Friday, 30 May 2008
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Caroyn Baker dot net
Carolyn Baker
This is too good to not post. I'm hoping like hell that no lawyer will notice me reprinting this, but everyone has to read this, it is vitally important to us all.
The end is nigh ... no kidding ... we have front row seats for the end of western civilisation ... it's going to be a fireworks display of NOTE!!!!
Read it in full please. Re-read it. Then think about it.
Herewith ... RAPID UNRAVELING AND THE DEMISE OF ADOLESCENT AMERICA, By Carolyn Baker
Friday, 23 May 2008
Well here it is folks-the great unraveling so many of us have been forecasting during the past five years as we've read the tea leaves and researched the unprecedented convergence of myriad natural, political, economic, and environmental realities. As most of you know, I'm traveling, yes on the road, across this country. I was going to wait until arriving at my final destination before writing about my experience, but with oil rapidly heading for $200 a barrel, it feels important to do so sooner rather than later because our lives have just changed more dramatically than we can imagine, and we will only be able to comprehend to what extent as the repercussions of the end of the age of oil reverberate through what is left of industrial civilization.
In my travels I've seen exactly one RV on the road, a few SUV's and vans, a number of small cars and motorcycles, and lots of eighteen-wheelers going 55 MPH. Motels have a record low number of guests, and few people are eating in restaurants. I thought about writing an article entitled "Ghost Town USA: Echo Across America", but that was before oil reached a new record of $135 yesterday. The speed of collapse is taking even a seasoned collapse-watcher like me by somewhat of a surprise, and I feel compelled to talk about it as it unfolds in this moment.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of what we are witnessing-and there are oh so many, is the ubiquitousness of blame. Attending almost every report on skyrocketing gas prices is the question: "So whose fault is it?" I certainly am not surprised by this, but I find it unsettling to say the least. Because Americans in particular have been absolutely recalcitrant and incapable of looking at collapse, they are being and will continue to be increasingly blindsided by it. Sadly, when humans are traumatized, their functioning becomes progressively more primal and animal-like, and their capacity for taking in and assimilating new information is markedly reduced.
When Peak Oil experts first began sharing their research, they told us that food, perhaps more than any aspect of our lives, would be impacted by it, and so it is. The double-barreled trauma now hitting Americans which is putting both gasoline and food out of their reach, is certain to result in reactive, vindictive behavior that will irrationally target a plethora of scapegoats. Add to this a foreclosure or two, a bankruptcy, car repossession, job loss or loss of health insurance and you have a recipe for mayhem. Such behavior, understandable as it may be, is adolescent in nature and therefore, untempered and unwizened, making acting-out individuals exceedingly dangerous to themselves and others.
Like me, you are probably witnessing the barrage of blame in your community and nationally if you are paying attention to mainstream news. Dmitry Orlov has given us a treasure-trove of information about human behavior in the throes of collapse chaos. What is and will be different from the collapse of the Soviet Union for Americans, however, is the level of violence that is likely to proliferate as collapse accelerates. Russians were never intoxicated with affluence and entitlement as Americans are. Their history has been replete with suffering; ours marinated in privilege reinforced by gun culture and firearm fetishes.
What those of us who comprehend collapse must understand as we navigate the daunting days ahead is that what is happening to America and the human species is an initiatory experience similar to those which have been structured and honored by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The very best explanation I have read of this process is Nature And The Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness And Community In A Fragmented World, an extraordinary book by psychologist Bill Plotkin in which he illuminates the stages of human development and emphasizes how they have been skewed by a capitalistic, consumer-driven culture-and how each stage might be lived in fulfillment in the context of a holistic community. The current planetary initiation differs from the traditional, tribal initiation in that the former is involuntary and unwanted, whereas the latter is perceived as essential for the well being of the initiate and the tribe.
In tribal cultures young people have the opportunity to experience ritual rites of passage from adolescence to adulthood, that is, an initiation, which involves some type of ordeal created and supported by the tribe's elders. Ordeals may include rugged endurance challenges in the wilderness, treacherous hunting experiences, or isolation for a period of time in nature. In all instances, the experience is one of discomfort and danger and literally sets up a brush with death for the initiate. Many traditional societies, and some psychologists such as Carl Jung, believe that the human psyche requires initiatory experiences in order to develop in a functional manner and that without them, one's emotional and spiritual development is impaired.
Since cultures are comprised of individuals, it follows that when the individuals of the culture have not been initiated, the culture itself is likely to remain in an adolescent state. Many cultures that have experienced collective suffering such as protracted wars, famines, and disease have in the process, experienced a collective initiation which may produce some of the results of an individual initiation. This may be the reason that some European countries that endured two world wars appear to have a more mature relationship with the earth community. For example, many of those countries are far more aware of environmental issues and have taken more profound steps to live consciously in harmony with the ecosystem as noted in a recent National Geographic survey which ranks the U.S. last in environmentally conscious behavior.
I believe that the collapse of civilization, now accelerating at dizzying speed, is indeed a collective, planetary initiation of the human species. It involves all of us, not just those "clueless Americans out there", and it will deliver to each of us countless unwanted ordeals on every level-physical, emotional, financial, social, and spiritual. What traditional cultures which practice ritual initiation understand about it is that what matters most in the initiatory process is not whether the initiate survives physically, but that that person's consciousness is transformed-for her own enhancement and for that of the tribe.
What I want to reinforce for all of us is how imperative it is in the days ahead for us to walk consciously, cautiously, and compassionately through the fires of this long, protracted initiation. Beyond our physical, financial, and logistic preparations, we must continuously work-and it will be work-to open our hearts and minds to the larger purpose behind the ordeals. We must ask ourselves what each particular experience wants to reveal to us, how it comes to us to open our eyes and cleanse the doors of our perception. We will be incessantly reminded that civilization has come to all this-depletion and exhaustion of the earth community and all of the suffering that attends that. In a sense, I believe, we are fortunate to be living in this time and on this planet because something greater than our finite human egos is delivering a message with unmistakable clarity: Living estranged from the earth community as if we are the only and the most important species on earth does not work, and collapse wishes to make certain that we understand unequivocally and irrevocably that our only survival and our only serenity will be found in living as if we and the earth are one.
Moreover, because we and the earth community are one, it is imperative that we reach out to our neighbors and community members. Their awareness may range from totally clueless to that of fellow collapse watcher, but bonds must be made and trust built-for our well being and for theirs. In the days ahead, we will need them, and they will need us. The more familiar we are with each other, the less likely that any of us is scapegoated or victimized by panicked, hungry people who feel victimized and powerless to cope with what they perceive they have been dealt.
