Life as a carrot

Of Dragons and tiring hackneyed fantasy tales.

2012-01-30T13:23:00.003+02:00

i never read the Christopher Paolini "Inheritance" series (Eragon et al) until we bought it for the man of our house for Christmas cos he also wanted to read the set ... and the books do have some very eye-catching artwork ... and i do so love dragons (being one myself).

The Inheritance series has to be read with the following in mind:

a) the lad was only about 15 when he wrote it

b) it was self-published first by his parents company

c) Random House have now taken over and it's sold gazillion copies internationally (gazillion copies does not equate to quality product).

And

yes, it's rather weak in parts and too contrived.

yes, the dialogue is stilted, awkward and adolescent.

yes, the character development is sketchy

yes, too many logistical problems crop up all the time, only to be deftly solved with one sentence (plot contrivance)

yes, it makes me very angry sometimes when I read how sloppy it is

But

it has a lot of merit and moves along at a fair enough pace (if you ignore all the technical lapses)

BUT (WARNING!!!)

do NOT read this Inheritance set directly after reading George R R Martin's Songs of Ice and Fire masterpieces. It will just make you so miserable.

George's books are ART, they have longevity, weight, substance and will last for generations to come. They are already classics.

The same can not be said of the Inheritance cycle and nobody should make that assumption (some have and it makes my blood boil). I keep wanting to write stuff on the pages (especially where there are blatant editorial and penmanship mistakes), pad it up a bit, give it some ADULT content, some balls, some credibility.

And i am very jealous - cos my dragon book (still in my head) beats the pants of this lot! Duh

There.

Sh#t my cat broke

2012-01-26T14:38:00.004+02:00

One of our house cats is a Manx, called Merlin. He’s about 7 years old and a big old fuss pot. When he was a baby his sphincter didn’t work properly, so every evening when his mum got home from work, she had to clean all the klingons that had stuck to his bum. He drools. When you get out of the shower he expects you to massage his head with your wet foot, otherwise he’ll get mean and try to grab your naked leg with his claws. Other than that, he’s harmless, sleeps all day and most of the night and is scared of just about anything

This morning, a chap comes banging on our front door and accuses us of not controlling our cat (that looks like a Rabbit, the one with no tail) who comes into his house a lot and fights with his cats (who are very timid and never leave the house). This mean man accused our cat of pee-ing on his furniture (something Merlin never does at all, he doesn’t defecate inside a home and is well-trained and very clean). Then this horrible man said that Merlin had knocked over his lamp and broken it in the middle of the night. How this twit could have made that assumption is beyond us, he didn’t actually witness it ... anyhoo, half an hour later, we discover that the strange bloke up the road has gone and dumped the broken lamp outside our front door. God knows why - maybe he thinks Merlin is going to replace it with next months' pocket money.

Anyhoo, here's an out of focus picture of Merlin (because he was so incensed at being referred to as a Bunny that he wouldn't sit still) and the ugly horrible lamp (can't see why anyone would get upset about it being broken, I personally think Merlin did the twat a favour).

Not RATM

2012-01-08T14:14:00.005+02:00

Bought Ceremonials yesterday - that's quite a compliment i be paying this Florence lady - I don't buy cd's, specially by chicks

The album is something quite unique to my world - an entire record of songs, sung by a FEMALE that i can listen to in one go and not run screaming from the room. It goes well with the George R R Martin frame of mind i'm in (reading the Storm of Swords series at the moment) ....

Some foties from the camping hollerday

2012-01-05T12:00:00.002+02:00

One of the swimming beaches
Our camp site, partially set up
Lagoon from our campsite at sunset
View looking out onto the Marina from our campsite
View looking back down the Kowie River to the Port Alfred bridge from our campsite (the bridge was lit up in the evenings)

holiday updates

2012-01-04T20:27:00.004+02:00

Camping in the Eastern Cape

The drive down to Port Alfred on Boxing Day took 16 hours - due to the man of the house programming his GPRS to a different town (Port Edward ... duh, which is in Natal and not the Eastern Cape!), so we went to the Eastern Cape via Pietermaritzburg.

We were travelling in two cars. I organised a rental because my Proton has some issues with the front panels and it is way too small to take on a long trip with a child. EuropeCar gave me a Toyota Corolla, with 6 gears. It would have been nice if it also had an engine.

The car is perfect on straight bits of road but once it sees a hill (god forbid a mountain), it freezes up inside and wants to go backwards.

Because of the mix up with directions, we ended up going through the Transkei for a good deal of the trip. Holy God. The road is non-existent in places, pot-holes as large as your bath, dead animals lying all over the place. In one spot, a huge ginger horse lay sprawled across the road - nobody had bothered to move it off the tarmac. Cows, goats, chickens and sheep wander aimlessly across the road at any time and anywhere. The road is not fenced and has no 'roadside' or kerb, it just disappears into sand in places and winds its way up motherfucking great mountains and down again into valleys littered with makeshift rondavels and lean-tos. Everywhere there are children walking alongside the road, or men standing idly about watching you drive past the hovels. Mount Frere is the most depressing place i've ever seen. I was shattered by the time i'd finished driving through this stretch of the trip - but at least we could share driving (myself and my daughter, and the kids were in the hired car), the man of the house was driving his bakkie with all the camping equipment.

