"Voetsek"

There's this new advert gracing our TV screens...

It's an ad where people are basically retelling what happened one day when some woman was almost abducted by a UFO. Until some woman put one Halls "losenge" and after a few moments screamed at the UFO to release the morbidly obese woman. Ending with the word "voetsek".

For those of you who don't know. Voestek is basically a word used to mean "go away", I think it's Afrikaans, but I don't really care. What I care about however, is that growing up, we were basically banned from using the word. Not like apartheid-ban, but more like socially-unacceptable-ban.

What makes these marketing people think they can just pop onto our screen and say whatever they want??

Since when has it been considered okay to say the word like "voetsek" on national television?

What's worse, they use a Black woman to shout at the top of her lungs... "Hey wena... yada yada yada... voetsek!"

They make it seem like - "Hey, black people say voetsek, so it must be cool"

I mean WTF!?! Motherfuckers!!

I don't know how you were raised, but around my neighbourhood, that word was considered a swear word. My mother would kill me if she even heard a rumour that I had been saying it. Now all of a sudden it gets thrown in our faces like it doesn't mean nothing. Like it's just another cool word.

How is that single mother of 2 supposed to teach her children right (words) from wrong, when TV tells the kids the opposite of what's being said at home?

Where do you draw the line?

I know most people will defend this in saying we shouldn't expect TV to teach your kids manners, but what do you di in the scenario above?

I for one am against the ad being aired. Either they edit it, or they completely can it. I don't care how much money they spent to get that fat woman up in the air!

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Prayer in the park [finding Jesus #2]

When was the last time you ever devoted any time out to just thank God (or
whoever it is you believe in) for all that he's given you and continues to give you on a daily basis?

I took this picture (while I was at the Civic Theatre in Johannesburg) of a man finding some time in his busy schedule to say a prayer. He was sitting in that position for well over thirty minutes.

And I got to thinking about the significance of just connecting with the most high for no particular reason. Just checking in. Just to let him know you're aware he exists. Not having to wait for tough times to come knocking before you feel the need to...

<>

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June 16, 1976

How come every time Youth Day comes around, all we ever hear about is how Hector Peterson was the first one to get shot and how young he was. How he got carried by some guy who's never been seen since?

What about the first girl that was shot? Does anyone ever think of building a First Girl to be Shot Memorial? Let's face it. Chances are, Hector wasn't the first one to get shot. He is probably the first one to get shot and have his picture taken moments after.

Why is it that all we're bombarded with is how bad the day was, but always from the same people. Same people every year. Honestly, can we make these people any richer? People are making money from all these interviews and magazine covers and whatnots.

What about the first policeman to get hit in the head by a flying brick fresh from an angry student's hand? What about the policeman who actually tried to save lives on the day. Lest we forget that most of the policemen involved in the student shootings were black. Because all the black man and woman was "good" at was either being a teacher, a nurse or a policeman. And yet all you ever hear about is how much the black youth emancipated themselves from Afrikaaner oppression. Why?

Why don't the other "Struggle heroes" ever get some airplay? You can't tell me the ones gracing our screens every year are the only other ones left.

How come we're only getting the story from only one side of Soweto? I mean, being the largest township in the country (if not the world), you would expect to at least get coverage of the uprising from all angles. But all you ever hear about is the riots that started at Morris Isaacson High School, and very little is said about Naledi High Shool.

Do you even know who Hastings Ndlovu is? If I ask you the same question about Hector Pieterson, will your answer be the same?

- Paper

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Zulu girls got serious ass in Joey's

edit: 29/10/2008 - for some serious ass... click here

So there I was on one chilly Friday morning, boarding a train deep into the ever busy city of Johannesburg. (aka Jozi/Jo'burg/JHB... and more recently "Joeys") Like most of my trips, it was just for one day.

While waiting for the train to fill up and people to settle down so we can get going. I realised something...

First let me explain this...

There are 3 trains that leave go from Pretoria to Jo'burg (that's what I perfer to call it btw) every morning.
There's the 1st class one (Express). Used mainly by people defined as middle to higher income employees. Then there's the higher income to I-can-buy-this-flippin-train-with-all-of-you-in-it boys & girls who can also be classified as 'employers' (the Business Express). Then last but not least, there's the just-in-case-I-don't-make-it-tell-my-mother-I-loved-her train (aka 3rd class). That's the one you get on when you basically have nothing to live for and have just found out you've got 3 months to live.