The time for a sense of entitlement is over. We are not entitled to anything; I repeat: We are not entitled to anything. Each day, each moment, each breath, each bite of food and drop of water, each smile or warm hand on our shoulder, if we are fortunate enough to have them, are precious gifts to be savored, treasured, and given thanks for.
As I have been writing in recent months, I hold a vision of possibility-the potential for small pockets of survivors to create local outposts of conscious community in which individuals can live compassionately, practicing out of necessity and choice, those behaviors that sustain themselves and the earth. Those who have already begun this process may have an advantage, but none of us will be immune-nor should we be, in my opinion. It appears that this momentous initiation is the only way in which humans can fully and finally comprehend the toxicity of civilization.
Many citizens of the former Soviet Union discovered through the experience of collapse what ultimately mattered most. Yes, there was violence, crime, paranoia, hunger, thirst, deprivation, and astounding loss, but unprecedented compassion, trust, bonding, cooperation, and support flourished in the midst of total societal disintegration. For me, collapse is the opportunity for an outpouring of the latter qualities that causes me to at least partially welcome the demise of all that has prevented us from living and sharing them. Perhaps finally, amid a frightening unraveling, we will grow up-becoming mature human beings who ultimately find it impossible to tolerate anything remotely resembling industrial civilization because we will at last have become adults.
This is too good to not post. I'm hoping like hell that no lawyer will notice me reprinting this, but everyone has to read this, it is vitally important to us all.
The end is nigh ... no kidding ... we have front row seats for the end of western civilisation ... it's going to be a fireworks display of NOTE!!!!
Read it in full please. Re-read it. Then think about it.
Herewith ... RAPID UNRAVELING AND THE DEMISE OF ADOLESCENT AMERICA, By Carolyn Baker
Friday, 23 May 2008
Well here it is folks-the great unraveling so many of us have been forecasting during the past five years as we've read the tea leaves and researched the unprecedented convergence of myriad natural, political, economic, and environmental realities. As most of you know, I'm traveling, yes on the road, across this country. I was going to wait until arriving at my final destination before writing about my experience, but with oil rapidly heading for $200 a barrel, it feels important to do so sooner rather than later because our lives have just changed more dramatically than we can imagine, and we will only be able to comprehend to what extent as the repercussions of the end of the age of oil reverberate through what is left of industrial civilization.
In my travels I've seen exactly one RV on the road, a few SUV's and vans, a number of small cars and motorcycles, and lots of eighteen-wheelers going 55 MPH. Motels have a record low number of guests, and few people are eating in restaurants. I thought about writing an article entitled "Ghost Town USA: Echo Across America", but that was before oil reached a new record of $135 yesterday. The speed of collapse is taking even a seasoned collapse-watcher like me by somewhat of a surprise, and I feel compelled to talk about it as it unfolds in this moment.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of what we are witnessing-and there are oh so many, is the ubiquitousness of blame. Attending almost every report on skyrocketing gas prices is the question: "So whose fault is it?" I certainly am not surprised by this, but I find it unsettling to say the least. Because Americans in particular have been absolutely recalcitrant and incapable of looking at collapse, they are being and will continue to be increasingly blindsided by it. Sadly, when humans are traumatized, their functioning becomes progressively more primal and animal-like, and their capacity for taking in and assimilating new information is markedly reduced.
When Peak Oil experts first began sharing their research, they told us that food, perhaps more than any aspect of our lives, would be impacted by it, and so it is. The double-barreled trauma now hitting Americans which is putting both gasoline and food out of their reach, is certain to result in reactive, vindictive behavior that will irrationally target a plethora of scapegoats. Add to this a foreclosure or two, a bankruptcy, car repossession, job loss or loss of health insurance and you have a recipe for mayhem. Such behavior, understandable as it may be, is adolescent in nature and therefore, untempered and unwizened, making acting-out individuals exceedingly dangerous to themselves and others.
Like me, you are probably witnessing the barrage of blame in your community and nationally if you are paying attention to mainstream news. Dmitry Orlov has given us a treasure-trove of information about human behavior in the throes of collapse chaos. What is and will be different from the collapse of the Soviet Union for Americans, however, is the level of violence that is likely to proliferate as collapse accelerates. Russians were never intoxicated with affluence and entitlement as Americans are. Their history has been replete with suffering; ours marinated in privilege reinforced by gun culture and firearm fetishes.
What those of us who comprehend collapse must understand as we navigate the daunting days ahead is that what is happening to America and the human species is an initiatory experience similar to those which have been structured and honored by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The very best explanation I have read of this process is Nature And The Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness And Community In A Fragmented World, an extraordinary book by psychologist Bill Plotkin in which he illuminates the stages of human development and emphasizes how they have been skewed by a capitalistic, consumer-driven culture-and how each stage might be lived in fulfillment in the context of a holistic community. The current planetary initiation differs from the traditional, tribal initiation in that the former is involuntary and unwanted, whereas the latter is perceived as essential for the well being of the initiate and the tribe.
In tribal cultures young people have the opportunity to experience ritual rites of passage from adolescence to adulthood, that is, an initiation, which involves some type of ordeal created and supported by the tribe's elders. Ordeals may include rugged endurance challenges in the wilderness, treacherous hunting experiences, or isolation for a period of time in nature. In all instances, the experience is one of discomfort and danger and literally sets up a brush with death for the initiate. Many traditional societies, and some psychologists such as Carl Jung, believe that the human psyche requires initiatory experiences in order to develop in a functional manner and that without them, one's emotional and spiritual development is impaired.
Since cultures are comprised of individuals, it follows that when the individuals of the culture have not been initiated, the culture itself is likely to remain in an adolescent state. Many cultures that have experienced collective suffering such as protracted wars, famines, and disease have in the process, experienced a collective initiation which may produce some of the results of an individual initiation. This may be the reason that some European countries that endured two world wars appear to have a more mature relationship with the earth community. For example, many of those countries are far more aware of environmental issues and have taken more profound steps to live consciously in harmony with the ecosystem as noted in a recent National Geographic survey which ranks the U.S. last in environmentally conscious behavior.
I believe that the collapse of civilization, now accelerating at dizzying speed, is indeed a collective, planetary initiation of the human species. It involves all of us, not just those "clueless Americans out there", and it will deliver to each of us countless unwanted ordeals on every level-physical, emotional, financial, social, and spiritual. What traditional cultures which practice ritual initiation understand about it is that what matters most in the initiatory process is not whether the initiate survives physically, but that that person's consciousness is transformed-for her own enhancement and for that of the tribe.