We arrived at Port Alfred round about 8pm (we'd left the house at 4am that morning), it was dark and raining. Of course, we got lost, couldn't find the camp site (because nobody listens to my directions). Lady of house is in tears, kids are tired and crying, everyone's had it up to here. Eventually pull into a garage and get given the directions (which i had all the time but nobody would listen to me) and voila, there is the campsite. We put up one half of the main tent (because it's a motherfucking huge great canvas job that needs a team of ten people to erect under normal circumstances). We managed to get to bed and crashed out, completely exhausted.

Morning came and we were able to explore our surroundings and see that we had basically been given the best site in the park! We erected my tent, the rest of the huge canvas tent, gazebo, sorted out kitchen etc. etc and started the holiday.

Completely grand time was had by all of us - i don't have a camera so can't upload my own photos but will pinch some of my daughters when i get a chance and post up here on the blog.

Our camp site backed onto the lagoon and in front of us was the river and marina. Gorgeous place, although the ablutions were a bit old fashioned and there was no bath, which is a bit of a problem when you have small children in tow. Port Alfred is a cute little place.

The night before New Years Eve, the town had a Rave and it oonced oonced on until about 2am - needless to say I was ready to shoot people by then.

New Years Eve came and it was like a ghost town, deathly quiet- so odd! We were in a great place however, to watch the fireworks display which was set off from the beach and went on for about half an hour.

New Years Day was a killer - it seemed like every Black person and his brother within 100 kilometres of Port Alfred descended on the lagoon, camping in the small parks on the side of the road, even trying to get into the camp site through the fences. I've never seen so many people crammed into such a small space! The noise level was so bad, we went away from the campsite that day and to the beaches up the road, which were relatively quiet. Had a lot of fun playing about in the surf and rock pools.

We got home for supper and the noise level had increased - the cops started herding people back from the beaches and out of the lagoon area round about 11pm and by about 2am in the morning it had quietened down enough to fall asleep. I've never experienced a level of noise like that in my life - it was like two football stadiums full of people all screaming, ululating, shrieking, singing and chanting in unison. 2012 got a very noisy welcome in Port Alfred!

The rest of our holiday went by way too quickly and in no time at all we were packing up to come home. This time, we drove back via Bloemfontein but it still took 14 hours.

Next time, i have the crazy notion to go camping in the Eastern Cape, we will stop over!

I hope everyone who flicks through this blog from time to time, had a really spectacular 2012.

everyone is hollow

2011-12-15T19:22:00.004+02:00

the other day we were driving around Sandton and Mixfm played "Polly" ... i almost wept. Has it really been so long since this band copped it? I can remember the first time I heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit", driving through Benoni with kiddies in the car. Pulled over to the side of the road (nearly caused a major accident in the process), turned up the radio and sat with my mouth open throughout the entire length of the song. Could not believe what I was hearing. On mainstream radio. What?

Next day, I drove to BMG in Rosebank and demanded to see the label manager for Nirvana; got as much promotional /biographical material that she would give me (bless you, Iris), cd's, photos ... and hurriedly knocked up a half decent tribute/review of Nirvana's Nevermind album. The Star published it a couple of weeks later and I am still proud of the fact that i was the first music journo to do a piece on Kurt in South Africa.

I don't care if you don't agree with the following statement, it's my personal opinion.

NOTHING has come along since Kurt offed himself to top this band. All other 'angst' or ragings put out by bands since those days, are half-hearted, twee, self-conscious, silly, or simply BORING.

There was nothing about Nirvana that was silly or boring. I defy anyone to sleep, slump, nod off or look tired through "Negative Creep"

I cry when i hear any N song - even today (and I'm a granny remember).

Not because i'm a stupid kid who can't believe her idol bought it. No.

I cry because of the way the music industry has been dragged down into a black pit of nothingness, mediocrity or maudlin retrogressive covers by FUCKING ACCOUNTANTS who masquerade as label managers/promoters.

I keep hoping to hear something that will literally stop traffic (the way Nirvana did for me) - but those days are gone.

And please, no attempt at putting Nirv back at number 1 (for some viral publicity stunt), will make up for the fact that this stuff won't happen again. Ever.

Tomorrow's a public holiday here.

Enjoy it. Do your soul a favour and listen to something good.

so i'm back... from outta space

2011-12-15T13:26:00.004+02:00

look, don't get me wrong, twitter is not too bad if you want updates from all over the globe on every conceivable subject under the sun 24/7. it's not bad if you want to know at any given moment, exactly what your idol is supposed to be doing, thinking, eating, washing, playing with ...

no, it's not

twitting jargon is really bald, irritating, confusing and well, lazy. it's not anywhere near as hip as the people who sprout it would have you believe.

i tried it. i liked it a bit. i hated it a lot. i found it wasted a load of time and got me precisely nowhere, in the end. Days pass, twits mount up, till it becomes nigh impossible to read all of them and the ones that ARE important are missed. Way too much clutter.

nope, will stick to Blogging thanks.

