Visionary art

http://lila.info

Statue on the rocks

A large white statue, in the form of a man with his hands outstretched, has for the past few days stood on the rocks just outside the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Victoria Road near Oudekraal.

Now for the silly bit:
An investigation would soon be launched to determine who put the statue up and how they went about it.

A boat would be sent out to see what it was made of as soon as one became available.

Sieben said permission had not been given to place any structure on the rocks, about 300 metres from the road.

If permission had been sought for it, it wouldn't have been granted, Sieben said. Any structure proposed for below the high-level mark needed to be subject to a complete environmental impact assessment.
This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Times on January 08, 2009

The Banking Enquiry

Wikileaks

Thanks to a "hacker" and wikileaks .... new site to me, but already enjoying the status they seem to be enjoying ... that of total pariah *grin*

The banks don't want ANYBODY to read this, under various auspices ... and having skimmed through, i understand why.

They're really bad people to do business with, and frankly if they weren't banks they'd likely be locked up.

Recommendations, observations and other silly innuendos don't change the fact that massive unfair business practices have been uncovered, AND WILL NOT be followed through with direct action.

But, we can at least know that information people want covered up, is much better off in the public domain.

Gaza - civilian warzone

Israeli Shells Kill 40 at Gaza U.N. School

Excerpt:
GAZA — Israeli mortar shells killed as many as 40 Palestinians, among them women and children, outside a United Nations school in Gaza on Tuesday where they were taking refuge in the 11th day of the conflict. The Israeli military contended that Hamas fighters had fired mortars from the school compound, and United Nations officials called for an independent inquiry into the episode.

The rising civilian death toll in crowded Gaza heightened international urgency to end the combat.

_______________________________________________________________

The Palestinians shouldn't have picked this fight. Don't matter though ...

I don't understand why war is the answer to this. Except for all the people getting rich from arms deals ... that's the clue. Nobody is winning here, not even the Isreali population at large. This isn't the way to keep them safe, or allow them to prosper.

The worst part is this was inevitable, and typical. The world over suffers this disease of the mind, which believes this is acceptable, justifiable, and good.

The Taqwacores

Muslim punks ... no, doesn't work for me.

Islam is about rules ... punk is about anarchy. Somehow the book "The Taqwacores" has provided a fictional story that has struck a chord in american muslim kids.

New York Times

It's not surprising that those kids are confused, muslims in amrica must have a really hard time, externally AND internally. I'd like to read the book, i had a few few "cut classics" as a kid, and know the power these books have in establishing adult identities.

Just odd, that's why i posted .... punk muslims ... i have now heard it all.

Gaza

Fuck you isreal. Since you couldn't beat Lebanon, only kill their children with cluster bombs, you went looking for an even weaker opponent??

For fuck sakes ... all your weaponry and money ... and you pick a fight with the palestinians??!! Pathetic ... you fucking soldier boy wankers of death. You're not stopping anything, you're just perpetuating your own satanic bloodlusts.

HAMAS is what you created. HAMAS is the voice of the people. HAMAS will not die by your guns. HAMAS will only die when the fighting stops. This isn't about protecting your territory, there are several highly effective anti rocket systems available, like those they use at emerald city in iraq. Why aren't you using those to protect YOUR citizens? Why not?

I imagine it's because you don't WANT to stop them, you like having a reason to kill children and women and old people. Sick motherfuckers.

This is not war ... this is not honour ... this is not anything good. This is murder.

Security killers

IOL

Johannesburg - A security guard claimed four American pit bull terriers attacked him in his car in Randburg and would have "ripped him to pieces" if he had not shot dead three of them.

But Warren Sinden, owner of the dogs, rejected these claims by Real Security Solutions (RSS), the company that protected his home.

Sinden said his dogs were shot without reason on his property in Bloubosrand. He laid a charge of injury to property at Douglasdale police and would also lay a civil charge.

Sinden's alarm went off on New Year's Eve. An RSS security guard went to investigate and what happened afterwards was still a mystery as Sinden claimed RSS refused to give him a report.

He said the RSS officer first shot his three dogs and then "cleaned up the scene of the crime" before contacting him.

"I want to know why my dogs were shot on my own property. Only one of my American pitt bull terriers, the bitch, has survived. The three male dogs are dead."

RSS manager Francois Briel said the guard never set foot on the Sinden property.

RSS was apparently considering legal steps against Sinden after the attack on the security guard.

________________________________________________________________________

Stories, counter stories ... and bullshit too.
I don't trust security companies. At all under any circumstances. This guard was supposed to check that everything was ok. It wasn't, so why did he leave a note saying it was ok?
i don't know what the truth was, but the person that was paid to look after the house ended up firing multiple shots in a residential neighbourhood. Few weeks ago a girl was killed the same way. The shooter in that case was crucified ... here it appears nothing will be done.

To Aquila ... good start, companies are very scared of the media ... and take it further ... this guard should never work in security again.

Security killers

2009

What's the difference between 2008 and 2009?

Nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Fuck all.

Then why all the bloody hype? Like the universe actually takes note of our little scratchings on bits of paper. It's like yesterday, only, due to entropy, worse.

People seem to get this idea that it matters, and strangely i had more happy new years sms' than christmas. Last year (already???) was crap, this one started similarly, but worse as i mentioned ... and frankly looks to get even worse within days. Again, oddly, what "started" my last year started my this year too, and not anything i'd wish on anyone. But no different really.
So in keeping with terradition, here are my rather pointless promises to nobody in particular ....

1. Get a divorce
2. Deal with all the other crap, like somewhere to live
3. Quit smoking
4. Kill more people that annoy me
5. See less people (including talk to, listen to, and breathe their foul odours)

Cute huh?

I guess the image below sums it up quite well, although if next silly season does come around, anyone who mentions it will be on my "annoying persons" list.

Sir Terry Pratchett

December 31 2008 at 10:41AM

By Tim Castle

London - Rock singer Robert Plant, fantasy author Terry Pratchett and Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton were all honoured by Britain's Queen Elizabeth on Wednesday.

The queen also granted awards to members of Britain's Beijing Olympics team, including a knighthood for triple cycling gold medallist Chris Hoy, the country's most successful Olympian at a single games for 100 years.

The credit crunch even made an appearance in the traditional New Year's honours list, with a knighthood for Nick Macpherson, the most senior civil servant at the government's Treasury, for his "extraordinary work" on tackling the financial crisis.

Plant, 60, most famous for fronting rock band Led Zeppelin in the 1970s, becomes a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) under Britain's ancient and complex system of honorary titles.





Plant has forged a successful career since Led Zeppelin's demise in 1980, recently collaborating with singer Alison Krauss on the acclaimed album Raising Sand.

Pratchett, 60, best known for his satirical Discworld fantasy series, becomes a knight, one of the queen's most important honours, and will now be addressed as a "Sir".

"There are times when phrases such as 'totally astonished' just don't do the job," he said in a statement.

"I am of course delighted and honoured and needless to say, flabbergasted."

In December 2007 Pratchett announced he had a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's disease, and earlier this year he donated £500 000 to research into the disorder.

Hamilton, 23, became the youngest Formula One world champion in November in only his second season competing in the annual championship.

The first black driver on the Formula One motor racing circuit, Hamilton is made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), a lower ranking award.

Britain's Olympics squad won a fresh haul of honours after coming a better-than-expected fourth in the Beijing medals table.

As well as Hoy's knighthood there were awards for double gold-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington, 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu and double cycling gold winner Bradley Wiggins.

There were also honours for Olympic sailing gold medallists Ben Ainslie, Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb.

Fourteen-year-old Paralympic swimmer Eleanor Simmonds was made an MBE after winning two golds in Beijing, becoming the youngest person ever to be royally honoured.

There was an OBE for actor Michael Sheen, who played former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the 2006 film The Queen, and a CBE for jazz musician Courtney Pine.

In the world of business there were knighthoods for Alexander Crombie, group chief executive of insurer Standard Life, and for David Jones, former chairman of retailer Next and co-founder of a Parkinson's disease charity.