I was on the first one.

And I noticed something. Like on the aeroplane trip, business people are so self absorbed they hardly take notice of anything or anyone around them, all they do is, get a seat, wait for the hostess lady to give them their morning paper and hot coffee then that's it.

While on the other train, the Express, it's more of a bus/taxi/train experience. You get to sit with people and discuss whatever's on their minds. Sure we don't solve the world's problems in there, but you at least get to know people, you get to interact with people you wouldn't normally get a chance to encounter on a daily basis.

I have no idea what happens in the other train, so I won't bother. But based on the anger and hatred some of the people that either got thrown off (not litterally) or "detained"; all I could gather was that you have to at least have a uniquely identifiable scar on the side of your face (which I have, but I know I just wouldn't survive that side).

And hour later, we end up at Park station. I jumped off, and started making treks towards the Constitutional Hill, where I was supposed to spend most of my day. I went, and on my way there noticed that the Civic Theatre was closeby. So I went to chill there overlooking the wonderful Joburgers walking to work or to school or wherever...

Out of all the similarities Joburgers have... the fast walking, fast talking, the intensity in their eyes as they walk past you...

One thing caught my eye the most. Especially when it came to the ladies around the area where I was.

There are some basic things that tell you you're now officially in Johannesburg. Here's a short list of things you can just check if you're not sure:

• Most of them speak Zulu... [check] (even if most of them aren't even native Zulus, for some reason Zulu seems to be the accepted Joburg lingo)
• Most of them walk in small groups of three or so... [check]
• Are they walking faster than your average early in-the-morning pace? [check]

And the most defining factor of it all...

• Do the girls have thicker-than-your-average asses? [check] [double check and check again] - for some serious ass... click here

This is just one of those things that distinctly set Joburgers apart from everywhere else I've been.

Cape Town girls: fucking beautiful, nicely curved bodies, rich long hair (real not plastic). Usually a bit vertically challenged. But damn pleasing to the eye.

Bloemfontein girls: Loud. Materialistic. Probably has a baby. LOL! okay I can't really say much about Bloem chicks, only started analysing people recently. But soon as I go home, I'll be sure to give a proper postmortem. :)

Pretoria girls: Studying. Shares a flat with their sister's cousin twice removed. LOL!

I guess my affection for the Mother City is pretty clear and biased. Sue me.

Back to...

First of all, I'm not very particular when it comes to the female form, but one thing that is undeniably a prerequisite is most definately a behind a brother can be proud of. :)

And it seems the best place to find this particular prereq has got to be Joburg. Even the ugly girls got ass in Jozi.
So when you come face to face with that girl with the shaven-off eyebrows -replaced by a line, and the highly flamable plastic hair; spare a thought for the ass and sneak a peak as she walks by.
It'll make up for the fugly face you just encountered. Trust me.
Do it for the team!

On my way back to Pretoria, I decided to get a taste of some high life, and got on the Business Express. It's damn comfortable. Eish. Now I understand why people tend to say nothing. Soon as they sit down. But luckily I got to chill with some Black Diamonds, so it didn't feel so stuck up.

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Chinese = black like me!

I'd like to send a big shout out to all my Chinese brothers and sisters, who are now legally considered Black!

This came after the 'protests' by some Chinese organisation, wanting to be considered to be able to buy some pieces of the Black Empowerment caked Sasol had put on offer for people classified as "Black".

So this group of Chinese people decided to take Sasol to court to redefine what is considered a Black person in South Africa. Clearly skin colour had absolutely nothing to do with anything, considering the outcome. I'm not saying a person's blackness is defined by their skin pigmentation. But I would imagine it would also have been taken into consideration when christening Chinese people as black.

Can you honestly look at a Chinese person and see your long lost brother from another mother?? I didn't think so.

If they (the Government, or whoever decided on this) want Chinese people to be considered black and therefore get a cut in all BEE deals, based on the fact that some of them were (and continue to be) born in this country, then that means all the Zimbabweans seeking refuge in SA should also be given a chance to get a taste of the BEEness of is all. It's only fair. If people from another continent can just come down here, get citizenship then apply for BEE status, then the same should be allowed for genuine Black people from the African continent. They too should be offered shares.

Anyway... does all this mean that the 1.3 billion+ people living in The People's Republic of China are now considered brethren to the African people?

I really don't know about this.

