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Muti, Guilt, and the Ghost of Idi Amin 2007-02-11 12:13:09 Rory Carroll’s article in the Guardian, How I never quite fell for South Africa, remains one of the most popular posts on Muti, the South African social bookmarking site similar to reddit and digg.
It would be fair to say that social bookmarking is not that important an activity for most of our township dwellers, and that the popularity of this post may be a good indicator of how young, educated, affluent (and predominantly Afrikaans) South Africans think about their place in Africa.
Something like: “If even a white, liberal soutie cannot stand the crime and the otherness of the new South Africa, why should I feel guilty about our past and what stops me from leaving as well?”
Saying this out loud would be politically incorrect, but thankfully democracy rules on Muti (as in the new South Africa), and there’s nowhere to hide from the will of the new majority.
The new Idi Amin film (The Last King of Scotland - see clip here) will further reinforce their growing bel Read more:Ghost
iGod: Repenting Made Easy 2007-02-09 16:21:37 How things have changed. You will be happy to know that you can now repent online. If you have a sense of humor, go to iGod and repent. If you don’t (have a sense of humor), repent.
Beliefs & Rituals, igod, repent, sense of humorShare this post with others!
Web 2.0 - The Machine is Us/ing Us 2007-02-09 15:21:48 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE
Business & Politics, web2.0, youtubeShare this post with others!
Read more:Machine
The Common Sense Company 2007-02-08 15:16:02 We like to partner with others, and have no desire to increase our business size unnecessarily. We want to remain a start-up.
We don't particularly like official structures, organizational charts, business plans or company strategies. The same goes for mission statements, career plans, job descriptions and employee contracts. Sometimes they're necessary - most of the time, they're not.
We prefer to make decisions quickly and openly. We like complex challenges. We like to do new things.
We like people who are excited by their work.
We won't do something boring only for the money, because we believe that success is not measured only in profit and growth.
Our company guidelines:
Authority
Do not be intimidated or pressured by anyone. We do not tolerate those who cause others to work out of fear or insecurity, or those who show any type of disrespect. We don't manage people. We lead.
Clothing & Appearance
Your appearance is not a factor in hiring or promotion. Feel at ease Read more:Common
, Sense
Safe Sex 2007-02-02 14:45:30 Sex used to be good, not safe. Now, many worry about the Grim Reaper after each casual penetration. Sex has truly become a bloodsport in certain countries of the world, and this cannot be a good thing.
So, while the Government is teaching men how to put on condoms, and religious organizations are showcasing God’s anger at extra-marital sex, life goes on. Which means, people continue to have sex “on the spur of the moment” - the way it’s always been done, give or take a glass or two. As Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest: “the strongest oaths are straw To the fire i’ the blood”.
As always, those who are poor suffer the most. Compare the Sub-Saharan AIDS nightmare with the condom-free world of The Sexual Life of Catherine M., where you only have to deal with guilt and the occasional clap - and you get to do it in French.
There’s group sex on the fourth page and a chapter that begins “I really like sucking men’s cocks.” But t Read more:Safe Sex
Heaven Is So Real? 2007-02-01 09:41:46 A book by Choo Thomas called Heaven
Is So Real is taking the Christian world by storm. If you are not a Christian, don’t read it. If you are a Christian, don’t read it.
A skeptic believes what he sees. A mystic believes what he feels. A cynic believes nothing. Christians (and other God-fearing people) believe what they hear. That’s why Christians call their Good News The Message, not The Experience.
Sola Fide, or justification by faith alone, has given birth to problems not foreseen by its Protestant parents. The idea that no-one (especially not the Pope) can stand between you and God - that, as a believer, you have direct access to God - caused little harm in times when the Church controlled the teaching.
The ministers, pastors, and all other doctors of divinity appointed by the structures of the Church ensured that we (the hearers and the doers of the word) were not misled by false prophets.
Today, technology enables any self-proclaimed teacher to convey her interpr
Life 2007-01-29 14:46:17 They believed that God will raise our son from the dead, but they needed my permission to get entry to the morgue. Just a few minutes earlier we were forced to part with his lifeless body. Seven long years have passed, but the terror of those moments still haunt me in my dreams.
I said “yes, it’s OK”. I would have said anything. And they truly believed. They prayed. They pleaded with God, just as I have prayed and pleaded when we tried to resuscitate him. There was no miracle that day. There was no divine protection either.
People pray for good things, but bad things happen to good people - in spite of God’s promises. We all suffer pain and death, and we all lose loved ones. Let’s honor their lives by living ours to the full, unafraid. Let’s put away our superstitions and our guilt. We have life, and death is never far away.
