Germans are an odd bunch!
Saturday 28 November 2009
Friday 27 November 2009
Thursday 26 November 2009
Ahem, Mr President,
don't be a doos!
The new NPA boss used to run the organisation I currently work for. Everyone here who knew him said he was never too bothered with this whole independence idea, or being objective, or acting without fear, favour, or prejudice. Now he's running the most important cog in the state prosecution machine. This is about as close as the ANC has got to making a mockery of the Constitution, in my humble opinion.
AND, AND, not to state the obvious, but there's now no way Mabandla will be investigated now for tampering with Pikoli (ex-NPA head), nor will the NPA reinstate proceedings against Zuma.
All swept under the carpet nice and tidy like.
Can't wait for the Zapiro on this one. Fucking disappointing.
The new NPA boss used to run the organisation I currently work for. Everyone here who knew him said he was never too bothered with this whole independence idea, or being objective, or acting without fear, favour, or prejudice. Now he's running the most important cog in the state prosecution machine. This is about as close as the ANC has got to making a mockery of the Constitution, in my humble opinion.
AND, AND, not to state the obvious, but there's now no way Mabandla will be investigated now for tampering with Pikoli (ex-NPA head), nor will the NPA reinstate proceedings against Zuma.
All swept under the carpet nice and tidy like.
Can't wait for the Zapiro on this one. Fucking disappointing.
Some stuff from the internets
I dont know whether to laugh or cry... Side-hugs explained by the Lords of Apathy.
Also, download this killer mix by Pocketknife of flagrant fowl. As the text suggests, its a bit of a winter mix, but it's a cracker nontheless.
I'm off to South America next week, so expect lots of meat pictures shortly.
Also, download this killer mix by Pocketknife of flagrant fowl. As the text suggests, its a bit of a winter mix, but it's a cracker nontheless.
I'm off to South America next week, so expect lots of meat pictures shortly.
Tuesday 24 November 2009
And, like, what?
Norwegian city offers reward for gingerbread vandals
OSLO, NORWAY Nov 23 2009 13:05
0 commentsA reward was offered on Monday after hundreds of gingerbread houses were destroyed over the weekend in the Norwegian west coast city of Bergen.
Local businesses offered 100 000 kroner ($17 700 dollars) for information about the assailants. A police investigation was under way.
Bergen has, since 1991, held a regular exhibit of gingerbread houses, forming what is touted as the world's largest gingerbread city as part of the run-up to the holiday season. A local newspaper pledges a donation for each gingerbread house to the Save the Children charity.
Inhabitants of Bergen responded to the vandalism by baking new gingerbread houses. About 100 were delivered on Sunday afternoon. The opening has been postponed until next week.
But there have also been angry comments posted on local media sites and the social networking site Facebook with calls for the assailants to be placed in a medieval-style stocks.
Church of Norway bishop Halvor Nordhaug called for reconciliation.
"We should not lynch anyone over some gingerbread houses," the bishop told the BT newspaper.
Security around the pavilion where the gingerbread houses were to be displayed has been stepped up. -- Sapa-dpa
The Selebi case
Ya whatever who cares about the case when you a) you're pretty sure Selebi will walk, somehow, and b) you have actually met and chatted to the State's final witness!!
Here
This guy Gilder was a top spy for years. I met him at a SAIIA conference organised by one of my former colleagues. I tried to make a funny but it wasn't funny, apparently. But I get that a lot from less verkrampte people. Then I asked about all the Kebble stuff in the Mail and Guardian (this was at least 2.5 years ago). Gilder said "what stuff?" and then walked away. Ha ha. He's an old hardcore communist from back in the Joe Slovo days, and also happens to be Jewish.
Anyway the point is that he's supposed to testify against Selebi but Selebi's lawyers have affidavits from the new State Security Minister and some other guy to the effect that Gilder's information is confidential on the grounds that, should it be disclosed, it may threaten national security. So a new Zuma-appointed Minister supporting supposed Mbeki-ite from the previous administration. Weird, and suggests that the Minister may actually be acting in faith, not because he wants to help Selebi. Oh but ya, dodgy dealings spread so far and wide under Mbeki that pretty much everyone has something to hide, and so everyone protects everyone else in the name of something bogus like national security.
