Breast Cancer awareness & Journey of Hope

Since it is Breast Cancer awareness month, I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring to tell you about the most amazing group of women who have really inspired me recently.

Journey of Hope is an initiative aimed at raising awareness about breast cancer, as well as money to fund reconstructive surgery for women who cannot afford it.

Government health in SA will pay for a masectomy at a gov hospital, but not the reconstruction after the fact, and any women will tell you how important that help would be to them in that situation.

Here are the facts, and hope (source: www.journeyofhope.co.za)

• One in 27 women are diagnosed with breast cancer
• Cancer does not account for colour or race as 17.9% of white women, 24,4% of Asian women, 18,2% of coloured women and 13,3% of African women are diagnosed with breast cancer
• With early detection and appropriate treatment, the survival rate is 95%
• Due to ignorance and lack of information and awareness, many women die of breast cancer in South Africa when the picture could have looked much different

Objectives for the Journey of Hope:

• To unite in our passion for creating awareness
• Reach out to South Africans in an effective manner
• Attend to selected major cities and outlying areas in South Africa
• Assist in awareness through breast cancer support groups, HOG Chapters (Harley Owners Groups), and Hummer Clubs
• Organise events for fundraising purposes to be able to give 12 women the chance to change their lives by undergoing breast reconstruction surgery
• Spreading the message that breast cancer can be beaten if detected early enough

(source: www.journeyofhope.co.za)

Please visit their website, donate if you can, learn about cancer and support the ladies when they go through your town this week.

anti-xenophobia march continued

Anti-xenophobia march thru Hillbrow, Johannesburg

 
 
 
 

house-breaking lessons

It hasn’t been a fun few days…

Last week, while house and dog-sitting in Montgomery Park, Jono and I had an extremely scary experience. It started off with me being a bit of an insomniac the last few weeks. As a result, I usually find myself awake at about three am most mornings, staring at the ceiling and wondering what’s up with my over-active brain. Well, Wednesday last week, I was lying awake when the dog next door started barking.

“Maximus” is a great dane, so when he gets going he has a penetrative bark. I was cursing him and almost drifting off to sleep when my car alarm started. My first thought was “not again!”, because the damn thing was faulty when originally installed, so I figured it was playing up again.

I got out of bed and wandered into the hall in a dazed state, muttering under my breath about dogs and alarms. Suddenly there was a crash at the far end of the house. Down the passage and across the lounge (about 10 or 12 metres away from me) the glass door into the back yard had just been smashed open!

Without even a split second of thought, I knew what was happening. The barking dog, the car alarm … we were being broken into! While in the house! Two steps later I was back in the bedroom, leaning up against the door (which wasn’t closing), yelling for Jons to call the cops. He was already up and on the phone to 10111 (South Africa’s version of 911).

Mistake number 1: not having the security company number on our phones.

The ancient and blind terrier we were supposed to be looking after was in the next room. Woken by the smashing glass, she wandered into the hall and started backing incessantly. In my non-reasonable panicked state, I almost opened the door to get her. I kept thinking, “please, please, don’t let them kill the dog.”

Twenty minutes of panic later we were still waiting for the cops to arrive. I called 10111 again. At this point I completely cracked. I was crying on the phone to the cops, and listening to him trying to get hold of the flying squad guys. Ten minutes after that they arrived. NOTE: we are five minutes from Linden and Melville cop stations, but these guys came from Brixton (20 min away).

Then the guy on the phone says, “You have to go open the door for the cops”. In fact, when I told him we were not sure if they were still in the house and I was too scared to leave the locked bedroom, he told me to tell my boyfriend to go! Like I’m going to say to Jono to go out alone!?!

We listened at the door, and heard nothing more than the dog barking, so we unlocked it, and armed only with the phone and a hammer that had been in the room, made our way to the front door.

Mistake number 2: the mace spray and panic button that were in the house, were sitting by the front door, rather than within reach.

We opened the door, and about 15 cops stepped out of the shadows, armed to the teeth. They were extremely professional, entering the house and garden, making sure no one was secreted anywhere, and then talking us down from our wide-eyed terror. If only they had arrived quicker, I would have nothing but praise for them.