What I want to reinforce for all of us is how imperative it is in the days ahead for us to walk consciously, cautiously, and compassionately through the fires of this long, protracted initiation. Beyond our physical, financial, and logistic preparations, we must continuously work-and it will be work-to open our hearts and minds to the larger purpose behind the ordeals. We must ask ourselves what each particular experience wants to reveal to us, how it comes to us to open our eyes and cleanse the doors of our perception. We will be incessantly reminded that civilization has come to all this-depletion and exhaustion of the earth community and all of the suffering that attends that. In a sense, I believe, we are fortunate to be living in this time and on this planet because something greater than our finite human egos is delivering a message with unmistakable clarity: Living estranged from the earth community as if we are the only and the most important species on earth does not work, and collapse wishes to make certain that we understand unequivocally and irrevocably that our only survival and our only serenity will be found in living as if we and the earth are one.
Moreover, because we and the earth community are one, it is imperative that we reach out to our neighbors and community members. Their awareness may range from totally clueless to that of fellow collapse watcher, but bonds must be made and trust built-for our well being and for theirs. In the days ahead, we will need them, and they will need us. The more familiar we are with each other, the less likely that any of us is scapegoated or victimized by panicked, hungry people who feel victimized and powerless to cope with what they perceive they have been dealt.
The time for a sense of entitlement is over. We are not entitled to anything; I repeat: We are not entitled to anything. Each day, each moment, each breath, each bite of food and drop of water, each smile or warm hand on our shoulder, if we are fortunate enough to have them, are precious gifts to be savored, treasured, and given thanks for.
As I have been writing in recent months, I hold a vision of possibility-the potential for small pockets of survivors to create local outposts of conscious community in which individuals can live compassionately, practicing out of necessity and choice, those behaviors that sustain themselves and the earth. Those who have already begun this process may have an advantage, but none of us will be immune-nor should we be, in my opinion. It appears that this momentous initiation is the only way in which humans can fully and finally comprehend the toxicity of civilization.
Many citizens of the former Soviet Union discovered through the experience of collapse what ultimately mattered most. Yes, there was violence, crime, paranoia, hunger, thirst, deprivation, and astounding loss, but unprecedented compassion, trust, bonding, cooperation, and support flourished in the midst of total societal disintegration. For me, collapse is the opportunity for an outpouring of the latter qualities that causes me to at least partially welcome the demise of all that has prevented us from living and sharing them. Perhaps finally, amid a frightening unraveling, we will grow up-becoming mature human beings who ultimately find it impossible to tolerate anything remotely resembling industrial civilization because we will at last have become adults.
Statement
The government is our enemy.
There. It is said.
By "our" i mean anybody who is not trying to get ahead by subverting those around him. South africans, foreigners, whites, blacks, syburban, urban, townships, farmers. All the normal people ... trying to live by the "rules". Like don't steal. Government is composed almost entirely of common thieves.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20080529071450353C863477
mbeki tells bush to butt out. Of Zimbabwe. We need US tropps running around here like we need mbeki and zuma running the country ... oh i'm sorry ...
There. It is said.
By "our" i mean anybody who is not trying to get ahead by subverting those around him. South africans, foreigners, whites, blacks, syburban, urban, townships, farmers. All the normal people ... trying to live by the "rules". Like don't steal. Government is composed almost entirely of common thieves.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20080529071450353C863477
mbeki tells bush to butt out. Of Zimbabwe. We need US tropps running around here like we need mbeki and zuma running the country ... oh i'm sorry ...
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
New day
Peace and love and chickenwings!!!!!
It's a new day ... a good day at that. BAH and HUMBUG to all the crap.
Just close your eyes ..... it's HOT and DUSTY ... you've just had an ice cold beer. Sweat is dripping down your body. You get into leathers. Helmet tied ... gloves on ... you want wind ... cool water .... instead you start an engine ... animal like snarl ripping into your insides ... you climb on .... take a deep breath ....
It's a new day ... a good day at that. BAH and HUMBUG to all the crap.
Just close your eyes ..... it's HOT and DUSTY ... you've just had an ice cold beer. Sweat is dripping down your body. You get into leathers. Helmet tied ... gloves on ... you want wind ... cool water .... instead you start an engine ... animal like snarl ripping into your insides ... you climb on .... take a deep breath ....
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Nog steeds
I don't have much to say ....
I guess once again when i take a moment of quiet, try and assess what i see around me in society, the rational thing to do is assume the foetal position and cry.
Mbeki the wet toilet paper he is, is off to japan to promote AFRICA, a vibrant place, while his (OUR) country burns. Manto the boozer in charge of health is so busy telling everyone else what to do, meanwhile people are scared to go to public hospitals.
The anc blamed the recent xenophobic violence on right wing 3rd forces ... even blacks are saying ENOUGH. That's such bullshit NOBODY can conceive of it, not even communist hard core black types believe it.
The eskom saga continues. Nothing changed. Now they are saying that water will soon be rationed too. This despite constant rains over the last season ... it does not add up. The poor are being fucked over even worse than before, THAT is the reason for the violence. But volunteers offer to help poor foreigners, and yet our own countrymen and women are going cold and hungry.
The only answer lies in civilian resistance. Of what sort i cannot say. This govt is not living up to any expectations, except their own. Mbeki and Zuma are getting richer by the day. Everyone else is suffering. Zimbabwe IS HAPPENING .. right before my eyes, in my own country. WHAT THE HELL CAN WE DO????
Following the legal route doesn't work. Parliment is just a stamp, the police more of a threat than the criminals. Any ideas?
I guess once again when i take a moment of quiet, try and assess what i see around me in society, the rational thing to do is assume the foetal position and cry.
Mbeki the wet toilet paper he is, is off to japan to promote AFRICA, a vibrant place, while his (OUR) country burns. Manto the boozer in charge of health is so busy telling everyone else what to do, meanwhile people are scared to go to public hospitals.
The anc blamed the recent xenophobic violence on right wing 3rd forces ... even blacks are saying ENOUGH. That's such bullshit NOBODY can conceive of it, not even communist hard core black types believe it.
The eskom saga continues. Nothing changed. Now they are saying that water will soon be rationed too. This despite constant rains over the last season ... it does not add up. The poor are being fucked over even worse than before, THAT is the reason for the violence. But volunteers offer to help poor foreigners, and yet our own countrymen and women are going cold and hungry.
The only answer lies in civilian resistance. Of what sort i cannot say. This govt is not living up to any expectations, except their own. Mbeki and Zuma are getting richer by the day. Everyone else is suffering. Zimbabwe IS HAPPENING .. right before my eyes, in my own country. WHAT THE HELL CAN WE DO????