Hopefully the judge tells Selebi's lawyers and the Minister to fork off!
Here
This guy Gilder was a top spy for years. I met him at a SAIIA conference organised by one of my former colleagues. I tried to make a funny but it wasn't funny, apparently. But I get that a lot from less verkrampte people. Then I asked about all the Kebble stuff in the Mail and Guardian (this was at least 2.5 years ago). Gilder said "what stuff?" and then walked away. Ha ha. He's an old hardcore communist from back in the Joe Slovo days, and also happens to be Jewish.
Anyway the point is that he's supposed to testify against Selebi but Selebi's lawyers have affidavits from the new State Security Minister and some other guy to the effect that Gilder's information is confidential on the grounds that, should it be disclosed, it may threaten national security. So a new Zuma-appointed Minister supporting supposed Mbeki-ite from the previous administration. Weird, and suggests that the Minister may actually be acting in faith, not because he wants to help Selebi. Oh but ya, dodgy dealings spread so far and wide under Mbeki that pretty much everyone has something to hide, and so everyone protects everyone else in the name of something bogus like national security.
Hopefully the judge tells Selebi's lawyers and the Minister to fork off!
Monday 23 November 2009
It's Monday
And I have a gripe.
Does all the 2010 World Cup preparation going on, partcularly the bits that have nothing to do with stadium building, sometimes annoy you? It annoys me, and I'll tell you why. It's a really obvious point that no-one seems to want to make (or made jonks ago and is now bored with), and that also annoys me.
South Africa is building and developing and establishing all kinds of things, in the name of the World Cup, which need to be built anyway. Not just roads and airports (actually the new Durban airport SA does not need, especially since it's much more expensive for airlines compared to the existing one), new mass transit systems, or dressed up public spaces in Soweto and other not-so-pretty parts of urban South Africa, but promises of more effective policing, traffic control, attention to human safety, better municipal services, a steady electricity supply, Telkom's promise of uninterrupted broadband and broadcast services, and so on. Telkom's advertss bragging about all they're doing for FIFA (their words) really grate my carrot. Do it for your paying customers you bunch of lazy-ass monopolists!
The most annoying recent announcement: a new nerve centre to track and remedy literally anything that goes wrong during the World Cup. In other words, a functioning call centre for emergencies. Um, ja, we already have that hotline and that fancy call centre in Midrand, but it doesn't seem to work very well.
Why do we need a World Cup to do all these things? I'm vey happy the country is making changes, and even more happy that we seem to have the financial resources to make them. But I'm very annoyed that the impetus behind them doesn't seem to exist without the prospect of hosting a major world event on the horizon, and the world attention that comes with it. We're only doing these things either because FIFA says we must, or because we're worried that outsiders will develop a bad opinion of the country (or develop further pre-existing prejudices).
I can think of lots of reasons why South Africans are more worried about what Europeans think of it than what South Africans think of it. I am also aware that some first world countries suffer similar problems. But none of this makes me less annoyed.
Does all the 2010 World Cup preparation going on, partcularly the bits that have nothing to do with stadium building, sometimes annoy you? It annoys me, and I'll tell you why. It's a really obvious point that no-one seems to want to make (or made jonks ago and is now bored with), and that also annoys me.
South Africa is building and developing and establishing all kinds of things, in the name of the World Cup, which need to be built anyway. Not just roads and airports (actually the new Durban airport SA does not need, especially since it's much more expensive for airlines compared to the existing one), new mass transit systems, or dressed up public spaces in Soweto and other not-so-pretty parts of urban South Africa, but promises of more effective policing, traffic control, attention to human safety, better municipal services, a steady electricity supply, Telkom's promise of uninterrupted broadband and broadcast services, and so on. Telkom's advertss bragging about all they're doing for FIFA (their words) really grate my carrot. Do it for your paying customers you bunch of lazy-ass monopolists!
The most annoying recent announcement: a new nerve centre to track and remedy literally anything that goes wrong during the World Cup. In other words, a functioning call centre for emergencies. Um, ja, we already have that hotline and that fancy call centre in Midrand, but it doesn't seem to work very well.
