Jhooby Doo

In a Nutshell

2006-10-27T15:29:00.000+02:00

This week has been a rather tragic week filled with death. It’s kinda left me a little disillusioned with the whole life-Jhooby-thingy. In the Early hours of Monday morning Lebo Mathosa passed away in a car accident. I was extremely saddened coz she was such a brilliant performer. To make matters worse, her uncle passed away in the same week. Sincere condolences to the family . Yesterday, a close friend of mine lost his brother as well. You know you’re in my thoughts my friend.

Then some fool started a rumour abot Thandiswa Mazwai being fatally shot by her boyfriend.Fortunately it was hoax (a very tasteless joke!!)

Today was the Official renaming ceremony of the Johannesburg International Airport to the O.R.Tambo Airport (ORTA for those who like All things shortened) I wonder how much that cost the taxman

Anyway- have a lovely weekend and take it easy.Mwah!!

Jay-Z, Black Diamonds and Repo rates in a nutshell.

2006-10-12T16:18:00.000+02:00

Hey There beautiful mense

Really having a hectic week at work and can hardly keep up with the happenings outside the office. But I’ve been listening to my ipod all day to keep sane. I must admit that Christina Aguilera’s track “Hurt” is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in a while.

Anyways. I’m sure you all know Jay-Z (NOT JACOB ZUMA) is in the country with Rhihana (Beyonce is here too-No need to ring the alarm LOL!!). They had their performance in Cape Town last night. . They’ll be in Johannesburg at the dome on Saturday night. I hope the show is half as exciting as Fade-To-Black. (Wishful thinking). I am yet to see any performance that surpasses Janet Jackson’s Velvet Rope tour and Jamoraquai.

So if you are going-We shall meet at the golden circle

PS: Shout out to the Black Diamonds, Interest rates have been increased by 50 basis points (0.5%). I hope this didn’t hit you by surprise..

Later….

howzit

2006-10-09T15:15:00.000+02:00

Hey Mense.

It’s the beginning of yet another week with more issues. The weekend was FABULOUS. Didn’t do any clubbing at all but did a picnic (gotta love Spring!),a huge home-made lunch & a few chill-sessions. All-in-all it was a weekend of good company and conversation except for the incident of a few acquaintances sniffing coke in my presence. CRACK IS WACK MENSE!!! But enough about me.

While I was enjoying the African sun at the picnic on Saturday, a few mense went gallivanting around Gauteng in protest to the same-sex marriage issue. The Marriage Alliance joined the bandwagon of “traditionalists” who insist that marriage should be a union reserved for a man and a woman. But they don’t consider their action to be discriminatory - GO FIGURE.

As you all know, there have been Public hearings for the passing of the Civil Union Bill around the country. The talks have now moved to Woodstock in the Cape for further debate. Last week the hearings were held in Limpopo and the bill was heavily condemned. No prizes for guessing who had issues with the bill.

The weekend also saw the celebration of Desmond Tutu’s 75th Birthday. He’ been making a lot headlines with the recent launch of his biography titled: "Rabble-Rouser For Peace: The authorised biography of Desmond Tutu" by John Allen. The book documents his life and his views around the subjects of Apartheid, the Truth and Reconciliation commission and the way the church has treated with gay priests… will be getting myself a copy soon….

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Ladies and Gents, that’s all from me for now.The number-crunching must continue so Later beautiful mense.

In a Nutshell

2006-10-05T15:14:00.000+02:00

Hey all

As you all may know, the SANBS has always had issues with homosexuals donatimg blood (even though they continually ask for donation)-At first they didn’t want any blood from gay men.. They have now decided that gay men may only donate if they have been celibate for 6 months. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?!?. Am I impressed? Dunno-jury is still out on that issue.

Something else you should know is that Zuma made negative remarks about the gay community and later apologized “unreservedly” for his comments. Now some members of the gay community have cornered him to show his sincerity by supporting the same-sex marriage Bill. Call me an idealist, but I would rather have genuine opposition than fake support from the man. Tolerance and acceptance are not synonymous

Speaking of Tolerance and acceptance, The ACDP must be seeing red in their fight against the same-sex marriage bill being passed. The SA council of churches (SACC) was for the bill being passed and the rest of the church is cheesed off for the public stance made by the council. I say Props to the SACC!!!

On a lighter note, THE FUEL PRICES FINALLY WENT DOWN as of yesterday (Good news for a change)

PS: the photo’s to various pride events are on a fewof sites( Thunda, Queercity,)the official site is yet to post pics. so check out the galleries and see if you can spot yourself somewhere……

Cheers for now mense....

Hey ALL...

2006-10-02T15:44:00.000+02:00

Hey All

I know it’s been a while but I decided to be totally selfish in September and gave myself a bit of a break.Pity I couldn’t do the same with my 9-to-5. but I discovered the joys of Bikram yoga to deal with that. The programme is hot (LITERALLY) Enough about me...

This weekend was the weekend of the 17 th Jhb Pride march. I kicked off on Thursday evening by attending the launch “PRIDE Protest and Celebration”.This book documents the 16 years of SA pride celebrations. The book was edited by Shaun de Waal &Anthony Manion (of GALA).

Judge Edwin Cameron contributed to the Foreword. I had the opportunity to meet all 3 gentlemen at the Launch and got a signed copy of the book. The only disappointment is the insignificant contribution by black G&L authors (not because of discrimination, but because of the lack of material by black writers).So I ask yet again- WHERE ARE THE BLACK GAY WRITERS/POETS / ?!?!?! .This however, doesn’t take away from the book. So if you haven’t got the copy yet, GO OUT AND GET IT! ! ! !.

