Things that keep you busy...

I haven’t been online much lately, cuz I’ve been playing in my sand pit. Building things….



The Emirates have now started on their third palm tree shaped island. This one will probably be about 4 times the size of the original one. At the moment they are throwing 1.2 million tonnes or rock into the sea every month to make this island. To keep on track they need to throw 1.8 million tonnes of rock into the sea. Every month.

This is what this tower is for. It sorts rocks into different sizes, from 1kg all the way to 3 tonnes. At the rate of 2,000 tonnes an hour, 20 hours a day. Its going to keep us busy.

Globalization

You think of all kinds of crap while you mindlessly flip the meat over on the braai (BBQ for less civilized countries). I ended up thinking about globalization. There is a groundswell of movement against it. But its a fact. Like a cow.











If you look at the pic, and our meal tonight - these are the countries involved:



China - the BBQ tongs, and my slip slops (sandals)

USA - the BBQ, and the charcoal

Tanzania - my Bulyanhulu Gold Mine shirt

Malawi - my kikoi/skirt/wrap

Namibia - the beer

Mexico - the other beer

Australia - the beef and the potatoes

New Zealand - lamb

Holland - capsicums (red and yellow peppers)

Turkey - dried apricots

Saudi Arabia - onions

South Africa - Aromat (BBQ spices)

Lebanon - parsley

India - spices

United Arab Emirates - bamboo skewers foro the sosaties/kebabs/mishakaki/shashlyki

Ramadhan Kareem

If you want to see a lovely description of Ramadhan, go read Kismet's Chronicles. It is a time of introspection, and spiritual revival, of family, and giving, and looking after the less fortunate. The photo is of the big Mosque in Ras al Khaimah. Sheikh Zayed, the first ruler of the UAE, had one built in each of the seven Emirates.

My home town...

This is where I live - for now. So I call it home. I am slowly building up a collection of photos of this dorpie, but want to add the side that is not as glamorous. Part of the town consists of the old Arab houses, which are build of coral and mudstone, and poor quality cement bricks. With no town planning. And small little alley ways. And hundreds of satellite dishes. Will be posting some more soon.

COME YOU MASTERS OF WAR...

You that build all the guns

You that build the death planes

You that build the big bombs

You that hide behind walls

You that hide behind desks

I just want you to know

I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'

But build to destroy

You play with my world

Like it's your little toy

You put a gun in my hand

And you hide from my eyes

And you turn and run farther

When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old

You lie and deceive

A world war can be won

You want me to believe

But I see through your eyes

And I see through your brain

Like I see through the water

That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers

For the others to fire

Then you set back and watch

When the death count gets higher

You hide in your mansion

As young people's blood

Flows out of their bodies

And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear

That can ever be hurled

Fear to bring children

Into the world

For threatening my baby

Unborn and unnamed

You ain't worth the blood

That runs in your veins

How much do I know

To talk out of turn

You might say that I'm young

You might say I'm unlearned

But there's one thing I know

Though I'm younger than you

Even Jesus would never

Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question

Is your money that good

Will it buy you forgiveness

Do you think that it could

I think you will find

When your death takes its toll

All the money you made

Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die

And your death'll come soon

I will follow your casket

In the pale afternoon

And I'll watch while you're lowered

Down to your deathbed

And I'll stand o'er your grave

'Til I'm sure that you're dead

(Doug)

The Ten Universal Laws of the Warrior Code

1. Pay attention.
Stay in the present. It's the only place anything is really happening.

2. Take responsibility.
This is your life, take it back. Either you get to own it, or you blame someone or
something else for it. Choose.

3. No Kvetching.
No whining, no sniveling - it takes you out of the present and lets you abdicate
responsibility.

4. Don't take any shit.
It's very bad for one's self esteem to take any abuse. Stand up to your tyrants
both internal and external. The cost is too great not to.

5. Do it anyway.
Hard choices temper our strength and our integrity; they make the difference
between a life of mediocrity and a life of excellence.

6. Don't quit.
Look at what stops you, at where you give the effort up. That is the edge between
becoming a victim or a warrior.

7. Keep your agreements
A warrior is only as good as his or her word. The way we build self-trust and
trust in others is by making and keeping our agreements.

8. Keep your sense of humour.
Otherwise whats the point? Humour helps us stretch beyond ourselves and our
own limits.

9. Love one another
Its the way we remember we are not alone in the universe.

10. Honour your connection to Source.

War

bring up the Twelve Pounders!

- all the horses are dead here, sir

bring 'em up by mule then

- all the mules are dead here, sir

well bring 'em up by hand, boys

- all the battery men are dead here, sir

well I need them Twelve Pounders

- there ain't no artillery left here, sir

Bring Up The Twelve Pounders - (Paul Kennerley)
White Mansions, 1978

A better holiday

Not many people know about the Konigsberg. She was a German battleship, based in East Africa in the first world war. Bigger and better than anything the British had, she was a threat to stability in the East African region. She holed up in the Rufiji River delta due to engine troubles. The English found her and blocked the river - it took several months, 21 ships and a number of battles before she was finally sunk in the muddy water of the Rufiji. Animated maps of the battle you can see here.







But the story doesn't end there. Some enterprising German major called von Lettow-Vorbeck took the main deck guns off her. He added some wheels and dragged them around the east african bush for four year. He beat the crap out of the South African, British and Indian troops. We had 125,000 troops looking for him - he had 2,500, of which I think only 600 were German. The rest were Africans. Ran rings around us he did. Innovative man he was - promoted African troops above his German soldiers if they were good. Unheard of in his day. One of those guns now stands in front of the Union Buildings in Pretoria.



The Konigsberg was last seen in 1965. Most of it was cut up for scrap metal by people over the years. The Rufiji delta is as remote today as it was 90 years ago. Few people go there - swamps, malaria, crocodiles - they all keep the riff raff out.



Sometime next year I want to take some sidescan sonar equipment and see if i can find the bits that are left. Who's coming with? The beer will be cold..

Dragan effect

This is my first attempt. I have a lot to learn about photoshop.. I can see where to improve now that I've posted it. This is going to take some work. Thanks Chi..

Censorship

School has just started for the midgets. This is my daughters 2nd day in high school (the year starts in Sept here). On her 2nd day, she had to take in her brand new science text book, which cost about R250. So that the teacher could tear a page out. WTF??? We aren't told about this, I only found out by accident when the kids talked about it. The page has a drawing of the male and female sex organs of a human on it. This is not acceptable and is in contrast of the moral values of the country/teacher/fuckwit that thought this up. Now of course there's a teeny weeny problem. The exams are external, and set in the UK. So the questions are from the UK, and the exams are marked in the UK. And they have to know the pic for the exams - Now what? Sometimes morons should not be placed in charge of schools