Most of the 966 people on the New Year's list are honoured for voluntary work or for their contributions to health, education or local services. - Reuters
______________________________________________________________________________

First time ever i have approved of the annual awards ... but to my mind these people all deserve the recognition.

SIr Pratchett is oddly fitting.

Humbug

Christmas has become the epitome of everything that is wrong with us. It's a sick, depraved twisting of reality. For starters, fuck you if you equate chocolate and love. The only reason they punt xmas is to sell the crap that you would never, ever ever buy for yourself. Why? Because it's crap and ou know it.

The total amount of rubbish generated is enough to make me puke. Can anyone say "carbon footprint"?

It's a pagan holiday that the christians stole, then commerce stole, and now no-one wants to admit to. Don't blame them really, it's a crappy time, and we all know it. Why is it always about the person you can't be with, the present you cannot afford? And the only succesful xmas includes a lot of useless things (usually broken by lunchtime) ... far too much food and wine ... and the insane desire to surround yourself with people you successfully avoid the other 364 days of the year?

Hardly a good time. And i see israel has gone bossies again ... let's celebrate by killing people ... cos they're pests ... AND it's FUN!!! *c/o George Carlin.

My dog bit me .... says summin about MY karma, or dogma perhaps. Chows .... turns out they're related to pitbulls .... i didn't know. Such is life. At least it's healing really well.

peace ... and love ... and even happiness, if you can manage

No new coal

Yesterday the full story emerged of what happened. "It was about 10pm, very dark indeed," said Highmore. "It looks from the CCTV like he came in via a very remote part of the site by the sea wall and got over the double layer of fences."

The intruder then crossed a car park and walked to an unlocked door. But instead of going to the power station's main control room, where about eight people would have been working, he headed for its main turbine hall, where no one would have been working at that time.

Within minutes, says E.On, "he had tampered with some equipment" - believed to be a computer at a control panel - "and tripped unit 2, one of the station's giant 500MW turbines".

"This caused the unit to go offline," she added. "It was running at full 500MW load and the noise it would have made as it shut itself down is just incredible. CCTV shows that he then just walked out, and went back over the fence.

All power from the coal and oil-powered Kingsnorth station in Kent was halted for four hours, in which time it is thought the mystery saboteur's actions reduced UK climate change emissions by 2%. Enough electricity to power a city the size of Bristol was lost.

Get the full story here

Sun harvesting?

Ok, so i posted about the sun, and i remembered this image i saw when it first appeared. Important to mention, this image still resides at the NASA website, i have the high resolution at home.

WTF?

There is clearly something there .... if you look at the previous image and te next, they aren't there either, but in this multimillion dollar infallible lens, is what can only be .... WHAT? I really don't pretend to have even a clue. It could not be a reflection, or, or, or ....

I can look at it, and my mind takes my hand and says lookee here little one, there are some things you shouldn't think about, ok? It's really for your own good ....

The Scream

Edvard Munch

In a page in his diary headed Nice 22.01.1892, Munch described his inspiration for the image thus:
“I was walking along a path with two friends — the sun was setting — suddenly the sky turned blood red — I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence—there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city — my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety — and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.

Also called "Skrik" in norwegian, the english word could be shriek, skrik is the afrikaans word for fright.

The sun

I don't know how many people noticed the image of the sun i added on the right of the page. It's a widgit (love that word) which is a life update feed from a nasa site, updating every hour or so, with the latest solar images.

Cute.

The point is it appears static because nothing has happened, for months now. You've heard of sunspots? Well as can be plainly seen, there aren't any. There should be.

Now a period of little or no activity is occasionally normal ... but not for such extended periods of time. It's a first. And as happens when it goes quiet, people are pretending not to notice.

I have another similar image from last year .... i'll dig it out tonight, but something wrong somewhere, and have NO DOUBT this affects humans, and animals, and plants .... intimately, we just don't quite know how ....

Taglines

I been tagged by Aquila ka Hekate .... who has the CHEEK to call bratsie ... *lol*

Perhaps i should add, that it's probably accurate, not wrong, just .... CHEEKY :p

Point is, i should list 6 things that make me happy .... and all sortsa other bits, but i'm not too keen on passing stuff on. Anyways, without further ado, 6 things that make me happy .....

1. My kids ..... as infuriating as parenthood is, something about a childs smile just rips straight through me, like a ray of light on a cloudy day.
2. Music ..... it's there ... and it does things to me .... takes me places never seen before.
3. Technology, to a degree .... like my bike, when it's going, it is a thing of beauty
4. People .... some of them. But there are those with hearts of pure gold ... that, change everything really. You cannot hate ALL people when these few just smile, and you see the love in their hearts.
5. Planet earth, not YET the late anything. Even today, alive and flourishing, despite all else. The clouds, bright sky and the wind ... the rain ... fresh and life bringing .... the plants that grow EVERYWHERE ... all shapes and forms, and of course the birds, insects and other little ebing that seem to appear from nowhere, living and taking part in the great moving picture.
6. Me. As odd as it may seem, sometimes i appreciate being me. My body, healthy and ... strong enough for me thanks. My mind, able to unravel mysteries and wonders, with nothing but logic, and of course the spirit ... mine all black and dirty, AND YET STILL able to feel, and give ... resonating with all it sees, knowing that i am just part of ... something bigger.

Yeesh ..... i better hide under my desk today, post like this is OMINOUS ... :)

Peace and love

Commerce

We went to the Nan-Hua temple again yesterday, what an astounding place to find, here in africa. Literally like taking a step back in time, in another country.

Imagine my surprise when a monk gives my kids each a knick-knack .... mockey mouse and minnie mouse.

Wifey didn't really understand what had bitten me, is this a buddhist temple or bloody disneyland .... ? i asked out loud.

I still don't get it, really.

Dolla a day diet

How much does it cost to feed you? Daily that is? You'd be surprised, can you do it for less? How much less?

These folks in the states just tried something fo themselves, and it grew (for them) into a full time exercise. 1 dollar a day, US, not Zim ....

http://onedollardietproject.wordpress.com/

You couldn't ... i'll bet you NOW that you could not eat for even a week on a dollar or less. In South african rands it's what, about 10 rand or thereabouts. A loaf of bread is about 8/9 rand, depending on where you buy it .... and man cannot live by bread alone ..... part of the challenge is sustainability .... do it, and be healthy at the same time.

Most people i know couldn't ... they couldn't see the reason, or even begin to understand the need, never mind actually DOING it. We got 5 in our family, plus the maid who we feed every day, so that works to about R60/pd allowance. I wonder how it compares (?) Obviously buying and cooking bulk is cheaper in the long run, but you have to be really careful how you spend the money.

Big respect to these 2 though, this hope they are able to share the message. I've added them to the blogroll on the right, and i know i'll be keeping an eye on them, as they put it "Around 700k people have visited our little blog, and if that isn’t evidence that this is a crucial conversation to have, just read some of the stories from people around the country (and the globe)."

fuckit <--- that's what i had written.

“Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.” – Margaret Young

thats what i read shortly after.

Nothing

There is nothing i want to say here.

