1. “Michael Jackson’s album was only called Bad because there wasn’t enough room on the sleeve for Pathetic.” —Prince
2. “He looks like a dwarf who’s been dipped in a bucket of pubic hair.” —Boy George, on Prince
3. “He couldn’t ad-lib a fart after a baked-bean dinner.” —Johnny Carson, on Chevy Chase
4. “All that Hubert needs over there is a gal to answer the phone and a pencil with an eraser on it.” —Lyndon Johnson, on Hubert Humphrey, his vice president
5. “The only reason so many people attended his funeral was they wanted to make sure he was dead.” —Samuel Goldwyn, on Louis B. Mayer
6. “People shouldn’t be treated like objects. They aren’t that valuable.” —P.J. O’Rourke
7. “Armaments, universal debt, and planned obsolescence–those are the three pillars of Western prosperity.” —Aldous Huxley
8. “The only thing dumber than a pitcher is two pitchers.” —Ted Williams
9. “I saw a woman wearing a sweatshirt with ‘Guess’ on it. I said, ‘Thyroid problem?’ ” —Emo Philips
10. “He has so many fishhooks in his nose, he looks like a piece of bait.” —Bob Costas, on Dennis Rodman
11. “If you’re going to spit at me, make sure you hit me in the face. Don’t be wasting my time.” —Dennis Rodman
18. “She not only kept her figure, she’s added so much to it.” —Bob Fosse
19. “Love is two minutes, 52 seconds of squishing noises.” —Johnny Rotten
20. “Democracy is the worship of jackals by jackasses.” —H.L. Mencken
21. “Family love is messy, clinging, and of an annoying and repetitive pattern, like bad wallpaper.” —Friedrich Nietzsche
22. “You can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a fruit fly, and still have room enough for three caraway seeds and a producer’s heart.” —Fred Allen
23. “Life is a cement trampoline.” —Howard Nordberg
24. “He would sell you a rat’s asshole for a wedding ring.” —Tom Waits, on singer/songwriter Chuck E. Weiss
25. “Start every day with a smile and get it over with.” —W.C. Fields
12. “If I had a hammer, I’d use it on Peter, Paul, and Mary.” —Howard Rosenberg
13. “Women’s intuition is the result of millions of years of not thinking.” —Rupert Hughes
14. “He walks as if he had fouled his small clothes and looks as if he smelt it.” —Christopher Smart, on the poet Thomas Gray
15. “I couldn’t warm to him even if I was cremated next to him.” —Keith Richards, on Chuck Berry
16. “I’m glad I’ve given up drugs and alcohol. It would be awful to be like Keith Richards. He’s pathetic. It’s like a monkey with arthritis, trying to go onstage and look young.” —Elton John
17. “One should forgive one’s enemies, but not before they are hanged.” —Heinrich Heine
Friday, 29 August 2008
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Court orders church to apologise
Church to apologise to homosexual music teacher
NG Kerk ordered to apologise to homosexual teacher whom the court ruled was dismissed unfairly
August 28, 2008, 12:30
The Pretoria High Court has ordered the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk in Moreleta Park to apologise to a homosexual music teacher.
Johan Strydom, 31, a teacher at the church's Art Academy took the church to court saying his dismissal was based on his sexual orientation. The court ruled that the church had unfairly discriminated against Strydom on the grounds of his sexual orientation.
The court has also ordered the church to pay more than R86 000 for the impairment of Strydom's dignity, emotional and psychological suffering and loss of earnings. Strydom's lawyer, James Spies, says the case has created a legal precedent in which religious freedom will not infringe on an individual's rights.
The church's Reverend Dirkie van der Spuy says although he's disappointed with the judgment, the church has nothing against homosexual members.
__________________________________________________________________________
This is bullshit. That little gay wanker can go and fuck a dead tree. Really, you want to work for a church, you can't walk in there swearing, smoking and taking a sip from a bottle, and them claim prejudice when they object.
Sounds like entrapment to me, since i am 100% certain he didn't tell them he way gay in the interview. Ditto for other sins. If i walk in and start flirting with the ladies in an improper way, or any other improper, yet legal way, the church would be fault if they did NOT take corrective measures.
Taking it to the logical extreme, it would become impossible to fire anyone, which i guess is where we're going.
I'm not homophobic or anything, and i am REALLY not fond of the NG kerk, but this does irk me. A church has "other" laws by which they abide, and by associating with the church, one must accept those other rules.
The state over ruling a moral decision, and then adding damages, not kosher.
NG Kerk ordered to apologise to homosexual teacher whom the court ruled was dismissed unfairly
August 28, 2008, 12:30
The Pretoria High Court has ordered the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk in Moreleta Park to apologise to a homosexual music teacher.
Johan Strydom, 31, a teacher at the church's Art Academy took the church to court saying his dismissal was based on his sexual orientation. The court ruled that the church had unfairly discriminated against Strydom on the grounds of his sexual orientation.
The court has also ordered the church to pay more than R86 000 for the impairment of Strydom's dignity, emotional and psychological suffering and loss of earnings. Strydom's lawyer, James Spies, says the case has created a legal precedent in which religious freedom will not infringe on an individual's rights.
The church's Reverend Dirkie van der Spuy says although he's disappointed with the judgment, the church has nothing against homosexual members.
__________________________________________________________________________
This is bullshit. That little gay wanker can go and fuck a dead tree. Really, you want to work for a church, you can't walk in there swearing, smoking and taking a sip from a bottle, and them claim prejudice when they object.
Sounds like entrapment to me, since i am 100% certain he didn't tell them he way gay in the interview. Ditto for other sins. If i walk in and start flirting with the ladies in an improper way, or any other improper, yet legal way, the church would be fault if they did NOT take corrective measures.
Taking it to the logical extreme, it would become impossible to fire anyone, which i guess is where we're going.
I'm not homophobic or anything, and i am REALLY not fond of the NG kerk, but this does irk me. A church has "other" laws by which they abide, and by associating with the church, one must accept those other rules.
The state over ruling a moral decision, and then adding damages, not kosher.