Friday night was the Pre-Pride party at the Horror Café, It was quite packed but I didn’t stay there long. A few friends attended the party and were raving about it. Simply Blue held the 2006 Miss Black Pride. If anyone attended that,please give us the low-down. Saturday was the big “Fairy” day. While a lot of marchers were facing homophobia, I went to face a different kind of phobia. I went Bungee jumping with friends and IT WAS FANTASTIC (but the unexpected rock-climb was not-so-fantastic)

We joined the pride celebrations late in the afternoon at the Zoo Lake. It was Lovely to see so many beautiful & different people. I love spring-time, I haven’t seen so many hot men in one place,at the same time, before (the women were hot too- but I love me some beef.) It was quite a surprise to bump into a high-school friend there.

There were a number of After-parties planned for the weeked. Soweto, taboo, Braamfontein were the most mentioned for the evening. Photo’s will follow once everyone has recovered and pulled themselves towards themselves…(myself included)…

Cheers for now

In a Nutshell

2006-09-07T09:42:00.000+02:00

The same-sex marriage bill has faced yet another hurdle. The Office of the State law advisor refused to certify the draft bill which will allow same-sex (civil unions) to be recognized by law. The bill was described as inappropriate and seen as one that would create challenges for the Government. The home affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is still fighting for the bill which is good news.Meanwhile, the ACDP put forward a Private Member’s bill which will keep the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. I guess Kenneth Meshoe (ACDP President) figured that ACDP should introduce the bill since they couldn’t get the constitution amended.

In Uganda a publication by the name Red pepper has gone out of its way to slam homosexuality describing it as a “shame” ,”unnatural” and “immoral” amongst other things. I thought news reporters are meant to be objective and are supposed to refrain from expressing personal opinion. That’s why there are bloggs, for people(Like Dennis Sabiiti) to express whatever they want even if they are simple-minded Bigots (See?!?!? that’s MY opinion on MY blog). Ironically, they were voted newspaper of the year. Makes you wonder about the other papers

A week ago, the KZN Health Department had denied the existence of the XDR T.B. strain in KZN acknowledging only the MDR-TB strain. They are singing a different song now that the (WHO) is in SA to monitor the spread of the strain since it has killed a number of victims. The tests for this strain is said to be extremely expensive and specialized, hence the uncertainty about how far it has spread.

The Health Ministry seems to be messing up in all spheres in a major way!!! The TAC is still calling for Manto’s dismissal and will be spending the night outside Parliament to support their campaign for ARV roll-out to prisoners. Props to thee TAC...

My 2 cents

2006-09-06T11:48:00.000+02:00

Howzit Mense
Last night I watched the Reality show “The Cut”. The show has elements of the Apprentice, a bit of Survivor (with the council –and-all).And ofcourse the Judges seem to be a cross between Simon (of idol bitchiness) and broken record. All but one don’t seem to grasp the concept of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. I Found them to be quite anal. The guest judge( Zama Jobe) is somewhat Lacking in vocabulary (quite mind-boggling for someone who claims to be a songwriter).It seems the only adjective she knows is “OK”, Paris,you got competition… “That’s hot”.All-in-all the show is a poor CUT and paste job of all the American reality shows. But on the upside the dramatic contestants are pretty comical.And they have some hot boys on that show.I’m definately feeling VUS the graphic designer.

On the subject of Comedy, the second season of City Ses’la started last week.I missed the first episode but managed to catch the second episode last night. I LOVE that sitcom. It’s still distinctly South African and down-right silly. Last nite Madam Gi Gi made a cameo appearance on the show as a stripper with 2 snakes(one less visible than the other). I must say, Madame Gi Gi has a stunningly toned body. Props to thee Madame

On a more serious note, Manto (Health Minister) has had a very rough couple of weeks. I thought the TAC was the only organization that wanted Manto fired. Now it seems 65 of the “world’s leading” scientists have called on Manto to be sacked. Ayeye Dr Betroot.

Zuma’s was in court again yesterday. And as always, the friends of Zuma showed up to offer their support to J Z.. Some of them spent the previous night outside the court. I don’t think even Madge gets this type of attention. One of the leaders of the Friends of Zuma was gunned down on Monday.The day before Zuma’s appearance in court. This whole Zuma story is getting pretty ugly..The state said it will be ready for the trial on the 15th of October. I’m hoping this case drags and J.Z. misses the succession race coz I would honestly hate to have him be president of ANC and SA.
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In money matters, anyone with a car will know that the fuel prices went down for a change but it seems the oil prices expected to increase in the near future so the reduction might be short-lived. And for all those designers and clothing manufacturers, it seems China is still giving SA textiles grey hairs with their imports. So I guess you all need to find a way of competing with the Chinese and not charge an arm&leg for local stuff.

Must return to the number-crunching so y’all be good you hear?

In a Nutshell

2006-09-04T09:58:00.000+02:00

Howzit mense
I trust you all had a brilliant weekend. Mine was pretty busy and I’m still feeling the results of roaming around Jozi.

This past weekend was a good weekend for South African sports. The SA soccer team managed to get a draw 0-0 against Congo Brazzaville.The under 23 squad won their game against Namibia for the 2008 Olympic Qualifiers. The Springboks finally won a game,They beat the All Blacks 21-20 during their Tri-Nations game.I guess Spring put a little Spring to the Boks.