Letter from Zimbabwe

> John Winter is an architect in Zimbabwe, whom I studied with in the
> 1970's
>
> This letter has no real direction other than a plea for help which is
> understandable, and otherwise is pitiful.
>
> Neil HH
>
> Terrible, terrible things are taking place in Zimbabwe by the
> communist thugs that rule the place. the internet is a powerful tool
> and the only way that this madman and his henchmen are going to be
> brought to justice is if the whole world gangs up up on them and
> topples their evil bastion once and for all.
>
> Please forward this everyone you know so it gets around the world in
> a few days.
> Letter from Zimbabwe sent in by John Winter
>
> I reckon that these are the last days of TKM and Zanu-PF. The
> darkest hour isalways before dawn.
>
> We are all terrified at what they are going to destroy
> next........I mean they are actually ploughing down brick and mortar
> houses and one family with twin boys of 10 had no chance of
> salvaging anything when 100 riot police came in with AK47's and
> bulldozers and demolished their beautiful house - 5 bedrooms and
> pine ceilings - because it was 'too close to the airport', so we
> are feeling extremely insecure right now.
>
> You know - I am aware that this does not help you sleep at night,
> but if you do not know - how can you help? Even if you put us in
> your own mental ring of light and send your guardian angels to be
> with us - that is a help -but I feel so cut off from you all
> knowing I cannot tell you what's going on here simply because you
> will feel uncomfortable. There is no ways we can leave here so that
> is not an option.
>
> I ask that you all pray for us in the way that you know how, and
> let me know that you are thinking of us and sending out positive
> vibes... that's all. You can't just be in denial and
> pretend/believe it's not going on.
>
> To be frank with you, it's genocide in the making and if you do not
> believe me, read the Genocide Report by Amnesty International which
> says we are - IN level 7 - (level 8 is after it's happened and
> everyone is in denial).
>
> If you don't want me to tell you these things-how bad it is-then it
> means you have not dealt with your own fear, but it does not help
> me to think you are turning your back on our situation. We need
> you, please, to get the news OUT that we are all in a fearfully
> dangerous situation here. Too many people turn their backs and say
> - oh well, that's what happens in Africa
>
> This Government has GONE MAD and you need to help us publicize our
> plight---or how can we be rescued? It's a reality! The petrol
> queues are a reality, the pall of smoke all around our city is a
> reality, the thousands of homeless people sleeping outside in 0
> Celsius with no food, water, shelter and bedding are a reality.
> Today a family approached me, brother of the gardener's wife with
> two small children. Their home was trashed and they will have to
> sleep outside. We already support 8 adult people and a child on
> this property, and electricity is going up next month by 250% as is
> water.
>
> How can I take on another family of 4 -----and yet how can I turn
> them away to sleep out in the open?
>
> I am not asking you for money or a ticket out of here - I am asking
> you to FACE the fact that we are in deep and terrible danger and
> want you please to pass on our news and pictures. So PLEASE don't
> just press the delete button! Help best in the way that you know
> how.
>
> Do face the reality of what is going on here and help us SEND OUT
> THE WORD.. The more people who know about it, the more chance we
> have of the United Nations coming to our aid. Please don't ignore
> or deny what's happening.
> Some would like to be protected from the truth BUT then, if we are
> eliminated, how would you feel? 'If only we knew how bad it really
> was we could have helped in some way'.
>
> [I know we chose to stay here and that some feel we deserve what's
> coming to us]
>
> For now,--- we ourselves have food, shelter, a little fuel and a
> bit of money for the next meal - but what is going to happen next?
> Will they start on our houses? All property is going to belong to
> the State now. I want to send out my Title Deeds to one of you
> because if they get a hold of those, I can't fight for my rights.
>
> Censorship!----We no longer have SW radio [which told us everything
> that was happening] because the Government jammed it out of
> existence - we don't have any reporters, and no one is allowed to
> photograph. If we had reporters here, they would have an absolute
> field day. Even the pro-Government Herald has written that people
> are shocked, stunned, bewildered and blown mindless by the wanton
> destruction of many folks homes, which are supposed to be 'illegal'
> but for which a huge percentage actually do have licenses.
>
> Please! - do have some compassion and HELP by sending out the
> articles and personal reports so that something can/may be done.
>
> 'I am one. I cannot do everything, ---but I can do something.. And
> because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the
> something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I
> should do, by the grace of God,
> I will do.'
>
> Edward Everett Hale

Racists

Parents in south Tel Aviv who are seeking to prevent two Arab girls from attending their children's school are denying accusations of racism, saying they're worried about academic standings.

The conflict centers around the Hagalil Elementary School in the Hatikva quarter and began when the Tel Aviv school board decided to enroll the girls, both of whom are neighborhood residents. Even in the country's handful of mixed cities, Jews and Arabs generally prefer to live - and learn - apart.

"The school board already dumped the African kids here, and now they're bringing in the Arab kids without even telling us," one mother said. "They can't speak Hebrew well, they're having trouble in class and it's hurting the academic level of the school," she said.

"Anyone who doesn't understand why we're so upset... should take a look at other schools in the area," the mother added. "It starts with a few students and all of a sudden parents find that there are dozens of refugees in their schools. It's simply bad for the school."

While other parents have called the group's charges blatant racism, its members say they plan to circulate a petition calling on administrators to remove the girls.

The Education Ministry said there were no plans to do so, citing the girls' right as Israeli citizens and neighborhood residents to a public education without hindrance.

"The students in question are Arab girls who live in the neighborhood and belong in the school, according to the school registration areas," a ministry statement said. "They have the right to attend Hagalil School just as any other student living in the area. The parents' complaints are unjustified."

_________________________________________________________

Now in south africa you would be castrated. The courts and civil society, as well as the ever helpful international noise makers, would eat you for breakfast. This is not acceptable in ANY western nation, yet appears quite "reasonable" coming from jews?

WTF

Brazil dead

While most of people's attention in Brazil was turned to the tragic floods in Santa Catarina, another environmental disaster struck the country, this time in the state of Rio de Janeiro. On November 18, a leak of deadly endosulfan pesticide into the Pirapetinga river, a tributary of Paraíba do Sul River, killed thousands of fish - over 80 tonnes - in Resende and other neighboring cities. The incident also caused the interruption of the water supply for 7 cities in the area. The tragedy was worsened by the fact that it happened during breeding season for many species, some of which are under threat of extinction. Cintia Sibucs [pt] says that apart from fish, she was sad to see also dead water hogs and even birds:

By seeing the quantity of dead fish and animals, we can say that some ten years or more will be necessary to restore life back to what it was before. Endosulfan, a chemical used to make insecticides, is used by this company in Resende. The accident has generated even more inconvenience because the water and sewer services have stopped getting water [from the rivers] for a few days, leaving the population on alert.

Servatis received a R$ 33 million fine (about US$ 13.3 million), which will be disputed by the company [pt], and a 20 day suspension penalty. It has resumed operations today, December 9th, in all departments apart from endosulfan production.

The apparatus for environmental patrol when it comes to the pursuit of measures to control and ban fishing (actually necessary), has proved to be effective in curbing infractions committed by fishermen and people who rely on this activity, and who usually occupy the bottom of our social pyramid… On the other hand, when it comes to extending this efficiency to entrepreneurs and industry onwers, who exploit economic activities that bring serious risks to the ecosystem in which they are inserted, our environmental bodies demonstrate a shameful leniency and inefficiency… The right to property and free enterprise can not override the right to life… Well, at least it should not…

Taken from: Global Voices

Pirates

Zimbabwe: Time for regime change

TheTimes
3 December 2008, 00:04 GMT + 2 2 comments

ON our pages today we carry a story written by our former deputy editor, Moses Mudzwiti, now a resident of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.
It is a harrowing account of just how far this once vibrant city has sunk under the watch of the tyrant, Robert Mugabe.
The break down in the provision of basic services such as water, sanitation and electricity is so severe that they have all but ceased by be provided by the state.
Water, life’s greatest necessity, is now traded in plastic barrels on the back of pick-up trucks.
Electricity is so erratic as to render basic household appliances such as stoves, useless.
On the streets of Harare, soldiers have become a law unto themselves as the state has failed to pay them.
They once protected the people. Then they became the tools of an ailing regime.
Now they fend for themselves, breaking the windows of clothing stores and taking what they can like common thieves.
The state propaganda sheet, The Herald newspaper and state television ignored the rampage despite the fact it took place a stone’s throw away.
The breakdown of Mugabe’s state is complete.
There is no longer any monetary system to speak of. Law and order have given way to the survival of the fittest.
South Africa and Botswana have begun to act more decisively on the crisis, cutting aid and threatening to close borders.
But this is too little, too late.
Zimbabwe is becoming the scene of a global health and security catastrophe.
The world’s leaders need to consider far more drastic steps to save the lives that are in grave danger.
A massive assistance programme — with or without the support of Mugabe — must be launched to restore water and sanitation and to end this pernicious regime once and for all.

Peace frog

Year of the frog

Ok so i'm the stupid one, or at least blind. Taking me till december to work this one out. We were invited to the jhb zoo for some or other walk thingy ... they do it all the time, was a first for me.