RT this to your heart's content

gone to pot

2011-12-08T09:22:00.001+02:00

Our first collection of 'pinch pots' and my attempt at a Piggy Bank (well little missy thinks it's fab).

my other lives

2011-12-05T14:03:00.004+02:00

I am a creature of many hats at the moment. Juggling these identities is starting to take its toll. I don't think i've ever been more dog tired than I am at the moment. Maybe it's end of year lag?

1. Little Vixen

This business is starting to take up more and more of my time on a daily basis. The Vixen has developed her own character and i have to constantly keep feeding and nurturing this persona/business. Not complaining. In fact this is the first thing i've done in a long time that doesn't seem to equate to work, i'm having fun and enjoying the odd sale I make. The launch party for the brand name went down so well, all my hard work in preparation of the party has paid off. All the ladies are talking about it and can't wait for the next one. When I throw a party, i don't eff about! I have received some spin off work from the party and on Friday took delivery of a whole load more stock from my overseas supplier. Stunning things that I really am quite proud of. Anyway, this business is very young - the website has only been running professionally since the end of August! So baby steps.

2. My professional daily job - immigration. Yuch. What can i say that i haven't bleated about already? I absolutely hate this industry, it is so thankless. Every day we feel like we are being bludgeoned to death. The main prize for us is to be able to relocate to the UK and get rid of this monster, which leads to next persona.

3. Independent Estate Agent. I am not a fool, have sold many houses successfully in my lifetime and don't appreciate ineffective estate agents who whine and whinge about the current state of the market, how the property industry is depressed ... blah blah. We are seeing many houses sold on a daily basis in our area, our house is stunning and many many people who come to visit us can't believe how lovely it is. So the sole mandate with the previous useless agents expired last week and we have now taken on another agent (who lives in our estate) to sell it for us. He has come in with a totally different attitude, is excited and positive at the prospect of selling our home. He has already sold one that was almost the same as ours but not as well put together. So hold thumbs for us PLEASE! We HAVE to sell this house before we can change anything about our current situation and i'm not getting any younger. If i don't get to the UK next year, then i can forget it.

4. Clothing Production Manager to the rich and famous.

My grand-daughter regularly gives me sewing projects to complete for her. Most involve the creation of fantasy dresses and costumes that she wants to play in. Last week, she drew a picture of her ideal Christmas party outfit and of course, Nanna had to get on with it.

Voila, last night I finished it and now i am the favourite grand-parent once again (well for this week, at least). I must say the dress is lovely and i'm right proud of myself.

5. Wedding planner

My eldest son and his fiance are getting married in March next year. The fiance organised her dress at the beginning of this year, as well as book the wedding venue. But the chaos is now starting to kick in and nobody seems to know what they are supposed to do. So of course, yours truly now has to sort all this lot out. Oi vey.

6. Photographer
At one of the show days we had for the house, my camera went walkie bye-byes. I am completely pissed off about this but what can you do?

Cue ... Canon advert

I have been looking at some 'deals' the shops have put together for SLR camera bundles over the Christmas silly shopping season. Seen a right royal deal with Canon - but am not sure if i'm getting the right model camera - so might end up having to chat to Mr. Ten Miles about that.

7. Ceramic artist

My Pink Piggy Bank is almost completed - did the glazing last week and will be putting the finishing touches to her on Wednesday at the last pottery lesson of this year - she is going to be given to grand-daughter as a present. She was also an order from said grand-daughter.

nuff for now

cheers

claustrophobia

2011-11-30T12:30:00.004+02:00

little missy finished her first year of primary school today. on the way home we had to stop in at the school uniform shop and buy her tunic and blazer for NEXT year - Grade 1.

the sole mandate with the estate agents comes to an end today and from tomorrow we are using a 'real' estate agent who will come to take professional photos over the weekend. he has said that he will have no difficulty selling our house

tomorrow is December 1st. This time last year i was putting the finishing touches to the collection of clothes i would be taking with me to the UK to stay with my aunt in Wintry Wales. I received a christmas card from her this week, with a lovely close up photo of a Robin on the front- when the card is opened, it plays a recording of Robin birdsong - something to remind me of the time I spent knee-deep in snow, trying to take a good clear photo of a Robin with my (now stolen) 35mm camera. This little birdie regularly visits her garden at this time of year.

I was sure, when I left Wales after my Dec 2010 holiday that i would be in the UK by the end of this year. Just goes to show, one shouldn't plan too far ahead.

What do you call an Elf who is frightened of Santa Claus?

....