In Atheletics, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi is now ranked number 1 on the World IAAF rankings after winning his 800 meter race in Berlin…It was a nice 26th birthday present to himself. Props to thee people of Mzansi.

We already have enough issues with health in SA, but when it rains it really pours. There seems to be a new strain of TB in KZN which is highly resistant to medication.The XDR strain is more resistant than the MDR stain.The new strain has already killed 52 of the 53 victims in the past year.The results of the study were revealed approx 3 weeks ago but I only first read of it over the weekend.So those with signs of TB, please make sure you see a doctor and take medication PROPERLY!!

Enough bad news.I’m not sure how many people entered the FNB business plan competition but it closed to new entries on Thursday 31 Aug. For those who didn’t enter there is an NGO that may still help with starting your own business. The Business Place has offices in Jozi, Cape Town, Eqonce (E.Cape) Kliptown and Phillipi.(W.Cape) so give them a shout if you have business ideas and need support.

Gotta get back to my number-crunching.Have a Stunning week ahead.Later….

Happy Spring Day!!!!!

2006-09-01T09:41:00.000+02:00

Hey all

I know i've been pretty quiet but I shall return soon. Just wishing Errbody a happy, happy spring day.

While I was out fishing...

2006-08-29T14:55:00.000+02:00

You know how sometimes you go fishing and you think you caught something huge and it turns out to be a boot filled with gunk? This is how i feel about an article i found lately about how some people test for HIV. Apparently if you wanna know your status (as a man),you find a virgin, knock her up and if the baby turns out fine & the mother hasn't lost weight a few months later then you are sorted.It also reminds me of a "joke" about some people donating blood as a way of testing for the virus.

So I threw the boot aside and tried again, this time I managed to hook an old dirty sock.It seems homophobia follows people to the grave. The muslim community in Tanzania banned the celebration of Freddie Mercury's 60th birthday party (Did y'all know he was born there?)

So I figured it would be a case of "3rd time-lucky" if I tried again.And it was...Since The TAC (Treatment Action Campaign) came out with guns blazing regarding ARV roll-outs,some mind-boggling facts surfaced about the treatment (or should I say lack therof) of HIV sufferers in SA Prisons (Westville Prison in this case).It pays to be vocal because it has resulted in a court order being issued by the Durban High Court to the Correctional Service to have a detailed roll-out plan by the 8th of Sept. Props to thee Zackie and the rest of TAC...

2006-08-24T13:57:00.000+02:00

It's A queer world after-all

2006-08-23T15:10:00.000+02:00

Everything just seems to be going from bad to worse on our planet( not just our continent) but there is never a dull moment. One always seems to find news that make you chuckle. It seems Osama was a Whitney Groupie and loves her smile. Apparently the man believes that she is truly Islamic and Bobby must be “removed” from the picture.
Ayeye Bobby!!!

Pig said all animals are equal but some are more equal than others in ( Dark Memories of High School) It seems cows, chickens and pigs are more equal than others and they have a group fighting for their’ rights to have sex. Hey,we all need to get some right? So a Dutch group going by the name “Sex voor Dieren” wants to have a petition for these animals to roll in the hay…

Zimbabwe is experiencing hunger, hyper-inflation and there was absolute chaos when the new bank notes were changed recently(to name but a few). But Mugabe’s government has found a way to fight all these challenges (and others). They have armed themselves with the 6 new fighter Jets which they bought from China. The jets will be delivered in approximately 2 months. That will be enough time to train the 12 and 13 year-old war veterans don’t you think.

Getting back to Sunny SA.It would seem that if you are a prominent, convicted criminal and belong to the ANC, you get a send-off as a sign of solidarity when you go serve your sentence. Tony Yengeni will be accompanied by fellow comrades when he reports to prison on Thursday for his fraudulent activities. I suppose it’s only fair because He was also there for Allan Boesak when he was reporting to prison for a similar charge (Suddenly I hear De Ja Vu by Beyonce…perhaps it’s all in my head)

And they say we are queer? Go figure…..later mense

Proudly South African

2006-08-22T09:53:00.000+02:00

Howzit Mense

Yesterday I was pretty despondent but as I got to the office this morning I read an editorial titled “Proud to be South African.” I was quite pleased to see that despite all the drama around the country-From Zuma to Manto, people are still proud of our country. I know I am. And as I read the newspapers, I realized how important transparency is in our country. That’s the reason for all the laundry being hung out for the world to see.We are a very vocal country. Many countries sweep their issues under the carpet and keep them on the hush. So much so, that the very citizens who live in those countries only have half a clue .

So let’s remain Proudly South African coz the whole world is watching and still continues to watch closely.

Ek is 'n bietjie naar vandag,ek sal met julle later gesels...Mwah!

I'm with STUPID

2006-08-21T11:37:00.000+02:00

Hey all

Hoping you all had a great weekend. Manto certainly didn’t have such a good weekend. The Health Minister (Dr Betroot to some) has been attacked from all angles and from each continent worldwide. I don’t know if she is proving a point or swimming in Denial, but she is defending her so-called “lunatic” AIDS policy in a big way. It’s pretty obvious there is a huge problem within the ministry when it comes to dealing with AIDS but she was quoted as saying that “…South Africa did very well” I know that as someone in the public, with major responsibilities she has to stand her ground but I don’t think she realizes she making an utter fool of herself and our country. It’s always good to stick to your guns BUT don’t be too proud (OR STUPID) to admit that you messed up Minister!!