More from China
Human Rights Defender - Hu Shigen
Posted by Charles on August 27, 2008
aussgworldpolitics.wordpress.com
Associated Press reported the release of a Chinese democracy activist, Hu Shigen, now aged, 53, who has served 16 years in prison for “carrying out counterrevolutionary propaganda and incitement” and “organizing a counterrevolutionary group”.
A lecturer of the Beijing Language and Culture Institute, Shigen formed the China Freedom and Democracy Party with Wang Guoqi and others in 1991. He was also part of the Chinese Progressive Alliance formed by Kang Yuchun and one of the co-founders of the China Free Trade Union Preparatory Committee.
He was detained on May 27, 1992, arrested on September of that year and subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison and five years deprivation of political rights for his human rights work which demanded accountability for the Chinese government’s violent suppression of the June 1989 Democracy Movement. The Democracy and Freedom Party was also seen as a threat to the Communist Party which included up to 100 members of the Communist Party.
During his imprisonment at the Beijing Number 2 Prison, Shigen was said to been tortured and harshly treated for refusing to confess remorse. According to China Forum, he is suffering from ‘intestinal and heart ailments,malnutrition and chronic migraines, and requires a hearing aid… More recently, Hu has suffered the dislocation of several vertebrae,and friends worry that he will become paralyzed if his condition is not treated…
According to Epoch Times, fellow activists were prevented from meeting the dissident upon his release. Shigen is also banned from interviews as he is still deprived of his political rights. He is reported to be planning a trip home in Jiangxi to pay his late mother respect as he was imprisoned while she passed away in 1999.
- References -
Mosher, S 2004, ‘Prisoner Profile - Hu Shigen’, China Rights Forum, accessed 27 August 2008.
‘Dissident released after 16 years in jail in China’, Associated Press, accessed 27 August 2008.
‘China frees dissident Hu after 16 years’, Epoch Times, accessed 27 August 2008.
Posted by Charles on August 27, 2008
aussgworldpolitics.wordpress.com
Associated Press reported the release of a Chinese democracy activist, Hu Shigen, now aged, 53, who has served 16 years in prison for “carrying out counterrevolutionary propaganda and incitement” and “organizing a counterrevolutionary group”.
A lecturer of the Beijing Language and Culture Institute, Shigen formed the China Freedom and Democracy Party with Wang Guoqi and others in 1991. He was also part of the Chinese Progressive Alliance formed by Kang Yuchun and one of the co-founders of the China Free Trade Union Preparatory Committee.
He was detained on May 27, 1992, arrested on September of that year and subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison and five years deprivation of political rights for his human rights work which demanded accountability for the Chinese government’s violent suppression of the June 1989 Democracy Movement. The Democracy and Freedom Party was also seen as a threat to the Communist Party which included up to 100 members of the Communist Party.
During his imprisonment at the Beijing Number 2 Prison, Shigen was said to been tortured and harshly treated for refusing to confess remorse. According to China Forum, he is suffering from ‘intestinal and heart ailments,malnutrition and chronic migraines, and requires a hearing aid… More recently, Hu has suffered the dislocation of several vertebrae,and friends worry that he will become paralyzed if his condition is not treated…
According to Epoch Times, fellow activists were prevented from meeting the dissident upon his release. Shigen is also banned from interviews as he is still deprived of his political rights. He is reported to be planning a trip home in Jiangxi to pay his late mother respect as he was imprisoned while she passed away in 1999.
- References -
Mosher, S 2004, ‘Prisoner Profile - Hu Shigen’, China Rights Forum, accessed 27 August 2008.
‘Dissident released after 16 years in jail in China’, Associated Press, accessed 27 August 2008.
‘China frees dissident Hu after 16 years’, Epoch Times, accessed 27 August 2008.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Banatski Sokolac
http://rockvillage.org/eng/Last weekend in Banatski Sokolac came off in spirit of good music, dancing, positive energy… Several thousand people gathered in this village in Serbia and the backyard of elementary school was too small for all the people who love rock music. All participants - Atomsko skloniste, Van Gogh, Irina & Storm, Del Arno band, Ras Abraham & The Irie Vibes and others shared their positive energy with the audience and heated up the atmosphere.READ MORE.......
Taken from http://rockvillage.org/eng/
Monday, 25 August 2008
Friday, 22 August 2008
Cluster maps
i don't know how many people noticed, but i added on of them. Very zooty. Curiosity is a bastard, we all know that. And being online ... well where the hell are my readers?
i imagine most are in SA, something the map confirms, apparently equally split between Cape Town and Jo'burg. But daily watching people pop in form New Zealand, the US, Earope, India and so on. Literally from everywhere.
Now, you can never have an answer that does not prompt more questions (IMHO).
Why you here? Do you like it? Why? Where else to you read? etcetera ... etcetera ... etcetera ... (i've always loved the WHOLE etcetera ... no idea why).
maybe it has meaning, maybe not ..... ok probably not. But it's a very odd thought that my rants and silly ideas from SA are being read by people literally on the other side of the globe. I hope that something of some sort does exist which joins us in some way, more from an ideas perspective .... i guess that's the idealist in me .... universal brotherhood and such.
Well, drop a comment ... maybe i delete it, lol, or maybe i just reply.
Peace and love and chickenwings
More license department problems
Scam unearthed at testing station
Graeme Hosken
August 22 2008 at 09:46AM
A daring fraud syndicate specialising in the sale of fake driver's licences has been unearthed by police at the Waltloo vehicle testing station in Tshwane.
The gang, which operated from a car "registered" in the name of a police officer, is believed to have been operating in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo for several years, targeting unsuspecting and desperate would-be motorists.
The scam was discovered when police from the Pretoria Flying Squad were tipped off about the sale of temporary driver's licences at Waltloo vehicle testing station.
Police swooped on three suspects sitting in a blue Mazda 6 which the suspects were using as their office, and recovered several fake driver's licences and dozens of identity photographs of would-be motorists.
On checking the vehicle's registration, the arresting officers discovered that the car was registered in the name of a man believed to be a senior superintendent at the SAPS National Evaluation office in Pretoria.