Why Year of the Frog?
A deadly disease threatens amphibians

Frogs are going extinct. So are toads, salamanders, newts, and the intriguingly unusual caecilians. In fact, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) predicts that at least one-third of known amphibian species are in danger of disappearing from the earth for good www.globalamphibians.org.

In addition to habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and other factors a deadly disease is threatening to make many frogs and other amphibian species die out completely. Chytridiomycosis is a disease caused by a fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). This fungus is destroying amphibian species and populations as we speak. Unless we act now, we could be facing one of the largest extinctions since the time of the dinosaurs.

War Pigs

Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of deaths construction
In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds, oh lord yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor

Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait till their judgement day comes, yeah!

Now in darkness, world stops turning
As the war machine keeps burning
No more war pigs of the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings
All right now!


Thanks to Black Sabbath, they said it.

Zim

Harare hospital 'has become a place of death'
December 03 2008 at 02:41PM
By Francis Hweshe

Activist for refugee rights Braam Hanekom has reported the dire situation facing his countrymen in Zimbabwe after he managed to sneak into the country last week.

At a press conference in Cape Town on Tuesday Hanekom told of the horror he had witnessed first-hand.

"At Parerinyatwa hospital in Harare where I was born, there is no electricity, running water and about 50 sick people are turned away daily to go and die at home," he said.

"In its mortuary I saw bodies piled upon bodies as the facility has become a place of death."

Hanekom is the chairman of refugee lobby group, People Against Suppression, Suffering, Oppression and Poverty (Passop). He has visited his troubled homeland twice recently after a three-year absence.

He said a health official at the hospital had told him: "It's better for them to die at home than here."

The doctor also told him those who were admitted to the hospital were sure to die due to lack of medicine.

Hanekom said he had seen staffers at the hospital's mortuary working without proper protective gear such as gloves and bodies were not being cleaned as the city did not have water.

He said he had been deeply touched by an incident when a relative had come to collect his beloved's body but staffers had refused him access to the body as it was in a "mess".

"The agonised man protested that he could bring a bucket of water to wash the body but they refused, as that would bring cholera."

Hanekom described the cholera situation as volatile - people have ceased greeting one another with handshakes for fear of contracting the disease which has claimed hundreds of lives.

"It's a hopeless situation... people are dying of dehydration... there is no water, even in affluent areas," he said.

He said he had interviewed disgruntled civil servants including soldiers and police officers, some of whom said they wanted to band with civilians to overthrow President Robert Mugabe's government.

Soldiers earn R70 a month but for the past two months have not been paid and they are frustrated, he said.

Hanekom said MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai should exploit the moment and turn the tables on Mugabe.

He warned that failure to do so could result in the emergence of rebels.

"Schools have shut down, national examinations have been cancelled and concerned parents are paying private tutors in foreign currency, which they don't have.

"Malnutrition is everywhere, we estimate that about 40 percent of the people are living beneath the daily nutritional intake needed for basic survival.

"Queues ran across the city streets outside the banks with up to 300 people desperately waiting to withdraw their daily limits of Z$500 000 (R5)."

He said in the rural areas, where hunger and starvation is taking its toll, subsistence farming had started, but many of the farmers lack the necessary resources.

Zimbabwean refugee Barbara Zhungu, also present at the media briefing, said: "We are caught up in a tight situation as it is tough for us to live in this country."

This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Argus on December 03, 2008
____________________________________________________________

Well fuck me .... All hail the great MOTHERFUCKER MBEKI ... fuck you mbeki you cunt, you and your fucking quiet bullshit.
Always more interested in HISTORY than people .... well i fucking hope that history puts you down as the fucking politician RESPONSIBLE ... may your sould be bathed in the blood of the dead and dying.

My god ... it's the black plague ... bring out your dead ... except they cannot even afford the pennies for the ferryman.

May God have mercy on them all. Holidays are coming, i wonder if my children will even go to school next year, or if the plague will have reached us by then. Our water supplies are already suspect.

Sphere art

Funtasticus

The weekend ...

Toyrun has run ... what n incredible day!! The sheer SIZE and VOLUME and everything ...

A lot went wrong, several accidents to and from the venues, 2 marshalls were knocked over during the ride. The Think Bike caravan was totalled en route to the venue, and we had the JHB METRO idiots involved, who promptly went and fucked it up as solidly as could be imagined. In several places too.
Several bikers had incidents to and from the run, R.I.P to the Walkerville 18 year old, who hit a pedestrian. Get well soon to the rest. Gemini, you and your son both heal soon, and i hope the bike gets sorted ... in the line of duty, respect.

You see, a mass of bikes like that, is like a wild animal, perhaps a bull, with us marshalls as the toreadors. And instead of having a closed arena within which to work, imagine it in the middle of the market square, and no-one else is allowed to get hurt. It's more about holding it's attention ... and keeping it, than anything else. AND making sure no "kids" run into the way ...

As a whole, i rate it a success. Many people had a lot of fun, and thousands of toys are going to find their ways into kids christmas stockings.

Will post my fvourite pics as they find themselves onto the net.

San 'Bushmen' return home in Namibia

November 27 2008

An elderly woman slowly looks around her new farmland, her wrinkled face lighting up with a shy little smile as suddenly she claps her hands.

"Our ancestors are happy that we are closer to home now, I can feel it, our dream will come true," Hira Khamuxas says.

She is among the 9 000 members of the Haikom ethnic group, among the San "Bushmen" people who were the first occupants of southern Africa, who have only now been allowed to return the region where their ancestors lived.


Although their communities have lived in the region for millennia, the Haikom were evicted from their lands about 50 years ago, when Namibia was ruled by South Africa's apartheid regime.

Last week, 300 Haikom took up residence on the Seringkop farm, which was bought by the government for their resettlement on the fringes of the world-famous Etosha national park, the traditional home of their people.

"I am now only some 60 kilometers away from my birth place, where I spent a free and happy childhood until I was 14," Khamuxas says.

"Then the South Africans put up a veterinary control fence nearby and told us to get out."

The apartheid regime began forcing the San out of Etosha in the early 1960s, and later chopped up the park to create ethnic homelands for the region's tribes, but the Haikom were left out of the scheme.

Like many Haikom, 65-year-old Khamuxas spent her working life wandering from farm to farm, labouring for small wages, until she moved a few years ago into a tiny township house in Otjiwarongo, about 250 kilometres north of Windhoek, where she survived on a state pension.

The great void

Her birthplace inside the park, at Ombika water hole, is now a popular destination for rich foreign tourists.

First made a game preserve in 1907 by colonial Germany, Etosha - whose name translates as "the great void" - is one of the oldest and largest in Africa.

Its unique landscape derives from a shallow depression of 5 000 square kilometres , which fills up with water only during a good rainy season, providing a haven for thousands of migratory pink flamingos.

The German colonial powers allowed the Haikom to remain in Etosha, where they continued their ancient tradition of hunting wild animals and gathering plants for food and medicinal use.

The park is about half the size of Switzerland, but originally was twice as big, until the 1970s when apartheid South Africa sliced it into ethnic homelands.

Once confined to their homelands, people were allowed to move freely when Namibia won independence in 1990.

Many people drifted to informal settlements at towns, trying to eke out a living. Some Haikom were lucky to be employed in the park as trackers and game guards.

'We have a management plan'

Namibia's government hopes the Haikom will now be able to cash in on the park's tourism industry, by buying land for them on Etosha's southern boundary.

"Government views the Haikom resettlement project as urgent," deputy prime minister Libertine Amathila said at a welcoming ceremony on Saturday.

"We have a management plan in place for the 78 families who agreed to come here," she said.

"Parts of the land will be used for agriculture, another for wild animals we will bring here to start tourism activities so they can earn a diversified income," she added.

"The main aim is to restore their dignity so they have a place they can call home."

Namibia is home to 30 000 San people of different tribes, who are the most marginalised groups in the country.

Deputy tourism minister Leon Jooste said the government has bought more farms along Etosha's border for the Haikom, in hopes of bringing them into the lucrative - but white-dominated - tourism sector.