I don’t recall reading anything positive about SA this week. Besides the whole AIDS conference, things are chaotic. It seems Black people are the biggest racists in SA. A Not-so pretty picture has been painted in this study. What bothers me the most is that there’s black-on-black racism but I think the study may have confused racism with xenophobia. I was having a conversation with a group of friends over the weekend and one of them commented about how much she hated “ama-
kwere-kwere” . It really cheesed me off because she couldn’t justify her hatred for other Black Africans. Another case of a STUPID person (despite being educated).

Then there was the case of the polite hijackers who requested the use of a certain Mr Jacob’s car to use in a robbery. They were nice enough to Tell him exactly what they were using the car for and where he would find it once their mission was complete. I couldn’t help but laugh when I read this story.

I can see why morality debate going on. How else are we meant to Survive South Africa. Speaking of Surviving South Africa, the participants of the first Survivor South Africa were revealed so check the gallery out.

Meanwhile, I’ll go take a smoke break until I hear something positive about our country.

Later…

In a Nutshell

2006-08-17T11:18:00.000+02:00

Hey all-Today Technology just isn't on my side.Can't download any pics so Please use imagination...

I feel like it’s time to find my centre again. There’s a lot happening, don’t even know where to begin.

It seems the debt issues that I keep preaching about are starting to hit the banks as well. One of the biggest banks in SA reported that their loss from bad debt doubled in the 6 months to the end of June (surprise surprise ). A third of the loss is from credit cards . (Hey-hey to the “Black Diamonds”) . Loan issues also increased by 38%- So where is the sense in granting more loans and credit cards when the bad debt losses are sky-rocketting ? 3 words: National Credit Act.Banks are on a mission to attract as many clients as possible before the act is enforced.

As some of you might know, the AIDS conference still continues in Toronto and The Minister of Health Manto –is really having a hard time. Many people were not impressed with SA’s exhibition at the conference including the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). TAC was so pissed off with the exhibition, they allegedly vandalized the exhibition. The Khomanani project co-ordinator justified their demonstrations by saying it was their constitutional right to demonstrate.I think their behaviour is absolute BS-regardless of how strongly they oppose the Minister. Still on the subject AIDS conference, it seems another debate that has surfaced is the use of WEED as a pain-killer for those suffering from the disease.There are lots of mixed opinions about the practice,but isn’t there always a debate regarding the plant. I reckon if the plant works JUST USE IT DAMMIT!! I know my friend sunshine would agree.

We all know that the leading cause of HIV infection is the lack of condom-usage. And ERRBODY preaches abstinence or alternative sexual pleasures. I thought I ‘d do my bit and do research about alternatives., I found an article that gives tips on the proper and safe ways of using a VIBRATOR..(This one is for the ladies) Guys,I looked at some vibrating Penis rings. (Reminds me of Trey from Noah’s Arc-LOL). You even get chrome rings for those who like their vehicles to be chromed-out.

Later mense- KNOW YOUR STATUS AND BE SAFE!!!

WoMan,WoMan,WoMan...

2006-08-15T11:15:00.000+02:00

I know Oprah is not South African but she is a very generous woman and she is my WoMan for today. Apparantly Ms Winfrey is in the country this week(You know how she pops in now and then).She donated $10 million towards the building of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.She's visiting the academy at Henley-on-Klip. Her Academy will ,hopefully, give the young girls the tools and opportunity to become great WoMen. This is not the only time that Oprah has shown generosity and compassion towards the less fortunate in South Africa- so Props to thee Ms Winfrey.

PS: how does one crack an invite to her NewYears Eve Party? Just for the record-I’m also Zulu Oprah,so hook a fellow Zulu boy up

WoMan,WoMan,WoMan...

2006-08-14T12:16:00.000+02:00

My latest WoMan is Zanele Muholi. She is an award-winning photographer living in Johannesburg .Origianlly from Umlazi in KZN.She is the Community Relations Officer for the FEW( Forum for the Empowerment of Women) which is a support group for the black lesbian community. She is also generous with her talent-She runs a photography workshop for unemployed lesbian women. I Love her black & white stills. She is my WoMan because there aren’t many female homosexual artists who express their sexuality through their work, especially black ones. And she has handled issues such as Violence and sexuality and sex (yes there is a difference). Her self-portraits are like puzzle pieces.I haven’t found any that show her in total. I guess that’s the allure they have. Keep on inspiring others with your pics WoMan…

I absolutely LOVE this picture.
Later beautiful people...

In a Nutshell

2006-08-14T10:20:00.000+02:00

Hope you had a good weekend. Mine was pretty busy (Did 2 news cafes, Melville, Keyes on the Avenue and Simply Blue. I’m surprised I could get up this morning but it’s back to the same ol’ same ol’. Not sure if everyone read the Sunday newspaper yesterday but it had some really good articles. One that caught my eye was the article about new bill which,in a nutshell, will broaden the definition of rape and sexual offences to include those against both homosexuals and heterosexuals. It seems the age for males has been will from 19 yrs old, to 16 years old. Not sure if that is good or bad but I’m happy about the efforts made by Parliament and the activists behind it all. Speaking of sexual offenses, I also came across a very disturbing stat about sexual assault within S A prisons. It seems a male prisoner has a 99% chance of being sexually assaulted in prison. That’s little hard to swallow but I won’t take the chance to find out.

On a lighter note, the finals of the Face of Africa were on last night. I loved the outfits made by Sun Goddess for the ladies. I had issues with the very predictable lack of creativity with the hair. The girls all either had the IDENTICAL weave or were completely bald. I thought the winner (Vanentia Otto) was stunning. Congratulations to Melody for representing SA so well and making it to the top.