With the lights on now, it was revealed that the burglars had taken the laptop from the dining room table, but nothing else seemed disturbed. The cops gave us instructions and reassurances and left. By now it was 5 am and we were never going to sleep.

Mistake number 3: Leaving the laptop right next to the glass-only door, with the light on in the room.

The aftermath of this was a horrible visit to Sophiatown police station (because Linden and Parkview told us to go elsewhere), and a scramble to get Maxidor thingies fitted to the unprotected glass windows. It also meant a few sleepless nights and a very jumpy Possum. Oh, and seriously rethinking the lack of precautions we had taken.

This is first time I have ever been personally affected by crime in SA, and all things considered we got off very lightly. I hope it doesn’t happen again, but it may. At least I know now not to be too complacent, and have learnt from the above mentioned mistakes.

P.S. Before any of the racist internet trolls (who used to stalk me online) get too high and mighty: my happy South Africa perspective is not damaged. I love this country, but it makes me sad that all the wonderful people in our country have to live like we do. I do see it changing in the future. I hope I’m right.

P.P.S. Prompted by this post and the discussions in the comments section thereof, go make your voice heard against crime in SA:

1. SA "Rocking" an interview with Desmond Dube about Million man march.
2. Million man march facebook group.
3. Million man march (against crime) website.

my script writing debut

This morning, one of my company's biggest clients (and the people I spend all my waking hours on these days), Earth-Touch, launched its first TV offering, a wildlife programme called Wild-Touch, on South African television station SABC2.

The programme will be broadcast, daily (Monday to Friday) at 10.30am, and shows very recently filmed wildlife, with commentary from the crew in the field.

I have been involved with the scripted content; what the presenter says, voice overs and intros into pieces. Oh, and also the Did you know inserts.

I am also very involved with the writing and maintenance of the Earth-Touch blog, which was nominated and short-listed for three SA blog awards this year (although we didn't take any home).

Even though it is very short (30sec-1min) bits, it was pretty exciting to hear my words on TV, and the show is of particularly high quality footage and editing.

The images and video is mostly taken from the wildlife footage that the Earth-Touch film crews provide, a lot of which is available to download freely and in both high definition and standard definition on their website

Toto, I dont think we're in Jo'burg anymore...

So, as previously stated, I am NOT a Jo'burg girl. I am an Eastern-Cape-learnt-to-drive-in Grahamstown-bait-my-own-hook kind of girl, playing at being a Jo'burg girl, and, to be honest, it is quite an adjustment.

Other than finding work (maybe even more so), the biggest challenge faced so far was presented to me last week, when I arrived at work and was told to turn around and drive out to the airport immediately to fetch someone.

Since every other time I have been there, other people have driven, and given my skillful avoidance of all highways (except for the day I drove into town), this was pretty daunting!

Long story short, I got lost! This was less my fault than you'd imagine. Turns out the navigator who came with me can't really read maps, and was too shy to say we'd taken a wrong turn and gone half an hour in the wrong direction.

Eventually I pulled over to ask someone for directions. We stopped at a scrubby looking golf course possibly in Kempton Park (I was lost, how should i know?). The place was called St Andrews, and, to my absolute "confuddlement", was staffed by three mildly liquored (at 10:30am) Scots!

"Och, aye, lassie. Just a wee drive from here. Oot the parrrrking lot, straight at the traffic lights..."

no kidding - thought I'd just left Scotland.

Look, Ma! A real post!

Let’s get straight in there: I haven’t really blogged in ages. Sure I put up a couple of random Youtube videos and a link or two, but it’s been sporadic and impersonal.

My excuse? The last three months (maybe four) have been a time of upheaval for me. I had to prepare to leave the UK, my flat, my job, etc. Then ship all of our stuff (every second hand book and coat in Britain) back to South Africa. Suddenly, Jono’s graduation was upon us, his folks were in town, and I was on holiday (read: unemployed).

I returned to South Africa in early December, with plans to take the whole month to be a beach bum and live off my folks for a while, while looking for work. The plan was beautiful, the implementation - shaky. I did hang out on beaches, and get to know my tiny nieces some more, but managed to hack into my meagre savings quite substantially.

Suddenly, halfway through the second verse of Auld Lang Syne, I found myself living with my in-laws in Mpumalanga, and commuting to Jo’burg for job interviews. Thankfully, it turns out I am a lot more desirable in South Africa than I was in the UK, and in a month I was offered exactly the job I was looking for.