"They will receive tourism licences and can take in joint venture partners to construct tourism accommodation in close collaboration with our ministry, so that they are not taken advantage off," he told AFP.

"Government plans to eventually remove the boundary fences of these farms to Etosha so that the wild animals can roam more freely, and the Haikom are part of this tourism project."

Hira Khamuxas will now teach her grandchildren the traditional use of trees and plants guided by the spirits of her ancestors, who she says are now happy.

________________________________________________________

It's about time. May God bless them ... and keep them safe. May their days be filled with family and sunshine ... and their nights with laughter and happiness.

Mumbai

Inspirational

An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.

- Plato

kill a biker week?

STOP KILLING BIKERS!

JEES .. about 5/6 guys gon down in the last 24 hours, one of them went under a truck!!!

for fuck sakes people drive like fucking adults please .. cars and bikes alike!!!

Rest in Peace to the fallen :(

Ladies and gentlemen ...

http://www.epp.org.za/

May i introduce South Africa's most colourful, vocal, and also fearless politician, Dame (she'd like that) Evita Bezuidenhout.

She is a elderly lady who is actually a man. Pieter Dirk Uys. During the old apartheid days, certain things could not be said, and the state also had it's own little issues. Very conservative, serious and intolerant - a screaming queen, but an ou tannie (elderly lady)at the same time, floored them. "She" could say many things openly, deriding the ruling party and the people involved.

Satire and and sarcasm were the order of the day, and still are. Politicians are so easy to make fun of, even more so when they don't get the jokes. Go see Evita's website (top) ... not a stupid person by any means, and is apparently well read too.

As little as the NP were able to stiffle her, the ANC also appears unable to compose even the most simple response, but to ignore her. It's funny really, because Evita HAS BECOME a leading political figure. She speaks with a moral, rational voice, something that neither the NP nor the ANC truly understand.

Enough from me .... read this from her, and i hope you go find more :)

"The tripartite alliance (from apartheid to tripartite?
Does history always repeat itself in rhyme and rythmn?) from Communist to
Trade Unionist was demanding pieces of the milktart of power. But democracy is
not the motionless stone statue of a roaring lion. It is a shaggy old dog
that needs to give itself a good shake every now and then so that the fleas
can fall off. In the last week the fattest fleas have flown in all directions.
The Angel of Death, formerly Minister of Health, is now in the Presidency as
Minister, having taken over from the Eminence Gris, Essop the Dour. I
once met Comrade Pahad in a dark passage and thought I'd be catapulted into the
underworld of "The Lord of the Rings." The King of the Orcs! But Manto
Tsabalala-Msimang is happy away from Health. She will now always be near
the Cabinet!"

Road rage

Radebe (the politico) told the Sunday Independent newspaper that motorists were also to blame for the behaviour of VIP drivers.

Nxumalo (the bodyguard) allegedly shot out the tyre of a car while on his way to pick up Radebe, causing a head-on collision that injured eight people.

Radebe said he had to get to Molweni outside Durban - 12 hours after a storm - to see how he could save lives.

"I'm not condoning VIP driver's behaviour, but I have experienced rude behaviour from motorists. They seldom give way and for no reason show us rude signs. Others when they see us coming, speed up and then brake unexpectedly," he was quoted as saying.

"Our drivers are trained to protect us. We are heading to elections and they need to ensure our safety. If a driver behaves like that, how do they know we are not being ambushed? Their reaction is to just push aside and shoot." - Sapa
______________________________________________________________________________

Well fuck me ... lookee here. Rude signs hell yeah ... i'm one of those .... if i see you coming trough the evening traffic like a messenger of god, complete with a whole convoy of self important soldiers .... the fuck you ... and i'll show you i feel that way.
No politician has been assasinated in souh africa since chris hani back when, 15 odd years ago i think? Ambushed ... push aside and shoot ... hmmmmm

Ties in with Aquila Ka Hecate's recent post about zuma saying we should FEAR GOD ... read zuma ... fear ... yes fear is coming to South Africa.

Ons vir jou Suid Afrika.

Hate speech

Jeremy Nell again .... so true.

Points to ponder

Axioms of the New Generation

1) Life isn’t like a box of chocolates, it’s more like a jar of jalapeños — you never know what’s going to burn your ass.

2) I love deadlines. I especially like the Whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.

3) Tell me what you need, and I’ll tell you how to get along without it.

4) Needing someone is like needing a parachute. If they aren’t there the first time, chances are you won’t be needing them again.

5) I don’t have an attitude problem, you have a perception problem.

6) Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, where the heck is the ceiling?

7) My reality check bounced.

On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.

9) I don’t suffer from stress. I am a carrier !

10) You are slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter.

11) Everyone is someone else’s weirdo.

12) Never argue with an idiot.. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.

13) Be careful . . .a pat on the back is only a few centimeters from a kick in the butt.

14) Don’t be irreplaceable - if you can’t be replaced, you won’t be promoted.

15) The more Sh*t you put up with, the more Sh*t you are going to get.

16) You can go anywhere you want if you look serious and carry a clipboard.

17) So this isn’t Home Sweet Home . . . Adjust!

18) Ring bell for maid service. If no answer, do it yourself!

19) I came, I saw, I decided to order take out.

20) Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.

21) I’d live life in the fast lane, but I am married to a speed bump.

22) Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him without a boner, make him a sandwich!

23) What should you give a man who has everything? A woman to show him how to work it!

24) How can you tell which bottle contains her PMS medicine? It’s the one with bite marks on the cap!

Weekend

SO much happened this weekend, it was full and busy and hectic and SO much fun.

For starters though, on a very bad note, get well Emm ... she and her husband were travelling on that BLOODY N1 highway at night and the was literally side swiped by a truck. The motherfucker then drove away. Thnk you to all who stopped to assist, including some of the think bike guys .... she is remarkably well, considering ... with almost no damage save a shoulder injury. WEAR YOUR GEAR PEOPLE ... it saved her life.

The 94,7 cycle challenge was MOSTLY a success. As usual fuck you metro, useless bunch of assholes. Well mostly, a few of them were actually helping. For the rest of them, go kill youself somewhere discrete.

The route was badly planned, and we ended up with some intersections where people were driving into the route ... well done to all the think bike marshalls. Somehow hen the tb guys get to a problem the problem gets fixed, usually quite quickly. We also get more respect form the motorists than the metro do .... wonder why.

I did the sweep first thing in the morning. WOW. Ok, 220 in a 60 zone .... hehe ... WITH approval .... no breaking any laws *INSERT MASSIVE CHECHIRE CAT GRIN HERE* as well as taking the M1 south and N14 highways at autobahn speeds. I paid for it dearly though, since the rest of the day i spent myself trundling along the same route at often 10km/h .... with wifey on the back too.

What an amazing event, from all sides. I had great fun explaining to a truck driver who was "waiting for a break in the cyclists" that the next break was about 30km's down the road and comng at 10km/h. :D

Ah well ... all's well that ends well, and yesterday ended well.

You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget

Yngwie Malmsteen
It was you, it was me
And we would last forever
Any fool could see, that we were
Meant to be

Without you, there is no meaning to my life
You're gone and it cuts me like a knife
How could you leave me?

You don't remember, I'll never forget
You just don't remember, I'll never forget

Why did you turn away
Let your love fade away and die
You became so cold, you made me feel so old

When you left, you broke my heart
And just to see
How many pieces there would be
After you leave me

You don't remember, I'll never forget
You just don't remember, I'll never forget

R.I.P. Mitch Mitchell

Hendrix drummer found dead
13/11/2008 08:16

Los Angeles - British-born drummer Mitch Mitchell, the last surviving member of legendary 1960s band The Jimi Hendrix Experience, was found dead on Wednesday in a hotel room in Oregon, officials said. He was 62.

Mitchell, whose innovative drumming was regarded as a crucial component of the Hendrix-led group's success, was discovered in the early hours of Wednesday at his hotel room, a county coroner's office spokesperson told US media.

No cause of death was immediately available, but a statement on the official Jimi Hendrix website run by the late guitarist's estate said Mitchell died from natural causes.

