ALL THAT GLITTERS JUST GLITTERS - Friday 27 February 2009

I am a great fan of Google and to date I have yet to find a question that is not answered on the search site.
Until today, that is.

Today I typed in ‘why is the economy based on gold’ and there was not one reference on Google that answered the question directly.

So what is the real value of gold?

It is a good conductor of low voltage current and it remains corrosion free.
It is widely used in spacecraft, as well as in cell phones, computers and calculators, but in tiny amounts.
Over 1-billion cell phones are manufactured each year, and each device uses about 50 cents worth of gold.

So why is our economy based on gold.
Gold is primarily and most widely used as a status symbol, a show of power.

78% of the gold consumed is used in the manufacture of jewellery, but even here, pure gold (24k) is too soft to stand up to the stresses applied to many items of jewellery.
Most jewellery has to be manufactured from alloys. 18k is 75% gold and 12k is 50% gold. White gold is an alloy of 75% gold, 4% silver, 4% copper and 17% palladium.

Other than that we use it for awards like Oscars and Grammys, Olympic medals and crucifixes.
Throughout the history of our planet almost every established culture has used gold to symbolize power, beauty, purity and accomplishment.

There you have it.
Our economy is based on gold because it glitters.

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A REAL LIVE MERMAID - Thursday 26 February 2009

New Zealander Nadya Vessey lost her legs in a childhood illness.

When a small boy once asked her what had happened to her legs she jokingly told him that she was a mermaid.
The small boy probably forgot about it, but the idea stuck in Nadya’s head, and recently she decided to approach Oscar-winning movie special effects wizards Weta Workshop to build her a prosthetic mermaid’s tail.

The workshop, which won Oscars for their effects on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, made a mermaid wetsuit for her, complete with fishtail.
Weta costume-maker Lee Williams said in a television interview that she wanted Vessey to be "beautiful and sexy" in the suit, which contains plastic moulds and has hand-painted fish-like scales.

After seeing her swim with it, she said, "It was absolutely amazing. It's beautiful to watch Vessey swim and to see that dream come true and to be a part of that. I feel quite blessed."

"A prosthetic is a prosthetic’ said Nadya, ‘ your body has to be comfortable with it and you have to mentally make it part of yourself," she said.

Oscar-winning Weta Workshop director Richard Taylor said he agreed to Vessey's request because it was a challenge.
He said the tail had to be not only functional, but it was important it looked realistic. "What became apparent was that she actually physically wanted to look like a mermaid."

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HELLO PARENTS : PART THREE - Wednesday 25 February 2009

“From your parents you learn how to put one foot before the other. But when books are opened you discover that you have wings.”

Even the so-called holy books prescribe that we ‘seek knowledge from the womb to the grave,’ and man’s knowledge is evolving all the time.

If your parents believed that the earth was flat they would naturally have shared this belief with you.

They would have shared this with you because they believed it, and they would most certainly have shared it with you in order to teach you to not venture too close to the end of the earth, fearing that you would fall off and harm yourself.

Today, you would know that the earth is not flat, but you probably believe that death is inevitable.

If, fifty years from now, scientists uncover the secret to everlasting life, would it have been wrong for you to teach your children that our time on earth is limited?

Eternal life may seem like a ridiculous dream to you now, but man walking on the moon would have seemed just as ridiculous to your parents.

As a parent, you will experience parental love, probably the most natural love of all.
If you truly love your children, you will practice this love, and it would be natural for you to try and instil your beliefs in them.
You do this out of love.
You do this to protect your children from harm.

This is not a question of whether it is right or wrong.
It is human nature – albeit as we know it today.

Right is accepting that your children will evolve relative to their own lives and time.
Wrong is the belief that your knowledge is the ultimate.

Right is accepting that your parents evolved relative to their own lives and times.
Wrong is the belief that your knowledge is the ultimate.

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TAINTING THE MADIBA MAGIC - Tuesday 24 February 2009

Nelson Mandela’s appearance at the ANC’s recent Idutwya Rally has caused quite a stir, with opposing parties not surprisingly offering different opinions.

Madiba has dedicated his life to the ANC and is one of the last living stalwarts of the movement.
But, the ANC of today is not even a shadow of the party that fought for and won our freedom.