Police at the scene said they were investigating the possibility that the car may have been registered in the policeman's name to fool police into thinking that there was nothing suspicious about the car.
"The other possibilities are that the car has either been 'cloned' or else this policeman is actually involved in the syndicate," said a policeman.
Police spokesperson Captain Jan Sepato confirmed the arrests, saying the men, aged between 30 and 36, were caught with numerous false documents and identity photographs. "We believe that the photographs belong to people who have been duped into buying their driver's licences from the syndicate which we suspect is operating in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West province," he said.
Sepato said the men will appear in court next week on charges of fraud.
He said police were investigating the fact that the car is registered in the name of a policeman.
"At this stage we are establishing whether the man is in fact a policeman or whether he has left the service," he said.
Sepato appealed to people applying for the driver's licences to be wary of unscrupulous people operating in the vicinity of vehicle testing stations.
Anyone with information about similar operations at any vehicle testing station can contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on August 22, 2008
___________________________________________________________________
Without any inside knowledge or intelligent info, something tells me these are the guys that took my wife for a ride. Gut feeling.
"We believe that the photographs belong to people who have been duped into buying their driver's licences from the syndicate which we suspect is operating in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West province,"
Mobile, with inside info, apparently real documents, duping people. Sounds eerily familiar. People are duly warned to look out for unscrupulous people in the vicinity of testing stations .... but these guys know every testing centre in the country. They would certainly not appear unscrupulous on the surface, and does vicinity include operating from WITHIN the license offices?
I would imagine this info would be dragged out into court eventually, they were caught red handed. I'd love to have a look at one of those temp licenses, just a peek and i would know for sure.
But hey, these guys have been stopped, big up to the boys in blue.
Graeme Hosken
August 22 2008 at 09:46AM
A daring fraud syndicate specialising in the sale of fake driver's licences has been unearthed by police at the Waltloo vehicle testing station in Tshwane.
The gang, which operated from a car "registered" in the name of a police officer, is believed to have been operating in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo for several years, targeting unsuspecting and desperate would-be motorists.
The scam was discovered when police from the Pretoria Flying Squad were tipped off about the sale of temporary driver's licences at Waltloo vehicle testing station.
Police swooped on three suspects sitting in a blue Mazda 6 which the suspects were using as their office, and recovered several fake driver's licences and dozens of identity photographs of would-be motorists.
On checking the vehicle's registration, the arresting officers discovered that the car was registered in the name of a man believed to be a senior superintendent at the SAPS National Evaluation office in Pretoria.
Police at the scene said they were investigating the possibility that the car may have been registered in the policeman's name to fool police into thinking that there was nothing suspicious about the car.
"The other possibilities are that the car has either been 'cloned' or else this policeman is actually involved in the syndicate," said a policeman.
Police spokesperson Captain Jan Sepato confirmed the arrests, saying the men, aged between 30 and 36, were caught with numerous false documents and identity photographs. "We believe that the photographs belong to people who have been duped into buying their driver's licences from the syndicate which we suspect is operating in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West province," he said.
Sepato said the men will appear in court next week on charges of fraud.
He said police were investigating the fact that the car is registered in the name of a policeman.
"At this stage we are establishing whether the man is in fact a policeman or whether he has left the service," he said.
Sepato appealed to people applying for the driver's licences to be wary of unscrupulous people operating in the vicinity of vehicle testing stations.
Anyone with information about similar operations at any vehicle testing station can contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on August 22, 2008
___________________________________________________________________
Without any inside knowledge or intelligent info, something tells me these are the guys that took my wife for a ride. Gut feeling.
"We believe that the photographs belong to people who have been duped into buying their driver's licences from the syndicate which we suspect is operating in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West province,"
Mobile, with inside info, apparently real documents, duping people. Sounds eerily familiar. People are duly warned to look out for unscrupulous people in the vicinity of testing stations .... but these guys know every testing centre in the country. They would certainly not appear unscrupulous on the surface, and does vicinity include operating from WITHIN the license offices?
I would imagine this info would be dragged out into court eventually, they were caught red handed. I'd love to have a look at one of those temp licenses, just a peek and i would know for sure.
But hey, these guys have been stopped, big up to the boys in blue.
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Bad vibes
Is it just me or are things really fucked up lately. I blame the moon, for lack of anything else to howl at, perhaps i'm even right ....
For the last week, people have been bitchy, drivers have been absolute and total idiots, violence has been very close to the surface ... you can FEEL it in the air.
As ever, when i feel times like this i slow down and try surf the tides as best i can. However, every single other person close to me decides to go absolutely apeshit ... and frankly i don't have patience for that at the best of times .... times like this i could happily hide under my bed. Um ... under bed doesn't work, i tried it. have to go hide under a bush in the garden, otherwise they find me. No, i'm not joking.
I guess the question is this:
is this subjective?
or is this objective?
If it's subjective, then i feel better already. Just my own mind playing games. If it's not ... then WTF???? Can we have the old normal back please ... oh? really? that's a shame. The old normal got eaten .... that explains it.
If it's objective, then suddenly the school sword killer seems more understandable.
For me ... i want to get drunk .... really horribly dehumanisingly smashed.
The ability to reason is over rated thank you ... i'll settle for: "I'm unable to talk right now ... or think, or walk ... if you wish to leave a message, don't, i won't reply anyway".
Life really is a fuck up .... strange how no-one wants to say that ... ever ... despite overwhelming evidence. Bad you know .... can't have people thinking that.
I went to the doc the other day ... just feeling sick, tired, the usual. He tells me to take a holiday. Admittedly that was my first laugh for a while.
For the last week, people have been bitchy, drivers have been absolute and total idiots, violence has been very close to the surface ... you can FEEL it in the air.
As ever, when i feel times like this i slow down and try surf the tides as best i can. However, every single other person close to me decides to go absolutely apeshit ... and frankly i don't have patience for that at the best of times .... times like this i could happily hide under my bed. Um ... under bed doesn't work, i tried it. have to go hide under a bush in the garden, otherwise they find me. No, i'm not joking.
I guess the question is this:
is this subjective?
or is this objective?
