay for structures to cover them themselves but weren’t able to so as a result with the permission of the residents (allegedly), the DA erected corrugated iron structures to enclose these ablution facilities. Along comes the ANCYL and tears these structures down, saying that this is not acceptable, thus leaving them bare and open to the elements. I shake my head….again I shake my head!!
Lets start from the obvious. The DA has only been in power in this area since the last elections, so just about a year or so. They erected these ablution facilities. So tell me please, what were the people using prior to this which was more acceptable?
Next observation, I as resident x used to do a no 2 for all to see, now at least I have some dignity and I can go and be with my own damn self and not the rest of the community, yes its corrugated iron and not concrete, but that’s bliss man, I can lift up my legs and let it all go…now you tell me how much better off I am now that you have torn down my only bit of privacy whilst performing an entirely private affair?
If I had to follow that logic, then I as an individual have every right to go and tear down all the informal settlements in this country, not just in the DA run Western Cape, but all over because, such accommodation is unacceptable. The rains are coming, so too the bitter cold, but u know what u should sleep outside because currently sleeping in corrugated iron structures is totally unacceptable!!!
And these are our future leaders? Once again I shake my head vehemently
And for the last little one, well not so little considering that about 31 people have died, the majority being civilians…There is this drug lord in Jamaica called Charles Dudus Coke, middle name and last are quite apt aren’t they?? Anyway, this man is seen as a Robin Hood of sorts, but not really because he kills people and feeds others drugs and kills them too, ok maybe not at all. What he does do though is he builds schools and hospitals for the community, he provides food sometimes even shelter. Now this community that he does assist is the poorest of the poor. Story goes that his crime networks are far reaching and most deadly and so America is wanted him extradited to face charges. So along comes Mr Jamaican police to arrest Mr Coke, the community says fork that mate you aint getting our guy!! He gives us this that and the next, what do you give us mr governmet and secondly who will look out for us when he goes?
I think the drug pedaling etc is wrong and he should have his day in court, but is the community wrong for protecting him? And for me that’s a leetle grey area. It goes with mans survival instincts and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Our most basic needs being physiological (food) and safety form the 2 base levels that we strive for then it moves to the sexy stuff and ends up with self actualization (morality).
Now lets be some dude who has a kid or two, but no food, no school, no shelter. Along comes Dudus, and offers me all of this and life is ok. Do I care where he got the money from? Emm I think not. Do I care about how many people have become junkies so my kid can heat a peanut butter sarmi and go get medicine for chicken pox…err I think not! So when mr police man comes and threatens my safety and that of my children, what will I do, I will fight….yessir.
Anyway those are my thoughts for now, lets hear yours. http://mondaymail.blogspot.com
Birthdays
23rd Chacha
24th Rich
25th Inge
27th monica
28th Candice, Nielfaar, Monde
29th Delia, Lauren, nyamekye, Keyser, Vuyo, Zeze
And that’s me outta here
Enjoy the rest of your week and weekend even more.
Maximum respect
Y
Thursday, May 20, 2010
7 Golden Rules Of Life
1st
Don't let someone become a priority in your life, when you are just an option in their life.
Relationships work best when they are balanced.
2nd
Never explain yourself to anyone.
Because the person who likes you doesn't need it, and the person who doesn't like you won't believe it.
3rd
When you keep saying you are busy, then you are never free.
When you keep saying you have no time, then you will never have time.
When you keep saying that you will do it tomorrow, then your tomorrow will never come.
4th
When we wake up in the morning, we have two simple choices.
Go back to sleep and dream, or wake up and chase those dreams.
Choice is yours.
5th
We make them cry who care for us.
We cry for those who never care for us.
And we care for those who will never cry for us.
This is the truth of life, it's strange but true. Once you realize this, it's never too late to change.
6th
Don't make promise when you are in joy.
Don't reply when you are sad.
Don't take decision when you are angry.
Think twice, act twice.
7th
Time is like river. You can't touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again.
Do it Now !
I received this a few days ago and it was rather enlightening (to me) and it would be amiss of me not to spread my enlightening experience with you all.
The last few weeks haven’t been too eventful man, no real massive news worth discussing or wasting brain space over, well up until yesterday. Not one but 2 headlines got me thinking, what goes through peoples minds? Is it a power thing or just plain stupidity?
First thing big headlines on the cover of The Star newspaper, World Cup Terror plot, or something like that. And its basically about a thought that was bandied around Al Qaeda to bomb Soccer City.
Yes, it’s a terrorism threat etc etc, but you tell me ne, what good it will do, or the thinking behind, planning to bomb a soccer team…IN SOMEONE ELSES country??