Why do we need a World Cup to do all these things? I'm vey happy the country is making changes, and even more happy that we seem to have the financial resources to make them. But I'm very annoyed that the impetus behind them doesn't seem to exist without the prospect of hosting a major world event on the horizon, and the world attention that comes with it. We're only doing these things either because FIFA says we must, or because we're worried that outsiders will develop a bad opinion of the country (or develop further pre-existing prejudices).
I can think of lots of reasons why South Africans are more worried about what Europeans think of it than what South Africans think of it. I am also aware that some first world countries suffer similar problems. But none of this makes me less annoyed.
Who doesnt love Ewoks?
Watch until then end, these little animals get the party started!
From Lords of Apathy.
From Lords of Apathy.
Friday 20 November 2009
Tuesday 17 November 2009
Sunday 15 November 2009
Thursday 12 November 2009
Oh. And.
Just wanted to make sure that you guys have been sharing in the joy that is the XX:
(Going to see them Monday)
(Going to see them Monday)
Eish
Jacob Dlamini, a Business Day columnist, just rose to the top of Julius's and Jimmy's hit list. He must secretly be a Zille sycophant. But of course! That's what everyone who disagrees with the ANCYL is. Here.
Watch out for the inevitable Floyd Shivambu backlash to his boss being called a thug by this right wing counter-revolutionary coconut. Because need I remind you, Floyd means what he says and says what he means!
Watch out for the inevitable Floyd Shivambu backlash to his boss being called a thug by this right wing counter-revolutionary coconut. Because need I remind you, Floyd means what he says and says what he means!
Tuesday 10 November 2009
Australia, land of Professional Removalists and non-racialisticalists
Australians' general spelling and grammar capabilities are noticeably poor. Did you know that removalism is a profession? And did you know that apostrophes are almost never needed in words written on signs or banners? Or that the abbreviated version of "you are" is exactly equivalent to the word "your", particularly if the author is a crap company trying to reassure the proverbial novice consumer that "your our number 1".
Quite a surprise to me, I must say. I didn't notice it when I was last there, because I was working, hard. This time I was slacking off and enjoying annoying Grek the Highly Strung, and therefore had time to smell the roses and notice these atrocious Australianisms all around me. If you want to be like America by making up words and changing all the things the Empire bestowed upon you, then stop recognising the Queen as your Head of State. No, Kevin Rudd is not your head of state. (He is however an arrogant and rather annoying little megalomaniac). Note, however, that while bad spelling is tolerated, perhaps even encouraged, being a racialisticalist definitely isn't. Even if many many Arsestralians are racialisticalists.
Greg is known variably to his friends in Australia (very few of whom are actually Australian) as Muckless, Muck, McLovin, or Fogel. I only found this out on my last day there gawdammit! I probably spelled Muckless incorrectly too - there's some terrorist reference in there. Anyway if you have that many nicknames you know must be loved and admired by those around you.
All in all my holiday down unner was pretty rad. We ate so much good food and drank so much good coffee. Wow. The 2kg of lamb at Grek's birthday braai was a particular highlight; the culinary delights of Esselen Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria, don't quite compare.
Talya is well, down in perfect Melbourne, which is a pretty awesome little coastal city. The photos of her Argentina trip, all 62345 of them, are impressive. Don't worry Hels, the gifts were duly delivered to Grek, although I will admit we forgot to take Tally's to Melbourne. No matter, she's visiting Sydney soon. Oh ja and for those who know Brent Liebenberg, he's also living there now, and is also well and totally, leg-humpingly, in love with Melbourne.
Some pics from the trip...
Quite a surprise to me, I must say. I didn't notice it when I was last there, because I was working, hard. This time I was slacking off and enjoying annoying Grek the Highly Strung, and therefore had time to smell the roses and notice these atrocious Australianisms all around me. If you want to be like America by making up words and changing all the things the Empire bestowed upon you, then stop recognising the Queen as your Head of State. No, Kevin Rudd is not your head of state. (He is however an arrogant and rather annoying little megalomaniac). Note, however, that while bad spelling is tolerated, perhaps even encouraged, being a racialisticalist definitely isn't. Even if many many Arsestralians are racialisticalists.