If it's subjective, then i feel better already. Just my own mind playing games. If it's not ... then WTF???? Can we have the old normal back please ... oh? really? that's a shame. The old normal got eaten .... that explains it.
If it's objective, then suddenly the school sword killer seems more understandable.
For me ... i want to get drunk .... really horribly dehumanisingly smashed.
The ability to reason is over rated thank you ... i'll settle for: "I'm unable to talk right now ... or think, or walk ... if you wish to leave a message, don't, i won't reply anyway".
Life really is a fuck up .... strange how no-one wants to say that ... ever ... despite overwhelming evidence. Bad you know .... can't have people thinking that.
I went to the doc the other day ... just feeling sick, tired, the usual. He tells me to take a holiday. Admittedly that was my first laugh for a while.
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Obtainable Affirmations
1. As I let go of my feelings of guilt, I am in touch with
my inner sociopath.
2. I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-
soaring levels of suspicion and paranoia.
3. I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
4. I no longer need to punish, deceive, or compromise
myself, unless I want to stay employed.
5. In some cultures what I do would be considered normal.
6. Having control over myself is almost as good as having
control over others.
7. My intuition nearly makes up for my lack of self-
judgment.
8. I honor my personality flaws for without them I would
have no personality at all.
9. I am grateful that I am not as judgmental as all those
censorious, self-righteous people around me.
10. I am willing to make the mistakes if someone else is
willing to learn from them.
my inner sociopath.
2. I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-
soaring levels of suspicion and paranoia.
3. I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
4. I no longer need to punish, deceive, or compromise
myself, unless I want to stay employed.
5. In some cultures what I do would be considered normal.
6. Having control over myself is almost as good as having
control over others.
7. My intuition nearly makes up for my lack of self-
judgment.
8. I honor my personality flaws for without them I would
have no personality at all.
9. I am grateful that I am not as judgmental as all those
censorious, self-righteous people around me.
10. I am willing to make the mistakes if someone else is
willing to learn from them.
Sympathy
Sympathy just doesn’t mean
That much to me
Compassion’s not
The fashion in my mind
And if you’re looking for
A shoulder to cry on
Don’t turn your head my way
’cause I’d rather have
My music any day
You and I are
Masters of our destiny
We look for consolation all the time
Until we find out things are not
What they were meant to be, oh no
And if it doesn’t suit our mood
We’ll call it crime
Dedication’s not an obligation
Or a figment of
Someone’s imagination
It’s the only way they say
To live from day to day
To make each passing way
A small sensation
Dreams are the possession of
The simple man
Reality the fantasy of youth
But living is a problem that
Is common to us all
With love the only
Common road to truth
Thank you to Uriah Heep
Its the last verse that's been haunting me for awhile.
peace and love
That much to me
Compassion’s not
The fashion in my mind
And if you’re looking for
A shoulder to cry on
Don’t turn your head my way
’cause I’d rather have
My music any day
You and I are
Masters of our destiny
We look for consolation all the time
Until we find out things are not
What they were meant to be, oh no
And if it doesn’t suit our mood
We’ll call it crime
Dedication’s not an obligation
Or a figment of
Someone’s imagination
It’s the only way they say
To live from day to day
To make each passing way
A small sensation
Dreams are the possession of
The simple man
Reality the fantasy of youth
But living is a problem that
Is common to us all
With love the only
Common road to truth
Thank you to Uriah Heep
Its the last verse that's been haunting me for awhile.
peace and love
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Friday, 15 August 2008
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Beijing 1989
We were watching TV
In Tiananmen Square
Lost my baby there
My yellow rose
In her bloodstained clothes
She was a short order pastry chef
In a Dim Sum dive on the Yangtze tideway
She had a shiny hair
She was a daughter of an engineer
Won't you shed a tear
For my yellow rose
My yellow rose
In her bloodstained clothes
She had a perfect breasts
She had high hopes
She had almond eyes
She had yellow thighs
She was a student of philosophy
Won't you grieve with me
For my yellow rose
Shed a tear
For her bloodstained clothes
She had shiny hair
She had perfect breasts
She had almond eyes
She had yellow thighs
She was a daughter af an engineer
So get out your pistols
Get out your stones
Get out your knives
Cut them to the bone
They are the lackeys of the grocer's machine
They built the dark satanic mills
That manufacture hell on earth
They bought the front row seats on Calvary
They are irrelevant to me
And I grieve for my sister
People of China
Do not forget do not forget
The children who died for you
Long live the Republic
Did we do anything after this
I've feeling we did
We were watching TV
Watching TV
We were watching TV
Watching TV
She wore a white bandanna that said
Freedom now
She thought the Great Wall of China
Would come tumbling down
She was a student
Her father was an engineer
Won't you shed a tear
For my yellow rose
My yellow rose
In her bloodstained clothes
Her grandpa fought old Chiang Kai-shek
That no-good low-down dirty rat
Who used to order his troops
To fire on women and children
Imagine that imagine that
And in the spring of'48
Mao Tse-tung got quite irate
And he kicked that old dictator Chiang
Out of the state of China
Chiang Kai-shek came down in Formosa
And they armed the island of Quemoy
And the shells were flying across the China Sea
And they turned Formosa into a shoe factory
Called Taiwan
And she is different from Cro-Magnon man
She's different from Anne Boleyn
She is different from the Rosenbergs
And from the unknown Jew
She is different from the unknown Nicaraguan
Half superstar half victim
She's a victor star conceptually new
And she is different from the Dodo
And from the Kankabono
She is different from the Aztec
And from the Cherokee
She's everybody's sister
She's a symbolic of our failure
She's the one in fifty million
Who can help us to be free
Because she died on TV
And I grieve for my sister
_____________________________________________________________
Roger Waters From Amused to Death
The other Waters post on TV reminded me of this song, from the same album. I was watching tv that day too, with news of protests in china, students who were challenging the authoritarian rule.
On tv, a girl was driven over by a tank. In Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
Then there's Nepal, and Tibet ...
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
The art of Mark Bryan
http://www.artofmarkbryan.com/Go see his site. It's like a cross between Dali and Gauguin. A lot of political messages, but honest first person view of the world. Some very interesting paintings.