What message does that send out? I mean whatever you are trying to prove it wont be proved. All it will prove is that you are a bunch of renegade thugs. Islam teaches that you shouldn’t illustrate the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Christianity says that there is God in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Hindus hold cows sacred. Right, so some artist from my country decides to make this illustration, another decides there is only one God and the son and the Holy Spirit don’t matter and another takes a cow and puts a knife to its throat for food and/or for profit? Can any person or group wage war on the whoooooole forkin nation that this person hails from? And attack its soccer team, a recreational side, in South Africa, a very neutral country, where they are here to give loads of people joy, not here to promote any religion or belief but express their version of this beautiful game called Soccer. Somebody, please help me because I am a stupid! I just don’t get it. I have respect for all and their religions, but your rules don’t apply to me neither should I expect mine to apply to you. As long as I don’t encroach on your civil rights which really seems to be the basis of most religions/ cultures, don’t steal, kill, rape blah blah, then y cant we all just get along?
Somebody please give me a different view on this.
The next thing that got my mind debating…with itself, special skill us middle children have…was this headline I read…”Kill the Boer to go to court” basically what it says is that the ANC is going to court because in their opinion the judge deeming the song unconstitutional is incorrect as it “imposed an absolute prohibition” on the words, “irrespective of time, place, manner and context”.
Logically it’s a sound case because I could be playing touch rugby with an Afrikaans dude ne, a friend ne, and he screws up a pass, and I say shit okes kill that boer, I could be taken to task for that….apparently and that just aint right now is it? But that aside…I am more concerned about the context of the appeal. If its to say the term in itself shouldn’t be outlawed but the song or any variations of it uttered by public figures in a public gathering should be deemed unconstitutional. But then I sit back and thing. Dude why would you as a public figure want to make such utterances anyway. What does it profit you? In all honesty if the FF+ youth league member had to sing out, die swarties is mos dom, skiet die ka**irs it would be such a no no? so the difference is what exactly.
I don’t understand, but then again you guys are sensible folk, so I guess this is tantamount to preaching to the choir… so I will stop now and bid thee all fond adieu till next we e-meet!
Birthdays
16th Cousin Frank, Ham
17th Fiona Zinqi
19th Vimal
20th Daniel
21st Iza and Hornay
22nd Sivan, Harps, Neo
and that’s me, remember, if you are reading this you have been blessed with an opportuinity to change, the world, your world or nothing but at least u have the opportunity
Next week then
Y
Aluta continua!!
1st
Don't let someone become a priority in your life, when you are just an option in their life.
Relationships work best when they are balanced.
2nd
Never explain yourself to anyone.
Because the person who likes you doesn't need it, and the person who doesn't like you won't believe it.
3rd
When you keep saying you are busy, then you are never free.
When you keep saying you have no time, then you will never have time.
When you keep saying that you will do it tomorrow, then your tomorrow will never come.
4th
When we wake up in the morning, we have two simple choices.
Go back to sleep and dream, or wake up and chase those dreams.
Choice is yours.
5th
We make them cry who care for us.
We cry for those who never care for us.
And we care for those who will never cry for us.
This is the truth of life, it's strange but true. Once you realize this, it's never too late to change.
6th
Don't make promise when you are in joy.
Don't reply when you are sad.
Don't take decision when you are angry.
Think twice, act twice.
7th
Time is like river. You can't touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again.
Do it Now !
I received this a few days ago and it was rather enlightening (to me) and it would be amiss of me not to spread my enlightening experience with you all.
The last few weeks haven’t been too eventful man, no real massive news worth discussing or wasting brain space over, well up until yesterday. Not one but 2 headlines got me thinking, what goes through peoples minds? Is it a power thing or just plain stupidity?
First thing big headlines on the cover of The Star newspaper, World Cup Terror plot, or something like that. And its basically about a thought that was bandied around Al Qaeda to bomb Soccer City.
Yes, it’s a terrorism threat etc etc, but you tell me ne, what good it will do, or the thinking behind, planning to bomb a soccer team…IN SOMEONE ELSES country??
What message does that send out? I mean whatever you are trying to prove it wont be proved. All it will prove is that you are a bunch of renegade thugs. Islam teaches that you shouldn’t illustrate the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Christianity says that there is God in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Hindus hold cows sacred. Right, so some artist from my country decides to make this illustration, another decides there is only one God and the son and the Holy Spirit don’t matter and another takes a cow and puts a knife to its throat for food and/or for profit? Can any person or group wage war on the whoooooole forkin nation that this person hails from? And attack its soccer team, a recreational side, in South Africa, a very neutral country, where they are here to give loads of people joy, not here to promote any religion or belief but express their version of this beautiful game called Soccer. Somebody, please help me because I am a stupid! I just don’t get it. I have respect for all and their religions, but your rules don’t apply to me neither should I expect mine to apply to you. As long as I don’t encroach on your civil rights which really seems to be the basis of most religions/ cultures, don’t steal, kill, rape blah blah, then y cant we all just get along?