Later mense…

Blah Blah Blah...Now for my 2 cents

2006-08-10T16:02:00.000+02:00

Today was D-day for my HIV test results.I always get nervous when going for the test even if I know that I’m negative. I know it’s no death sentence,I have 4 cousins who are positive and are taking good care of themselves. So I’ve decided that I’m gonna carry on taking extra-good care of myself (as if I were positive).I already attend gym and eat a somewhat-healthy diet,but the tricky part is to quit smoking. Anyway, I digress…

Because I had HIV and AIDS on my mind for 3 straight days, a whole lot of articles caught my attention. I’ve been pretty ignorant about Lesbian sex for obvious reasons so this article kinda slapped some reality into me. I always took it for granted that it was pretty easy for the ladies to practice safe sex. My jaw hit the floor when I read that they are forced to have self-made devices to protect themselves. So my question is, what are the ladies doing to remedy the situation? Complaining won’t help the situation or reduce infections

Another sad but evident problem surrounding HIV and AIDS seems to be campaigns which mean well but perpetuate untrue and offensive stereotypes. One case is the Latest Campaign in Swaziland which allegedly implies that HIV positive people are promiscuous. Another case is in the US where a campaign was seen as portraying a negative message about black men and violence. I can’t comment on the Swaziland story because I haven’t seen the ad ,but I had a look at a poster for the US campaign. I honestly didn’t equate the image with a message about violence. I suppose we have different interpretations. I didn’t do a marketing or advertising major but sometimes I think people dissect messages a tad too much and end up messing with the point of the message.

Marketing politics aside, EVERYONE should know their status so if you aren’t tested, you best be getting on that mission…..

My Woman's day...

2006-08-10T09:56:00.000+02:00

Hey All

I trust you all had an amazing public holiday.I must say,it bites to be back at the office after a midweek holiday. I joined a friend for Dinner on Tues night and THE MAN CAN COOK!! Props to thee My friend (you who you are). Went to Constitution hill yesterday with my friends and took part in the High School tour that they have of the Old fort. It was quite an eye-opener on how harshly the South African prison system on non-white South Africans. Yesterday was also special because the ex-political prisoners who were detained there came to an exhibition that was held. There was a woman who recalled how she spent 11 years in a concrete cubicle there. And she survived to tell the tale. I was thrown back by the ex-prisoners actually returning to the fort to relive and tell their stories. I know I wouldn’t want to revisit such a place. Every South African must make an effort to visit the many herigate sites and museums we have here in SA.

This mornig as I was doing my daily visit of Rod online I found that he had attached a link to this article. I was so excited to read it. SA business should be taking a page out of this book….

WoMan,WoMan,WoMan...

2006-08-08T13:39:00.000+02:00

Howzit

I really got tied up yesterday (not the way I would like) so couldn’t post anything. But I’m kinda back on the ball today. Tomorrow is Woman’s day so all the ladies must treat themselves like absolute royalty (You should be doing that everyday anyway). My WoMan for today (had her in mind for yesterday) is Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela Mandela. Not a stranger to the public eye, this beautiful woman projects strength and conviction. And she is ageing beautifully. I still can’t believe that she she will be 70 Years old in September. She has been surrounded by controversy and has been a prominent political figure. She is also A Wits University alumna having completed a BA.Degree there. (yep-a fellow witsie). She was also the first ever black Social worker at Baragwanath Hospital (now the Chris Hani memorial hospital) She is the former leader of the ANC Woman’s league and a member of parliament. She was born to leader and her achievements are bigger than just being the Great Woman behind Nelson Mandela. Props to this WoMan

Enjoy woman’s day ladies….

In a Nutshell

2006-08-04T15:49:00.000+02:00

Hoesit mense

So here’s wussup in brief. Parliament says that it is on track to meet the deadline set to pass a bill on same-sex marriages . For those who don’t know, the Constitutional Court gave Parliament the deadline of 2 December 2006. So if anybody is planning to get hitched in Summer I WANT AN INVITE … please. Anyone with a bond or car should know by now that the interest rates were raised by 0.5%. Let’s wait for the August performance figures in the retail industry.Just curious if the hike leaves a dent.SHOUT OUT TO THE “BLACK DIAMONDS”.

Now we all know about the succession drama in the presidency. I’m not a journalist so I don’t have to be objective-I would have a heart attack if Zuma became President.,Tony Leon also feels the same way, but on the other hand I would have a stroke if Tony became president. I guess it will be a matter of choosing the lesser evil. You can’t help but laugh at the soapie that is developing in our country. Zuma has decided to drag the president into his corruption trial.He insists that the court get a sworn statement from Thabo Mbeki to help his case. I guess he didn’t think asking for money for his legal fees was enough.

So in the latest entertainment news, Zuma’s double-platinum CD has been pirated. (Yes, the man is multi-talented) My jaw hit the floor when I read this article. But on a serious note, I don’t condone or support Piracy (even if it’s Zuma’s work) But keep your eyes peeled, I’m sure we’ll be reading about a movie very soon

When I grow up, I wanna be a Zuma….Geniet jou naweek mense

WoMan,WoMan,WoMan...