Phoenicia
http://www.phoenicia.org.uk/The Expedition
"Phoenicia" will attempt to re-create the Phoenicians' epic voyage around the continent of Africa in a traditionally built replica Phoenician / Mediterranean vessel.
The Phoenician Ship Expedition will depart from Arwad, Syria in August 2008, sail through the Suez Canal, around the Horn of Africa and down the east coast. Negotiating the dangers of the Cape of Good Hope will be a critical point in the expedition. The voyage will continue up the west coast of Africa, through the Straights of Gibraltar and across the Mediterranean to return to Syria. The circumnavigation will be followed by another voyage to bring the ship to the United Kingdom in Summer 2009; in all 17,000 miles and 10 months at sea.
The Phoenician Ship Expedition is being led by Philip Beale, whose most recent venture was to lead the 2003-04 Borobudur Ship Expedition. This involved building a replica 8th century Indonesian trading vessel which Philip and his multi-national crew sailed from Indonesia to West Africa.
A team of specialists have been formed to manage the planning, undertaking and post expedition arrangements of the Phoenician Ship Expedition.
There are still legs available to this 600 BC sailing expedition! The search is on for keen sailors and adventurers to take part in this ambitious project which aims to recreate the Phoenicians circumnavigation of Africa, believed to have been achieved over 2,000 years ago.
Track the Phoenicia's progress
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Monday, 11 August 2008
Television
Ok, i hate it. Not so much IT as what it's used for. And how it's used.
Dumping the tv was probably the smartest thing i ever did for my family. My thinking is pretty much as follows:
1) A tv has this magical ability to be left on, even when crap is showing
2) TV noise is the most vile hateful and disturbing of all noise (especially at dinnertime, i cannot eat with soap opera's hyper tension screeching)
3) 99% of airtime is rubbish, or at least irrelevant to me, the 1% i really can do without
4) News sports and actualities are all LATEST NEWS driven, appealing to MAJORITIES of viewers, and really are bland regurgitations of what some people thought important that day (also the SABC, the state broadcaster, is so politically controlled, you cannot accept any news at face value (see former news head, Snuki Zikalala for a perfect representation of a state disinformation agent)
5) Here in SA there is a HUGE campaign to make people who have tv sets pay an annual license, (it's the right thing to do), rich or poor, you will face jail time if you don't pay, but at the same time you cannot EVER get off their list of payees (ask anyone who has tried, even dead people are taken to court and charged interest)
Anyways ... you get where i'm coming from.
So ... sa is now going across to DIGITAL TV ... woohoo ...and bleh.
"Johannesburg - Strict security features will be installed in set-top boxes that will enable South Africans to switch from analogue to digital broadcasting, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri said in Johannesburg on Monday. "
"Conditional access systems allow whoever controls the system to block the signal getting through and could be used to enforce TV license payments by the SABC, although this was denied by the SABC at the time. "
"Cape Town - Sentech intends to launch at least one high-definition television (HDTV) satellite channel in time for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri said on Thursday."
And my favourite:
"Pretoria - Government is to provide R2.45bn to South Africa's "poorest TV-owning households" to help them buy the set-top signal boxes they will need once the switch from analogue to digital broadcasting is completed in 2011."
Fuck housing, fuck hospitals .... OUR PEOPLE NEED ...TV.
These are the spoils of the revolution.
"And when they found our shadows
Grouped 'round the TV sets
They ran down every lead
They repeated every test
They checked out all the data in their lists
And then the alien anthropologists
Admitted they were still perplexed
But on eliminating every other reason
For our sad demise
They logged the only explanation left
This species has amused itself to death"
Thank you to Roger Waters
Dumping the tv was probably the smartest thing i ever did for my family. My thinking is pretty much as follows:
1) A tv has this magical ability to be left on, even when crap is showing
2) TV noise is the most vile hateful and disturbing of all noise (especially at dinnertime, i cannot eat with soap opera's hyper tension screeching)
3) 99% of airtime is rubbish, or at least irrelevant to me, the 1% i really can do without
4) News sports and actualities are all LATEST NEWS driven, appealing to MAJORITIES of viewers, and really are bland regurgitations of what some people thought important that day (also the SABC, the state broadcaster, is so politically controlled, you cannot accept any news at face value (see former news head, Snuki Zikalala for a perfect representation of a state disinformation agent)
5) Here in SA there is a HUGE campaign to make people who have tv sets pay an annual license, (it's the right thing to do), rich or poor, you will face jail time if you don't pay, but at the same time you cannot EVER get off their list of payees (ask anyone who has tried, even dead people are taken to court and charged interest)
Anyways ... you get where i'm coming from.
So ... sa is now going across to DIGITAL TV ... woohoo ...and bleh.
"Johannesburg - Strict security features will be installed in set-top boxes that will enable South Africans to switch from analogue to digital broadcasting, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri said in Johannesburg on Monday. "
"Conditional access systems allow whoever controls the system to block the signal getting through and could be used to enforce TV license payments by the SABC, although this was denied by the SABC at the time. "
"Cape Town - Sentech intends to launch at least one high-definition television (HDTV) satellite channel in time for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri said on Thursday."
And my favourite:
"Pretoria - Government is to provide R2.45bn to South Africa's "poorest TV-owning households" to help them buy the set-top signal boxes they will need once the switch from analogue to digital broadcasting is completed in 2011."
Fuck housing, fuck hospitals .... OUR PEOPLE NEED ...TV.
These are the spoils of the revolution.