Following the legal route doesn't work. Parliment is just a stamp, the police more of a threat than the criminals. Any ideas?
Monday, 26 May 2008
Cuba ... you are allowed to get old there
Cuba loves her 100-year-olds
25/05/2008 14:27 - (SA)
Havana - About 1 800 Cubans are over 100 years old, making it the country with the highest rate of centenarians, an expert said on Saturday.
Eugenio Selman-Housein, chairperson of the 120 Years Club and previously head of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro's medical team, also said "life expectancy has gone up to almost 80 years" on the communist-run Caribbean island.
There are "currently about 1 800 Cubans registered as over a century old," he said, according to the National Information Agency.
This figure would make Cuba, which has a total population of 11.2 million, "the country that has the most centenarians per number of inhabitants in the world," Selman-Housein said.
He noted that reaching the grand old age of 100 in good health required motivation, first of all, but also "a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, physical activity, culture and the right atmosphere."
The 120 Years Club, created in 2003, promotes a style of living and eating that will help people live a long and happy life.
Cuba has 16.6% senior citizens - more than 12% is considered high - which represents more than 1.9 million elderly people, official figures show.
The oldest Cuban is a 122-year-old woman who lives in Granma, 760km southeast of Havana. Her identity has never been disclosed.
____________________________________________________________________________
Wow ... big up to Cuba.
25/05/2008 14:27 - (SA)
Havana - About 1 800 Cubans are over 100 years old, making it the country with the highest rate of centenarians, an expert said on Saturday.
Eugenio Selman-Housein, chairperson of the 120 Years Club and previously head of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro's medical team, also said "life expectancy has gone up to almost 80 years" on the communist-run Caribbean island.
There are "currently about 1 800 Cubans registered as over a century old," he said, according to the National Information Agency.
This figure would make Cuba, which has a total population of 11.2 million, "the country that has the most centenarians per number of inhabitants in the world," Selman-Housein said.
He noted that reaching the grand old age of 100 in good health required motivation, first of all, but also "a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, physical activity, culture and the right atmosphere."
The 120 Years Club, created in 2003, promotes a style of living and eating that will help people live a long and happy life.
Cuba has 16.6% senior citizens - more than 12% is considered high - which represents more than 1.9 million elderly people, official figures show.
The oldest Cuban is a 122-year-old woman who lives in Granma, 760km southeast of Havana. Her identity has never been disclosed.
____________________________________________________________________________
Wow ... big up to Cuba.
Bikers vs VIP
Biker 'strikes' VIP driver
May 26 2008 at 07:07AM
An angry motorcyclist punched a KwaZulu-Natal provincial VIP driver after the VIP driver had crashed into the back of another car, seriously injuring its occupant.
A transport spokesperson, confirming the accident on the N3 on Saturday afternoon, said officials at the scene reported that there "had been some sort of altercation".
The biker, who had apparently earlier been forced aside by the VIP vehicle, stopped at the accident scene and punched the driver before getting back onto his bike and driving off. - Sapa
This article was originally published on page 2 of Pretoria News on May 26, 2008
____________________________________________________________________________
These VIP drivers are a blot on the face of the earth. They drive like animals, force people off the road, and point guns at them too. I reckon big up to the biker, although he couldn't be very smart. These VIP guys will kill you and never have to answer for it :/
May 26 2008 at 07:07AM
An angry motorcyclist punched a KwaZulu-Natal provincial VIP driver after the VIP driver had crashed into the back of another car, seriously injuring its occupant.
A transport spokesperson, confirming the accident on the N3 on Saturday afternoon, said officials at the scene reported that there "had been some sort of altercation".
The biker, who had apparently earlier been forced aside by the VIP vehicle, stopped at the accident scene and punched the driver before getting back onto his bike and driving off. - Sapa
This article was originally published on page 2 of Pretoria News on May 26, 2008
____________________________________________________________________________
These VIP drivers are a blot on the face of the earth. They drive like animals, force people off the road, and point guns at them too. I reckon big up to the biker, although he couldn't be very smart. These VIP guys will kill you and never have to answer for it :/
Friday, 23 May 2008
Xenophobia & Racism
Xenophobia is a fear or contempt of that which is foreign or unknown, especially of strangers or foreign people.[1] It comes from the Greek words ξένος (xenos), meaning "foreigner," "stranger," and φόβος (phobos), meaning "fear." The term is typically used to describe a fear or dislike of foreigners or of people significantly different from oneself.
Racism, by its simplest definition, is discrimination based on race. One with racist beliefs might hate certain groups of people according to their race (i.e., bigotry), or in the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits. Racism typically starts with, though is rarely confined to the assumption that there are taxonomic differences between different groups of people. Prejudices on other grounds would strictly categorize as discrimination to national or regional origin, religion, occupation, social status or some other distinction.
According to the United Nations conventions, there is no distinction between the term racial discrimination and ethnic discrimination.
___________________________________________________________________
OK so the former is reactive and the latter proactive. The former understanable and the latter unforgivable.
SOuth africa, like the rest of the world, is racist. Completely and utterly, every single group hates every other group. Of course that's normal. It's like that everywhere on earth, it's US and THEM. South africa had the issue on the table, for everyone to see, that was bad. America pretends nothing is wrong and keeps neighbourhoods very carefully segregated, that's ok.
I guess to some degree apartheid covered up the tribal differences, by labelling black and white, simple. But even then, you had the "boere" (lit. farmers, referring to afrikaaners) or "dutchmen", and the souties, or rooinekke, ie english speakers)but they were all white, so it was ok.
You had zulus, shangaans, xhosa, sotho and a miriad other local tribes too, but they were all black, so it was ok. Nice big brushes to tar everyone the same.
Now we're all equal (well not really but we're pretending, ok) and small differences become more apparent. They're not black fighting apartheid anymore, they're zulu, or xhosa .... more than before. And now that they've beaten the enemy apartheid, like any people the world over they look for the next fight / threat.
Whites around here for some reason have ALWAYS fought. Although the pressure is starting to blur the lines between english and afrikaans. We're still a VERY fractured nation, whatever the bloody press thinks.
However, i think SA is lucky in having had all these things exposed, as the AVERAGE south africans, WHITE & BLACK, have been able to make peace, and the younger generation do not have the same feelings and prejudices, average people look deeper than skin, and black and white friends are now normal throughout all (ok most) layers of society (that i see).
Racism / xenophobia is normal. However killing people over it is not. That's the NEXT step. The reason it's got this bad, is it's been building a LONG time. Things getting worse, more foreigners, less land, higher costs for food, and materials.