What did they hope to achieve by dragging a 90 year-old to the election campaign? Did they think that Madiba's presence would wipe their slates clean. Or did they think that people would be fooled into believing that they are the ANC of old?

They have simply affirmed that they will stoop to any level in order to hang on to their power.
Nothing that Madiba can do or say will change the reality of what the ANC of today stands for.
A convergence of vultures does not care whose bones they are picking clean.
All they are concerned with is feeding.

By dragging Madiba to the rally they have simply shown that they are prepared to pick clean the bones of their fathers and mothers in order to feed their personal hunger, or is it greed?

No matter how you look at it, this is desperate and unscrupulous measures by a desperate and unscrupulous contender.

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TEN USELESS FACTS - Monday 23 February 2009

Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine nuts, and worms like fried bacon.

Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people

Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian, and had only ONE testicle.

Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue.

A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!

You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206.

Some worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food!

The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times!

Coca-Cola would be green if colouring weren’t added to it.

Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th."

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WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT TODAY - Friday 19 February 2009

Its not easy writing an article a day, let alone two articles a day!
Sometimes I spend hours just thinking about what to write about.
Today I couldn’t come up with anything.
Now we all know the power of Google. Once, the power button on my TVs remote didn’t work, so I googled it and got 168 000 posts on how to fix it. It’s still working.
Today, curious, I Googled the exact phrase ‘What should I write about today.’

I did not expect any relevant answers, but there were some.
This one was particularly inspiring and encouraging.

What should I write about today?

Interesting you should ask me that, as you search for an answer to your question. Why? Well, because I asked myself that very question and found not a reply, so, I thought I'd answer the next noble soul to ask that question, give them my insight on this fine day. Here is what I would like you to write for the world today. I'd like you to show the world that humanity is still worthy and needs a chance, that they have come a long way and there is more song left in this dance. I'd like you to write about the joy and the laughter, the pain and the sorrow, I'd like you to help all of us out here feel alive again. Use your mind, your positive energy and the power of that pen.

Thank you Lance Winslow

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MONEY CAN BUY HAPPINESS - Wednesday 18 February 2009

While I agree that money on its own cannot buy happiness, a lack of money can certainly contribute to extreme unhappiness.

But, the degree of unhappiness that a lack of money can bring is relative to your attitude towards money.
There are many people in the world living happily on meagre incomes, because they have a healthy respect for the little money that they earn, and tend to spend it wisely.

After an extensive study, researchers have now concluded that money, after all, can buy happiness.
They released the results of the study as if it was a major breakthrough in human science.

It seems that buying life experiences, rather than material possessions like the latest designer handbag, leads to greater happiness for both the buyer and those close to them.

I did not need a study to tell me this. I figured it out all by my selfsome.

Spending your money on life experiences is also a very practical way of dealing with the financial slump that is affecting us all.
Life experiences do not necessarily have to be expensive.
Cooking a meal to share with your loved ones is a very enjoyable experience. Spending the day at the beach, going for a hike or a walk, a picnic.
These are all inexpensive ways of investing in memory capital.

We do not tend to get bored with happy memories as we do with material objects.

Forget the bling.
Invest in life.
Your life.

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THE EIGHTH DEADLY SIN - Tuesday 17 February 2009

Today has not been a good day.
I have been exposed to what I believe should be declared the eighth deadly sin for about two weeks now, and this has caused uncalled for hassles in my life.

I am talking about bullshitting.
People, when trying to get themselves out of uncomfortable situations, often resort to bullshitting.
This never solves any problems, and other than buying time for the bullshitter, it has no real benefits. Most of the time it exposes the bullshittee to bad and absolutely unnecessary situations that could easily have been avoided by the truth.

The original seven deadly sins came with recommended punishments VIZ

Pride Broken on the wheel
Envy Put in freezing water
Gluttony Forced to eat rats, toads, and snakes
Lust Smothered in fire and brimstone
Anger Dismembered alive
Greed Put in cauldrons of boiling oil
SlothThrown in snake pits

I sincerely recommend that we add bullshitting as the eighth deadly sin.
All bullshitters should be broken on the wheel, then put in freezing water, forced to eat rats, then smothered in fire and brimstone, dismembered alive, put in cauldrons of boiling oil and finally thrown in snake pits.