Greg is known variably to his friends in Australia (very few of whom are actually Australian) as Muckless, Muck, McLovin, or Fogel. I only found this out on my last day there gawdammit! I probably spelled Muckless incorrectly too - there's some terrorist reference in there. Anyway if you have that many nicknames you know must be loved and admired by those around you.
All in all my holiday down unner was pretty rad. We ate so much good food and drank so much good coffee. Wow. The 2kg of lamb at Grek's birthday braai was a particular highlight; the culinary delights of Esselen Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria, don't quite compare.
Talya is well, down in perfect Melbourne, which is a pretty awesome little coastal city. The photos of her Argentina trip, all 62345 of them, are impressive. Don't worry Hels, the gifts were duly delivered to Grek, although I will admit we forgot to take Tally's to Melbourne. No matter, she's visiting Sydney soon. Oh ja and for those who know Brent Liebenberg, he's also living there now, and is also well and totally, leg-humpingly, in love with Melbourne.
Some pics from the trip...
 |
| Oz Grek |
Sunday 1 November 2009
The Big Carrot
Despite the early delays (cancelled connections and lost evenings spent at Emperors Palace for the Zini Posse) and lost baggage - we did finally make it to Lake of Stars!! I had hoped to post this last weekend - hoping to be speedy off the mark - but (un)surprisingly that didn't happen.
It was an amazing holiday - had four days of madness: dancing under the stars on the beach by the lake and another 3.5 days of chilling in one of Malawi's National Parks (Liwonde): my mind finally went quiet for the first time in recent memory, a feat for my mind at the best of times.
After a few unexpected days in Lilongwe (visiting markets and wild life sanctuaries, playing uno by the pool) we headed down in our shuttle, cruising with (ken nearly lost his head with excitement when it became clear who our shuttle buddies were) The Very Best posse (Esau, the-rather-unfortunately-named-RadioClit, Kingston - the entourage - and Molaudi the MC from Polokwane now living in Europe and hanging with Justice and co) to the Festival site (near Mangochi for those interested in the geography). Lake of Stars is less of a music festival and more of a beach party - an Amazing Beach Party. While I was expecting more southern African music discoveries, and certainly some of the big names in Malawian music played (Lucias Banda & The Black Missionaries to name a couple), it was more European DJs and MCs. Having said that, dancing on the sand to the early hours, drinking Malawi Gin and Pineapple Fanta and hanging with the Zini Posse was so much fun. Then you wake up and nurse the sleep deprivation while combatting the heat hanging out on the shore and swimming in the lake - when its 40 degrees and the gin is hurting: Bilharzia be damned :) once recovered you head back over to the festival site to do it all again... and Repeat.
Then it all comes to an end and Ken and co have to head back to Lilongwe so Kerry found a new friend in the toilet queue at the Fest (Jenny from Northumberland) who, thankfully, was also keen to leave the party behind and head down south away from the revelry to Liwonde and Chinguni Camp - recommended and an easy trip from the festival site. We were all supposed to head to the park before the festival together but SAA's errant and unpredictable flight schedule scuppered that plan. In retrospect I am so glad I got to go to the park after the festival to chill out and regroup. So after a few hours on the mini bus, kids and chickens were very well behaved, we arrived in Liwonde and arranged a ride to the camp. Chinguni is simply beautiful, breathtaking. There is no electricity and the only sounds are fish eagles by day, hippos in the eve and hyenas at night. The food was amazing! And the bar/fire pit overlook the water estuary where water buck and elephants graze all day long. The camp is run by a wonderful afrikaans couple from.... Potchefstroom! Mariska and Pieter were awesome. So much fun reminiscing about Oppi with them and learning more about Malawi. My camera battery died so I have very pics from this part of the trip but no pictures I would have taken could possibly have done it justice anyway.
Suffice to say, I want to go back and see more - it just isn't enough. Malawians are warm and welcoming, it is easy to get around and there are so many different areas to explore. Thinking a drive through Mozambique and then heading to the north of the Lake - who's in?
It was an amazing holiday - had four days of madness: dancing under the stars on the beach by the lake and another 3.5 days of chilling in one of Malawi's National Parks (Liwonde): my mind finally went quiet for the first time in recent memory, a feat for my mind at the best of times.