Claustrophobic

stuffing things up in cyber space

2011-11-18T09:11:00.003+02:00

being a twit isn't easy i'm finding. most of the time this happens: Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup which I am finding is severely boring. The limited amount of 'characters' also poses a problem for someone like me who battles to condense sentences to one or two symbols/keystrokes ... i do prefer to write out words in full. I note that even the illustrious Neil Gaiman condenses words, uses acronyms and abbreviations ... really annoying and condescending at the same time.

today started off quite well but it's fast going downhill.

tweet me @lucretia610 (I think, cos I keep changing settings and Twitter doesn't like that at all)

Stunning new moon pictures

2011-11-17T16:49:00.002+02:00

Source over here

yay its friday

2011-10-21T11:27:00.003+02:00

got myself a nifty little hand-held recording device and have started speaking stuff out. ... time will tell.
I also issued a challenge to my bestest mate to get on with it and start writing again. if yer reading this, dude, where's today's sample?

we have put the radio in the office. there were several reasons for this.
1. my youngest daughter - who sits right at the end of the room to me, has a problem with her nose ... she sniffs or breathes really heavily all day long - sometimes she sounds like a crack ho .... after half an hour or so, it gets to a point where i want to go and ram a toothbrush up her nostrils. And I don't sit right next to her (my eldest daughter does, poor thing)
2. having music in the office is supposed to make for more relaxed workers ... i never found that to be the case in the past. Possibly because in all the other companies i've worked for, we had to listen to Highveld or 5fm ...
We have it into Mixfm - which is broadcast from Midrand and actually plays half decent stuff most of the day - alternative, punk, rock, grunge ... old, old classics (60's, 70's ... even old Chuck Berry!) .. every now and then they chuck in Beyonce, or middle of the road rap crap - then we just turn it down. Yesterday it was great fun, we had it on full blast playing London Calling (the Clash), next was Nirvana's "Smells like teen spirit" ... so we were all head banging about and pogoing everywhere. Great fun.

Lions Tigers and Bears ... oh my .... and other ditties

2011-10-20T17:06:00.010+02:00

I don't really care about the backstory and why the owner of these animals let them escape, then killed himself ... i just want to know, in this sophisticated 21st century of ours, why the poor creatures weren't darted and removed to an approved 'accredited' animal sanctuary? Why were they all shot? Reeks of an opportunistic redneck hunting spree gone wrong to me.

Louise de Waal ... what can a person say about this? Well first off, the South African justice system is a complete JOKE. Secondly, the fucker should be castrated, hung up, drawn and quartered - in public. Then they should shoot him, burn him on the stake and finally stick a few knives in. If this bastard gets to actually remain in prison (again another joke), i hope he 'gets it' up the arse so many times he bleeds for the rest of his life.

Jacob Zuma's posh new pad R170 million to fix up the interior of Mahlamba Ndlopfu (the official residence of our illustrious president). What? The Star reported that something like R30 million was needed to fix the swimming pool. For god's sake, an OLYMPIC swimming pool wouldn't cost that much to upgrade. Jesus Wept.

Zuma is supposed to be a public servant ... not Sheik Yerbootie or King Aswad the 3rd

Completely obscene.

Thank God, Tom Waits has a new album out soon.

I know this is old but i just love this chick ....

trick or treat? therein lies the rub

2011-10-17T12:17:00.001+02:00

God it’s almost the end of the year again and i’m still languishing in Gauteng.

I’ve gone to Pot - starting ceramic classes in November – should be fun pottering about with wet clay.

I’m getting trickles of enquiries in on a regular basis from the Little Vixen website. Most of the time it’s for things i’ve run out of stock of ... duh. Can’t complain though, at least there is interest out there. Sometime in November/December i’m going to arrange another LV party and sell stuff ‘live’, it’s always fun selling to chicks in an informal setting, little bit of wine, some snacks ...

I’m also under orders now to write a book, dammit! ergo i have to get a handheld dictaphone/voice recording device and just sommer speak it out – that way it will get done quicker, i hope. Every other method has failed dismally – i.e. keeping a note book next to the bed, or in my bag; using a dedicated laptop ... etc. etc. .... the ideas always come to me when i don’t have any of the aforementioned equipment to hand.

what yer listening to?

Just once it would be nice to

2011-09-28T07:58:00.001+02:00

have a champion.

Someone who carries my banner, takes care of me, has my back and is not afraid to stand up on my behalf. Someone who I can lay with at night, to hold and love, to talk to about nothing things and big things. Someone who loves me with no reservation, is happy to be with me, feels fulfilled because he is with me. Someone who can protect me when the world crushes in, like it is doing at the moment.

eyup and pay attention

2011-09-21T07:15:00.001+02:00

My son started his own blog this week ... i think it's worth a mention and a link - to hell with nepotism.

go here

'ello poppits

2011-09-09T14:37:00.002+02:00

well, i am really excited about my website and the fact that it is starting to come up in searches (Google.co.za). We are doing a lot of work (make that, I am doing a lot of work) to tweak the site (keywords and what not) . SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is my new buzzword and i'm trying really hard to learn all that ... i find it really interesting (cos i'm a class A nerd)

I have gone completely BLONDE (hair and personality) ... i'm liking it lots, i get looks from chaps (always a bonus) ... but i'm not really having more fun. Cough.

