Hip Hop is not Dead Nas!!!!

You have probably heard the phrase made famous by Nas, ” Hip Hop is dead!” , well he was proven wrong on a one-way platform though during the 2009 Grammy Awards ceremony. It went like this…… Darius “Deezle” Harrison, who co-produced Lil Wayne’s best rap song-winning “Lollipop,” countered Nas’ famous suggestion that hip-hop is dead. “People are trying to emulate what they know works,” said Harrison, but emphasized that’s nothing new. “You have people trying to copy Picasso, you have people trying to copy Van Gogh. Is painting dead? No … it is alive. It’s just taking different forms, brother.”

So there you go Nas and everyone who believed Nas’ lie, HIP HOP IS NOT DEAD, it will never die, well atleast in this time and world. But I will tell you one thing that is dead – KWAITO! LMAO!!!

Death you silly enemy!

I just lost a cousin’s eight year old child! He was run over by a car! Why?

 

I just cannot answer such a question. Death is one life experience that never ceases to surprise, especially in the case of a sudden death. Its better if you see a loved one lose their life through a sickness, seeing someone suffer makes it easeir to let go and accept anything that might happen.

 

But in cases like someone leaving the house fresh and healthy to see them in the mortuary a few hours later must be traumatic. Somehow sickness prepares you emoptionally to accept the loss. But an accident is a shock. Especially that of a child. Only eight years old! Why let such things happen Lord?

 

I do not wish this on even my enemies!

There is no crisis!

I’m sure you have heard the phrase-”There is no crisis!” A phrase made popurlar by former South African president Thabo Mbeki. He made this statement famous when asked about the situation in Zimbabwe.

But lately, the ANC leadership has warmed up to Mbeki’s words, denying that there is any crisis in the state affairs of the country. The most memorable to me is ANC president Jacob Zuma saying “No..there is no crisis, where is the crisis? there is no crisis.

Tell you the truth, I don’t think there is a crisis either, well not yet. But if ministers,mpls and premieres continue to resign or being sacked then we might be headed for a crisis. With the recent credit crunch – volatility of the world markets and the bankrupcy of Lehman Brothers, and the continuing global food crisis, I think within a space of 3 months we will be deep in ish!

So no, no crisis here, but come back in three months or so, then my firend I will show you a catastrophe. God forbid!

It could have been worse

Surely when a mishap occurs one of the questions we ask ourselves is “why me?” or maybe “why now?”. I had something bad happen to me today – messed up my dad’s car!

 

Well the fault is mechanical i.e. could have happened to anyone, I think. On my way to work just a few 100 metres from home I could not change from 2nd to 3rd gear. I could feel some smoothness in the clutch and I knew something was wrong. My mind worked quickly though and I managed to turn back and park the car back in the drive way. Luckily for me I was on an incline and on my way back I had a slope and the car had enough power to climb up our steep driveway.

 

After I had parked the car I wondered – why me? why now? But after some deep thinking I realised it could have been worse. What if I was moving up a busy road? What if I was in town? surely it happened at the right place maybe not the right time as I was rushing to work. This “unfortunate” situation made me realise that we can see the good in bad situations!

 

Count your blessings, analyse every incident and think of a quick solution before you start ranting, swearing and cursing. It could have been worse, but thank God it turned out like it did. Now I have to figure out a way to fix that car. Word of advice, buy a brand new car and you probably won’t get caught up in an unfortunate situation.

Thats life!

History in Beijing

 

The biggest sporting spectacular has ended, it has been a drama filled two weeks at the Beijing Olympic summer games.

 

These Olympic Games surely rate amongst the best ever, despite fears of protest prior to the opening ceremony and concerns over the air-pollution in Beijing, more than 36 world records and 74 Olympic records have been broken, most of which came from the water cube during the first week of the Games. American swimmers did not disappoint with Michael Phelps over shadowing every other swimmer in the pool. Phelps had Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in one Olympic Games in mind, which was set at the Munich games in 1972. He managed to accomplish and surpass that goal, by winning eight gold medals breaking seven world records in the process and earned himself the title of – The greatest Olympian of all time. 