2006-08-04T11:16:00.000+02:00

Howzit Errbody,

My WoMan for today is the ever-so-lovely Mrs Evita Bezuidenhout. This charismatic and charming woman has played an impeccable role in tackling taboo issues in South Africa (everything from politics to racism,AIDS)She is a proud mother,grandmother, entrepreneur , former ambassador ,AIDS activist and the most famous white woman in South Africa. And she does this all with a smile on her face. Her use of Satire in addressing issues has made her a jewel of South Africa. She was once described as an” extravagant, taboo-bending comic queen, who commands joyful allegiance, whatever the colour of her skin.”
Her biography tells it all.

Diamonds Are forever...Really now?

2006-08-03T14:32:00.000+02:00

So there I was, minding South Africa’s business when I stumbled across this article based on this study about BLACK DIAMONDS. In a nutshell, it talks about an estimated 2 million black middle class (10 % of black adults) accounting for 23 % of the consumer power in the country. Considering that the mid-year estimate of our population is 47.4 Million mense,my jaw hit the floor. Effectively 4,22% (ie.2million/47.7million)of the population accounts for 23 % of consumer power.I trust your jaw has now hit the floor. And you know the “diamonds “ aren’t too shy to use that power!!!

But how can it be called consumer power when so much of it is Credit? It’s not a secret that the borrowing rates are sky-rocketting in SA (That’s why Tito is raising interest rates).I was shocked to find out how uneducated people are about interest rates, now I’m convinced we are doomed because the so-called “Black Diamonds” are either in the dark or just too rough around the edges to care.

In the mean time. Black Diamonds are a retailer’s best friend

PS: Is pink the new Black?

WoMan,WoMan,WoMan...

2006-08-03T12:10:00.000+02:00

So it’s Women’s month for the month of August. For those who don’t know, it’s National Women’s day on the 9th of August to commemorate the march to Pretoria in 1956. I found an amazing gallery which shows the photos of the day. The Black and white stills really tell an outstanding story. I’ve decided that I’ll feature a few women this month who have had a lot of impact in South Africa. Today’s icon is the late Brenda Fassie.

They called her the Madonna of the township, but I don’t think Madge is worthy. Not only was she a brilliant performer, but she was outspoken and EXTREMELY human. We were given the freedom of speech, but she somer took it coz she knew it was hers. She was vocal about her sexuality, her drug abuse, love-life, politics . Her song from 1989 “Black president” which referred to Mandela was nothing short of a prophecy. Guess who became the first democratic and black president of SA? No prizes for guessing.

She was a true icon. My earliest memory of seeing Brenda Fassie was on TV performing “Weekend special” which was a 3 year-old song by then. Come to think of it, the song is as old as I am. No-one will ever forget “weekend special”, I was singing along despite the fact that I couldn’t understand nor speak the English Language. And not even Mariah can pull off as many come-backs as Brenda did.

She was volatile but she had such a full life (I say that from the outside looking in)

In a nutshell...

2006-07-31T13:16:00.000+02:00

howzit again

For those who have been hiding under a rock, you’ll be surpried to know that we are reaching new records with the Fuel Prices. Petrol will rise by 31c to R7.04 Per litre from Wednesday. At this rate we’ll have travel by bicycle (guess the exercise wouldn’t hurt either). Speaking of all things rising, it seems the rate of borrowing in SA is still rising despite the recent rate hikes. It makes me wonder if the rise is a result of ignorance or there is something I’m really missing. I certainly hope it’s the latter. For those who are clueless about economic issues, here’s an article to help you understand the economic-lingo just a little better

Y’all know how I love to encourage entrepreneurship so I was EXCITED to find the buy-a-business website. This is perfect for those who don’t always have new ideas but can run a profitable business.

Our beloved Zuma was back in court today for his corruption trial.And in true SA style, the trial has been postponed to September 5th. The friends of Zuma must be cheesed off because they were adamant for the case to proceed. Hopefully, the State prosecutor will have its act together. Meanwhile, I imagine Zuma is having LONG showers to shake this off...

Guess who's back....

2006-07-31T11:46:00.000+02:00

I’ve finally pulled myself towards myself and things are reasonably back normal. Had a lovely weekend. Attended a grad-party on Fri night and met a beautiful policeman who disappeared on me before time. So now I have a mission to find the cop who got away.(hopefully he’ll be in his uniform when I find him-LOL).After months of procrastination I FINALLY got a chance to watch “Memoirs of a Geisha” - t’was long but worth it. Really loved it

Anyway, there was a lot happening this weekend. SA Fashion Week came and went. Didn’t attend at all so,for a round-up,the website would be a good place to start.The International Fashion Sale was also on,This year it was sponsored by YFM. Gave that a miss too (guess I wasn’t in need of retail therapy) So those of you who attended, I trust it was fagulous. But I did make time to go to Keyes on the Avenue for my weekly dose of hip-hop, It was a bonus to hear DJ Bionic play.The Extra Large nites will be moving to Friday nites as of 4 August 2006, so holler if you would like to be on the guestlist . Tried out a spot named the Design Quarter in Fourways on Sunday afternoon for lunch. The place is LOVELY!!!

Enough about me... some news to follow….

Phew!!!

2006-07-24T12:19:00.000+02:00

Hoesit mense

Eish mense,Things be hectic on this side of the world so I'm still pulling myself towards myself.I haven't fallen off the face of the earth just yet so please bear with me...Will holla later

Some pearls of wisdom...

2006-07-18T09:34:00.000+02:00

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

Buckminster Fuller.

Monkey see...