"We're all devastated to hear of Mitch's passing," Janie Hendrix, chief executive of Experience Hendrix said. "He was a wonderful man, a brilliant musician and a true friend. His role in shaping the sound of the Jimi Hendrix Experience cannot be underestimated."

Mitchell had just completed an 18-city tour of the United States with Experience Hendrix, a concert series featuring guest performers playing tributes to the 1960s group's music.

"Over the course of the recent tour (Mitch) seemed delighted with the interchange with the other musicians and the audiences. There is no question that he was doing what he loved," Janie Hendrix added.

Jimi Hendrix died in mysterious circumstances in London in 1970 at the age of 27, cutting short a ground-breaking rock career notable for his extraordinary guitar sound on albums Are You Experienced and Electric Ladyland.

The third member of the group, English bass guitarist Noel Redding, died in 2003 aged 57.
___________________________________________________

This guy was so great. Especially on bongo type drums .... he also lost himslf in the music, and made such a huge addition the the Experience.

Lot of these old timers going now .... the world is poorer for their passing.

Being Poor

Here is a list of what being poor actually means…

Being poor is knowing exactly how much everything costs.

Being poor is getting angry at your kids for asking for all the crap they see on TV.

Being poor is having to keep buying $800 cars because they’re what you can afford, and then having the cars break down on you, because there’s not an $800 car in America that’s worth a damn.

Being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.

Being poor is knowing your kid goes to friends’ houses but never has friends over to yours.

Being poor is going to the restroom before you get in the school lunch line so your friends will be ahead of you and won’t hear you say “I get free lunch” when you get to the cashier.

Being poor is living next to the freeway.

Being poor is coming back to the car with your children in the back seat, clutching that box of Raisin Bran you just bought and trying to think of a way to make the kids understand that the box has to last.

Being poor is wondering if your well-off sibling is lying when he says he doesn’t mind when you ask for help.

Being poor is off-brand toys.

Being poor is a heater in only one room of the house.

Being poor is knowing you can’t leave $5 on the coffee table when your friends are around.

Being poor is hoping your kids don’t have a growth spurt.

Being poor is stealing meat from the store, frying it up before your mom gets home and then telling her she doesn’t have make dinner tonight because you’re not hungry anyway.

Being poor is Goodwill underwear.

Being poor is not enough space for everyone who lives with you.

Being poor is feeling the glued soles tear off your supermarket shoes when you run around the playground.

Being poor is your kid’s school being the one with the 15-year-old textbooks and no air conditioning.

Being poor is thinking $8 an hour is a really good deal.

Being poor is relying on people who don’t give a damn about you.

Being poor is an overnight shift under florescent lights.

Being poor is finding the letter your mom wrote to your dad, begging him for the child support.

Being poor is a bathtub you have to empty into the toilet.

Being poor is stopping the car to take a lamp from a stranger’s trash.

Being poor is making lunch for your kid when a cockroach skitters over the bread, and you looking over to see if your kid saw.

Being poor is believing a GED actually makes a goddamned difference.

Being poor is people angry at you just for walking around in the mall.

Being poor is not taking the job because you can’t find someone you trust to watch your kids.

Being poor is the police busting into the apartment right next to yours.

Being poor is not talking to that girl because she’ll probably just laugh at your clothes.

Being poor is hoping you’ll be invited for dinner.

Being poor is a sidewalk with lots of brown glass on it.

Being poor is people thinking they know something about you by the way you talk.

Being poor is needing that 35-cent raise.

Being poor is your kid’s teacher assuming you don’t have any books in your home.

Being poor is six dollars short on the utility bill and no way to close the gap.

Being poor is crying when you drop the mac and cheese on the floor.

Being poor is knowing you work as hard as anyone, anywhere.

Being poor is people surprised to discover you’re not actually stupid.

Being poor is people surprised to discover you’re not actually lazy.

Being poor is a six-hour wait in an emergency room with a sick child asleep on your lap.

Being poor is never buying anything someone else hasn’t bought first.

Being poor is picking the 10 cent ramen instead of the 12 cent ramen because that’s two extra packages for every dollar.

Being poor is having to live with choices you didn’t know you made when you were 14 years old.

Being poor is getting tired of people wanting you to be grateful.

Being poor is knowing you’re being judged.

Being poor is a box of crayons and a $1 coloring book from a community center Santa.

Being poor is checking the coin return slot of every soda machine you go by.

Being poor is deciding that it’s all right to base a relationship on shelter.

Being poor is knowing you really shouldn’t spend that buck on a Lotto ticket.

Being poor is hoping the register lady will spot you the dime.

Being poor is feeling helpless when your child makes the same mistakes you did, and won’t listen to you beg them against doing so.

Being poor is a cough that doesn’t go away.

Being poor is making sure you don’t spill on the couch, just in case you have to give it back before the lease is up.

Being poor is a $200 paycheck advance from a company that takes $250 when the paycheck comes in.

Being poor is four years of night classes for an Associates of Art degree.

Being poor is a lumpy futon bed.

Being poor is knowing where the shelter is.

Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so.

Being poor is knowing how hard it is to stop being poor.

Being poor is seeing how few options you have.

Being poor is running in place.

Being poor is people wondering why you didn’t leave.

RIP Miriam Makeba "Mama Afrika"

Again thank you to Jeremy Nell.

Road rage

I had my second road rage invitation in 2 weeks this morning. First was a 60 something year old woman with a HEAVY babbelaas at the friday coffee. She was so asleep she pulled straight in front of another biker in the parking lot. When i confronted her all i got was swear words and threats.
This morning, some iodiot in a red volvo was plaing with his radio and changing lanes same time, when i revved his world he was also full of threats, swear words and an open invitation to go have fisticuffs.

The only way to describe (IMHO) the people in cages who try be quick in rush hour traffic is wankers. It really is so similar in so many ways.

What saddens me is the violence ... the anger ... fustration. It rather accurately reflects myself.

I am the problem. As much as all the rest. My living here with all these other people and trying to have the same things they do. The same space, resources, and so on. And having a job every day, going to lubricate the wheels of industry with our soul .... It just overwhelms you.

So is it world at large that is all angry, or just me imposing my own failings on it?

Both i would think .... i would also think i'd know better than them. But of course ... i don't ... and reinforce my belief that ALL people are problems that should be solved immediately.

Road rage

"Keep Talking"

For millions of years mankind lived just like the animals
Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination
We learned to talk

There's a silence surrounding me
I can't seem to think straight
I'll sit in the corner
No one can bother me
I think I should speak now
I can't seem to speak now
My words won't come out right
I feel like I'm drowning
I'm feeling weak now
But I can't show my weakness
I sometimes wonder
Where do we go from here

It doesn't have to be like this
All we need to do is make sure we keep talking

Why won't you talk to me
You never talk to me
What are you thinking
What are you feeling
Why won't you talk to me
You never talk to me
What are you thinking
Where do we go from here

It doesn't have to be like this
All we need to do is make sure we keep talking

Why won't you talk to me
You never talk to me
What are you thinking
What are you feeling
Why won't you talk to me
You never talk to me
What are you thinking
What are you feeling

I feel like I'm drowning
You know I can't breathe now
We're going nowhere
We're going nowhere

Thanks to Pink Floyd ... i believe this is David Gilmour's creation.

What the lyrics don't carry across is the dialogue that is carried through the ong, 1 part male the other part female, and how the questions asked, have already been pre-empted by the answer.
Hypnotic, soul wrenching.

Life

http://www.kevincyr.net/index.html


Wonderful painting this ... i love it. The mood, the tone, the subject ... and that chinese guy sitting by a fire with something to warm him.

Go see http://www.kevincyr.net/index.html for more.

Teddy bear's picnic

If you go down to the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise
If you go down to the woods today
You better go in disguise
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic
At six o'clock their mummys and daddys
will take them home to bed
Because they're tired little teddy bears

5th November 1605

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up King and Parliament.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

November the 5th has come and gone
But thoughts of it still linger
I held a banger in my hand
Has anyone seen my finger?

_______________________________________________

I'm british ... mostly ... *chuckle* ... heritage and all that ....