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THE PLEASURE CRUISE TO HEAVEN - Friday 13 February 2009
HELLO PARENTS: PART TWO

My mother always said ‘Heaven lies under the feet of your parents.’
I am not sure whether this is proclaimed in any of the religious books.
I suspect that she developed this from the islamic equivalent of ‘Honour thy Parents.’

The opposite of this, ‘Honour thy Children’ or ‘Heaven lies under the feet of your children’ rings more true for me. It rings more true for tangible reasons.

The parent chooses to bring the child into this world and with this comes a responsibility.
The same cannot be said for the child, and therefore, the responsibilty of the child towards the parent has to be earned.
It is earned by preparing the child to live ‘an independent, productive life with a reasonable chance of happiness.’
It is earned through love.

Khalil Gibran wrote:
You can give them your love but not your thoughts
For their thoughts dwell in the house of tomorrow
Which you can never visit, not even in your dreams

Social conditioning, and various other influences, unfortunately causes most parents to do exactly the opposite.
They attempt to instill their thoughts into their children.

Compare this to the music teacher, who exclusively teaches the pupil a particular genre of music – like jazz or classics – because that is his personal preference.
This teacher is attempting to clone himself, and in the process he is stifling the creative aspect of the pupil’s potential.
A true music teacher teaches the pupil the rudiments of music and the practical technicalities of the chosen instrument, while at the same time encouraging the pupil to explore and develop his creative talent.

Unless the first pupil realises the error of the teacher’s ways early on in his/her career, he/she will never be a truly succesful musician.
And later on in life the musician will probably resent the teacher.

The second pupil has a reasonable chance of attaining success, and this pupil will undoubtedly honour his teacher.

I am grateful that I recognised the error of my parents’ ways.
They were probably doing the best that they could, and they believed that they were doing the right thing.
In the process, and unwittingly, they have clarified how I should attempt to raise my own children

Today, after they have passed on, I can truly say that I love my parents. I forgive them, and if I could have the opportunity, I would do anything to practice this love.
They were old and frail when they died.
They needed my love.
They deserved my love.
It would not have cost me anything to love them.
Unfortunately, I did not know this at the time.

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SEX WITH ONLY ONE PERSON? - Friday 13 February 2009
FOREVER?

I have often seen the word polyamory and I took it for granted that the word is self-explanatory. Poly meaning many and amore meaning love. See. Self-explanatory.

My philosophy on love makes it natural to love many at the same time, but I suspected that there was an element of promiscuity involved in polyamory.
It would not be safe for me to discuss this aspect of true love just yet!

Polyamory is not to be confused with polygamy. The future president of South Africa should be able to give you a detailed explanation of polygamy if you are not sure.

Today I learnt a new word.
Compersion.
It’s a lovely sounding word isn’t it.

Compersion is a term used by practitioners of polyamory to describe the experience of taking pleasure that one's partner is with another person.
And that is exactly why it is not safe for me to discuss the role that sex plays in true love.

I am all for sexual freedom and believe that monoamory ( I just made that up) is not a measure - and should not be a condition - of true love.

But, when it comes to compersion, what I experience at the thought of my partner being with someone else is fury, not pleasure, and suddenly the word doesn't sound as lovely anymore.

So, even though I often experience pleasure at the thought of me being with someone else, I still need to work on the compersion bit.

The virtue of selfishness?

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LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA – A TRUTH - Thursday 12 February 2009

I have been spending some time on forums discussing the option of living in South Africa.
Most of the questions being asked are by foreigners considering moving to South Africa, and especially to Cape Town.

Most of the replies to these posts are by expats who emphatically discourage anyone from moving here.
They cite crime as the main reason why moving to South Africa is a really bad idea.
Most, if not all of the people who respond on these forums have either personally had a firsthand experience with crime in South Africa, or they have close friends or relatives who have.

All of them agree that it is a beautiful country, the cost of living is relatively cheap, the people are friendly and of course the weather is great.
But all of them contend that the security and safety that they experience in their adopted countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Middle East and Hong Kong is a luxury that they had forgotten exists when they lived in South Africa.

Yes there are those who say that living behind a six-foot electric fence with three dogs and an armed response alarm system is a small price to pay for living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and that there is crime in every country.

But lets face it, it would be nice to take a walk on the beachfront without having to look over your shoulder, drive your car without fear of being highjacked and leave your front door open to enjoy the breeze.