After a few unexpected days in Lilongwe (visiting markets and wild life sanctuaries, playing uno by the pool) we headed down in our shuttle, cruising with (ken nearly lost his head with excitement when it became clear who our shuttle buddies were) The Very Best posse (Esau, the-rather-unfortunately-named-RadioClit, Kingston - the entourage - and Molaudi the MC from Polokwane now living in Europe and hanging with Justice and co) to the Festival site (near Mangochi for those interested in the geography). Lake of Stars is less of a music festival and more of a beach party - an Amazing Beach Party. While I was expecting more southern African music discoveries, and certainly some of the big names in Malawian music played (Lucias Banda & The Black Missionaries to name a couple), it was more European DJs and MCs. Having said that, dancing on the sand to the early hours, drinking Malawi Gin and Pineapple Fanta and hanging with the Zini Posse was so much fun. Then you wake up and nurse the sleep deprivation while combatting the heat hanging out on the shore and swimming in the lake - when its 40 degrees and the gin is hurting: Bilharzia be damned :) once recovered you head back over to the festival site to do it all again... and Repeat.
Then it all comes to an end and Ken and co have to head back to Lilongwe so Kerry found a new friend in the toilet queue at the Fest (Jenny from Northumberland) who, thankfully, was also keen to leave the party behind and head down south away from the revelry to Liwonde and Chinguni Camp - recommended and an easy trip from the festival site. We were all supposed to head to the park before the festival together but SAA's errant and unpredictable flight schedule scuppered that plan. In retrospect I am so glad I got to go to the park after the festival to chill out and regroup. So after a few hours on the mini bus, kids and chickens were very well behaved, we arrived in Liwonde and arranged a ride to the camp. Chinguni is simply beautiful, breathtaking. There is no electricity and the only sounds are fish eagles by day, hippos in the eve and hyenas at night. The food was amazing! And the bar/fire pit overlook the water estuary where water buck and elephants graze all day long. The camp is run by a wonderful afrikaans couple from.... Potchefstroom! Mariska and Pieter were awesome. So much fun reminiscing about Oppi with them and learning more about Malawi. My camera battery died so I have very pics from this part of the trip but no pictures I would have taken could possibly have done it justice anyway.
 |
| Malawi |
Suffice to say, I want to go back and see more - it just isn't enough. Malawians are warm and welcoming, it is easy to get around and there are so many different areas to explore. Thinking a drive through Mozambique and then heading to the north of the Lake - who's in?
Dont worry, Phil is OK.
Just a quickie to let you know that Emcee Krekin is doing fine. He has slept through the last two nights, and is gradually weaning himself off the pre-bed whiskeys. We went down the coast for a few days last week and did some rad snorkelling, though the water was very cold and i struggled to catch my breath after jumping in. Phil has more insulation, so he was ok (Philimon might have pictures of this, but i forgot my camera).
Yesterday was my birthday braai/bbq and thankfully (because i had been stressing about it for a while) it went off perfectly, and the braai'd lamb was (if i do say so me'self) a triumph. Honourable mention to Asher and his kitchen skills... dude got up at 7am to go to the markets with me, made all the salads in a single morning, cleaned the prawns, and squid, and still had time to tidy up the kitchen before taking his lady out for dinner for their 1 year anniversary. Ag cute.
I dont have too many photos, but i've uploaded some here...
Alex might notice that we used her hand made scarf as a blindfold when taking a swing at the pinata (its too warm in Sydney so i dont get as much use out of it as i'd like, so this way everyone could enjoy it). Anyway, Samurai Alves-san bust open the pinata with a couple of well timed knocks and little Ema ran to pick up the sweets. I'm a bit sleep deprived so i might go get a coffee or go back to bed.
Thank you all so much for my gift, its AWESOME. It has so many of my favourite David Goldblatt shots and saves me having to log on to the internets every time i want to se them (or dream about owning them). Really, what a cracker present.
ps. Sorry we never called back Kezzah, we were all wiped out and passed out after people left (it had been a long day) but hopefully we can organise a three-way with Talya in Melbourne (he he).
SHALOM!
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