We found a bunch of new estate agents who seem more sparky than the do-dos we signed a sole mandate with and they have assured us that we will be able to sell our house relatively quickly and at the price we want ... so please put out good karma and positive house-selling vibes my direction hey?

All for now.

Sorry to crow about the Foxy Lady

2011-08-24T19:53:00.002+02:00

I am obviously 'tweaking' stuff continuously on my new website, so i suppose you could say the Vixen is still wet behind the ears, although i'm not sure about that turn of phrase.

I still have a load of things to learn and fix - there are some issues with the coding on the website, I know. The top bits (where it says R currency bla bla) will be fixed soon, I promise The hosting company who migrated my old site (www.littleminx.co.za) to Little Vixen's home on the www, didn't do such a great job and left bits dangling in cyberspace. We are running around trying to find them, as we speak. One stuff up at a time, I guess.

Little Vixen gets more personality

I opened up a Blog for her tonight ... it's over here I think it will be fun to try and develop her character and this is also where i would like to post the odd interesting story with a sexual/erotic bent (so to speak) ... I don't intend that the Blog will just be another place to put photos and duplicate what's on my website but i have to start somewhere and I have lots of pwitty pictures!!

If you are still reading this crap and would like to come up with a naughty story, or any point of interest that could be debated on Little Vixen's Blog, please let me know.

Balancing Karma

Of course, now i have to devote an entire website to selling God things .... har har ... cough.

Anyhoo on the subject of holiness, can you believe this ... we were driving back from Braamfontein on the M1 (the busiest highway in Johannesburg) this afternoon and we overtake this tow truck. Blazoned on the side was

"CHRISTIAN" ... the T being a huge Cross .... "We tow for Jesus" underneath the word Christian. That surely takes the cake, hey? :) I was a bit flabbergasted but couldn't stop laughing. It brightened up my day.

Welcome to Little Vixen

2011-08-20T23:54:00.003+02:00

For Foxy Adult Toys and Lingerie

I am rightly proud to announce that my brand new website www.littlevixen.co.za is officially 'live'

Thank you to everyone who supported me in this venture, it was a unique learning curve for me and i'm sure this will continue for as long as my online retail store is in operation (I hope for a long, long time!) I apologise to all my international friends who can not purchase from the site at this point, as it is only equipped to handle e-commerce from within South Africa. I also need to point out that i'm a new player in this very large industry, so I don't have a large stock holding ... hopefully this is going to change :)

In January of this year, I took up a bit of a mental challenge from one of my family members. I had kept on and on about doing an e-commerce website, had lots of ideas but nothing was actually getting done. I then decided to stop talking about it and actually do it. From the bottom up. Myself. I didn't want to go to some fancy private developer, pay a huge sum of money for a website and ten minutes later, there it was - with little or no input from me.

The object of my exercise was to see if I could drive the concept from basic sketchy thought/idea and carry it through to a real, live, working e-commerce website.

Well, I've pulled it off. I know how it works, how it is put together, the whole shebang - so I am giving my badself a great big pat on the back. As my Senior Developer pointed out at tonight's launch party, i did all the work myself - from conception, planning and overall site design, to sourcing reputable suppliers, to loading the products images and descriptions, working with the modules, configurations and coding. SEO work has also been started by myself - i still have a lot to do in this regard but i know i will get it done now. I set up the business end of the company as well as the marketing, budgeting, accounting and all other facets.

Everyone had a great time at the launch party tonight, I was well chuffed with the presentation, which we did on our nice big flat screen tv. All the bits and pieces worked, my 'happy bags' (that I gave to each couple when they left the party) were a great success. I couldn't have asked for more.

Just for once, I can take credit for seeing something through from start to finish and i'm feeling just a little bit proud of myself! Cheers.

Now the real hard work begins ... yay!

Bring it on.

Knew I should have kept my mouth shut

2011-08-16T19:16:00.006+02:00

... well I now have basically got Pneumonia (might as well have, because the quack has given me the same antibiotic that you would give to someone in that state). I've been sick since we came back from our trip to Loskop Dam, now it's in my chest and i have a lovely wheezing, hacking cough. Oh well, at least i'm keeping the doctors and pharmactists happy ..... ka-ching

My part of the stuff revolving around my new business is completed - i've loaded all my products, sorted out the design thingies .... now i'm just waiting for my updated logo (which I am supposed to be getting tonight but don't hold her breath) and then it's A for away. I have threatened my two developers (that sounds so cool ... nobody has to know they are my sons ... ) that unless they finish by the end of this week, they are fired. It's not like they are doing out of the goodness of their heart, or because of familial connections ... I am paying the buggers.