I’m a Journalist and New Media Writer for a design and content production company. I really like the role, the people, the bosses, the garden furniture and communal meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

Still, I am not quite on my feet. This is my third week of work, and I’m squatting at a friends’ place, with her boyfriend and mom (just so that I am properly in the way). Jono is looking for work (anyone looking to hire a genius?), and when he knows where he’ll be working, we’ll find a place to live.

So, why am I still blogging since I started in order to chronicle my overseas experiences and now I am back? No idea, truly. I like it. It’s an outlet. I emulate those I admire, etc, etc. I am hoping a purpose for this blog will evolve. Otherwise, I’m open to suggestions…

Almost over...

Tomorrow is my final day of work in the UK, and then I have two weeks of UK holiday ahead of me, and three GLORIOUS, sun-filled, prone-on-the-beach-with-a-book weeks in the Eastern Cape of SA to look forward to [depending on how long it takes for me to find work]!

What a whirlwind two years it has been for me over here! But soon this will be Possum's SA adventures (if I decide to continue blogging through this site).

The last of the boxes are due to be collected for shipping tomorrow, and then all that lies ahead for the next while is pleasant tasks, like buying a car, and holidaying. A five week break is really a priviledge most working people never have again after leaving school / university.

Anyway, posts here are likely to be sporadic over the next little while, but I'll remain contactable through email, and am unlikely to abandon this little blog entirely.

We'll just leave it at, see you later!

a moment to reminisce

after much panic and flat-pack furniture, we are currently 65% moved. Now for the annoying little things like cutlery and toiletries. I don't think I mentioned that we are moving about fifteen minutes walk down the road - but that is also how we are moving! That is to say that we don't have a car and couldn't bring ourselves to fork out for a moving van when we own so little. Still a gap-year-in-europe-sized backpack full of books is a HEAVY thing to carry - even fifteen minutes down the road.

Another thing I didn't mention, is that we have moved to the area of Edinburgh affectionately named "the pubic triangle" - after all the strip clubs. To be fair, we're not in the pubic triangle as much as adjacent to it (and our flat is great) but my mom cant see the difference :) and, no, I want be persuing a new career there ;p

One sad thing about the place is that it doesn't have a phone line, and to reinstall one costs around 140 pounds and takes weeks, and since we're only there for just shy of 4 months, this is another thing we've decided to be thrifty about and not do - so bye bye broadband my old friend. Jono glumly informed me that it would be worth getting used to before we return to SA, but I'm still dreaming of a cheap connection revolution in SA before I get back. [Come on SA!]

With all the stress and organising this has taken, I haven't really had a moment to feel sad, or anything really, about the place that we're leaving, but last night it struck me that this was "our first flat". Maybe it's just my folks, but growing up I was always told "our first flat" stories by my folks, who apparently lived in a shoe box in jo'burg in the 16th century.

Moreover, most of the time spent living here was spent complaining. Its a tiny little flat with 100 years worth of dirt that Jono and I scrubbed out of it over the last year, and it overlooks the Grassmarket - where all the tourists come to get drunk, so we haven't slept very well in the last twelve months. It's miles from any stores, except the overpriced milk-eggs-and-bread shop that caters to above-mentioned tourists. Also the glazing is shot, so its pretty chilly here in winter.

But now I'm all misty-eyed about the glorious view over the ancient cobbled streets, and drunk people watching in the evenings, and huddling under blankets and wearing my boyfriends jerseys all winter. Nothing like the prospect of leaving to romanticise the place!

Anyway, I've got to head back to the new place to sit in the dark (it's a basement flat) for fecking hours as the Scottish Power folks are coming to reconnect us and couldn't possibly give more accurate timing that "sometime between 11 and 5" - and this is six weeks after they were told about the problem [see, this is a 1st world issue too?!]

Rocking Give-away

SA Rocks is running a cool Tshirt give away...

go there and enter!

Sms tip-off initiative leads to arrests: Hooray for public involvement.

According to an article on the M&G website: "Media group Primedia's national anti-crime campaign[Crimeline] has led to 33 arrests since its launch three weeks ago".