What i love about this is the way a nursey rhyme embodies history, you read the above rhyme, and you know what happened. 3 score barrels, that's 60 barrels of gunpowder, helluva lot of bang that .... From wiki: "By March 1605, they had hidden 1800 pounds (36 barrels, or 800 kg) of gunpowder in the cellar."
Of course he was the traitor, and god was on the king's side, and Guy Falkes became very dead soon after.
I *suspect* that the reason it became a rhyme was popular support, and the subversive nature of the whole thing. Perhaps, the moral of the story is, don't play with gunpowder? The king doesn't like it.
As to remembering with wasting thousands on more gunpowder every year fo freaking CENTURIES after ... bugger off ... it's stupid, wasteful and utterly thoughtless of every single other living thing within a ten mile (listen to me) radius.

This story is older than south african history. Think about it.

If TV is the opium of the masses, then the internet is the cocaine for the collective

- David Moseley

http://mynewsblogs.24.com/ViewBlog.aspx?blogid=eeedf066-d584-495c-adcc-e6741f9ae8a0

America .....

http://jeremynell.com/



Thanks to Jeremy Nell for his wit.

Ps. Isn't it a strange thing that public eney number 1 is osama, and public person number 1 is obama?

Outcomes based education

I found this yesterday, to my absolute horror. I have 3 children, 2 currently in primary school. This OBE curriculum is crap. They really have NO idea how the children are actually coping, and the reports that are sent quarterly dont give an acceptable idea of how they are doing.

The syllabus itself is another issue, but having seen the work the are expected to perform, i can honestly understand the thousands of idiot matrics we currently have in our job markets. No offense, b they're stupid. Thick as 2 short planks with ZERO understanding of the world in which they live. Arbitrary example, eldest was taught that the bantu tribes lived in cities before the white man came ... (WTF?) and had sustainable farming in place .....

I digress. It's a fuck up. Pure and simple. No misunderstanding. The anc's bloody experiment with our future has failed, and we are all losers. I can only hope tat something changes soon, before we lose all rationality.

PS, universities are not coping with the low standards of education, and are also lowering standards, if only to try convince world at large that we are achieving something after the glorious revolution *spit*

Ditch OBE now, academics urge

November 02 2008 at 02:40PM

By Noelene Barbeau

In a week when thousands of school pupils are writing their matric exams, leading academics have slammed South Africa's outcomes-based education (OBE) system, calling it a waste of time and saying it should be ditched.

Among those calling for the jettisoning of the system is the American educator and self-proclaimed father of OBE, Dr William Spady.

Spady, who toured the country in 1997 addressing thousands of teachers about outcomes based education, said South Africa had "completely missed the boat" in understanding the concept.

He said he had distanced himself from the South African version of OBE

In an interview with the Tribune this week, he said that OBE could be used only when there were no time constraints and students could work at their own pace.

This, however was not the case in formal education, which was based on strict time schedules.

He said he had distanced himself from the South African version of OBE and described it as a "professional embarrassment".

Former University of Cape Town vice-chancellor, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, has also slammed the system.

"We have chosen the worst curriculum policy you could ever imagine," she raged at a meeting in Cape Town earlier this week. "Not a single country in this world that has undertaken outcomes based education has succeeded."

"Canada tried it, they dumped it. The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and New Zealand tried it, they dumped it. Not us. No. If we make a mistake, we keep making it . . . Why? . . . Because we are afraid of people saying 'this inferior black-dominated government doesn't know what it is doing'."

Professor Jonathan Jansen, former Dean of Education at the University of Pretoria, asked who would take responsibility for this "curriculum mess" and the millions of rands spent on this "curriculum disaster". He said the curriculum changes were "a terrible decision that widened the gap between the children of the rich and the poor".

Spady is encouraging his South African colleagues to stop referring to OBE in any form, because it "never existed".

The OBE system, introduced from 1997, was intended to make a clean break with apartheid education.

"But all it has done is weaken the education system," said Ramphele, whose controversial book, Laying the Ghosts to Rest: Dilemmas of the transformation in South Africa was published earlier this year.

Explaining OBE, Spady said that "in the real world" OBE could be used only in training programmes for institutions like flight schools and karate, which were not time-based.

He said that at the time he had warned South African audiences that, from what he could see, the curriculum South Africa had chosen fell far short of these "fundamental features of the OBE paradigm".

"Had there been stronger conceptual understanding and agreement, I believe the educational leaders would have been able to make a more constructive choice about reforms they sought to implement during the first Mandela government," Spady said.

Duncan Hindle, the Director-General of Education, did not want to comment on Ramphele's OBE criticism without further information.

He said that in principle every system would be reviewed if required.

Introduced in 2002, it was revised by an education committee and approved by provincial MECs.

noelene.barbeau@inl.co.za
This article was originally published on page 1 of Tribune on November 02, 2008

On a steeeeck

Senhor Jose Jalapino

Happy halloween

The Power of Silence

We believe profoundly in silence, the sign of a perfect equilibrium. Silence is the absolute poise or balance of body, mind and spirit. Those who can preserve their selfhood ever calm and unshaken by the storms of existence, not a leaf as it were, a stir on the tree, not a ripple upon the shining pool, those in the mind of the person of nature, posses the ideal attitude and conduct of life.
If you ask "What are the fruits of silence?" we will answer, "they are self-control, true courage or endurance, patience, dignity and reverence. Silence is the cornerstone of character."

From the Wisdom of the Native Americans, edited by Kent Nerburn.

Thanks to Oasis of my Soul for this gentle reflection.

Thanks to Aquila ka Hecate for tagging me.

1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Ja ja, ok neither random nor interesting, but here goes .....

1. I'm the eldest of 2 brothers, the younger is a lawyer.
2. AB neg blood group .... rare i believe.
3. I was a beachbum
4. I am an office bum (same as beachbum without the good stuff)
5. I have 3 children (feels like 300)
6. Bike is my only transport. Wife has the lunchbox.

Oh shit, i'm supposed to tag 6 others ....... *lol* ok well .... 6 random people can volunteer themselves .... .I DARE YOU :p

the natural order continues .....

Rock on art

It seems they don't like me showing their pictures. Go see anyway, but then again, don't.



Bill Dan Rock Balancing Gallery

Full mooooooooooon

On the turning away

On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we wont understand
Dont accept that whats happening
Is just a case of others suffering
Or youll find that youre joining in
The turning away

Its a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting its shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that were all alone
In the dream of the proud

On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring
Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord
Using words you will find are strange
And mesmerized as they light the flame
Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
Its not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that therell be
No more turning away?

Thank you to Pink Floyd

From infohub

"The next morning, Ronan and Yoav picked us up by car and we drove to the Dead Sea area and Masada. The drive was spectacular as we drove through the stark desert landscape. We passed many Bedouin villages made of shacks or tents, and their herds of goats, donkeys and camels. As we descended the mountain to the Dead Sea we passed several sculpture monuments in the shape of motorcycles.

We asked Ronan to pull over so we could get a better look at them. We discovered that these sculptures are real motorcycles that had been salvaged from deadly motorcycle accidents on this windy road and had been put there as a reminder to all how dangerous the particular road can be."

Metro

An internal Johannesburg metro police investigation initially cleared four officers patrolling the N1 less than an hour before a Johannesburg man was killed there.

But when The Star highlighted the discrepancy in the amount of time the patrol car spent in the area compared to the first time it drove through, the metro police swiftly re-opened the investigation.

The initial probe followed a Benoni driver's allegations that a metro police squad car had been seen patrolling the N1 highway just minutes before 32-year-old Arren Mahabir's car hit rocks placed there by robbers hiding in the bushes around 2.40am on Thursday.

Mahabir was shot and killed as he and his fiancee, Valesh Naidoo, got out to change the burst tyre.

The motorist, who hit the rocks half an hour before Mahabir, had told the Saturday Star that the officers never stopped to remove the obstruction from the highway, despite the fact that rocks on the road are a well-known tactic.

On Tuesday director David Tembe, the Joburg metro police department's head of operations, said the officers denied seeing any rocks when they passed the area.