Nothing much else to report at the moment, other than i seem to have suddenly also developed a bad case of the farts (that's cos they fed me a boerewors roll tonight for supper .... yugh, i HATE boerewors )

Anyway, I won't stay around any longer, cos this is putting a hurt on my nose (with respects and regards to the guru of it all .... one Frank Zappa (')(') .... them's Apostrophe's .... duh .... one of my all-time faves)

Post Script

Oh crap, I knew i couldn't just put one frigging track up here ....

Talking about God

2011-08-11T00:44:00.001+02:00

Some amazing photos on the Space.com website - over here of the Solar flares, taken in June this year.

Psssst ...

2011-08-10T15:19:00.002+02:00

Hey ... i don’t want to say it too LOUD but looks like i’ve sorted out all the IT crap i was having with the website design, functionality etc. etc. (yawn) and that once I have finished loading all the database again (groan), i will be able to GO LIVE – i am tentatively setting that date to August 15^th – which is the 42nd anniversary of when Woodstock opened its doors to flower children everywhere and I fell head over heels in love with Jimi Hendrix

God Complex

2011-08-09T22:03:00.007+02:00

I started writing with a pen on paper (remember that sensation?) I told myself that i didn't want to write this stuff out in a Blog or on a 'puter. But there's no denying things sometimes. So here I am typing some of it out on this Blog. Don't ask me why.

There are many premises in my head. I hate them all, they confuse me. And all of them devolve back to one singular question.

What is God?

Is it possible, in today’s society, to know what God is? Is it necessary to even think about this question? Is it relevant? Do you think about the existence (or not) of God on a regular basis?
If you do, does it mean you are a crack pot? Does it mean that you are a Born Again? Why would you have to be born again? This implies that there was something wrong with the way you were made the first time round. God isn't supposed to make mistakes.

I don’t doubt. But i don’t understand. I know there is something ‘other’, something way bigger than me, way more significant than politicians, rock stars and movie actors, something so super-massive, it dwarfs the Sun, the solar system, cosmos ... and so tiny, it lives inside my cells, is buried in my genetic DNA. The presence of God is atomic and cellular. And it keeps wanting me to write about it.

Went Fishin'

2011-08-08T23:28:00.004+02:00

Spent a couple of hours trawling YouTube tonight, which is kinda fun when you've nothing better to do (tomorrow is a public holiday here), so i can sleep in ... yay.

Well, I started the proceedings off with some MUSE - watched most of the singles and still cannot decide whether this band is Queen revisited or the a much better version of The Mission ... time will tell ... can't help myself though, i do love their stuff. Then had a look at the new COLDPLAY, which is quite a lot of the same really ... although haven't listened to anything other than the single. I always had a soft spot for Coldplay, so i suppose i will end up buying it. Then watched some really old CREAM ("Badg"e - is my all time favourite Cream song), checked out a live version of "Born Under A Bad Sign" by ALBERT KING and wait for it .... STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN ... ooo that weren't half great. Also watched some T-REX, a bit of PINK FLOYD, some BLIND FAITH, the Top Of The Pops version of FREE's seminal "All Right Now" toon (that was one of my fave albums of all time) ... mosied on past JIMI HENDRIX and watched him do the Woodstock "Star Spangled Banner" freak out performance ... then I ended up giggling through this foot stomping, bootie grinding jive from ol' rubber hips himself .... (Note to self, try to figure out how to take the ads off YouTube Embeds ... so you don't have to click the 'x' button)

It still amazes me how gritty and HUGE his voice is, considering what a tiny little chap he is. :) Enjoy

Yum Yum Yummy 美味

2011-08-04T16:17:00.003+02:00

Couple of new movies that i want to see ... "The Sorcerer and White Snake" (with my man, Jet Li) and ... the new Shaolin thingie with Andy Lau. Wonder when they'll get released here?

what does the word 'GOD' mean to you?

2011-08-04T13:24:00.004+02:00

we are going away this weekend to Loskop Dam (Mpumalanga) - to a holiday resort type of thing there (self-catering lickle housies). It should be fun, i hope. We were all going to try and squeeze into my miniscule (but lank sexy) Proton Satria Neo (i.e. me, two daughters, two grandchildren) but honestly, FIVE people, plus groceries, changes of clothes, smelly takkies etc. wouldn't work. The boot of this car is just big enough to house a case of beers. Anyhoooo we have hired a veeHiKul ... something like a Nissan Tiida (or worse) ... i was so hoping that we'd get a Subaru (again) but not to be this time. Anyway, will post some photos when we get back.

The man of the house (plus my other two sons) are all going to the Drakensberg for an Airsoft Convention ... play-play army dudes shooting the shit out of each other for two days, crawling about, digging trenches, freezing their butts off ... all in the name of fun. Can't see it myself.

I have given up posting updates about the state of play with regards my new online business, the website is still not up and running (don't ask me, i only work here) ... ONE DAY i will be able to present you all (er ... i think there's only one person reading this) with the LINK!! Oh joy and wow, won't you be thrilled then?