And these are not minor offenses being prosecuted. The article goes on to say: "Successes include recovering four stolen vehicles at a complex in Winchester Hills, south of Johannesburg, and arresting two people, as well as the arrest of eight drug dealers and confiscation of their stock, and information on a murder in Dawn Park, outside Johannesburg."

Read the whole story from the source. Also check out the Crimeline website.

While the successes are a desirable end themselves, one aspect of this that is so exciting for me is the community involvement, and it fact OWNERSHIP of the crime problem in South Africa. We're all aware that it is a problem, and it's been overplayed and underplayed by various parties - while neither tactic achieves much. This on the other hand allows people to get involved, be proactive and make a genuine contribution.

We have a culture of crime in South Africa, and it's not restricted to a race or a class of people. Think I'm wrong? Then ask yourself why things get stolen from the changing rooms of the fancy gyms. Everyone there is well off enough to afford really big membership fees, so why should they need to steal anything??!

The point of this post is not to start an argument over the above claim [please read it with a normal amount of academic generosity, rather than lash out at me defensively] but to say that this sms-thing catching on might be the first sign of a changing tide, a shift in social morays. And some baddies are behind bars too! :)

Crimeline - a pretty cool initiative

Check it out here and more info here and here

This is a new initiative to help fight crime in South Africa. Basically it allows the regular joe-on-the-street to report crime and dodgy goings-on by texting/smsing a "tip off" to 33221 or online through their website. Great idea!

Only problem is the R1 charge for the text, which is a bit steep, I would say. Maybe we should try petitioning the cell providers to bring this down... new blog? forum? or facebook group? Then again, Vodacom still havent axed that miserable, painful excuse for a meerkat mascot so I guess they don't really listen to public opinion.

Battle at Kruger

Unbelievable! Seriously amazing!

Do you think those tourists even know how lucky they were to see that??

I've been to Kruger about twenty times and I still havent seen the whole big 5 (missing a leopard), so I'm naturally very jealous.

anyway, this video has been viewed over 2 million times on youtube which I'm sure is good for local tourism. :)

Blog round up

Prompted by this post, I present my blog round up:

1. Why does South Africa “rock”?
It's unique, it's diverse, it's proud and beautiful.

2. Why do you blog?
To keep in contact, to chronicle this overseas adventure, because I am interested in new and social media.

3. What are two of your favourite posts?
Pea's Recorded Existence
SA Rocks' Incredible SA photos

Tea & biltong with the Queen - fun stuff!

 

Exciting news: I've recently started contributing to SA Rocks on a weekly basis. The basic premise is to highlight the things I (and probably some others too) love about SA but don't always think about. The recurring title is "Things you wouldn't think you'd miss"...

Check it out, and hang out there or a while - SA Rocks is a fantastic website!

P.S. the above banner is the stylish work of Nic, editor of SA Rocks, and pretty cool guy :)

Shameless Plug

So, just this morning I reconnected with an old school mate on Facebook, and followed a link from his profile to his band's website (He is lead vocals). Anyway, long story short, I really like their sound, and figured I could introduce some more people to it this way.

The band is BloodMoney.
Go have a listen...

P.S. Tim, if you get really famous, i'll want a kickback for this plug ;)

Sun & Silliness: Possum's whirlwind SA tour

1 April 2007:
6am wake up, brush teeth, grab bag, leave home, walk to Waverly bridge, get on bus to Edinburgh Airport.
8:15 am board EasyJet (Yuck!) plane to Gatwick
10:30am arrive Gatwick, wait hours for luggage, try find trains in Sunday mayhem, buy overpriced ticket to Clapham
11:15 Burst out of sardine tin called train, realise London in 8 degrees warmer than Edinburgh, strip off two layers, find sister, get in car to travel to Richmond
12:00 drive at 10km/hour through Richmond park, in traffic jam of people enjoying sunshine for first time in eight months
13:00 arrive sisters place, still warmer, 3rd layer comes off, strappy shoes replace boots, fish out sunglasses - Suddenly feel like I'm on holiday! Drink glass of wine in postage stamp british garden, eating left over braai food (thank god for big sisters)
14:30 Realise how late it is - PANIC - sister drives like a crazy woman to get me to terminal 3, cant find parking - fake an asthma attack to stop the nasty parking guy sh*tting on sister for pulling up on curb to drop me off - parking guy takes sympathy on weird, possibly-dying foreign girl and carries bag to terminal.
16:00 book in, wait, board - oh god! am stuck in middle of five seat row, with babies on either side! Dont sleep a wink, watch lots of movies (including Catch a fire -more on this later), perform super-human feat of bladder control
2am land in Dubai - 'tis warm - Halleluja (sp?)

