The voice of many

Well done Gareth, I applaud your effort to put into writing what many South Africans feel.
At the same time I am glad to see that the Office of the President responded in such an open fashion... there is still hope for us! Time will tell of course...
"The people put you in power - they will take you out of it. Africa is tired of tin-pot dictators, one-party states and banana republics. We know who we are now, we care about our future - and so should you." Gareth Cliff 2010

Yoyo...

a colloquialism of surprise and amazement... here is a collection of clever drivers I have run across (not over) of late!

Driver wanted to go down a one way... decided against it when I took the picture.

No parking lines? What no parking lines? As I "find" more I will add them to the "Yoyo" collection. When I saw the YO in the picture I knew what to title the post with. Yoyo is often spelled jojo as well, often supplanted with Hau accompanied by a lot of head shaking... Hau indeed!
“The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion or ethnic background, is that we all believe we are above-average drivers."
Dave Barry

Contrary to what the Insurance Industry says...

trees DO jump in front of oncoming cars! This past Saturday afternoon I was crawling along the street in pouring rain on my way to pick up salad ingredients before going to MD's place to help prepare for a 21'st braai, when this tree decided to let go in the wind and jump into the street... needless to say I was relieved that it did not decide to jump as I was alongside it... Picture taken on my cellphone after I backed away for a bigger view after giving thanks for the narrow squeak.

On turning the corner this poor thorn tree had also been wrenched by the wind and lost a branch or two.

Then at Checkers I got the real fright as this motorist drove up the ramp where we were all coming and going out of the shop... almost running down a customer in the process... just so his family could be dry... some folk are truly selfish and inconsiderate.

The car had no number plates either so that is another indication of the drivers view on laws and common sense...
Pity our local traffic police have been very lax of late... they are so deep in hiding we never see them!
Later on Sunday I noticed a few other trees down as well as numerous signs, must have been quite a gust of wind that passed over Langenhovenpark.
But we are very glad that it has started raining, hopefully there will be more in the coming weeks.
"Do you see how the god always hurls his bolts at the greatest houses and the tallest trees. For he is wont to thwart whatever is greater than the rest."
Herodotus

Busines should stick to what they are good at

... namely running the business. As soon as they bring politics or religion into decision making they are heading for a rocky ride from consumers.
Case in point is ABSA with their Springbok rugby player quota demand and now we have Woolworths withdrawing religious and political magazines.
Now I want to ask Woolworths CEO Simon Susman what about newspapers, matzos crackers, Christmas ham/turkey and halal chickens? Are they also going to be taken off the shelves too because they may offend certain customers? I leave with this thought...
"Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred."
Jacques Barzun

Idols I would love to see...

What with the current series of Idols drawing to a close here in SA I would like to present an alternative scenario! We present to you Totosse, a dancing baby with a red Mohawk haircut! a Superstar!

and the first hit One Desire.
These These are so cute and make a change from the usual videos we see from groups. These videos are from the group Jakarta who are Danny Wild, Alan Pride, David Kane & Dave King.

"If you've got a guitar and a lot of soul, just bang something out and mean it. You're the superstar."
Krist Novoselic

27 Neutrons

Once again the mediocre journalism displayed on Internet News sites rears its head.

“It would take a deliberate action ...to fire this,” forensic analyst Albert Wessels said in testimony.
The force or pressure on the trigger needed to be 27 neutrons or 2.8 kilograms to fire the pistol.

Sir Isaac would die laughing...
“This most beautiful system [The Universe] could only proceed from the dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.” Isaac Newton

Blast from the past, glimpse of the future.

This song always reminded me of how wonderful God in all his Majesty is, I wonder if the song writer realized what he was penning?