It's bad enough our black (I mean people who are Black) brothers & sisters are still fighting the system for what's due to them, now even people from another continent are also in the running.

I think as a nation, we are too quick to look for quick fixes to shut people up. Instead of looking at what it really means to have Chinese people qualify for BEE status.

I mean what's the worst that could happen?

The whole SASOL Inzalo initiative ends on the 5th of July 2008. Would it have been such a mission to just delay the process a little bit, at least till the 7th of July? LOL!

Do you think they (the Chinese) would have gone on a strike - Holding up picket signs written in Chinese, which none of us would even be able to understand? Or maybe they would have at least tried to translate to the easietst form of Engrish there is. haha!!

Would they threaten to kill more pets? (come to think of it, have you actually ever seen a Chinese person owning a pet anything?)

Besides, these people live till they're like 108 years old or something like that... and at the rate black people are getting infected with AIDS & stuff, chances are, they're gonna outlive most of us anyways!

Shiiiit!

Next thing you know, we're celebrating the Chinese new year, the Year of the Rat, the Year of the Bull (which also happens to be the year I was born), the Year of Chairman Mao etc.

... just you wait...

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a day like no other

3 posts in one day!

Damn!

(excluding this one)

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Home

We spend most of our childhoods struggling to get the hell out and get your own crib.

Wanting to get always get your way so that you don't have to answer to anyone.

Then when it finally happens, you realise how hard it really is. Only when you have to be the hand that feeds you do you realise that it's actually not as easy as it was when you were still growing up working on your masterplan to chop up the apron-strings.

Then finally at some point you think you got it all planned out, something major happens. Completely shakes you the hell out of your comfort zone and the first thing you do is seek refuge.

Where else do you go except... home?

Everybody knows this is true. For some reason you know that the only place where you'll get welcomed back with open arms is always... home. Unless of course you just so happen to have torched your parent's bedroom while you were home along during the summer holidays. Then you're screwed. Unless of course that was your first offence. In which case you've earned enough brownie-points to get yourself a get-out-of-jail-free-card (hopefully). If not. You're screwed.

Even famous musicians know this to be true. How many songs out there have the word "Home" as their titles; or even have sell the idea of home being a happy carefree place?

Think about it.

:-)

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Why is it so hard to be black?

Why is it so hard for black people to just be BLACK PEOPLE?

Why is such a mission to be what we'll never be?

Why is it that white people don't go through so much trouble to look or at least even sound like us?

Why is it that it's considered cool to look and sound white?

Why do some white people even continue to encourage this behavior among blacks?

Why do some white people tell these black people "ooh, you speak so well"?

(translation: "you sound just like us")

How come you rarely see black people wearing their traditional clothes?

(I don't mean when there's some traditional wedding or whatever)

How come black people are so insecure in their own skins that they spend so much money buying plastic (or whatever the fuck it's made of) hair in their pursuit to look more white?

As much as you can go to your local PEP store to buy that "human hair", and spend a good 8 hours getting it sown into your head, there's very little chance they'll think you look like them therefore... .

Why are we as black people willing to invest so much time and energy in attempts to teach our white colleagues the right way to say "Hello" in Zulu; and yet we make fun of our black counterparts trying to use the word "infatuated" in the right context? Why do we consider our black brothers & sisters stupid when they can't pronunce some English words or can't fully express themselves in the Queen's language; and again, we applaude like well fed seals, grin like it's the best day of our lives when your white friend finally get's intoxicated enough to swear at everyone at the year-end function... in Zulu!?

Why we trying so hard to be what we can never be?

Come on black man... rise!

Being black is not a matter of pigmentation - being black is a reflection of a mental attitude.

It becomes more necessary to see the truth as it is if you realize that the only vehicle for change are these people who have lost their personality. - Steven Bantu Biko

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The Devil is a very popoular brand!

I'm not too sure if I should capitalise the 'd' in 'devil', but anyways...

How come a large percentage of movies potraying the apocalypse always focus on the way it is most likely to go is the devil came to eath?

If Christianity is so popular, how come the only time you ever get to see some actor potraying Jesus H. Christ, is when he's getting whipped and dehumanised (aka the Passion)??

The only explanation I can come up with is that it's most probably blasphemous to act out how you think the world (usually New York or somewhere in the US) will turnout on the big day.