Answer the question. Long or short ... email it to me or post here. email is lucretia610@gmail.com but you knew that

Open to anyone.
Over and out.

dum de dum

2011-07-30T22:08:00.003+02:00

hey
i note, with some gloom, that a certain person has not been able to comment on my blog ... i actually have no farking clue why that should happen. If you are on WordPress that might be an issue, damned if I know. Hope it doesn't persist. Comments are enabled, always have been.

Been very lazy and not posting to the blog for a l-o-o-ong time. Lots of stuff got in the way, life is what you call it. The website that i am starting (cough) is coming along, not anywhere near as quickly as I had initially thought. Had quite a few technical issues, that still seem to be lurking. We are now going to be using Linux, so i guess i have to get that old penguin t-shirt out after all. I have had a lot of problems sorting out a payment portal that is compatible with the site design, hopefully we have now sorted it out because it's becoming right tedious. Monday everything gets exported to Linux and then the big test. Hold thumbs. you'd think i was launching Sony or something.

You'll see that i deleted the NASA thingie about the evolution of space ships ... quite stupid putting there in the first place. I have also fiddled about a bit with the site tonight - probably fucked it up left right and centre. Par for the course.

My personal life doesn't happen at all. I have spent no time doing anything for me personally for maybe six months or more - packed up all my painting stuff, books, beads ... Life revolves around work, 'puters, stress, children, work, tv, sleeping (not much) and trying to cram forty-eight hours into 24 on a daily basis. Our house is on the market, not having much joy with the Estate agency though, and we signed a sole mandate (which i wasn't keen on but what can you do, i'm not in charge) ... anyhow they are threatening to do a 'show house' in a couple of weeks time - not going to lose any sleep over that and not expecting much to come of it. I don't believe anyone ever sells a house via show days. You just get a bunch of nosy neighbours dropping by to go through your stuff and see if your house is better than theirs, then snigger at the price you want for it.

Been trying to learn SEO - i'm so stupid though, can't retain information for longer than it takes to read it. Maybe i should rather do a memory skills course. whatever.

i wish we could get the house sold. we are kinda hedging our lives on it happening and soon ... otherwise, i can't see where we are going to be heading. We all feel pretty directionless at the moment. My other daughter has moved back in with us, to save money - i managed to get her British passport organised for her and will be doing her twin brothers' this month. So that's one thing i've accomplished i guess.

Work just drones on and on and drains the life blood out of us. We are all so heartily sick of immigration and all the whining, baby-stupid clients we have to deal with on a daily basis. It will be such a relief to get the house sold and be able to shut down the immigration business for good. we are so trapped in it. Stuck in sinking sand.

I took Ewan to his first 'invited' birthday party today - a little girl in his nursery school also turned two this month (his birthday party was last weekend). The little girl had a Hello Kitty party - the mother had organised party planners to do the whole thing - little tables set out with covered chairs, balloons tied to each chair, perfect little Hello Kitty table settings and party buckets for each child. A jumping castle, snacks etc. etc. ... all done for her by the party planners, including a beautiful two tiered Hello Kitty cake ... and the mom kept wandering around saying how stressed she was organising the party. Huh? All she did was PAY people to throw the party for her! Makes me want to weep when i see how useless some people are.

My daughter and I had to make a Disney Castle cake on Friday afternoon for Faye's School Winter Carnival. It was a competition. Needless to say that there was much fighting in the kitchen, yelling and screaming, a few tears. Grumpy looks. But eventually we managed to make a Castle Cake that wasn't too bad - although a bit drunk looking (leaning tower of Pisa kinda thing) ... oh well, Faye thought it was wonderful. We didn't win the competition (it was all age-appropriate groups) but at least we tried and many people were very impressed with it, as they passed us walking up the road from the car park to the school.

Oh yes, SEATTLE ended up back in the picture this week ... nothing to do with me. Seems 'LinkedIn' have a feeling that he is a persona that I 'may like to know' ... so they sent me his details. God knows why. I don't.

Nothing much else to report. Life blubbers along.

I need something REALLY GOOD to listen to - any ideas?

Howdy doodie and 'ey up ...

2011-05-31T19:05:00.003+02:00

Where to start?
Well let’s begin with a checklist of stuff that i’ve managed to sort out for my new Adult Toy website, which will be launching (going Live) in July (Dog willing).

 Organised domain name registration and hosting/email/website etc.
 Organised purchase of company and registration – just waiting for updated CK docs
 Organised back-end database and nitty gritty technical stuff and am currently working night and day to get that all 100% fine, so my developers can sign it off.
 Organised my other developer to finish (almost) the overall look of my website, colour scheme and LOGO (yay got that today)
 Organised payment gateway – registration, integration set-up information for the main developer
 Sourced some quite excellent suppliers – ordered maningi Rands (and US Dollars) worth of stuff ... hey! Keep out of my cupboard, you!
 Started working on product descriptions but this still needs a lot more razzmatazz and vavoomffff ...
 Organised ideas for marketing campaign for launch party
 Started working on Internet marketing campaign - sheesh
 Presently sorting out gorgeous packaging = even though goods/products will be delivered in anonymous/discreet packaging per courier or post, the initial boxes that things are wrapped in has got to be stupendously wonderful. No expense spared on that score!
 Getting quotes now for stickers, magnetic decal for my car, business cards, pamphlets and leaflets

 Coming up with new ideas for the blog, which is an integral part of the website .... now this is where YOU come in ...