2 April 2007
4am board new plane - aisle seat, just saying thanks to godly beings when asked to move because of weird bitching woman, move to seat near door (yay, leg room) between (oh god) stinky drunk talkative man, who shouts at me whenever I dont ask a stewardess for his beer every five minutes.
10am land in Jozi! Rush outside and run for the 6 square inch patch of sunshine.
11am Spur spicy buffalo wings and choc milkshake
12pm try to look less like walking dead in ladies bathroom (no such luck), wander around, nothing good to buy even with my converted pounds
14:00 board plane to EL - too tired, cant think, possibly drooling on myself, and freaking out nice business man next to me
15:30 Home! Mom and dad and sleep! oh joy!

Moral of the story: pay the extra 100 pounds to fly direct

Spent the next three days with folks, brother, sister-in-law and nieces (sp?). Consistently whisper "Katie is your favourite aunty" to unsuspecting babies.

5 April 2007
On the Thursday night, I braved the Highlander to have a drink with a mate, Kevin, who was also visiting from London. The Highlander is scary because EL is a small place and you're bound to run into lots of people you havent seen since high school, and since high school was painful for me, so is the "re-connecting"...anyway, the night passed with minimal trauma and it was nice to catch up with Kevin.

6 April 2007
Friday morning I set out to Gtown. Driving my dad's beautiful, huge, automatic Merc. This was terrifying for me, since I've only ever driven old student cars, and small ones at that, plus I've done very little long distance driving. Driving to Port Alfred was fine but the road to Gtown, as usual, was so misty I had to drive the last 40kms at 40km/hour. I was in Gtown for two nights, staying with Tash (thanks, love), and it was good to be back. Gtown doesnt change, at most they shuffle the shops from place to place, and rumour has it Nando's has finally arrived (always after you leave, huh?!). I ate loads of red meat, and drank to much, and for old time's sake the power went out on saturday night, leaving us to sing disney tunes to entertain ourselves. This short visit also prompted the formation of the most rocking boyband-made-of-girls ever (as seen above)! Coming soon to a couch near you!

8 April 2007
On Sunday morning I drove to our holiday home in a tiny wild coast resort, for a really big drinking reunion with Sam, Bolze and Briano (thanks to you guys too, but not to Sam who got me very VERY drunk).

9 April 2007
Monday night I was back in EL, and got together with Candice and Kerry for a movie. Candice is my oldest friend. She approached me in preprimary (aged 3) and told me my drawings of people sucked because they didnt have necks (fair enough) and we've been close ever since. We watched Ghostrider - which sucks but was entertaining nonetheless, and then Tuesday the travelling started all over again.

10 April 2007
At least it was a direct plane back and i managed to book my bag through from EL to Edinburgh, so that made it a lot easier. Still, It was 17hours in transit, and i was insensible when i finally got home, and burst into tears (really over-tired) telling Jono how all my biltong had been confiscated!

Saffas overseas: try to take ten days in april to go home, its the perfect time - just when you think winter will never end, go home for some sun, and when you return the UK has woke up and the sun is finally showing its face. Ten days early april makes all the difference.

I wish I could have taken more time, but since I get paid by the hour this is all I manage, plus I had to come back for BOB DYLAN!!

11 April 2007
Yup, on Wednesday night Jono and I took the train to Glasgow and saw BOB DYLAN live! It was amazing! One of those artists who are so huge you're surprised they're still alive, let alone still touring. (FYI Gtown Playas: this is bound to influence our style for the next album).

Anyway, so I'm back, and back at work (12 April) and even though that situation still sucks, I feel I can ride it out, now that I've had a serious break from it...Home is soooo great. The UK may have public transport and no one is denying the crime problem in SA, but its home. There's space, and clean air and greenery and gardens and lots of other stuff. It does kind of scare me that when I head home for good I'll probably be Jozi based - if I actually want to make a go of this journalism thing (which I do). Growing up in EL might have been claustraphobic but I was never scared, and my parents still live in a house without burglar bars in a neighbourhood with four foot walls around our properties - there is a lot to be said for that kind of security. Having said all that, my friends in JHB are loving life - so maybe I'm just buying into the media hype about the scary aspect? Hey, Jo'burgers, am I being silly about this? What's life like in your part of the world?