2006-07-18T09:13:00.000+02:00

So just when I thought there was progress with the whole blood-donation story, I find an article highlighting that we are still in the same place and we aren’t moving anywhere anytime soon. The SA National Blood Services still refuses to take blood from gay men to “protect the donor and the patient.” What pisses me off is that the decision was based on a study conducted outside of SA. It seems the service runs on a monkey-see-monkey-do basis which I see as taking 5 steps back after each step forward. And they wonder why Europeans saw us as monkeys

Then there’s an issue of African Leadership. I read an interesting article about how African Leadership differs from Western or Eurocentric leadership. One of the advocates of African Leadership said,” Africans, by contrast, confer in circles, comprising the great and the small. The weak also have a say. Action is by consensus.” LOL. I wonder how that can be said when you consider the autocracy all over the African countries. I certainly won’t mention names like Robert Mugabe in my argument(I find the new Law that he passed laughable). The blood-donor issue above, has very little to do with consensus, so SA isn’t perfect either. But at least homosexuality is not outlawed

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all African but I don’t see why (or how for that matter) there can be a distinct African way of leadership when most Laws are based on the Laws of the former colonists of the continent. Africa does not exist in isolation either, so I reckon we should consider a Global Leadership .I don’t think it would make us less African, it would make us more practical.

In the mean time I’ll try not to get into an accident in coz I doubt there’s enough blood to donate in this country.

Just for a chuckle...He he he he he

2006-07-17T16:22:00.000+02:00

FYI...

2006-07-17T14:37:00.000+02:00

Hoesit Mense

I trust you all had a fun-filled weekend. Mine was absolutely Fabulous. But it's back to the monday rush. Schools are open again so the traffic is a f*#@ing nightmare. And I am slowly running out of my thumb-twiddling moments so here's summary of happenings. The GAY GAMES
Kicked off on the Weekend and We have some South African representation. I trust the ladies from FEW will make the "rainbow nation" proud(pun intended- he he he).BUT WHERE ARE THE GUYS?!??

You may recall from my "Invisible Professionals" post, I discussed an article I read from a Sunday magazine. Well, the openly gay Presenter made the final cut for SABC1 so CONGRATS to you Jabu.

It seems Somizi has shot a new video for a single titled "Voom" with KB looking pretty and pregnant. Would really love too see the finished product. I'm happy to see ppl diversifying their portfilio. Props to thee

Later mense...

Taxman Returns...Opens 14th July

2006-07-13T08:47:00.000+02:00

Howzit all

It’s that time of year again where we pay an invisible man our hard-earned money.All because of us being priveleged enough to have jobs. I take it everyone knows tomorrow (14 July 2006) is the deadline for submitting tax returns. I hate standing in queues so I’m happy that there’s an option to submit online. So I suggest registering if you don’t want to have your designer shoes stepped on in long queues. Speaking of tax, I trust the government does put all our tax money to good use, especially after having read this article in the morning.

Sad but interesting fact about SA: Approx 57% of the population lived below the poverty line as at 2001.

FREE hit counter and Internet traffic statistics from freestats.com

In A nutshell....

2006-07-11T14:48:00.000+02:00

Hoesit mense.

Lately, there has been buzz about interest rates and the impact they have on the global economies. Especially since so many countries raised their interest rates,(SA included). I took it for granted that the ordinary man understood the seemingly simple concept of interest. So you can imagine my shock and sadness when I read an article stating quite the contrary .(instead of complaining today, I think we should educate ourselves and others about this 1 concept) Speaking of which, it seems many Economist expect further hikes, so we definitely need to curb our lending enthusiasm. But good news in Zim are that inflation has declined for the year to June. Let’s hope it continues to do so.

On the subject of ZIM, it would seem Gay Activist-Keith Goddard and (many others) has been forced to renounce his British passport in order to remain a citizen in ZIM. He has also been subjected to lots of abuse from the system but PROPS to the man for standing his ground .And PROPS to all the bloggers who have campaigned against hate-speech towards homosexuals. Hate-crimes are all over our continent too, but we must remember we are also just as African as everyone else on the continent. Thabo Mbeki’s speech should always remind us of that .

Quote for the day

"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same" Nelson Mandela

Alive With Posibilty....

2006-07-10T11:41:00.000+02:00

Hey All, this weekend was fantastic and it's a beginning of another week. The World Cup ended on a semi-sweet note (really hoped France would win and Zidane ended his career on a sour note), Malouda was a pleasure to watch as always. And the Logo for the 2010 tournament was reveald as well, representive of the " rainbow" nation.

So What's Up in the Market? (not the Meet market guys...). Rand is sitting at around R7.O8 to the dollar. The Gold price is sitting on on Approx $625.15 (The drop in gold messed with our Reserves in June, the first drop since June 2004).Also looks like we are givin our Credit cards a breather, The retail sector lost approx 1.74%. (I hope this means people have opted to do some saving)

I'm really big on Entrepreneurship so I'm EXCITED to see the FNB R10M business plan competition. So PLEEEZE, take advantage of the opportunity to start or grow your business.

Quick Pink Stat:
0f the 54 countries in Africa,Homosexuality is legal in only 14 countries, 2 countries are sitting on the fence.The rest will send you to jail...

Lights, Camera, Act now!!!

2006-07-07T11:38:00.000+02:00

Had one of those thumb-twiddling moments today so I went to do some arb research. (u gotta love the net). Anyway- I went to the OIA website to see what's up with the next G&L Film Festival. Submissions for the 2007 are open so all the aspiring directors/film-makers PLEASE ACT NOW! I only attended the festival for the first time earlier this year and I did enjoy it. But I would really love to see a whole lot more SA films because it is,afte-rall,the South African G & L film festival.I noticed that in 2003&2005 only 13 films came from SA. 2006 only had 7 short-films. These numbers don't look good mense, Is there any way of increasing it?