The driver said a metro police car passed him while he changed his tyre and the officers had in fact weaved their way through the debris without stopping to clear it.

It was this allegation that forced JMPD management to launch an investigation.

Every metro police vehicle is fitted with a tracking device, and the department ordered a printout to determine the exact times their vehicles were in the area.

According to the vehicle tracking report, the first vehicle passed the area between Malibongwe Drive and William Nicol Drive at 1.13am.

The vehicle, a Ford Focus, spent one minute and 56 seconds in the area. Twenty-four minutes later, at 1.37am, a second vehicle passed the area - a Ford Ranger - followed a minute later by the Ford Focus.

This time, however, the Focus took 10 minutes and 54 seconds to go through the area, while the Ford Ranger took 5 minutes and 21 seconds.

Asked why the officers in the Focus took nearly nine minutes more to patrol the same stretch of road compared to the first time, Tembe said: "Yes, this needs more probing. There are some questions that need to be answered."

Tembe said the officers had been adamant that there had not been any rocks placed on the road, but he admitted that investigating officers had not picked up the difference between the two times.

Part of the internal investigation notes that the metro police control room received its first report of the incident at 3.03am.

"The officers immediately responded, and by the time they got there, the SAPS were already on scene and were attending to it," Tembe said.

Both the SAPS and the metro police have stepped up patrols in the vicinity.

Provincial police spokesperson Captain Julia Claassen said on Wednesday that no arrests had been made.

Tembe said the JMPD had set up a special unit four months ago to patrol a stretch of the N14 near Krugersdorp where motorists were being targeted by robbers placing rocks in the road. This unit was now monitoring the N1.

"This was the first time that rocks were placed on the N1 highway. We are appealing to people not to stop their vehicles if they hit a rock, and if they do see rocks on the road, they should call us immediately," Tembe said.

Any motorist who sees rocks on the road is urged to call the JMPD at 011-375-5911.

This article was originally published on page 3 of The Star on October 08, 2008

fuck it all

TOP STORY
Traffic severely disrupted after shooting
Police have confirmed that a 32-year-old man has been killed in an early morning ambush on the N1 highway in northern Johannesburg.

The motorist and his wife were driving between the Malibongwe and William Nicol off ramps when they hit a rock.

The police's Julia Klaasens says the man stopped his car to change the tyre when he was ambushed.

Klaasens says the motive of the attack is not known and a case of murder is being investigated.

The crime scene has caused major traffic delays on the N1 north and on roads leading to the highway.

Motorists are advised to allow an extra half an hour travelling time.

_______________________________________________________________

I ride this road all the time .... at night. Rode it yesterday, twice.

May this man rest in peace. May his murderers find their bloody end soon. As to the lady, peace and love .... she is now a shattered soul.

Achmet offends

Dead terrorist advert offensive - ASA
September 30 2008 at 10:46AM

A television commercial for an "Ahmed the dead terrorist" ringtone mocks Islam and must be withdrawn, the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled.

Its ruling followed a complaint by a Moegamat Khan against the GloMobile commercial, flighted on SABC and DSTV.

The commercial shows American standup comedian Jeff Durham holding a skeleton puppet with a white cloth around its head, which demands that the audience keeps quiet and says: "Silence! I kill you!"

The ASA said Khan had complained that this was offensive to the Islamic religion, and created the impression that all Muslims were terrorists who would kill to get people to be quiet.

The ASA said it appeared to be common cause that the puppet was meant to represent a terrorist who was a suicide bomber.

While it was debatable whether the puppet was wearing any particular head gear, or a bandage as GloMobile claimed, the name Ahmed appeared to be of Arab origin and was one of the names of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

"To associate this divine inspiration to a terrorist is offensive to the people who believe in him [Muhammad]," the ASA said.

It ordered GloMobile to withdraw the commercial in its current format. - Sapa
_____________________________________________________________________

Of course it can be offensive. IF you're an anal religeous freak. To anyone else, it's a piece of really funny comedy. It certainly (IMHO) does not insinuate that all moslems are anything. The only thing it insinuates rather well, is that anyone who straps a bomb to himself is really a dumbass. I agree with that. I don't see it as much of argument.

If all christians starting driving their cars into rivers, drowning themselves and their families in the process, SURELY it would be inevitable that someone says something about those "lemmings". The fact that they are all christian would be ... unfortunate, but to lampoon the "lemming" hardly says anything about christianity ...

Taking offense at this reminds me of an old english saying:
"if the shoe fits .... wear it." Of course Achmet doesn't wear any .....

I also like the generic "arab = moslem", "one of the names of" and also "this divine inspiration to a terrorist is offensive to the people who believe in him [Muhammad]" ... the inference there is CLEARLY that a moslem gets offended when a terrorist is insulted ... THAT would piss me off ... (?)

All to appease some silly anal religeous freak. Sad, he really should try laugh.

Air traffic jam .... or candyfloss?

My Biker Code

I ride purely, and only, because it is fun.

I ride because I enjoy the freedom I feel from being exposed to the elements
and the vulnerability to the danger that is intrinsic to riding.

I do not ride because it is fashionable to do so.

I ride my machine, not wear it. My machine is not a symbol of status.
It exists simply for me, and me alone. My machine is not a toy. It is an
extension of my being, and I will treat it accordingly, with the same respect
as I have for myself.

I strive to understand the inner workings of my machine, from the most basic,
to the most complex. I will learn everything I can about my machine, so that I
am reliant upon no one but myself for it's health and well-being.

I strive to constantly better my skill of control over my machine. I will learn it's
limits, and use my skill to become one with my machine so that we may keep
each other alive. I am the mistress, it is the servant. Working together in harmony,
we will become an invincible team.

I do not fear death. I will however, do all possible to avoid death prematurely.
Fear is the enemy, not death. Fear on the highway leads to death, therefore I
will not let fear be my master. I will master it.

My machines will outlive me. Therefore, they are my legacy. I will care for them for future bikers to cherish as I have cherished them, whoever they may be.

I do not ride to gain attention, respect, or fear from those that do not ride, nor
do I wish to intimidate or annoy them. For those that do not know me, all I wish is for them to ignore me. For those that desire to know me, I will share with them the truth of myself, so that they might understand me, and not fear others like me.

I will never be the agressor on the highway. However, should others mess with me, their aggression will be dealt with in as severe a manner as I can cast upon them.

I will show respect to other bikers more experienced or knowledgeable than I am.
I will learn from them all I can.

I will not show disrespect to other bikers less experienced or knowledgeable than I am.
I will teach them what I can.

It will be my task to mentor new riders, that so desire, into the lifestyle of the biker, so that the breed shall continue. I shall instruct, as I have been instructed by those before me. I shall preserve and honour traditions of bikers before me, and I will pass them on unaltered.

I will not judge other bikers on their choice of machine, their appearance or their profession. I will judge them only on their conduct as bikers. I am proud of my acomplishments as a biker, though I will not flaunt them to others. If they ask, I will share them.

I will stand ready to help any other biker that truly needs my help. I will never ask another biker to do for me what I can do for myself.

I am not a part-time biker. I am a biker when and wherever I go. I am proud to be a biker, and I hide my chosen lifestyle from no one.

I ride because I love freedom, independence and the movement of the ground beneath me. But most of all I ride to better understand myself, my machine and the lands in which I ride, and to seek out and know other bikers like myself!

Fusion man

First human jet crosses Channel
26/09/2008 14:39 - (SA)

Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy has flown across the English Channel from France in less than 10 minutes. (AP File)

Dover - A Swiss adventurer using a jet-propelled wing has flown across the English Channel from France in less than 10 minutes.

Yves Rossy, who calls himself FusionMan, landed safely in a field near Dover on Friday.

He leapt from a plane at more than 2 500 meters, fired up his jets and made the 35-kilometer trip from Calais in France to Dover in England in less than 10 minutes.

He began the Friday flight just before 12:07 GMT; by 12:15 GMT, Rossy was above British soil and looped over onlookers before opening his parachute, with his wings still strapped to his back.

Rossy touched down in a field near the white cliffs of Dover.