 

The second week at the Beijing Olympics saw the start of the Track and Field events. Much debate was on who will take the crown of being the fastest man on earth, with American Tyson Gay, Jamaicans Asafa Powell and in form current world record holder over the 100 meters Usain Bolt being the favourites for that title. As it is now known Usain Bolt won these coveted 100 and 200 meter titles with two world record times of 9.69 and 19.30 seconds and the 4×100m men’s relay also in a world record time. Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia won gold on both the 5000m and 10 000meters.

 

 Tyson Gay began U.S.A’s woes at the Track and Field by failing to qualify for the 100 meter final. And gold medal hopeful on the women’s 100 meter hurdles American Lolo Jones led her final race and  tripped on the second last hurdle to come seventh in that race. But that was not the end of U.S.A s misery, Jamaica made a clean sweep over the woman’s 100 meters winning the gold and two silver medals in the process, together with the women’s 200 meter gold medal by Veronica Campbell – Brown . With both the American and Jamaican 4x 100m women’s relay teams failing to perform, Russia won the women’s event. No one anticipated the drama at the Bird’s Nest, but China’s hopes also tumbled when gold medal favourite and current Olympic record holder over the 110 meter hurdles Liu Xiang failed to make it to the second round of the event, after pulling out on his first round race with a foot injury.

 

With the South African swimming team failing to win a medal during the first week of the games, the countries hopes were revived by a silver medal from Khotso Mokoena in the long jump.

One question lingers among the South Africans, what went wrong for our team in Beijing? But the question on the mind of sport lovers around the globe is, who is the star of the Beijing Olympic Games, and two athletes come to mind, Usain “Lightning” Bolt and The phenomenal Michael Phelps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greatest Olympian, Phelps or Bolt?

Bear in mind I am writing this an hour before the Beijing Olympics Athletics, 200 m men’s final. But I can safely predict that Bolt will win in a world record time of between 18.99s and 19.15s. And Michael Phelps is just out of this world! He is phenominal! The question remains, who is the best athlete at these games.

 

I’m going to be a little biased on this one. I used to be a track and field athlete, and I was pretty good too. Considering the time it takes for track and field records to be broken, (sometimes more than a decade) I should say that it probably is more difficult to break a track and field record than a swimming one.

 

 So based on this seemingly weak argument I would say, Bolt is my athlete of the games. Taking nothing away from Phelps, he is an outstanding, great athlete. But after that photo finish( in his last solo event I think) I both saw his strength,weakness and tactics. Now when it came to Usain in the 100m final, it was clear by two metres or so, who the winner was.

 

If Bolt takes both the 200m and 4×100m relay gold in record time then I will be right don’t you think?

Reality T.V is getting too REAL!

A couple of years back I heard Gareth Cliff comment on the state of reality television. His opinion was that this genre will one day soon take it too far. Cliff commented on how our society is amused by other peoples misery (Him included – he once made fun of a business owner who cried because something happened to his business).

Gareth Cliff said that the amuzement that the ancient Greeks or Romans found in the Collesium will soon hit our t.v screens(people would be thrown in the arena with lions and scores of spectators would cheer as someone would get eaten by lions.) Recently a reality Television show called the Contender was produced.This boxing show has people fighting their way to getting a professional boxing contract.

Yesterday I watched Khumbula Ekhaya and the reality aspect of that programme is too much. Why solve your family affairs infront of millions. Thats plain dumb, or are too bored with our own lives that we entertain ourselves by seeing other people have a hard time? Our situation as the human race is bad. At a time like this we need a savior.

Two weeks ago I watched the Irv Gotti’s reality show on DSTV. His soon to be ex-wife and son kept crying on camera! For me that was too much, I can’t stand to see another human being cry because of hurt.

My only question is how far will it go? With people requesting Saddam Hussein’s excetution to be played live, what else are we going to request? We are so obsessed with violence on television that we can’t live without it.

Maybe I’m a softie but it won’t be long and you will agree with me.

p.s I don’t even watch reality t.v shows (Apprentice,Amazing Race, Fear Factor, Survivor – you name them). I don’t even watch soapies! Give me news anytime. Ironic neh?

Malema and Vavi to die for Zuma

To some extent I understand Julius Malema’s and Zwelinzima Vavi’s statement regarding the ANC leader Jacob Zuma.Their statement tells me one thing,Zuma is a charasmatic,infuencial and beloved leader.