The magic ingredient, is that the ANC govt has been encourtaging this for a while, this buildup. We have local school leavers who are waiting 3-4 years for an id document, without which they can do NOTHING. Immigrants take about 3 months, and they have documents, bank accounts, driving licenses and so on. I wish i were kidding, but this is the reality. Mbeki has worked hard to create a safe place in SA for all his northern friends. He has removed any and all border patrols, and we have apparently 3-4 millions immigrants in our country.
These are politically displaced people, who come with nothing except their talents, and try get a share of the small pie. In a country of 40 million (it was that a while ago) ... we're talking 10% of the poor are foreigners. And these foreigners come with drive and need and talents.
It was inevitable, but it will not go away, the ANC is still driving this stupidity.
Racism, by its simplest definition, is discrimination based on race. One with racist beliefs might hate certain groups of people according to their race (i.e., bigotry), or in the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits. Racism typically starts with, though is rarely confined to the assumption that there are taxonomic differences between different groups of people. Prejudices on other grounds would strictly categorize as discrimination to national or regional origin, religion, occupation, social status or some other distinction.
According to the United Nations conventions, there is no distinction between the term racial discrimination and ethnic discrimination.
___________________________________________________________________
OK so the former is reactive and the latter proactive. The former understanable and the latter unforgivable.
SOuth africa, like the rest of the world, is racist. Completely and utterly, every single group hates every other group. Of course that's normal. It's like that everywhere on earth, it's US and THEM. South africa had the issue on the table, for everyone to see, that was bad. America pretends nothing is wrong and keeps neighbourhoods very carefully segregated, that's ok.
I guess to some degree apartheid covered up the tribal differences, by labelling black and white, simple. But even then, you had the "boere" (lit. farmers, referring to afrikaaners) or "dutchmen", and the souties, or rooinekke, ie english speakers)but they were all white, so it was ok.
You had zulus, shangaans, xhosa, sotho and a miriad other local tribes too, but they were all black, so it was ok. Nice big brushes to tar everyone the same.
Now we're all equal (well not really but we're pretending, ok) and small differences become more apparent. They're not black fighting apartheid anymore, they're zulu, or xhosa .... more than before. And now that they've beaten the enemy apartheid, like any people the world over they look for the next fight / threat.
Whites around here for some reason have ALWAYS fought. Although the pressure is starting to blur the lines between english and afrikaans. We're still a VERY fractured nation, whatever the bloody press thinks.
However, i think SA is lucky in having had all these things exposed, as the AVERAGE south africans, WHITE & BLACK, have been able to make peace, and the younger generation do not have the same feelings and prejudices, average people look deeper than skin, and black and white friends are now normal throughout all (ok most) layers of society (that i see).
Racism / xenophobia is normal. However killing people over it is not. That's the NEXT step. The reason it's got this bad, is it's been building a LONG time. Things getting worse, more foreigners, less land, higher costs for food, and materials.
The magic ingredient, is that the ANC govt has been encourtaging this for a while, this buildup. We have local school leavers who are waiting 3-4 years for an id document, without which they can do NOTHING. Immigrants take about 3 months, and they have documents, bank accounts, driving licenses and so on. I wish i were kidding, but this is the reality. Mbeki has worked hard to create a safe place in SA for all his northern friends. He has removed any and all border patrols, and we have apparently 3-4 millions immigrants in our country.
These are politically displaced people, who come with nothing except their talents, and try get a share of the small pie. In a country of 40 million (it was that a while ago) ... we're talking 10% of the poor are foreigners. And these foreigners come with drive and need and talents.
It was inevitable, but it will not go away, the ANC is still driving this stupidity.
Thursday, 22 May 2008
We lost
The weapons destined for Zimbabwe have arrived in Harare, The Weekender reported today.
The report said the Zimbabwean government confirmed that 3-million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3000 mortar rounds and 1500 rocket-propelled grenades - ordered from the Chinese government - had arrived in Harare.
The South African government denied media reports that it assisted in the delivery of the arms by fuelling the Chinese vessel, An Yue Jiang, that was transporting the arsenal.
There were fears that Robert Mugabe was planning to use force to storm back to power in the presidential runoff election to be held on June 27.
He had deployed the army, police and intelligence units across Zimbabwe to campaign for him through intimidation and coercive tactics, the report said.
The Weekender quoted a Mozambican online newspaper, Canal de Moçambique, which reported that the ship had been refueled by the SAS Drakensberg off the coast of South Africa before sailing north to offload its deadly cargo.
It reported that the ship was offloaded at Ponta Negra in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, Zimbabwean government officials said it was offloaded in Angola.
Canal de Moçambique reported that President Thabo Mbeki gave "a direct instruction" to Deputy Defence Minister Mluleki George to send the SAS Drakensberg to refuel the An Yue Jiang.
Presidential spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga dismissed the reports, saying "it seems that the season of propaganda is upon us".
George said he had no instruction from Mbeki to dispatch the SAS Drakensberg and that the allegations had no substance.
However, the Canal de Moçambique article also said the arms were flown to Harare in an Ilyushin Il-76 belonging to Avient Aviation, a freight charter airline based in Zimbabwe but registered in the UK.
This was confirmed by government officials in Harare, The Weekender said.
Zimbabwe’s Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga confirmed the weapons have been delivered.
The Angolan government’s assistance came after an appeal by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairman, Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, to member states to bar the delivery of the ammunition to Zimbabwe, saying the arms could deepen the country’s election crisis.
The US and British governments had also exerted concerted pressure on the SADC and China to stop the ship from docking in the region.
The ship has been spotted off the coast of Port Elizabeth, The Weekender said.
From The Times
_____________________________________________________________________
They won, and i am ashamed to say thanks to our wonderful democratic government DIRECTLY intervening and refuelling the ship. The SAS DRakensberg must go sink somewhere, once the pride of a fleet, now i am disgusted.
Mbeki ... go burn in hell, i hope those arms take your family too.
The report said the Zimbabwean government confirmed that 3-million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3000 mortar rounds and 1500 rocket-propelled grenades - ordered from the Chinese government - had arrived in Harare.
The South African government denied media reports that it assisted in the delivery of the arms by fuelling the Chinese vessel, An Yue Jiang, that was transporting the arsenal.
There were fears that Robert Mugabe was planning to use force to storm back to power in the presidential runoff election to be held on June 27.
He had deployed the army, police and intelligence units across Zimbabwe to campaign for him through intimidation and coercive tactics, the report said.