We desperately need an effective government.
It is impossible to ignore the reality when one reflects on what the ruling party has achieved in 14 years.

South Africa has the potential to be the best place on earth.

Its not rocket science.
Fight crime and punish criminals.
Invest in housing, education and healthcare.
Create jobs.
Is that asking for too much?

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A PRESENT FOR YOU - Tuesday 11 February 2009

Imagine there was a bank that credited your very own account each morning with a large sum of money. But, it carried over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deleted whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out all of it, of course!

Each of us has such a bank. Its name is - Time. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.

Each day it makes a new deposit for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow." You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success!

The clock is running. Make the most of today. And remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift.

That's why it's called The Present!

Source http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/inspiration/inspiration.htm

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AND A MEADOWLARK SANG - Tuesday 10 February 2009

The child whispered, "God, speak to me"
And a meadow lark sang.
The child did not hear.

So the child yelled, "God, speak to me!"
And thunder rolled across the sky
But the child did not listen.

The child looked around and said,
"God let me see you" and a star shone brightly
But the child did not notice.

And the child shouted,
"God show me a miracle!"
And a life was born
But the child did not know.

So the child cried out in despair,
"Touch me God, and let me know you are here!"
But the child brushed the butterfly away
And walked away unknowingly.

Ravindra Kumar Karnani

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THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY - JOE SOUTH - Monday 9 February 2009

Oh the games people play now
Every night and every day now
Never meaning what they say now
Never saying what they mean

And they wile away the hours
In their ivory towers
Till they're covered up with flowers
In the back of a black limousine

Chorus
La-da da da da da da da
La-da da da da da de
Talking 'bout you and me
And the games people play

Oh we make one another cry
Break a heart then we say goodbye
Cross our hearts and we hope to die
That the other was to blame

Neither one will give in
So we gaze at our eight by ten
Thinking 'bout the things that might have been
It's a dirty rotten shame

Repeat Chorus

People walking up to you
Singing glory hallelulia
And they're tryin to sock it to you
In the name of the Lord

They're gonna teach you how to meditate
Read your horoscope, cheat your faith
And further more to hell with hate
Come on and get on board

Repeat Chorus

Look around tell me what you see
What's happening to you and me
God grant me the serenity
To remember who I am

Cause you've given up your sanity
For your pride and your vanity
Turns you sad on humanity
And you don't give a da da da da da

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THE PLEASURE CRUISE TO HEAVEN - Friday 6 February 2009
CHAPTER TWO: HELLO PARENTS

Now that I am acquainted with God, it would be absurd for me to fear God.
I understand that there is no outside force that rightfully controls, dictates, or ordains my life.
I accept that it is my choice to live successfully and my effort alone will determine my reward and punishment.

Living in harmony with the universe entails relating and interacting with all things in the universe, and the first human relationship that I encounter is the one with my parents.

This chapter is about my relationship with my parents and not their relationship with me.

Before we do that, let us briefly look at the concept and role of parents.
Whether conscious or subconscious, bringing a child into this world is a choice, and with this choice comes responsibilities.

Broadly, I am of the opinion that it is the responsibility of both parents to prepare the child for leading an independent productive life with a reasonable chance of happiness.
We will explore this further when we speak of my children.

My parents and their parents, for generations, have been socially subjected to various influences, just like I am, just like my children are.
Culture, tradition, religion, custom and education are just some of these influences.

I may disagree with their beliefs, traditions, customs and relative methods, but I accept who they are.
It is not my responsibility to try and change them and it would be to my detriment to hold them responsible for who I am.
It is not my responsibility to judge them, nor is it my responsibility to punish them.

Maybe it is my responsibility to love them, but I do not emcompass them into my love because it is a responsibilty.
I love them because I love myself.
I love them by choice and I will do anything within my power to nurture that love, without expecting anything in return (from them).
This love is based based on respect, forgiveness and a degree of benevolence.

I will not however, sacrifice my own happiness in order to appease them.
I will not allow them to decide, control, dictate or determine who I am.
I will not worship false idols.

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SING MY SONG - Thursday 4 Feruary 2009

The Creative Workers Union of South Africa has raised concerns over the fact that national artists perform at all major ANC events in Mpumalanga, while local artists are largely ignored.