"And when they found our shadows
Grouped 'round the TV sets
They ran down every lead
They repeated every test
They checked out all the data in their lists
And then the alien anthropologists
Admitted they were still perplexed
But on eliminating every other reason
For our sad demise
They logged the only explanation left
This species has amused itself to death"
Thank you to Roger Waters
Dust in the Wind
I close my eyes
only for a moment
and the moment's gone
all my dreams
pass before my eyes a curiosity
dust in the wind
all we are is dust in the wind
Same old song
just a drop of water
in the endless sea
all we do
crumbles to the ground
though we refuse to see
dust in the wind
all we are is dust in the wind
Now, don't hang on
nothing last forever
but the earth and sky
it slips away
And all your money
won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
all we are is dust in the wind
dust in the wind
everything is dust in the wind
only for a moment
and the moment's gone
all my dreams
pass before my eyes a curiosity
dust in the wind
all we are is dust in the wind
Same old song
just a drop of water
in the endless sea
all we do
crumbles to the ground
though we refuse to see
dust in the wind
all we are is dust in the wind
Now, don't hang on
nothing last forever
but the earth and sky
it slips away
And all your money
won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
all we are is dust in the wind
dust in the wind
everything is dust in the wind
Friday, 8 August 2008
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Guess
It's jo'burg, check the license plate on the golf. I'm not surprised somehow, seen stranger things .... but curious ... wtf?
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Doctor says
I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me.
Today, we all could probably use more calm in our lives.
A doctor on breakfast television this morning said that the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started. So I looked around my house to see things I'd started and hadn't finished and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Shhhardonay, a bodle of Baileys, a butle of vocka, a pockage of Prunglies, tha mainder of bot Prozic and Valum scriptins, the res of the Chesescke an a box a chocolets.
Yu haf no idr who fkin gud I fel.
Peas sen dis orn to dem yu fee AR in ned ov inr pece
Today, we all could probably use more calm in our lives.
A doctor on breakfast television this morning said that the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started. So I looked around my house to see things I'd started and hadn't finished and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Shhhardonay, a bodle of Baileys, a butle of vocka, a pockage of Prunglies, tha mainder of bot Prozic and Valum scriptins, the res of the Chesescke an a box a chocolets.
Yu haf no idr who fkin gud I fel.
Peas sen dis orn to dem yu fee AR in ned ov inr pece
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
PIGS ARE FLYING
What to do when stopped by cops...
IOL
August 05 2008 at 09:14AM
By Thandi Skade
What can motorists do when they are pulled over? Do they have any rights?
Early on July 27, a 21-year-old woman travelling alone in her car was stopped and pulled over by two uniformed Metro Police officers.
They approached her from a marked Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) bakkie. One officer asked to see her driving licence and if she had been drinking. She replied that she had drunk one glass of wine.
"He said I may be over the limit. He asked me to do a breathalyser (test) and (then) changed his mind, saying: 'I don't think a girl like you wants to go to jail.'
"I asked him to do the breathalyser (test) because he wanted to take me to jail, but he refused and he said if he did the breathalyser (test), I would probably be over the limit," she said.
In the meantime, the second officer was apparently pacing between the two cars.
The first officer informed her they were going to take her to Linden police station, where she could apply for bail of R1 500.
"I never did a breathalyser (test), so I wasn't sure why I had to go to jail. He asked me what we could do about this."
She said the officer then got into her car with her, and the other officer followed them in the bakkie.
On the way to the police station, the officer allegedly repeatedly tried to solicit a bribe, asking: "What can we do about this?"
"He didn't mention money specifically, but said he wanted something. He told me to stop and park on Frederick Drive, Northcliff, and went out to his friend. He came back and told me his friend needed something."
The officer finally returned her licence and she drove off.
Her experience prompted The Star to look at motorists' rights in such a situation. Alarmingly, they don't have any.
According to JMPD spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, motorists have to obey any orders or instructions from a uniformed officer.
"A motorist is required to comply with the officer until the officer has completed his or her inspection, issued the motorist a ticket or executed an arrest," he said.
It is only once a motorist has been arrested and booked at a police station that they may exercise their right to pay bail, be released from custody and appear in court.
Until then, Minnaar said, a motorist had no choice but to do what they're told.
Commenting on the woman's experience, Minnaar said the officer was within his rights to arrest the woman on suspicion of drunken driving, even though he allegedly refused to do the breathalyser test.
He admitted that it was bizarre that the officer refused to do the test, because it could have been used as evidence to support his suspicion.
"It's odd, but he has the authority to arrest her on suspicion alone," he said.
He advised motorists who suspected an officer of trying to solicit a bribe to make a note of the person's identity and report the officer to the JMPD's Internal Affairs Investigation Unit.
"If an officer is talking in the way of soliciting a bribe, take down some form of identity so that there can be an investigation into the matter.
"Try to take down the officer's number plate, the vehicle number, precinct and name," he said.
Uniformed JMPD officers have the authority to stop any motorist:
# For a routine check;
# For a traffic offence; and
# To check for suspected stolen vehicles or suspicious drivers.
They further have the authority to:
# Thoroughly check the inside and outside of the car;
# Request personal information such as names and addresses from any person in the car, including driver and passengers; and
# Inspect the car and driving licence.
Motorists' rights (which only apply after you have been arrested):
# Pay bail;
# Be released; and
# Appear in court.
Tips on how to handle a police officer or metro police officer:
# Stop if you are ordered to do so. Remain calm and be co-operative.
# Take down the police officer's registration number and vehicle number written on the side of the car.
# Call 10111, tell the operator that you have been stopped by the police and you would like them to keep talking to you until you have identified the officers.
Give the operator the officer's name, rank and force number, but make sure the police can hear you as that will reduce the chances of them trying to bribe or harass you.
__________________________________________________ ____________
Ok, so they can stop you for any reason, inspect any aspect of the vehicle, including passengers and inside any bags you may have, and arrest you for no valid reason whatever, not even needing to state a reason. They could arrest you on suspicion of speeding. But now, this woman was never arrested. There were no charges laid, in fact, she was kidnapped and essentially held to ransom, BY THE POLICE.
If they did make an arrest, she would then be jailed overnight, for not having done anything wrong.
Motorists are being advised to phone the police when they are stopped by the police.
How seriously messed up is that?
I repeat, i refuse to submit, i will not wear their plates, i will not bow to their claimed authority, and i will not stop when directed to do so.
IOL
August 05 2008 at 09:14AM
By Thandi Skade
What can motorists do when they are pulled over? Do they have any rights?
Early on July 27, a 21-year-old woman travelling alone in her car was stopped and pulled over by two uniformed Metro Police officers.