As far as I see it, they(Vavi and Malema) have not said anything new, they are simply echoing what our potential president has always said,khawulethu mshini wam(bring my machine gun).The only difference with Malema and Vavi’s statement is that they are specific about what they will do with their “machine gun”.Zuma must be a very happy man, infact I would like to add that he is a very lucky man.

To have two leaders of the country’s biggest union and the ruling parties political youth wing willing to put their lives down for you is flattering.I can imagine what the conversation was last weekend at some boere braais around the country, “I was right,those ANC people are terrorists.Sadly for Zuma he wont’t be getting any Afrikaner vote until he stands up and condems what Malema and Vavi have said.

Do not get me wrong when I say I understand their statement,I am by no means saying I support it.I understand it but I do not condone it!There is one question on my mind though, will they be sending out youth militia to intimidate anyone who does not support Zuma like Zanu PF is doing to anyone anti Mugabe.Are they to be labelled martyrs or terrorists.

I hope their statement stays just that, a statement or threat,if not, then the predictions of many post apartheid emigrants are at hand – “This country is going to end up like Kenya,Zimbabwe or any former colonial African country!God forbid!

A bunch of monochrome morphies!

We are such a sensitive nation,a bunch of morphies (couldn’t find a more appropriate word).

I think back on when a programme about the greatest South Africans was aired on one of the SABC tv stations, there was a big outcry from the black South Africans. Comments like – “how can a person who supported the apartheid regime like Gary Player be hailed as a great South African?” We winged and cried until the programme was canned! The man was a great golfer, nevermind his “racism”.

Our white counterparts have major issues too, how many times have you heard a white South African say – “go ask Mandela! You see your new South Africa!” I look forward to the day when this country will be able to take things lightly and by saying that I am by no means saying we should take crap, but let us be less sensitive and laugh a little, damn!

Oh by the way, I don’t think we’re a rainbow nation, we are a divided black and white (grey) nation!Let me elaborate on this a little – Afrikaners will not hesitate to think of Hendrik F. Verwoerd as a great South African. And on the otherside Chris Hani is a hero and a great South African for black people. Do these two different races agree on this issue, No!

So much for the rainbow nation neh!?!

Black Ball Pen.

On success…

In America they talk of the American dream or the bling, here we talk about riding the gravy train (It’s been sometime since I’ve heard that phrase). Is success a matter of acquiring material possessions? If not, what is success?This question has been bugging me for quite a while now, so in my quest to find the truth, I sort to reading. According to self-help books success is “never giving up” even when days are dark. Success is driven by the will to accomplish something; it’s the fire from within that tells you to get up after you have fallen. This is the difference between a looser and a winner, the courage to move on after a failure.My search for the truth about success did not end there, I asked around for some people’s interpretation on what success is and these are some of the answers I received; good education, good job, being the “top dog” – big car, nice clothing. These are the sentiments of a teenage girl on success. As far as she is concerned success is material possessions.The opinion of a 40something father was different from that of the teenage girl, he saw it as being able to provide the basic necessities for your family, things like food, shelter, transport, health, security and of course a few luxuries.

Both views make sense, though the former is more self-centered and the latter is family orientated. Success begins with a dream, and then you must set goals on how to reach for your dream and act on those goals. Living your dream is evidence that you are a success.
It is not what people think of you that can help you succeed but what you know about yourself can be vital in your way to living your dream. On Christmas Eve last year I met Patrice Motsepe, little did I know I was chatting to South Africas’ first black dollar billionaire (and I mean US $ NOT Zim) and the third richest man in the country (US $2.5 billion) – according to Forbes Magazines Rich List 2007/08.Being the inquisitive bloke that I am, I asked him for his definition of success – “Success is you” that’s what he said. This was a little vague but after some deep thinking this is how I interpreted his statement – Your success is up to you i.e. your attitude determines your altitude! or YOU GET WHAT YOU PUT IN.

Albert Einstein (TIME Magazines’ person of the century) teacher once said “nothing good” would ever become of him. Thomas Edison failed more than ten thousand times in his attempt to invent the light bulb, he said of his conquest “I did not fail, I just found ten thousand ways that do not work” Even a mistake may turnout to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement- Henry Ford. These are some of the successes of the last century.

You know want you want, act on it and believe in yourself and that way you will reward the fruits of your labour and you will proudly say “I HAVE MADE IT,I HAVE SUCCEEDED”

Dream big, Act quick and don’t quit – Dinilohlanga Mekuto