Doubt if you must, but remember: Our lives have meaning only when we do things for others. If everybody understood this, it wou
Margarine 2007-01-27 14:37:49 Had dinner last night at one of our favorite places, and decided to have the Nciniba (Seared ostrich medallions served with sweet potato, roasted beetroot and a rich blueberry gorgonzola sauce). Ordered a bottle of Springfield Whole Berry Cabernet Sauvignon - also one of our favorites. The waiter offered us some bread (ciabatta), and said that he would bring the Margarine in just a moment.
It’s been a long time since I heard that word. Margarine. Sounds like a 70’s pop star. Or a new citrus variety. I looked at up in surprise, and asked: “Margarine?” “Yes”, he said, “the stuff that you put on bread”. I replied that, since we already have olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table, Margarine would be unnecessary. He agreed and proceeded to open the bottle with great flair, almost in slow-motion.
I know this restaurant will never offer margarine as a substitute for butter, and that the (new) waiter sees no difference between the two. It
Bull 2007-01-26 12:05:58 What happened: A bull was slaughtered in a rather inhumane way to welcome home from prison former African National Congress chief whip Tony Yengeni, our very own Gucci Socialist. The animal was bound, had its tail bitten and was pierced with a spear before it was killed. It was a traditional Xhosa cleansing ceremony.
There is a saying in Xhosa that if the bull does not burp during a ritual it must be released, so it is important for the bull to burp before it is slaughtered, said Commissioner Nokuzola Mndende of the Cultural, Religion and Linguistic Rights Commission.
Commission? Reminds me of this. But then - this is South Africa, where Christians still believe in God and Communists in Common Ownership.
This is not culture as civilisation, or culture as world-view. This is religion: So-called “cultural practices”, dictating that the bull be prodded with a spear to make it burp or make some sound, and symbolising that the ancestors accept the ritual. Not much different than
Freedom 2007-02-17 11:21:43 Yes, now I remember. This simple piece of paper, a few words, found when looking for something else. It was originally written in Afrikaans by Marthinus Versfeld (I still can’t remember which book), and I translated it into English many years ago. Reading this again is like finding a long-lost love.
There is no true order, except in freedom. It is only those who understand their calling and follow it, who are truly free. The one who is truly free, is the only one who respects his fellow man.
Freedom
is the living foundation of order. It is given to no one, but everyone can dare to take it upon himself. It is irreconcilable with weakness, selfishness, corrupt practice, the strive for status, opportunism, avoiding responsibility, vanity, slow thinking, worshiping money, boasting, sentimentalism, instant success, fear of misfortune, fear of the naked truth, political morals of governments, and the fancies of the public, everything which the movies and tabloid sensations and media su
Previously Radical 2007-02-21 21:22:39 How they have fallen.
Koos Kombuis has “just built a braai into his suburban home, where he lives with his wife, his dog, his kids, his pool, his blog, his writing habit, and a tricycle. But he did write a song about it.” (24.com) Just a pity his songs are getting worse by the day. Listen to this. Perhaps he was never any good, and we simply liked him because he was seriously fucked up in a time of great boredom, also called Apartheid.
Afrikaans, Music & ArtShare this post with others!
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Addicted to Email? 2007-02-22 13:51:34 Got the following 12-step recovery plan here. Should we laugh or cry? It’s unfortunate that we can’t use Henny Youngman’s excuse of “When I read about the dangers of drinking, I gave up reading.”
12 Steps To Recovery
Admit that e-mail is managing you. Let go of your need to check e-mail every ten minutes.
Commit to keeping your inbox empty.
Create files where you can put inbox material that needs to be acted on.
Make broad headings for your filing system so that you have to spend less time looking for filed material.
Deal immediately with any e-mail that can be handled in two minutes or less but create a file for mails that will take longer.
Set a target date to empty your in box. Don’t spend more than an hour at a time doing it.
Turn off automatic send/receive.
Establish regular times to review your e-mail.
Involve others in conquering your addiction.
Reduce the amount of e-mail you receive.
Save time by using only one subject per e-mail; delete e Read more:Addicted
, Email
How to become a cult leader 2007-02-22 12:02:46 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnNSe5XYp6E
atonement, authority, Beliefs & Rituals, bible, blasphemous, christian, comedy, cult, destiny, divine protection, doubt, dreams, faith, false prophets, god, guilt, mind control, Music & Art, religionShare this post with others!