P.S. forgive any spelling or grammar errors, I'm soooo over editing today!

I'm loving it

Forgive me for sounding like a McD's advert, but I found the Homecoming Revolution blog today and I am so stoked about it. I support the Homecoming Revolution website, but I do understand the claim that coming home is not all sunshine and biltong. This new blog already has a few posts on it, with balanced personal stories -one is even about missing the UK - a notion I dont understand but I am so happy to see up there.
Anyway, my point was: Go have a read!

P.S. Thanks to Mark Forrester for bringing it to my attention.

The Good News: Economist article on SA

The Economist has published a very interesting article about progress in SA, called The long journey of a young democracy. It is NOT all positive, so I am not delivering just the good news, but in my opinion it is balanced and well researched journalism - a more realistic representation of the strides we've made, and of the short comings of our beautiful home, than other available sources on the internet ;P (see previous post)
Below please find the opening paragraph, but better yet, go along and read the whole article here.

"THE township of Soweto, Johannesburg's largest, was once a byword for violence and black deprivation. Look at it now. In the Diepkloof neighbourhood, shiny new cars are parked next to elegant houses protected by security systems. Shopping malls are planned, banks have opened and tourists are coming. New bars and restaurants stay open all night, drawing in the rich blacks who now live, during the week, in quiet suburbs of Johannesburg that used to be all-white.
Even the poorest corners of South Africa now look better. Roads are being paved. People who were left in the dark and cold by the apartheid regime, which ended in 1994, now have lights, a roof over their heads and access to fresh water. Flush toilets are replacing buckets. Black South Africans are pushing up property prices and propelling the economy in general; black economic empowerment, brought in to redress the injustices of apartheid, has spurred the creation of a small but wealthy black business elite."

Isnt this fun? NO!!

I recently wandered onto a blog that made my hair stand on end. Its called why south africa sucks (you can see it by clicking on the uhuru guru link below), and it really upset me. But putting aside the extreme racism of this blog, I spotted an article that a colleague of mine had written was reprinted on the blog without attribution, and commented on this. (turns out i'd missed the hyperlink to the original article, so i was wrong about the lack of attribution). But what really upset me was the treatment I received having commented. I've pasted the discussion below. I'm sure there will be lots of nasty comments following this move, but I was floored by the aggressive and childish response to a simple comment, and as is the nature of bloggers, felt compelled to blog about it.

Katie Possum said...
Hi.While I completely DISAGREE with the sentiments on your blog, I'm commenting now about something else: to ask you to try attribute the articles that you are reproducing correctly. Please give the site address from where you got them, and the journalist who wrote the article - its only professional decency.Thanks

10:10 AM
The Uhuru Guru said...
Katie Possum said..."Hi. While I completely DISAGREE with the sentiments on your blog, I'm commenting now about something else: to ask you to try attribute the articles that you are reproducing correctly. Please give the site address from where you got them, and the journalist who wrote the article - its only professional decency."

Gee Katie Possum, if you DISAGREE with the sentiments on the blog, why are you such an avid reader? Closet racist, perhaps? ;)Second point, take your blinkers off - every single article on this blog has a link to the source. Try clicking on the title (which is a hyperlink) which will take you to the original article. This is a non-commercial site, so we fail to see why we should promote the newspaper name. The source link already generates much traffic to their sites.

11:14 AM
Dickey Knee said...
Bullard is as careless as Firoz Cachalia and his wife, sporting jewellery openly in a public place.Was his window open, or simply not fitted with burglar bars?ALL the burglaries in the complex where I live have been through unprotected windows.

11:58 AM
Anonymous said...
DUUUUHHHHH Katie : You died your hair - you died while doing your hair???? Or did you dye your hair!

12:01 PM
The Uhuru Guru said...
Anonymous said..."DUUUUHHHHH Katie: You died your hair - you died while doing your hair???? Or did you dye your hair!"