They approached her from a marked Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) bakkie. One officer asked to see her driving licence and if she had been drinking. She replied that she had drunk one glass of wine.
"He said I may be over the limit. He asked me to do a breathalyser (test) and (then) changed his mind, saying: 'I don't think a girl like you wants to go to jail.'
"I asked him to do the breathalyser (test) because he wanted to take me to jail, but he refused and he said if he did the breathalyser (test), I would probably be over the limit," she said.
In the meantime, the second officer was apparently pacing between the two cars.
The first officer informed her they were going to take her to Linden police station, where she could apply for bail of R1 500.
"I never did a breathalyser (test), so I wasn't sure why I had to go to jail. He asked me what we could do about this."
She said the officer then got into her car with her, and the other officer followed them in the bakkie.
On the way to the police station, the officer allegedly repeatedly tried to solicit a bribe, asking: "What can we do about this?"
"He didn't mention money specifically, but said he wanted something. He told me to stop and park on Frederick Drive, Northcliff, and went out to his friend. He came back and told me his friend needed something."
The officer finally returned her licence and she drove off.
Her experience prompted The Star to look at motorists' rights in such a situation. Alarmingly, they don't have any.
According to JMPD spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, motorists have to obey any orders or instructions from a uniformed officer.
"A motorist is required to comply with the officer until the officer has completed his or her inspection, issued the motorist a ticket or executed an arrest," he said.
It is only once a motorist has been arrested and booked at a police station that they may exercise their right to pay bail, be released from custody and appear in court.
Until then, Minnaar said, a motorist had no choice but to do what they're told.
Commenting on the woman's experience, Minnaar said the officer was within his rights to arrest the woman on suspicion of drunken driving, even though he allegedly refused to do the breathalyser test.
He admitted that it was bizarre that the officer refused to do the test, because it could have been used as evidence to support his suspicion.
"It's odd, but he has the authority to arrest her on suspicion alone," he said.
He advised motorists who suspected an officer of trying to solicit a bribe to make a note of the person's identity and report the officer to the JMPD's Internal Affairs Investigation Unit.
"If an officer is talking in the way of soliciting a bribe, take down some form of identity so that there can be an investigation into the matter.
"Try to take down the officer's number plate, the vehicle number, precinct and name," he said.
Uniformed JMPD officers have the authority to stop any motorist:
# For a routine check;
# For a traffic offence; and
# To check for suspected stolen vehicles or suspicious drivers.
They further have the authority to:
# Thoroughly check the inside and outside of the car;
# Request personal information such as names and addresses from any person in the car, including driver and passengers; and
# Inspect the car and driving licence.
Motorists' rights (which only apply after you have been arrested):
# Pay bail;
# Be released; and
# Appear in court.
Tips on how to handle a police officer or metro police officer:
# Stop if you are ordered to do so. Remain calm and be co-operative.
# Take down the police officer's registration number and vehicle number written on the side of the car.
# Call 10111, tell the operator that you have been stopped by the police and you would like them to keep talking to you until you have identified the officers.
Give the operator the officer's name, rank and force number, but make sure the police can hear you as that will reduce the chances of them trying to bribe or harass you.
__________________________________________________ ____________
Ok, so they can stop you for any reason, inspect any aspect of the vehicle, including passengers and inside any bags you may have, and arrest you for no valid reason whatever, not even needing to state a reason. They could arrest you on suspicion of speeding. But now, this woman was never arrested. There were no charges laid, in fact, she was kidnapped and essentially held to ransom, BY THE POLICE.
If they did make an arrest, she would then be jailed overnight, for not having done anything wrong.
Motorists are being advised to phone the police when they are stopped by the police.
How seriously messed up is that?
I repeat, i refuse to submit, i will not wear their plates, i will not bow to their claimed authority, and i will not stop when directed to do so.
Monday, 4 August 2008
Alexander Solzhenitsyn R.I.P.
Cold War icon dies
04/08/2008 11:41 - (SA)
Moscow - Russian writer and dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who shone a light on the inhuman world of the Soviet gulags, died late on Sunday, the Itar-Tass news agency said, citing his son Stepan. He was 89.
The Nobel laureate died of heart failure at his Moscow home at 19:45 GMT, the writer's son said, according to the agency.
Solzhenitsyn won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1970 after writing harrowing works about the Soviet Union's system of labour camps, where he spent eight years from 1945.
He wrote about life in the gulag with disturbing detail in his most celebrated works: One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich, The First Circle and The Gulag Archipelago.
As a result, he was stripped of his citizenship and expelled from the Soviet Union in 1974, thereby becoming a Cold War icon.
He lived in Germany, Switzerland and the United States before returning home to Russia in 1994, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
After his return, Solzhenitsyn was critical of both the West and of Russia's post-Soviet evolution, calling for a return to traditional moral values.
In June last year, then Russian president Vladimir Putin awarded Solzhenitsyn with the State Prize, Russia's highest honour, praising his devotion to the "fatherland" in a lavish ceremony at the Kremlin.
Solzhenitsyn's wife Natalya accepted the award on behalf of her husband, who was unable to attend the ceremony.
Speaking via a video message, Solzhenitsyn said he was "flattered by the attention to my work brought by this Russian State Prize".
"Until the end of my life I can hope that the historical material... collected by me and presented to my readers, enters the consciousness and memory of my fellow countrymen," he said.
"Our bitter national experience can yet help us in a possible repeat of unstable social conditions, it will warn us and ward us from destructive break-downs."
A complete edition of Solzhenitsyn's works, including unpublished writings, began to be published in 2006, with the last volume due out in 2010. His wife said at the time she did not expect her husband to live to see the last edition.
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has sent the family his condolences.
04/08/2008 11:41 - (SA)
Moscow - Russian writer and dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who shone a light on the inhuman world of the Soviet gulags, died late on Sunday, the Itar-Tass news agency said, citing his son Stepan. He was 89.
The Nobel laureate died of heart failure at his Moscow home at 19:45 GMT, the writer's son said, according to the agency.