Somebody please give me a different view on this.
The next thing that got my mind debating…with itself, special skill us middle children have…was this headline I read…”Kill the Boer to go to court” basically what it says is that the ANC is going to court because in their opinion the judge deeming the song unconstitutional is incorrect as it “imposed an absolute prohibition” on the words, “irrespective of time, place, manner and context”.
Logically it’s a sound case because I could be playing touch rugby with an Afrikaans dude ne, a friend ne, and he screws up a pass, and I say shit okes kill that boer, I could be taken to task for that….apparently and that just aint right now is it? But that aside…I am more concerned about the context of the appeal. If its to say the term in itself shouldn’t be outlawed but the song or any variations of it uttered by public figures in a public gathering should be deemed unconstitutional. But then I sit back and thing. Dude why would you as a public figure want to make such utterances anyway. What does it profit you? In all honesty if the FF+ youth league member had to sing out, die swarties is mos dom, skiet die ka**irs it would be such a no no? so the difference is what exactly.
I don’t understand, but then again you guys are sensible folk, so I guess this is tantamount to preaching to the choir… so I will stop now and bid thee all fond adieu till next we e-meet!
Birthdays
16th Cousin Frank, Ham
17th Fiona Zinqi
19th Vimal
20th Daniel
21st Iza and Hornay
22nd Sivan, Harps, Neo
and that’s me, remember, if you are reading this you have been blessed with an opportuinity to change, the world, your world or nothing but at least u have the opportunity
Next week then
Y
Aluta continua!!
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Aaah Joburg winter, welcome!! Blue skies, sunshine, happy days!! Sitting here taking a trip down memory lane, listening to…
“I get my kicks from watching people, Running too and fro, And if you ask them where they`re going, Half of the don`t know, Let the world to think I`m crazy,'Cause they don`t realize
That I`m just groovin, grooving, Grooving out on life, I`m just groovin and i can't stop grooving, Grovin till I die
I see a river flowing by me, Heading for the sea, I get a feeling deep inside me, It`s so good to be free”
You know I had this email all planned out till I logged on and found this email that my cous sent me. Its an interesting perspective, one that many of us haven’t either spoken about or if we have not loudly enough. But have a quick read of this…
'We are Wall Street. It's our job to make money. Whether it's a commodity, stock, bond, or some hypothetical piece of fake paper, it doesn't matter. We would trade baseball cards if it were profitable.
I didn't hear America complaining when the market was roaring to 14,000 and everyone's pension plan doubled every 3 years. Just like gambling, its not a problem until you lose. I've never heard of anyone going to Gamblers Anonymous because they won too much in Vegas!
Well now the market crapped out, and even though it has come back somewhat, the government and the average Joes are still looking for a scapegoat. God knows there has to be one for everything. Well, here we are.
Go ahead and continue to take us down, but you're only going to hurt yourselves. What's going to happen when we can't find jobs on the Street anymore ? Guess what - we're going to take yours. We get up at 5am and work 'till 10pm or later. We're used to remaining at our desks, working for hours on end. We don't even need to pee. We don't take an hour or more for lunch, and we don't take much time off for holidays. We don't demand a union to represent us. And we don't retire at 50 with a pension. We eat what we kill, and when the only thing left to eat is your job, we'll eat that instead
For years teachers and other unionized labor have had us fooled. We were too busy working to notice. Do you really think that we are incapable of teaching 3rd graders ? We're going to take your cushy guaranteed-for-life-jobs - you know, the ones that come with four months paid holiday a year. So say goodbye to your overtime and double time, as we'll be in the market for some of your cushy lifestyle - and we'll undertake your jobs more efficiently, and with none of your constant whining that the pay isn't enough and that the working conditions are too tough.
So now that we're going to be making $85k a year without any bonus upside, Joe Mainstreet is going to have his revenge, right ? Wrong! Guess what - we're going to stop buying those luxury items that help make the economy grow, and we aren't going to leave those 35% tips at our business dinners anymore. And from now on, we're going to landscape our own back yards, and wash our cars with a garden hose in our driveways, instead of spreading that wealth around. There'll be no more free rides on our backs. Don't forget, our money was your money. You spent it. When our money dries up, so does yours.