LOL anon, I saw that too. She's probably also taking skin-darkening medication, and shopping for plastic surgery to have her schnozz flattened and her lips thickened. Hey Katie, they can also extend your jaw (super-reverse overbite) so you can have that 45 degree slope head angle ;) How sad that such a pretty girl (if the avatar pic is indeed hers) wants to deny her genes. I can understand Whacko Jacko's motivations, but Kooky Katie's is quite perplexing.

12:14 PM
Anonymous said...
I think Bullard is a twat being so chirpy and upbeat.If that bullet had gone a bit higher and to the left then suddenly it would have been a completely different matter and it would have been his funeral that we would be talking about.He is now making out to be a big hero, "He got shot, but he still believes in SA"He is now suddenly the poster boy for white ANC arse lickers.Next time he might not be so lucky.

5:37 PM
Anonymous said...
"katie possum"Must be using the computer while (her/his/can't decide yet) mother went to the store.

10:12 PM
knorrig said...
If that bullet had gone a bit higher and to the left..."Yeah, they should've shot him another arsehole.....preferably with a Patmor!...that would've at least saved us having to witness him take on the 'Madiba' role of White Crime Matyr! Useless LIBERAL IDIOT!

12:22 AM
jeff said...
Hi Katie Possum,Welcome to the blog. Please stay around and give your take on the issues raised. Intelligent and thoughtful people are welcome here, regardless of their views. Keeps the blog interesting. Hope you will have at it!

4:01 AM
Katie Possum said...
Wow! You guys have some serious chips on your shoulders. I am NOT a closet racist. I am NOT an avid reader of your blog, but of other blogs where I have seen you comment. Yesterday was the first time I ever visited your blog, and missed the hyperlinks (i'm happy to admit when I'm wrong). But as a journalist I know that I would be annoyed if I ventured upon an article of mine that was unattributed on another site.

"died my hair" - big deal. You're looking at a typo. It doesnt negate my point. And it is a childish reason to attack someone.as for sitting at the computer while my mommy is away - as above, this is a classic ad hominem fallacy. You're attacking the person because you cant attack their point. Furthermore, criticising from as anonymous doesnt add a lot of weight to your statements.

10:44 AM
knorrig said...
Jeff said,"Hi Katie Possum,Welcome to the blog. Please stay around and give your take on the issues raised."

NOOOO, please don't! The last thing we need is the Hollywood-philosophical musings of a 23-year old who has to tell the world about her hair color, listens to Madonna and reads Terry P!Rather go to News24...they've got all the right 'literature' for a young innocent little girl to 'find herself' in this ugly world raped by the Big Bad White Wolfmen!

12:02 PM
The Uhuru Guru said...
Dear Anonymous dufus who says "the bigots on this site should add swastikas to the posts", I was going to publish your pointless rant, but when you "dared" me, I just couldn't help but hit the reject button. Most comments get published, regardless of how facile, stupid and nasty they are. Try rise above infantile high school type 'dares' if you want to increase your chances of being posted.

12:22 PM
The Uhuru Guru said...
Katie Possum said "Yesterday was the first time I ever visited your blog".

Hmm, then I wonder who the Katie Possum was who posed here a few times over December...no matter Katie, we believe you. Oh, and Jeff's quite a nice guy actually, much more of a gentleman than I'll ever be, so don't paint him with the same brush you use for us incorrigible, hate-filled racists. Welcome to our dark, gloomy world, we hope you'll enjoy your stay and no, we don't offer free anti-depressant drugs- you'd better be emotionally ready to deal with the godawful content of this blog. Being a journalist, I assume you are?

12:31 PM
RSX said...
Being a journalist, I assume you are?WHAT?!? ANOTHER libby journalist?First, nic (who judging by his last post has seen the light), then inkonkoni, and now katie? I don't believe this.

1:22 PM
jeff said...
Hi Katie Possum,Some of your points are well taken. I spent some time reading your blog and came across a post from an ex Zimbabwe farmer in response to your comments about keeping a positive attitude about South Africa. You replied that you do have some thoughts about Zimbabwe. Could I ask you to share them with us? Thanks.