Solzhenitsyn won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1970 after writing harrowing works about the Soviet Union's system of labour camps, where he spent eight years from 1945.
He wrote about life in the gulag with disturbing detail in his most celebrated works: One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich, The First Circle and The Gulag Archipelago.
As a result, he was stripped of his citizenship and expelled from the Soviet Union in 1974, thereby becoming a Cold War icon.
He lived in Germany, Switzerland and the United States before returning home to Russia in 1994, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
After his return, Solzhenitsyn was critical of both the West and of Russia's post-Soviet evolution, calling for a return to traditional moral values.
In June last year, then Russian president Vladimir Putin awarded Solzhenitsyn with the State Prize, Russia's highest honour, praising his devotion to the "fatherland" in a lavish ceremony at the Kremlin.
Solzhenitsyn's wife Natalya accepted the award on behalf of her husband, who was unable to attend the ceremony.
Speaking via a video message, Solzhenitsyn said he was "flattered by the attention to my work brought by this Russian State Prize".
"Until the end of my life I can hope that the historical material... collected by me and presented to my readers, enters the consciousness and memory of my fellow countrymen," he said.
"Our bitter national experience can yet help us in a possible repeat of unstable social conditions, it will warn us and ward us from destructive break-downs."
A complete edition of Solzhenitsyn's works, including unpublished writings, began to be published in 2006, with the last volume due out in 2010. His wife said at the time she did not expect her husband to live to see the last edition.
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has sent the family his condolences.
Doro Pesch - love me in black
Didn't they tell You the way that it's gonna be
You asked god for a woman and ended up with me
Maybe I'll love you maybe I'll pull you apart
We live in darkness l've pulled you into my friend
There's no escaping this hell that I've put you in
You must forgive me but loving me is a sin
Are you ready for me
Do you love me in black
I'll will push you away
Then make you come back
I can make you feel love
I can be so detached
Do you really want me
Do you love me in black
When I first met you I thought there was a mistake
How could you want me, you made such easy prey
Didn't they teach you loving is nothing but pain
What do you see when you look in my eyes
A sea of blue, a place where your heart could lie
Where it could drown, where it will never survive
Are you ready for me
Do you love me in black
I'll will push you away
Then make you come back
I can make you feel love
I can be so detached
Do you really want me
Do you love me in black
I keep reliwng the moment we said goodbye
You didn't kiss me, you didn't even try
You said l made me feel like you were barely alive
In another lifetime maybe another place
Maybe i'll find you. l could be tempted by fate
And try to reach with too little kindness too late
Are you ready for me
Do you love me in black
I'll will push you away
Then make you come back
I can make you feel love
I can be so detached
Do you really want me
Do you love me in black
You asked god for a woman and ended up with me
Maybe I'll love you maybe I'll pull you apart
We live in darkness l've pulled you into my friend
There's no escaping this hell that I've put you in
You must forgive me but loving me is a sin
Are you ready for me
Do you love me in black
I'll will push you away
Then make you come back
I can make you feel love
I can be so detached
Do you really want me
Do you love me in black
When I first met you I thought there was a mistake
How could you want me, you made such easy prey
Didn't they teach you loving is nothing but pain
What do you see when you look in my eyes
A sea of blue, a place where your heart could lie
Where it could drown, where it will never survive
Are you ready for me
Do you love me in black
I'll will push you away
Then make you come back
I can make you feel love
I can be so detached
Do you really want me
Do you love me in black
I keep reliwng the moment we said goodbye
You didn't kiss me, you didn't even try
You said l made me feel like you were barely alive
In another lifetime maybe another place
Maybe i'll find you. l could be tempted by fate
And try to reach with too little kindness too late
Are you ready for me
Do you love me in black
I'll will push you away
Then make you come back
I can make you feel love
I can be so detached
Do you really want me
Do you love me in black
No safety in numbers
... Maggie Sotyu, head of parliament’s safety and security committee, ruled tens of thousands of signatures to a “Save the Scorpions” submission irrelevant. She said she had gone door-to-door in her constituency and found that the majority of ANC voters didn’t even know what the Scorpions were. “They think it is some fruit somewhere,” she said.
Sunday Times
Ok, so the scorpions are like the local FBI, national police. Can you imagine people saying "oh, i thought he FBI were some kind of fruit" ?????
Aside from the obvious ... this is political spin at it's worst. Ignorance, stupidity, and malicious intent all rolled into 1.
Added to the ANC something or other threatening the entire south africa, saying that to prosecute zuma would bring dire consequences on the country ... like all the "supporters" (ie ex soldiers) waiting in the wings.
Civil war people ..... these fucking cunts are threatening us with zimbabwe, IF WE TAKE THEIR FRIEND TO COURT. These retarded shit for brains want to usurp the entire justice system, because their friend is above the law. None of them argue that the allegations are false, they're just saying it doesn't matter.
I updated my CV .... anyone want a strong, healthy young family ... OUTSIDE of SA?
It's not getting better.
Sunday Times
Ok, so the scorpions are like the local FBI, national police. Can you imagine people saying "oh, i thought he FBI were some kind of fruit" ?????
Aside from the obvious ... this is political spin at it's worst. Ignorance, stupidity, and malicious intent all rolled into 1.
Added to the ANC something or other threatening the entire south africa, saying that to prosecute zuma would bring dire consequences on the country ... like all the "supporters" (ie ex soldiers) waiting in the wings.
Civil war people ..... these fucking cunts are threatening us with zimbabwe, IF WE TAKE THEIR FRIEND TO COURT. These retarded shit for brains want to usurp the entire justice system, because their friend is above the law. None of them argue that the allegations are false, they're just saying it doesn't matter.
I updated my CV .... anyone want a strong, healthy young family ... OUTSIDE of SA?
It's not getting better.
Friday, 1 August 2008
Friday
Yadda yadda fishpaste.
k ... i'm SO done with the week ... hopefully i will have lots of mind numbing brain deadening alcohol tonight. enough to forget how to think.
peace and love
k ... i'm SO done with the week ... hopefully i will have lots of mind numbing brain deadening alcohol tonight. enough to forget how to think.
peace and love
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