The difference is, though, you lived off of it, we rejoiced in it. The Obama administration and the Democratic National Committee might get their way and knock us off the top of the pyramid, but it's really going to hurt like hell for them when our fat a**es land directly on the American middle classes and knock them to the bottom of the food chain.
We aren't dinosaurs. We are smarter and more vicious than that, and we are going to survive. The question is, now that Obama and his administration are making Joe Mainstreet our food supply, will he survive ? And will all those we displace ?'
Interesting read ey because up until I read this I hadn’t given it 2 thoughts, but I guess that old saying of a coin and 2 sides. Here we are ripped because the self same Investment Bankers we now chastise had been making us plenty money over the last few years, our investments had been soaring, they had been gambling and the investors were winning life was poifect. 100% returns in 3 years, is that logical, who cares, gimme some more gimme gimme gimme. Ok we will but please do note that nothing is guaranteed, who cares we say just give us MOOOOOORRRREEEEE!!!
Boom, bank goes bust, as was more than likely a reality because those super profits we became accustomed to were no more than an exception, an anomaly , but we turned a blind eye as we do when we are winning. I really felt they had been giving the raw deal till I read this article on a site called www.thedailymash.co.uk and it read as follows and then I was over feeling sorry for them : )
BANKERS last night rejected calls to live in the real world insisting it was full of badly-dressed poor people with only one house.
Senior ministers launched a stinging attack on the banks yesterday insisting they had to act more responsibly if they were going to let them invest the profits they made on all the houses they bought with taxpayers' money.
But the British Banker's Association hit back, claiming it would be impossible for its members to inhabit the same world as people who do not own cliff-top property in Sardinia and float around on a cushion of air.
Tom Logan, head of equity distribution at Donnelly-McPartlin, said: "I got into investment banking because I'm actually allergic to the real world and my doctor says that if I live in it I could die.
"None of this is real. If I stop imagining it we would plummet the equivalent of 50 storeys to our certain deaths."
He added: "Allow me to explain. Yesterday I used exchange-traded derivatives to buy 140% of a property development that hasn't been built yet - and, crucially, will never be built. I then converted the hypothetical profits into ratio-spread bond futures and invested it in oil that hasn't been discovered yet - and, crucially, will never be discovered.
"At no point did I come within 200 yards of anything resembling reality - and that's why I get the really big bonuses."
Julian Cook, chief economist at Madeley-Finnegan, said: "There are, essentially, two universes existing in parallel at the same point in the space-time continuum.
"This means that we can see all of you - queuing for things, eating out of packets and coughing violently - and sometimes you can even see us - but you can't touch us. And of course we live with the constant fear that if we touch you, we could become one of you. Our tans would fade, our teeth would separate and we'd forget how to order wine."
He added: "All this talk of reality is very dangerous. It would be like forcing Peter Pan to work at Carphone Warehouse and share a flat above an off-licence with his chubby, flatulent mate from university. It would kill him.
"Do you want to kill Peter Pan? Is that what this is all about? What's wrong with you?"
Birthdays
2nd Mike Bonsu
4th Pi el
5th Peace, Nana Sao
6th Taz Magil
7th Bish, Shakira Essop
8th D and Nkuks
Tooldes
Y
“I get my kicks from watching people, Running too and fro, And if you ask them where they`re going, Half of the don`t know, Let the world to think I`m crazy,'Cause they don`t realize
That I`m just groovin, grooving, Grooving out on life, I`m just groovin and i can't stop grooving, Grovin till I die
I see a river flowing by me, Heading for the sea, I get a feeling deep inside me, It`s so good to be free”
You know I had this email all planned out till I logged on and found this email that my cous sent me. Its an interesting perspective, one that many of us haven’t either spoken about or if we have not loudly enough. But have a quick read of this…
'We are Wall Street. It's our job to make money. Whether it's a commodity, stock, bond, or some hypothetical piece of fake paper, it doesn't matter. We would trade baseball cards if it were profitable.
I didn't hear America complaining when the market was roaring to 14,000 and everyone's pension plan doubled every 3 years. Just like gambling, its not a problem until you lose. I've never heard of anyone going to Gamblers Anonymous because they won too much in Vegas!
Well now the market crapped out, and even though it has come back somewhat, the government and the average Joes are still looking for a scapegoat. God knows there has to be one for everything. Well, here we are.