Here is the post to Katie Possum from The Granny Wrangler bloggist. I've copied it here because I thought it might be of interest to other readers of this blog:

"Always one to throw a spanner in the works...As a Zimbo who had her farm, livelihood and worldly possessions ripped away from her in the blink of an eye I have watched the rapid decline of a once fantastic country from a far too close for comfort perspective. It WAS fantastic and i'm sorry to say, better than SA ever was or will be. But that was then. 6 years ago i became a fully fledged 13-digit Id no. SA citizen and sought refuge in the sunny cape to study and subsequently work. I loved it. I learned to call it home. One has to. The thing is, i, like thousands of other Zimbos, have seen the patterns now happening in SA. Yip, the very same patterns which began the demise of what was once (excuse the cliché) the bread basket of africa. Do you have any idea the resentment and bitterness directed towards farmers who sold up and moved countries? They warned us all and we all stayed so fucking positive and buried our heads in our then fertile soil clinging to the hope that positivity and unity would see us through. Do you know what? It didn't. The one's who left, the ones who managed to sell their farms and make a new life for their children and families, they may have been scorned and resented but who feels like the arsehole who had everything ripped from them because they refused to heed the warnings and pay attention to all the signs? The ones who left got money for their farms and set up businesses, moved forex out of the country and put their children through good schools. The rest? Imagine being 65 and having not a cent. No pension to draw on. No escape. Now imagine moving to a foreign country in order to earn money to feed yourself, knowing that you will never be able to save up enough money to retire and will more than likely have to work until you die. Its real, and it's heartbreaking to watch. Don't get me wrong, optimism is great and i was as optimistic as i could be. But there comes a point when you have to think long and hard and actually LISTEN and absorb what is being said. Let it sink in. Instead of immediately jumping on the defensive and gunning down anyone who even mentions the word crime and SA in the same sentence, take the time to understand why they are saying these things. If you have lived through what Zim has gone through in the last 10 years your blood would run cold when you realised the EXACT same patterns happening south of the border. It is frightening. But whether you like it or not it's happening. Believe us. Don't believe us. We're all big enough to make our own decisions. I just hope that some of you will be spared the heartache and anguish so many of us have suffered - it's not something i'd wish on my worst enemy.Ok, i'm done. "

8:09 PM
Anonymous said...
Katie Possum on her blog, all rosy and cinnamon scented, says of the Springbok match at Twickers last year, "I wanted to cringe and die when I saw people waving the old flag at the rugby last year. I wish people who feel like that wouldnt identify themselves as South Africans...."

I would just like to bring to her attention the fact that one of the buggers who had the old flag draped over his shoulders was none other than one of her Noble Savages. He was making a statement about accepting the past and where SA had come from.I have as much contempt for the Katie Possum's of this world as she has for us evil racists. She should share a cell with a troop of sophisticated black gentlemen for the night (when she's not abroad spewing liberal propaganda for tourism SA and inviting tourists to their death) and then come and talk to us about how negative and racist we are and how she "cringes" when we identify ourselves as South Africans.

3:57 AM
Katie Possum said...
"The last thing we need is the Hollywood-philosophical musings of a 23-year old who has to tell the world about her hair color, listens to Madonna and reads Terry P!"

"Katie Possum on her blog, all rosy and cinnamon scented,"

Do you guys even know what an ad hominem arguement is? You can attack my writing, my music and literature tastes etc as much as you want - the problem is that is makes you look childish and DOESNT negate my point at all.

Jeff: thank you for your welcome. i wasnt necessarily painting you with the same brush, as I have yet to see your feelings on this issue.About that zim question: I dont think SA is going the way of zim. Crime, while still at an unacceptable level, is coming down every year. Employment is going up. Interests rates are fantastic. And most importantly, we are not run by a insane man who has held onto power for decades, and physically silences the opposition.

Uhuru Guru: I dont remember posting here in december, I had a quick look over the december archives and didnt spot anything I wrote, but it was only a quick look and i may have missed it. having said that, I do read nic's blog, so it possible that i followed a link from him to here at some point or another. having said that I am not an avid reader of this site. not then not now.

I'm going to go now, as I really dont have to waste my time being attacked on personal grounds by childish people who are too afraid to engage with the content of my point.

I'll try to avoid the temptation to come back and defend myself from the backlash this comment will surely have. I hope I'm able to just walk away, but i do tend to take the bait - personal flaw!