‘Jacob Zuma was there at the launch of our union two years ago,’ said CWUSA spokesperson Alpheus Nhlabathi, ‘ and he commented that artists should be treated with dignity. There is no dignity when every big event in the provinces is star-studded with the same artists, who earn megabucks, while our local artists are made to stay at home with broken hearts.’

"Our artists love the ANC, and we hope to vote for this party, but this kind of treatment leaves a bitter taste in our mouths," Nhlabathi complained.

Over the years, I have witnessed many politicians lauding our artists and the role that they play in nation building. They are always threatening to do something to address the plight of South African artists. Usually, they make these speeches at funerals, when yet another icon is buried a pauper. Afterwards of course, they forget all about it. Until the next pauper’s funeral. The ANC responded that these artists – Chicco Thwala, Blondie Makhene and Deborah Frazer amongst others – are ‘part of our election campaign.’ In typical political fashion Provincial ANC Election Manager Eric Kholwane said “ We promise to look into the matter after this campaign.’ Unabashedly adding ....... ‘It would be good for local artists to approach radio stations and openly endorse the ANC to show that they want the party to win the elections this year.’

"It seems like just yesterday that I first heard that riff… that special sound that helped build that wider family during a time of deep repression, when speech was not enough. That sound which is something we can feel but not explain, which gave voice to the speechlessness of those times." — Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel (then a leading figure in the UDF), speaking about the song Mannenberg at the funeral of Basil ‘Manenberg’ Coetzee in 1988. From: A Struggle Biography

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BEHOLD. THE KING OF KINGS - Wednesday 4 February 2009

Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi (no its not a typo-that’s how his name is actually spelt),has been appointed Chairman of the AU.

Also known as Colonel Gaddafi, he has been the de facto leader of Libya since a 1969 coup. De Facto because although he still controls Libya 100%, on paper he has held no public office or title since 1979. In government statements and the official press he is referred to as "Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya" or "Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution".

Gaddafi is also known as The King of Kings, an honor apparently bestowed on him by some 200 alleged African Kings.

Maybe this is why he was dressed in golden robes and accompanied by 7 similarly resplendant gentlemen, complete with gold thrones, who identified themselves as The Ancient Kings of Africa, when he accepted the gavel from the outgoing chairman.

The new chairman, who these days enjoys the support of many African leaders, has announced that he will now pursue his vision of a United States of Africa.

Everything that Gaddafi has attempted in the past has failed. From his doctrine of Islamic Socialism to creating a United Arab States.
He was the main financier of the now defunct Black September Movement which perpetrated the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics, and was also involved in many world-wide acts of terror, including the Lockerbie bombings, the 1986 Berlin Discotheque bombings and the 1989 bombing of UTA Flight 772.
He is alleged to have paid Carlos the Jackal to kidnap Iranian and Saudi Oil Ministers and he ordered that Libyans living in foreign countries be killed if they did not return home.

But Gaddafi is an unsrupulous opportunist, and when Libya’s oil wealth started to dwindle in the late 1990s he promtly changed his tune and started successfully wooing his historic enemies, the US, France and UK. He was the first Arab leader to denounce Al Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks, and sanctions against Libya were promptly lifted.

So, we should take this talk of a United States of Africa with a pinch of salt. Indeed a huge chunk of salt. Even a whole bag of salt.

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YUMMIE READERSHIP TAKES A DIVE - Tuesday 3 February 2009

Since uploading the new look site on 12 January this year, my readership seems to have dwindled.
From an average of 10 000 per month last year, only 3950 unique visitors logged on to the site in January 2009.

There are many factors that could have contributed to this.

· Its only been half a month
· People are still trying to get back into the swing of things after the holidays
· Taking a break from 19/12 to 12/01 was a mistake but what the hell; I am human and needed a break.
· Bosses are clamping down on internet use at work
· People have not paid their server accounts
· People have not paid their phone bills
· The site takes a bit longer to load

Apart from the layout, the only thing different about the site is the inclusion of The Black & White and Grey Pages, and these pages cater to readers who are interested in more than just gossip, scandal, humour and galleries.

I do however suspect that the content of these pages, and especially the Hello God articles may have scared some readers away.

Anyway, it was necessary for me to define the target market and concentrate on a certain niche market.

I will stick to this, and hopefully the readership will grow again.
In the meantime, if you enjoy the articles, please help me to spread the word.

Kader Khan
Editor
info@yummie.co.za

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