Go ahead and continue to take us down, but you're only going to hurt yourselves. What's going to happen when we can't find jobs on the Street anymore ? Guess what - we're going to take yours. We get up at 5am and work 'till 10pm or later. We're used to remaining at our desks, working for hours on end. We don't even need to pee. We don't take an hour or more for lunch, and we don't take much time off for holidays. We don't demand a union to represent us. And we don't retire at 50 with a pension. We eat what we kill, and when the only thing left to eat is your job, we'll eat that instead
For years teachers and other unionized labor have had us fooled. We were too busy working to notice. Do you really think that we are incapable of teaching 3rd graders ? We're going to take your cushy guaranteed-for-life-jobs - you know, the ones that come with four months paid holiday a year. So say goodbye to your overtime and double time, as we'll be in the market for some of your cushy lifestyle - and we'll undertake your jobs more efficiently, and with none of your constant whining that the pay isn't enough and that the working conditions are too tough.
So now that we're going to be making $85k a year without any bonus upside, Joe Mainstreet is going to have his revenge, right ? Wrong! Guess what - we're going to stop buying those luxury items that help make the economy grow, and we aren't going to leave those 35% tips at our business dinners anymore. And from now on, we're going to landscape our own back yards, and wash our cars with a garden hose in our driveways, instead of spreading that wealth around. There'll be no more free rides on our backs. Don't forget, our money was your money. You spent it. When our money dries up, so does yours.
The difference is, though, you lived off of it, we rejoiced in it. The Obama administration and the Democratic National Committee might get their way and knock us off the top of the pyramid, but it's really going to hurt like hell for them when our fat a**es land directly on the American middle classes and knock them to the bottom of the food chain.
We aren't dinosaurs. We are smarter and more vicious than that, and we are going to survive. The question is, now that Obama and his administration are making Joe Mainstreet our food supply, will he survive ? And will all those we displace ?'
Interesting read ey because up until I read this I hadn’t given it 2 thoughts, but I guess that old saying of a coin and 2 sides. Here we are ripped because the self same Investment Bankers we now chastise had been making us plenty money over the last few years, our investments had been soaring, they had been gambling and the investors were winning life was poifect. 100% returns in 3 years, is that logical, who cares, gimme some more gimme gimme gimme. Ok we will but please do note that nothing is guaranteed, who cares we say just give us MOOOOOORRRREEEEE!!!
Boom, bank goes bust, as was more than likely a reality because those super profits we became accustomed to were no more than an exception, an anomaly , but we turned a blind eye as we do when we are winning. I really felt they had been giving the raw deal till I read this article on a site called www.thedailymash.co.uk and it read as follows and then I was over feeling sorry for them : )
BANKERS last night rejected calls to live in the real world insisting it was full of badly-dressed poor people with only one house.
Senior ministers launched a stinging attack on the banks yesterday insisting they had to act more responsibly if they were going to let them invest the profits they made on all the houses they bought with taxpayers' money.
But the British Banker's Association hit back, claiming it would be impossible for its members to inhabit the same world as people who do not own cliff-top property in Sardinia and float around on a cushion of air.
Tom Logan, head of equity distribution at Donnelly-McPartlin, said: "I got into investment banking because I'm actually allergic to the real world and my doctor says that if I live in it I could die.
"None of this is real. If I stop imagining it we would plummet the equivalent of 50 storeys to our certain deaths."
He added: "Allow me to explain. Yesterday I used exchange-traded derivatives to buy 140% of a property development that hasn't been built yet - and, crucially, will never be built. I then converted the hypothetical profits into ratio-spread bond futures and invested it in oil that hasn't been discovered yet - and, crucially, will never be discovered.
"At no point did I come within 200 yards of anything resembling reality - and that's why I get the really big bonuses."
Julian Cook, chief economist at Madeley-Finnegan, said: "There are, essentially, two universes existing in parallel at the same point in the space-time continuum.
"This means that we can see all of you - queuing for things, eating out of packets and coughing violently - and sometimes you can even see us - but you can't touch us. And of course we live with the constant fear that if we touch you, we could become one of you. Our tans would fade, our teeth would separate and we'd forget how to order wine."
He added: "All this talk of reality is very dangerous. It would be like forcing Peter Pan to work at Carphone Warehouse and share a flat above an off-licence with his chubby, flatulent mate from university. It would kill him.
"Do you want to kill Peter Pan? Is that what this is all about? What's wrong with you?"
Birthdays
2nd Mike Bonsu
4th Pi el
5th Peace, Nana Sao
6th Taz Magil
7th Bish, Shakira Essop
8th D and Nkuks
Tooldes
Y
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Whose morality is it anyway?
The world and people have become even more fascinating for an inquisitive soul like mine. Let's start with a simple question that most...
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The world and people have become even more fascinating for an inquisitive soul like mine. Let's start with a simple question that most... -
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