Ka-ching!!

2006-07-07T09:32:00.000+02:00

Hey all, its been quite a week. The Rand had a hard time too, sitting at R7.14 this morning. Guess the markets could tell that I had a cold (he he he). North Korea also decided to flex their muscles earlier this week, Uncle Sam is definately not happy about that. Now the Japs want SA to join the rest of the world in declaring our "outrage" at the testing. Politics are so soapie-like but that's a story for another blog. As we all know, the World Cup (or should I say European Championship) ends on Sunday. Next stop...Sunny South Africa!! Are we ready for it yet? No, I'm not talking about the Gautrain dramas and the congested roads. Are we ready to make loads of money from the tournament?

What is the gay community doing to take advantage of the streams of foreign currency coming to our shores? This will be the first time the tournament comes to Africa so it is a big deal. And maybe, just maybe Bafana will progress to the 2nd round (there goes the idealist in me).I'm all for entrepreneurship so please let me know what you have started or what you plan to start to make that Ka-ching!!!

Just for interest's sake...

2006-07-05T08:29:00.000+02:00

Its been a rough couple of weeks . The fuel prices have gone up again (there go my club-hopping days).Interest rates have been increased for the first time since September 2002 (there goes the power of pink plastic). Goodness knows my credit card can’t take anymore abuse. AND then there’s the Rand that depreciated in June, sitting on R7.03 to the dollar this morning,so I won’t be buying any foreign adult DVD’s on Amazon anytime soon. So I’m forced to do my bit to help Tito fight imported inflation

since he’s got the local inflation under control (props to the man ). The World Cup also ended when Brazil was knocked out by the French, so no more perving over Ze Roberto..Now what is a man to do entertain himself ?

So I figured I’d read some more during this bearish slump. Wouldn’t hurt to enrich the mind but then what gay South African literature is there out there to read? The inconspicuous and minute (I’m talking mustard-seed proportion) Gay Literature section of a certain book franchise seems to only have soft-porn or American literature. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-American (and definitely not anti-porn, ) but I would like to read about being gay in Jozi or Poffadder as opposed to being gay in New York or Washington. Last night I watched a television programme regarding the almost non-existent reading culture in Africa. The programme threw a few stats around. It seems that Africa makes up 12 % of readers globally but only contributes 3 % of books that are written. Scarier than that, is that only 2% of South Africans purchase books to read. It makes me wonder how many of those are gay readers and how many of those books that are bought are gay South African books. I would like to know whom the Gay & black South African authors are out there and what are they doing to promote their work? At the end of the day, books are products that must be marketed for us to buy and enjoy.

Seeing a South African bookstore stock all of E Lynn Harris’ books and a lot of “art “ books leaves me with 2 possible conclusions. 1: We only have a handful of published gay authors in our country (which I doubt…) or 2:the authors are not doing enough to bring their work to my attention(pink money is still money after-all). If it is indeed the latter, what is the reason? Would any authors out there care to enlighten me.

For those who aren't deterred by the latest global interest rate hikes, you might consider buying this beautiful piece of machinery.This peugeot 907 is a stunner. I know SA consumers weren't shaken by the rate increase since car sales rose for June despite the 0.5% increase.

Later mense

invisible professionals

2006-06-30T08:10:00.000+02:00

This article was forwarded to me by an ex-colleague of mine.It's an old article so I guess many have read it but it won't hurt to read it as a gentle reminder to the Black Professional in South Africa.Reading the article reminded of the fact (or opinion) that we are confronted by 2 battles in the corporate world.Being black and gay-none of which we choose to be. I do ,however, wonder if it really as much of hinderance as it is perceived to be. I was reading a sunday magazine which had a featureon the new SABC 1 presenters.One of the candidates has allegedly made it public that he is gay.So in true media sceptism it is debated whether "revealing his sexual orientation would stand him in good stead for the job." If indeed,it does help him land the job the half the battle is unnecessary. So are we the "invisible professionals" fighting an invisible opponent? And why?

On a lighter note, I received this quote from a colleague that cracked me up

"The first person who said a diamond is a girl's best friend
had obviously never seen a penis before... " Anon

Where is errbody?

2006-06-29T12:38:00.000+02:00

Getting the hang of this blogg-jhooby slowly but surely. I'm just interested to know how many black gay-owned businesses do we have out here in JHB or anywhere else for that matter? And i don't mean Hair-salons or clothing stores. I'd like to believe that there are gay men out there who aren't stylists, designers and hair&makeup specialists. I would love to belive that the gay portfolio is more diversified than that. If not, what could be the reason. Any ideas anyone???

Hey there Africans

2006-06-29T11:51:00.000+02:00

So this is my first blogg.Yes i have been electronically deflowered Not something I planned to do when i woke up this morning but I guess when you free time at the office the fingers tend to wonder. I suppose I always wanted to start some forum for the black South African (..And all africans) gay community that involved more than hooking up on Mamba. Am I an idealist? maybe but I think it's worth the try. So my mission is to create dialogue and hopefully get to know more gay African professionals/businessmen/students/academics/blue&white collars (the works...) and find out what their aspirations are and what contributions we can make to our continent on a socio-economic level.Don't get me wrong, I don't have a carrot up my behind so I would love to hear about light-hearted stuff as well. so PLEASE indulge me!!!!!!!!!!!!