Magna Carta - Lord of the Ages - Chris Simpson - 1973
Lord of the Ages rode one night
Out through the gateways of time
Astride a great charger
In a cloak of white samite
He flew on the air
Like a storm
Dark was the night
For he gathered the stars in his hand
To light a path through the sky
While the hoofs of his charger
Made comets of fire
Bewitching all eyes
That beheld them

Lord of the Ages, nobody knows
Whether he goes, nobody knows

Below a dark forest in caves of black granite
The children of darkness dwelt in oblivion
Betraying one another in endless confusion
But the Lord of the Dark
Had bewitched them
From time's first creation
The wise men and prophets
And all workers of magic
Had warned of the reckoning
The wind and the fire
And the plague of destruction that follows the path
Of evil

Lord of the Ages, nobody knows
Whether he goes, nobody knows

Far above the wide ocean and thundering rivers
Through the sun and the rain
The turn of the seasons
Rode the God of all knowing
While all around him celestial companions
Friends from the void before time was woven
Honour his crown with words of white fire
And carry his robes with light

Whether he goes, nobody knows

But in the peace of a valley
A young child was born
Filling the night with his crying
And an old man gave thanks to the lord of the ages
Who's battle is not with innocence
But the birds of the air were silent
Knowing that time had come when time was forgotten
The waters were stilled
The mountains stood empty
And the cities were deaf
Long, long ago

Enough
Cried a voice
And the earth was awakend
Poor and the rich fell to ring of the fire
Death and destruction rode out together
Turning the world to a funeral pyre

It was the Lord of the Ages - Gathering in the harvest
I thank the Lord of the Ages - Gathering in the harvest
Oh, Lord - Gathering in the harvest

Gathering in the harvest, gathering in the harvest . . .

And from the blood and the thunder of men in their dying
His eyes dark with sorrow
The Lord of the Ages
Gathered in his harvest

Gathering in the harvest, gathering in the harvest . . .

But to the old and helpless
The weak and the humble
To the children of light
His words of compassion breezed on them gently
Dissolving the darkness across the great valley that rumbled with fire
And from the death and destruction
The Lord of the Ages
Carried the fruit to the harvest
To freedom

Lord of the Ages, nobody knows
Whether he goes, nobody knows

Stirring words with a message of hope that always had an effect on me when I listened to the song, goosebumps and awe. The choice of words is amazing as well, so many of the words allude to the message we know in the Bible.

Chris Simpson and Nick Hall (Magna Carta) will tour South Africa in September and October and they will be performing in Bloemfontein on the 20th at the Vulture Club together with Lucas Maree. I hope to be there, maybe even to chat to Chris about this song. If I manage too I will report back.
UPDATE: The ways of mice and men prevented me to attend... maybe next time?
"If I had words like a hammer
If I had powers unreal
Then I would tear down Megiddo
And I would bring you songs of love
And every child of tomorrow
Safely in his bed could lie
And hate would die of starvation." Wish It Was - Chris Simpson.

Required viewing

"If you’re going to make pronouncements about the contents of the Bible and the Koran, you should have taken the time to read them first. Once you do, your thoughts on them will parallel mine pretty accurately, if you are not insane." Neanderpundit

It's my right

We here that so often these days, especially with all the strikes going on in Sunny SA these days but... when and where does it end?
The news is full of items where the strikes have actually led to fatalities and where striking teachers have literally struck children that just want an education. In one case the girl ended up with a broken collar bone.
I mean, hitting kids with a knobkierie! What barbarism is this?
The worst part is that these striking workers will end up with less and the Union leadership with more...
My question to all these strikers is "When did you stop and think about other peoples rights?"
I seriously doubt that Jesus would have joined in if he were here with us today...
"I would say that if you really wished to be a working member of the community, don't go out on strike because then there's no work and no potential of work."
Dick Wolf

Mohammad is a joke

Poor Zappiro... first he does this on Draw Mohammad Day...

Wich of course gets him fatwas and all sorts of hate mail from disgruntled tantrum throwing muslims that causes him to see a therapist...

He should have done it this way...

What I find the most amusing is that every second muslim is named Mohammad! What's up with that? If it is so bad to draw an image of the esteemed prophet surely it is even worse to use his name in vain by naming every Tom, Dick and Harry Mohammad?
They really need to join the real world and grow up as a religion, or is that also taboo and not haraam?
"...Just a 188-word Muhammad essay." Zapiro 2010