The Weekender quoted a Mozambican online newspaper, Canal de Moçambique, which reported that the ship had been refueled by the SAS Drakensberg off the coast of South Africa before sailing north to offload its deadly cargo.
It reported that the ship was offloaded at Ponta Negra in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, Zimbabwean government officials said it was offloaded in Angola.
Canal de Moçambique reported that President Thabo Mbeki gave "a direct instruction" to Deputy Defence Minister Mluleki George to send the SAS Drakensberg to refuel the An Yue Jiang.
Presidential spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga dismissed the reports, saying "it seems that the season of propaganda is upon us".
George said he had no instruction from Mbeki to dispatch the SAS Drakensberg and that the allegations had no substance.
However, the Canal de Moçambique article also said the arms were flown to Harare in an Ilyushin Il-76 belonging to Avient Aviation, a freight charter airline based in Zimbabwe but registered in the UK.
This was confirmed by government officials in Harare, The Weekender said.
Zimbabwe’s Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga confirmed the weapons have been delivered.
The Angolan government’s assistance came after an appeal by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairman, Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, to member states to bar the delivery of the ammunition to Zimbabwe, saying the arms could deepen the country’s election crisis.
The US and British governments had also exerted concerted pressure on the SADC and China to stop the ship from docking in the region.
The ship has been spotted off the coast of Port Elizabeth, The Weekender said.
From The Times
_____________________________________________________________________
They won, and i am ashamed to say thanks to our wonderful democratic government DIRECTLY intervening and refuelling the ship. The SAS DRakensberg must go sink somewhere, once the pride of a fleet, now i am disgusted.
Mbeki ... go burn in hell, i hope those arms take your family too.
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
8
Many noted that the earthquake occurred exactly 88 days before the Beijing Olympics, which opens on August 8 - 8/8/8 - at 8.08pm, in line with Chinese numerology which considers eight a lucky number.
Speculation was heightened on Sunday when China's seismological authority revised up the magnitude of the May 12 earthquake to 8.0 on the Richter scale.
Speculation was heightened on Sunday when China's seismological authority revised up the magnitude of the May 12 earthquake to 8.0 on the Richter scale.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Monday, 19 May 2008
Mugabe's bosses
Chinese troops are on the streets of Zimbabwean city, witnesses say
By Ian Evans in Cape Town
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Chinese troops have been seen on the streets of Zimbabwe's third largest city, Mutare, according to local witnesses. They were seen patrolling with Zimbabwean soldiers before and during Tuesday's ill-fated general strike called by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Earlier, 10 Chinese soldiers armed with pistols checked in at the city's Holiday Inn along with 70 Zimbabwean troops.
One eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said: "We've never seen Chinese soldiers in full regalia on our streets before. The entire delegation took 80 rooms from the hotel, 10 for the Chinese and 70 for Zimbabwean soldiers."
Officially, the Chinese were visiting strategic locations such as border posts, key companies and state institutions, he said. But it is unclear why they were patrolling at such a sensitive time. They were supposed to stay five days, but left after three to travel to Masvingo, in the south.
China's support for President Mugabe's regime has been highlighted by the arrival in South Africa of a ship carrying a large cache of weapons destined for Zimbabwe's armed forces. Dock workers in Durban refused to unload it.
The 300,000-strong South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) said it would be "grossly irresponsible" to touch the cargo of ammunition, grenades and mortar rounds on board the Chinese ship An Yue Jiang anchored outside the port.
A Satawu spokesman Randall Howard said: "Our members employed at Durban container terminal will not unload this cargo, neither will any of our members in the truck-driving sector move this cargo by road. South Africa cannot be seen to be facilitating the flow of weapons into Zimbabwe at a time where there is a political dispute and a volatile situation between Zanu-PF and the MDC."
Three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades and more than 3,000 mortar rounds and mortar tubes are among the cargo on the Chinese ship, according to copies of the inventory published by a South African newspaper.
According to Beeld, the documentation for the shipment was completed on 1 April, three days after the presidential vote.
Zimbabwe and China have close military ties. Three years ago, Mr Mugabe signed extensive trade pacts with the Chinese as part of the "Look East" policy forced on him by his ostracising by Western governments over human rights abuses. The deal gave the Chinese mineral and trade concessions in exchange for economic help.
The shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague called on David Miliband to demand a cessation of arms shipments.
A South African government spokesman Themba Maseko said it would be difficult to stop the shipment.
From: www.independent.co.uk
By Ian Evans in Cape Town
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Chinese troops have been seen on the streets of Zimbabwe's third largest city, Mutare, according to local witnesses. They were seen patrolling with Zimbabwean soldiers before and during Tuesday's ill-fated general strike called by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Earlier, 10 Chinese soldiers armed with pistols checked in at the city's Holiday Inn along with 70 Zimbabwean troops.
One eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said: "We've never seen Chinese soldiers in full regalia on our streets before. The entire delegation took 80 rooms from the hotel, 10 for the Chinese and 70 for Zimbabwean soldiers."
Officially, the Chinese were visiting strategic locations such as border posts, key companies and state institutions, he said. But it is unclear why they were patrolling at such a sensitive time. They were supposed to stay five days, but left after three to travel to Masvingo, in the south.
China's support for President Mugabe's regime has been highlighted by the arrival in South Africa of a ship carrying a large cache of weapons destined for Zimbabwe's armed forces. Dock workers in Durban refused to unload it.
The 300,000-strong South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) said it would be "grossly irresponsible" to touch the cargo of ammunition, grenades and mortar rounds on board the Chinese ship An Yue Jiang anchored outside the port.
A Satawu spokesman Randall Howard said: "Our members employed at Durban container terminal will not unload this cargo, neither will any of our members in the truck-driving sector move this cargo by road. South Africa cannot be seen to be facilitating the flow of weapons into Zimbabwe at a time where there is a political dispute and a volatile situation between Zanu-PF and the MDC."
Three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades and more than 3,000 mortar rounds and mortar tubes are among the cargo on the Chinese ship, according to copies of the inventory published by a South African newspaper.
According to Beeld, the documentation for the shipment was completed on 1 April, three days after the presidential vote.
Zimbabwe and China have close military ties. Three years ago, Mr Mugabe signed extensive trade pacts with the Chinese as part of the "Look East" policy forced on him by his ostracising by Western governments over human rights abuses. The deal gave the Chinese mineral and trade concessions in exchange for economic help.
The shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague called on David Miliband to demand a cessation of arms shipments.
A South African government spokesman Themba Maseko said it would be difficult to stop the shipment.
From: www.independent.co.uk
Friday, 16 May 2008
Bakers mini cricket world record!