I mean there's movies ranging from The Devil's Advocate to End of Days etc. That basically play out the whole "End of the world as we know it" phenomenon. And yet there's only a handful of movies that focus solely on Jesus. And they're all more or less focusing on the same subject matter. i.e. Either Him being tortured (a la Passion of Christ), or on his way to getting tortured (). There's never anything new for the Jesus brand.

And considering Christianity is one of the most popular religions, right up there with Islam and all the others; it's kinda strange that one of the minority religions get more airplay.

Why is it that you get some brands aligning (for lack of a better word) their products (one way or another) to the devil or hell or somewhere close to there... (brands like Hell's Angels comes to mind)

Come to think of it...
There's a chilli sauce called "Hot as Hell" available at one South African
restaurant. And beleive me, it truly is hot. But I wouldn't go as far as
comparing it to Hell. Seeing as none of us actually know what hell tastes like.
Or even how hot it is...

And then again, you find only a handful on the other end of the scale. There are relatively fewer brands who market themselves as being "affiliated" to God/Heaven/Jesus.
For some reason I can only think of one brand (Sweets from Heaven) in comparison to the afore mentioned "Hell brand".

Again, why are people more attracted to Hell than Heaven? Is it because we all have that devilish side that these brands seem to cater for? Is it becuase people thinks the Heaven brand if for sissies?

Right now I wish I had studied Marketing or Phsycology, to better understand exactly WTF!! (what the fuss)!

According to Google: Hell > Heaven

Hell = 350 million results
Heaven = 231 million results

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The happiest motherfucker I know!

Now, I don't actually know a lot of motherfuckers, but I am, by far, the happiest motherfucker out there.

Isn't it funny how you only notice what you've got when you're happy. I mean you hardly take notice of all the blessings around you until something goes wrong. Only then do you start consoling yourself by counting your blessings. And even then it still doesn't feel like it's enough.

So simply because I'm not feeling crappy today, as clearly indicated in the title of this post, I decided I'd much rather celebrate the little things that I've been blessed with thus far.

There's absolutely no reason for me to feel down because I've got a girl who's in love with me. I know this because I can tell by the way she looks at me, the way she can't stop smiling whenever we're together. Besides, the fact that she tells me how she feels is also a dead giveaway.
I can't remember the last time I was so flippin happy with someone.
You know what I mean... where you're with this one person and you feel you don't really need anything else. Where you're both chilling on the couch with TV on, and yet you're not even watching it. Where the person next to you is more interesting than whatever's playing??
I love you babe...

Earlier today, I just found out my site (brainstormdesigns.co.za) has been listed on website-gallery.com, as one of those deserving of some recognition. I really appreciate that. I feel it definately says something about my designs. That clearly means I must be doing something right this time around. Though my other designs didn't get recognition, but I truly don't give a damn, as long as my site is on there. It's gotta mean something.

Plus, I just bagged my first real client for 2008. It's some guy who wants me to design him a website for his company, a shuttle/transport type thing. Added to that, the website is going to be advertised under South African tourism. So that obviously means I've definately gotta put my best into this one. It's gotta be something unique, but familiar all at the same time.

I'm gonna make sure it not only markets his company as a brand, but more importantly, stands out from the rest. Seeing as everyone wants a website...

An last but most definately not least, I installed some cool themes and applications on my phone. I know it's not such a big deal, but to me it is. Coz I was starting to lose interest in it. I was tired with all the features it had. That's why I added more. Hopefully the guys from Nokia aren't reading this and I hope it doesn't void my warranty.

So yeah, that's it for now.

One happy Motherfucker, signing out!

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In The Depths of Solitude (dedicated to me)

As you can see, the title of this blog is based somewhat on this poem. For some reason I find that it pretty much sums up what I am about. Who I am. How I feel about things. How I relate to people and the world around me. It goes...

I exist in the depths of solitude
pondering my true goal
Trying to find peace of mind
and still preserve my soul
Constantly yearning to be accepted
and from all receive respect
Never comprising but sometimes risky
and that is my only regret
A young heart with an old soul
How can there be peace
How can I be in the depths of solitude
When there are 2 inside of me
This duo within me causes
The perfect oppurtunity
to learn and live twice as fast
As those who accept simplicity.

Taken from the book: A Rose That Grew From Concrete. Poetry by Tupac Amaru Shakur.

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If I Fail

One of my favourite poems.

By a Tupac Amaru Shakur.