Drunk 2007-02-22 09:54:17 “Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.” - WC Fields
alcohol, Beliefs & Rituals, drunk, mp3, wc fieldsShare this post with others!
The Strange Mr. Roodt 2007-02-21 23:33:55 Dan Roodt, nouveau riche used-to-be left-wing activist who inspired many of our young to “go west” with his studies in Paris, now right-wing fanatic on whose site people write things I dare not mention for fear of associating my Afrikanerness with their gene-pool, returned with his French and his racist friends to lead the masses of disenfranchised pseudo-boers, completely unaware that the real boere have already left - or are planning to leave.
Does it matter that he escaped to France not as a result of any good anti-apartheid writing, and not because he feared for his life, but because he disliked the idea of serving in the army? Probably not. But the irony is overwhelming.
There is no pretension in this buffoonery, and therefore no true entertainment, but the absolute and sincere stupidity remains a tremendous source of laughter for many. Like a meth-trip gone bad, we fear for the worst.
activist, Afrikaans, Beliefs & Rituals, Business & Politics, left wing, nou Read more:Strange
To Be Loved 2007-02-26 08:14:45 To be touched, to be kissed, to be played with. How can we forget that we are covered by skin? Perhaps because we’ve been taught that we are “covered by sin”?
A dear friend who has the utter misfortune of being married to a beautiful woman who loves God more than anything else (including him, poor fellow), confessed to me the other day that he has forgotten how it feels to be touched by someone who desires nothing but his pleasure.
He loves his wife, and knows that she thinks that she loves him as well (how can she not, being so well versed in the theology of love), but she has the habit of opening her Bible instead of her legs when they go to bed, of longing for a spiritual experience instead of an orgasm, and of expecting him to understand that she loves him more because of her love for God. That he is not yet an atheist is really admirable.
Perhaps she should leave the Psalms and turn to Shakespeare, who understood that “They do not love that do not show thei
Closure 2007-03-08 11:18:49 Driving back, listening to Beethoven’s 7th on the radio. The streets quiet and dark, my heart empty. I remind myself that Beethoven was becoming deaf when he wrote this symphony, which he called his “most excellent symphony.” Carl Maria von Weber did not agree, and neither did Friedrich Wieck, Clara Schumann’s father, who said that the music could only have been written by someone who was seriously intoxicated.
Who remembers them? But we remember Clara, who loved Robert Schumann. Robert suffered from manic depression and psychosis, attempted suicide, and was committed to an asylum.
I park my car, walk into my home, kiss my children goodnight, lock the doors, switch of the lights, and sleep.
attempted suicide, beethoven, Beliefs & Rituals, carl maria von weber, clara schumann, friedrich wieck, manic depression, Music & Art, psychosis, robert schumannShare this post with others!
Read more:Closure
Push the button 2007-03-14 08:28:00 Wake up. Push the button
. The time has come. I’m speaking to you. Listen. This is your voice in the dark. Your eye in the corner. Your call to action. Your moment. You.
It’s about how you can change your life in 7 easy steps get forgiveness never screw up again be the loving and kind person you’ve always wanted to be feel good about yourself have all the money you want live where you want to live be happy enjoy the good things in life be blessed and thankful no guilt have great sex never get sick be loved by someone special be loved by your family and all the things you say you need you need you say and there just seems to be no end to the monotony of being you and you know there really really must be something more to all of this there must be meaning purpose god an ultimate end -
Yes. But first, let’s make some food. And great food requires great wine. Note that it’s better to spend your last few cents on a good bottle of wine than on an unpaid bill. If
Something to be gay about 2007-03-20 09:41:24 Welcome to South Africa, home of the afrikaner god, where Laurie Gaum, gay theologian, writes an open letter to Coenie Burger, moderator of the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa, after the good doctor confirmed that homosexuality remains a sin in God’s eyes, and Joan Hambidge, gay poet, writes a letter to Zamar, the Stellenbosch girl band, whose leader Veronica Bell expelled a member for being (openly) gay.
And the Christian response? “We should love the sinner, but hate the sin”. Never mind that Jesus never said this. It’s like saying: “You should love the cake, but hate the ingredients”. Nonsense.
This is not love, it’s hypocrisy. Worst of all, it displays a total lack of manners. And not to forget: What they are really saying is that this cake is going to burn in hell. For ever.
But this we have come to expect from those who believe that they have a clear understanding of right and wrong, who have always had a well deserved reputation
Joe Zawinul 2007-03-23 09:21:01 He kept me busy for almost a year after I saw his syndicate at Ronny Scott’s.
Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBKTsTcgGGA
Music & Art, ronny scott, zawinulShare this post with others!
Action cures fear 2007-03-30 10:29:03 There are really only three things to learn in skiing: how to put on your skis, how to slide downhill, and how to walk along the hospital corridor. - Lord Mancroft, A Chinaman in the Bath, 1974
Well, I’m still in one piece. Had a few close encounters with the other side, though. I’m in Villars, skiing with my brother. It’s the end of March, we have great snow, and my brother knows how to ski. Can’t decide whether I should post a clip of me doing a glorious run down the slopes, ending with a spectacular fall. OK, I will. Enjoy. (By the way: If you can’t see anything after a few minutes, don’t worry. The cameraman also fell.)
Truly, action cures fear.
Traditional cheese fondue at this place in the mountains. We got lost on the way, small roads winding up into the Alps, eventually reaching a snow-covered clearing. Walked in the semi-darkness through white woodland. Small chalet, fireplace, local white wine (helps the cheese go down), good company.
Read more:Action
I’m trying to remember 2007-06-08 06:02:21 Wrote something in Afrikaans on the ego, as well as a response to religious issues in my workplace.
Read Alain de Botton’s Essays in Love, Karen Amstrong’s The Great Transformation (see review here).
Guided by the Cafe Paradiso cookbook.
Discovered the new version of Thunderbird.
Thought that doctrine and confusion reside in the “but”, not in the simplicity of “yes” or “no”.
Beliefs & Rituals, Sex & FoodShare this post with others!
Mens sana in corpore sano 2007-06-12 10:07:51 A tag is a (relevant) keyword or term associated with or assigned to a piece of information (e.g. a picture, article, or video clip), thus describing the item and enabling keyword-based classification of information.
I wanted to write about Steve Hofmeyr, about his emerging leadership of the Left Behind-reading Afrikaner remnant, about his brilliant posturing as entertainer, lover, activist, believer, fighter, man of the people…
I wanted to quote Von Clausewitz, who understood that those who are stupid and lazy do no harm (and should be left alone, as they do what they are told), that those who are bright and hard-working are the ones who keep things together, that the bright and lazy ones are destined for the highest office (as they tend to see the bigger picture), and that we should avoid at all cost those sorry souls who are both stupid and hardworking (let’s face it, they create more problems than they solve)…
But then I saw the light, right at the bottom of m
Delayed Climax 2007-06-10 10:47:38 Difficult to explain the concept of delayed gratification to millions of wankers shooting their loads of guilt over innocent keyboards (Last year about 13% of website visits in America were pornographic in nature, according to Hitwise).
But today is Sunday, and I’m feeling in a rather pleasant mood - what with the fireplace, rain, cognac, and three beautiful woman (one of them naked) fighting for my attention, and you can thus imagine the self-discipline, the strength of character, the sheer willpower required to sit in front of this 20 inch screen and write about men with small penises who are fascinated by pictures of beautiful people being paid to fuck in public (for there are cameras, lights and action behind the well-positioned bodies), well knowing that the audience will be primarily composed of middle-aged semi-religious men whose wives are too fat, ugly, pious or intelligent to be at the receiving end of their short sentences and even shorter attention spans (if you have Read more:Climax
Joe Zawinul & Trilok Gurtu 2007-06-10 08:43:33 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=922LumI2ilo
Music & Art, Trilok Gurtu, zawinulShare this post with others!
Getting Practical 2007-06-15 08:45:58
Beliefs & Rituals, Music & ArtShare this post with others!
Read more:Practical
Straightening things out 2007-06-15 07:20:28 It’s now OK to be gay in the Dutch Reformed Church. Reminds me of what Pieter Dirk Uys said about Apartheid:
Ons is regtig baie jammer en belowe dat ons dit nooit weer sal doen nie
We are really very sorry and promise that we will never do it again
Anyway, time to move on. I’m bored by this moral hypocrisy, and there’s really nothing to be gay about by this sudden embrace of brotherly love. Is God speaking in tongues?
Discovered enze. Yes, woman to the rescue. I’ve had enough of men not hearing God right and shooting each other in the back.
It’s time for some good old-fashioned love - one woman, one wounded man.
apartheid, Beliefs & Rituals, brotherly love, dutch reformed church, gay, hearing god, hypocrisy, Sex & Food, speaking in tongues, wounded manShare this post with others!
Read more:Straightening
, things
500 years of beautiful women 2007-06-14 09:55:06 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUDIoN-_Hxs
Music & ArtShare this post with others!
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