Mini cricket sets new record
May 15 2008 at 07:31PM
2pm on Thursday marked a pinnacle moment for Bakers Mini Cricket as a new South African Guinness World record was set for the most children playing cricket at one time.
Over 6 000 children between the ages of six and twelve, took part in the mega festival across eight venues, which was planned by Bakers and Cricket SA (CSA) as a celebration to highlight the 25 year anniversary of Bakers Mini Cricket, the longest developmental sport sponsorship in southern Africa.
The festivities started with opening ceremonies attended by a host of dignitaries including local cricketers before the children took to the pitches, to start playing Bakers Mini Cricket at precisely the same time across the eight selected venues including; Johannesburg (Liberty Life Wanderers), Cape Town (Sahara Park Newlands), Paarl (Boland Park), Benoni (Willowmoore Park), Kimberley (De Beers Diamond Oval), KwaZulu-Natal (Sahara Stadium Kingsmead), Port Elizabeth (Sahara Oval St Georges) and Pretoria (Supersport Park).
A dignitary at each event signed off the official documentation to verify the world record claim.
Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa's CEO, said: "Setting this world record is a fitting climax to the 25th birthday celebrations of the Bakers Mini Cricket sponsorship.
"Once again, Bakers Mini Cricket has brought fun and joy to thousands of young South Africans, boys and girls. South African cricket owes a big debt of gratitude to Bakers biscuits for its most meaningful contribution to the growth of the game and the development of the nation's youth". - Sapa
______________________________________________________________
I was a mini cricketer .... bloody long time ago. Was a really great effort, and i'm so pleased they're getting strong.
Way to go boys!!!!!!!!!!!
May 15 2008 at 07:31PM
2pm on Thursday marked a pinnacle moment for Bakers Mini Cricket as a new South African Guinness World record was set for the most children playing cricket at one time.
Over 6 000 children between the ages of six and twelve, took part in the mega festival across eight venues, which was planned by Bakers and Cricket SA (CSA) as a celebration to highlight the 25 year anniversary of Bakers Mini Cricket, the longest developmental sport sponsorship in southern Africa.
The festivities started with opening ceremonies attended by a host of dignitaries including local cricketers before the children took to the pitches, to start playing Bakers Mini Cricket at precisely the same time across the eight selected venues including; Johannesburg (Liberty Life Wanderers), Cape Town (Sahara Park Newlands), Paarl (Boland Park), Benoni (Willowmoore Park), Kimberley (De Beers Diamond Oval), KwaZulu-Natal (Sahara Stadium Kingsmead), Port Elizabeth (Sahara Oval St Georges) and Pretoria (Supersport Park).
A dignitary at each event signed off the official documentation to verify the world record claim.
Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa's CEO, said: "Setting this world record is a fitting climax to the 25th birthday celebrations of the Bakers Mini Cricket sponsorship.
"Once again, Bakers Mini Cricket has brought fun and joy to thousands of young South Africans, boys and girls. South African cricket owes a big debt of gratitude to Bakers biscuits for its most meaningful contribution to the growth of the game and the development of the nation's youth". - Sapa
______________________________________________________________
I was a mini cricketer .... bloody long time ago. Was a really great effort, and i'm so pleased they're getting strong.
Way to go boys!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Alex's streets run with blood
Alexandria is a township on the outskirts of sandton, the "rich" part of jhb.
This is SO reminiscent of the apartheaid era .... then it was against whites, now its against foreigners. Then it was white policemen shooting at south africans, now it's black policemen. What's changed? Not much to my way of thinking.
___________________________________________________________________________
Staff Reporters
May 13 2008 at 12:37PM
They found him on 9th Avenue, where they knew he would be. It wasn't much of a hunt and a shot to the head satisfied their blood lust.
As the mob marched on through the streets of Alexandra, Lungile Ndiweni crashed through the narrow alleys between shacks and collapsed facedown in the sand.
The 30-year-old from Zimbabwe had spent five years in South Africa, but in less than 24 terror-filled hours he had become a mortal enemy.
His murder marked a second night of bloodshed in Alexandra, bringing the death toll since Sunday night to three.
Late into Monday night the popping sounds of shotguns firing rubber bullets could be heard across Alexandra - from London Road in the south to Vasco da Gama Street in the north.
Gangs darted across the streets, smashing into small shops and stealing everything they could carry.
Heavily armoured police vans criss-crossed the battlefield, dispersing rioters, arresting suspects and assisting the foreigners.
Determined to find safety in numbers, immigrants huddled in groups along the main roads. They made fires and wrapped up in blankets as night fell.
Many had gathered their belongings and fled Alexandra before sunset. Some had volunteered to be deported and were driven to the Lindela detention centre earlier in the day, a desperate move considering the centre's grim reputation.
The evening clashes began at around 6pm, when the mob met police in London Road and opened fire on officers. From then, and for some six hours, scattered skirmishes erupted across the township and violence spread like a virus.
One of the first victims was a young man who was struck on the head with a brick from near point-blank range.
He fell on the pavement and the blood from his face gushed into the gutter and down the street.
As the situation worsened, back up, including personnel from the crime combating unit and reservists, arrived and police packed into armoured Nyalas and Caspers.
Officers fired shotguns through the windows into dark alleys and at crowds.
At times they were dispersing local mobs and at least once they broke up a 500-strong gathering of foreigners who had armed themselves with sticks.
As midnight approached more and more cases of looting were reported.
"Notwithstanding that, we don't condone any acts of violence," Phalatse said.
Earlier on Tuesday blood flowed down the gutters, shattered glass and broken bricks littered the roads.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of foreigners inundated the police station, seeking refuge.
The holding cells were packed with suspects held on charges of public violence, robbery, rape and murder.
Three cases of rape have been reported since Sunday night, but one senior police officer said the figure was higher.
The township was calm this morning, but tension was high.
Residents stood in groups discussing events on the night of terror.
No police were on patrol on Tuesday, but police spokesperson Inspector Moses Maphakela was adamant that the situation was under control.
At the Alexandra Clinic, bloodstained floors in the reception and wards bore witness to the terror.
The clinic's Dr Muvili Simba said 39 people had been treated for injuries on Monday night.
Seven had been shot and and were sent to hospitals in the area.
Constable Neria Malefetse said 15 people had been arrested on Monday night.
Greater Alexandra ANC secretary Pule Phalatse said a meeting had been planned for this evening in an attempt to restore peace.
"While we believe that there could be illegal immigrants here, residents need to understand that some of them are here legally".