In my quest to achieve my goals
I stumble or crumble and lose my soul
Those that knew me would easily co-sign
There was never a life as hard as mine
No father - no money - no chance and no guide
I only follow my voice inside
If it guides me wrong and I do not win
I'll learn from mistakes and to acheive again.

Taken from the book: A Rose That Grew From Concrete

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Maybe I should ask why

Maybe, just maybe...

Maybe I should stop concentrating so much on having a social life (social in terms of actually talking to real life humans and not reading text messages the whole time). And start social networking.

I'm saying this because it seems almost everyone I know is using some form of social networking "tool". Be it Facebook, MySpace, MSN or whatever...
Though I do think all these are great tools of mass communication, and most of which save people a whole lotta money... I just think all these wonderful technological innovations isolate a lot of people and as a result people end up being out of touch with reality. People end up loosing some fundamental social skills.

I was surprised when I heard this other guy use social networking as part of his pick up line...

I was cruising Menlyn Park (very popular mall) this past Saturday with my girlfriend, and overheard this other Black guy (not too sure why I'm mentioning his race) talking to this girl. It was pretty clear they had just met judging from the content of the conversation.

We were just getting onto the escalator, when he started talking to her. He somehow managed to talk her into giving him her number and vice versa. Either because it was too late for her to turn back and take the lift, or because it was too high for her to jump off the side. She didn't seem very interested either way. So just when we get to the top, he says to her... "So do you Mxit?" (for those that don't know - Mxit is an instant messaging application, installed on a person's phone via WAP) I'm not gonna explain WAP.
So, anyway. She looks at her funny and politely says no... then pulls her phone out of her handbag, presses a couple of buttons a few times and puts it back in. My guess is she was deleting his number. In fact I'm pretty sure she was.

Moral of the story:

The guy basically scored a nice girl and managed to keep her from leaping to her death, but managed to get lose her all in a space of less than 2 minutes. Just by saying something completely... eish... I can't even think of the right word.

Which leads me to my next point:

Why is it seen as such a need to be on all the popular social networks and "socialise" with strangers? Why is it so important to have a list of strangers listed as "friends", simply because you have certain things in common? Why am I seen as a "social outcast" if I don't spend hours on Facebook, MySpace and all the other social networks?

I'm not saying I'm completely "socially challenged", I do have a Myspace page, I do have a Facebook page. But I really, honesty and truly don't see the point logic behind it all. I rarely go on Facebook. I can't even remember my MySpace address. (There's a big reward for anyone who can find it for me... NOT!) I rarely go on Mxit. Simple because I think we (as people) need to get back in touch on a personal physical level. And I'm taking the first step. What's stopping everyone else from loggin of for a short while and going outside to meet your new neighbour, watching a movie with some close friends, going out for a picnic or something?? Why is so important for you to text message everything? Why is it so hard for people to just be people? Why can't we just let the computer be a small part of our lives and not totally consume us?

People look at me funny when I tell them I don't have a computer. I get even funnier looks when I say I don't really see a need for one. This is what I tell them:

I sit in front of a computer for well over 8 hours a day. I don't need to be staring at one when I get home too. I'd much rather spend time with my girl, go catch a movie or something. I don't honestly don't really need a computer. Maybe I'll need it later on in life when I actually can't find time to kick some graphic or web designs together. When the only time I have is when I'm at home. I don't think that's ever gonna happen, but until then... no PC for me.

Would it be such a big deal if you just talked to some random person on the street and over a period of time end up becoming friends instead of clicking on the "Add as friend" button?

Why is it that people take the time out of their busy schedules to go to a coffee shop (which in my opinion is a pretty cool place to socialise) but still manage to somehow get sunk so deep in their laptop screens, they don't even notice anybody else around them??

Don't get me wrong, I'm not condemning social networks at all. In fact I'm all for the whole global citizenship thing. If it wasn't for this whole networking thing (more specifically: this forum, flickr etc.), I wouldn't have learnt all the things I know today.

I know we are living in the computer age, where you can basically log in from wherever you are, but is it truly neccesary to actually do that?

Last week Wednesday, I flew from Johannesburg to Cape Town and back, in one day. And throughout those 4 hours spent in the air. I only spoke to one person. One. Just one. The guy who was sitting to my left on my way to Cape Town. While the iPod dude sitting on my right was too busy fiddling with his headphones and iPod to even greet.

Maybe I just need to take some time out from having a life and start logging in a bit more often and making a whole lot of "friends" in the process.

...just maybe

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