This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Argus on May 13, 2008
This is SO reminiscent of the apartheaid era .... then it was against whites, now its against foreigners. Then it was white policemen shooting at south africans, now it's black policemen. What's changed? Not much to my way of thinking.
___________________________________________________________________________
Staff Reporters
May 13 2008 at 12:37PM
They found him on 9th Avenue, where they knew he would be. It wasn't much of a hunt and a shot to the head satisfied their blood lust.
As the mob marched on through the streets of Alexandra, Lungile Ndiweni crashed through the narrow alleys between shacks and collapsed facedown in the sand.
The 30-year-old from Zimbabwe had spent five years in South Africa, but in less than 24 terror-filled hours he had become a mortal enemy.
His murder marked a second night of bloodshed in Alexandra, bringing the death toll since Sunday night to three.
Late into Monday night the popping sounds of shotguns firing rubber bullets could be heard across Alexandra - from London Road in the south to Vasco da Gama Street in the north.
Gangs darted across the streets, smashing into small shops and stealing everything they could carry.
Heavily armoured police vans criss-crossed the battlefield, dispersing rioters, arresting suspects and assisting the foreigners.
Determined to find safety in numbers, immigrants huddled in groups along the main roads. They made fires and wrapped up in blankets as night fell.
Many had gathered their belongings and fled Alexandra before sunset. Some had volunteered to be deported and were driven to the Lindela detention centre earlier in the day, a desperate move considering the centre's grim reputation.
The evening clashes began at around 6pm, when the mob met police in London Road and opened fire on officers. From then, and for some six hours, scattered skirmishes erupted across the township and violence spread like a virus.
One of the first victims was a young man who was struck on the head with a brick from near point-blank range.
He fell on the pavement and the blood from his face gushed into the gutter and down the street.
As the situation worsened, back up, including personnel from the crime combating unit and reservists, arrived and police packed into armoured Nyalas and Caspers.
Officers fired shotguns through the windows into dark alleys and at crowds.
At times they were dispersing local mobs and at least once they broke up a 500-strong gathering of foreigners who had armed themselves with sticks.
As midnight approached more and more cases of looting were reported.
"Notwithstanding that, we don't condone any acts of violence," Phalatse said.
Earlier on Tuesday blood flowed down the gutters, shattered glass and broken bricks littered the roads.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of foreigners inundated the police station, seeking refuge.
The holding cells were packed with suspects held on charges of public violence, robbery, rape and murder.
Three cases of rape have been reported since Sunday night, but one senior police officer said the figure was higher.
The township was calm this morning, but tension was high.
Residents stood in groups discussing events on the night of terror.
No police were on patrol on Tuesday, but police spokesperson Inspector Moses Maphakela was adamant that the situation was under control.
At the Alexandra Clinic, bloodstained floors in the reception and wards bore witness to the terror.
The clinic's Dr Muvili Simba said 39 people had been treated for injuries on Monday night.
Seven had been shot and and were sent to hospitals in the area.
Constable Neria Malefetse said 15 people had been arrested on Monday night.
Greater Alexandra ANC secretary Pule Phalatse said a meeting had been planned for this evening in an attempt to restore peace.
"While we believe that there could be illegal immigrants here, residents need to understand that some of them are here legally".
This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Argus on May 13, 2008
Monday, 12 May 2008
Hawking is here!
Hawking enthrals a capacity audience
John Yeld
May 12 2008 at 12:46PM
His immobile body is trapped in his wheelchair but his brilliant mind soars to the edges of the Universe as he ponders the most fundamental questions humans can ask: Why are we here? Where did we come from?
And, with the slightest of flickers in his right cheek and an infra-red "blink switch" clipped onto his glasses, theoretical physicist extraordinaire and internationally acclaimed cosmologist Stephen Hawking communicates not only his serious responses to these questions but also some, perhaps surprising, light touches - a combination that enthralled a capacity crowd in the Muizenberg Pavilion last night.
On his website, the famous father of three and grandfather of one explains how Californian computer expert Walt Woltosz wrote a program for him, called Equalizer, which enables him to communicate.
In his lecture on the nature of the Universe last night, he acknowledged that not all the problems had been solved. "God really does play dice," he quipped. But he concluded: "We are getting closer to answering those age-old questions."
At yesterday's luncheon hosted by British High Commissioner Paul Boateng, Hawking said the Einstein Initiative of Aims (African Institute for Mathematical Sciences) was "very exciting" and predicted it would have a major impact on the continent's development.
This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Argus on May 12, 2008
From: IOL
Also see: Stephen Hawking's Home Page
John Yeld
May 12 2008 at 12:46PM
His immobile body is trapped in his wheelchair but his brilliant mind soars to the edges of the Universe as he ponders the most fundamental questions humans can ask: Why are we here? Where did we come from?
And, with the slightest of flickers in his right cheek and an infra-red "blink switch" clipped onto his glasses, theoretical physicist extraordinaire and internationally acclaimed cosmologist Stephen Hawking communicates not only his serious responses to these questions but also some, perhaps surprising, light touches - a combination that enthralled a capacity crowd in the Muizenberg Pavilion last night.
On his website, the famous father of three and grandfather of one explains how Californian computer expert Walt Woltosz wrote a program for him, called Equalizer, which enables him to communicate.
In his lecture on the nature of the Universe last night, he acknowledged that not all the problems had been solved. "God really does play dice," he quipped. But he concluded: "We are getting closer to answering those age-old questions."
At yesterday's luncheon hosted by British High Commissioner Paul Boateng, Hawking said the Einstein Initiative of Aims (African Institute for Mathematical Sciences) was "very exciting" and predicted it would have a major impact on the continent's development.
This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Argus on May 12, 2008
From: IOL
Also see: Stephen Hawking's Home Page
Motorbike hero
Ara Gureghian, his dog Spirit and his BMW R1100 GS.
May they live long and travel far.
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Santana ... Abraxas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraxas_(album)"Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" (Carabello) – 4:48
"Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" (Green/Szabo) – 5:24
"Oye Como Va" (Puente) – 4:19
"Incident at Neshabur" (Gianquinto/Santana) – 5:02
"Se A Cabo" (Areas) – 2:51
"Mother's Daughter" (Rolie) – 4:28
"Samba Pa Ti" (Santana) – 4:47
"Hope You're Feeling Better" (Rolie) – 4:07
"El Nicoya" (Areas) – 1:32
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
www.despair.com
Yippeeeeeee
Ok, i could not log in :/ bloody annoying.
I AM SUPERLICIOUSFATASTICUS :D
peace and love ... i'll post something more readable shortly.
I AM SUPERLICIOUSFATASTICUS :D
peace and love ... i'll post something more readable shortly.
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