I’m thinking of offering a small fee for erotic short stories or really funny articles with a sexy angle – no more than 500 words a shot. South African contributors will be paid R500 per published piece per EFT or credit card; overseas contributors would be paid the equivalent in offshore currency per Paypal.

I will credit the author- so i would need your name or alias, city/country of domicile and if you want the item linked, then your personal URL/blog address - for publishing purposes
Copyright will remain yours.

I am working out the basic editorial guidelines because I have to be very picky and choosy about what i put up there on the blog! The guidelines are looking like this:

1. All pieces are written with the express understanding that the piece is published on an Adults Only website (i.e. content is for over 18's only)- you will have to sign a disclaimer.
2. No foul or obscene language to be used in the pieces - just good writing ladies and gents. There are many acceptable terms you can use for the sex act, you don't have to use the F word or others like it. Don't test me on this - i will be very careful what is published on the blog.
3. You can write on any topic that has a sexual, erotic nature - so long as it doesn't feature bestiality, children ... the usual no-nos.
4. I will have ultimate editorial control - if i want to use your piece but feel it needs editing, I will discuss with you and if you agree to the changes, then voila we are all happy.
5. I will only pay for the article within 14 days of it being published live on the Blog. So, for example, if you submit work to me and I accept it, you will only get paid once it has been published.
6. I have control over when your article/piece is published, if something comes along after i have accepted your piece that is better, more topical or livelier, then it will get preference over yours.

The above guidelines are normal practice and what I had to work to when i did freelance writing for the Star newspaper in Johannesburg.

I will initially only feature one story and article per month, thereafter if things get going it could increase to a weekly thing.

Please let me know if anyone would be interested in participating.
I'd really like to have something special on the Blog when we go live in July.

life in the fast lane

2011-04-21T13:58:00.003+02:00

My youngest daughter has broken up with her sod of a boyfriend - after almost three years, she's eventually seen the light. Thank Dog.
Of course, this entailed her moving in to my lickle bedroom- along with one psychopathic furry creature (aka Main Coone Kitten/Cat). so things were a bit cramped (still are) but we managed to find her a bachelor pad down the road yesterday and she's moving in there at the beginning of May. It will be the first time that she's actually got a place all to herself. Exciting times for her. Will be a big financial load of my back as well, these past couple of days have cost me a fortune.

So ... I have the house to myself for the next few days ... whoopie dah.
All the famdamily are away at the coast (Kwazulu-Natal) camping ... i miss little man so much already.

Our plans to go to the UK are moving along very slowly ... well let's rephrase that. They have stopped.
Even though my eldest daughter (the lady of the house) keeps trying to re-assure me that plans are on track, i can't see it.
We've managed to paint the outside of the house and with a bit of luck and management might be able to get an estate agent in to value the place before the end of May. The entire project relies on us selling the house and getting a reasonable profit out of the deal. If that doesn't happen, then this whole UK thing will not happen. My original projection of being there in June was complete pie-in-the-sky ... ho hum

I'm supposed to be working on the web development for my own business this weekend with my eldest son ... so maybe something good happens there. FNB emailed me about opening up a bank account online (cos i just can't get to see anyone in the branch to actually give papers to) ... by the time i eventually get this thing off the ground, i will have spent all my start up capital.

Have a groovy long weekend

RIP SRV October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990

2011-04-20T12:30:00.004+02:00

Hey, hope everyone has a good Easter holiday break.

Speaking of religious icons ...

been trying to find my CD of 'Couldn't stand the weather' but it seems to have disappeared, along with a whole load of other cds i collected back in the day. Thank dog for UBoob ... my fave track off that album was the studio version of this one ....

To think Stevie was taken off this world over twenty years ago ... that's insane!

i could tell you about my life ...

2011-04-08T21:58:00.003+02:00

i do so love rummaging about in YouTube trying to find stuff i was in love with as a girl. I had good taste back then.

Anecdote:
In December 1968 when i migrated to South Africa with my parents, i boarded the plane with a box containing over 70 black vinyl seven-singles (the old 45's), on the top was "Albatross", which had just been released. It was a treasure of mine for a very long time. But THIS song is my all time favourite Peter Green toon:

Pure, clean, elegant, genius.

got new precious sssss....

2011-04-08T18:14:00.002+02:00

yum
trying out my new Dell Vostro 3700 ... lovely machine, very happy with it so far.
ended up buying it from Inedible Corruption ... they were the only outfit in my area who actually had stock. so ended up paying premium price for it but i don't care.

playing nicely.
chat later.

Retail Stress

2011-04-06T17:56:00.003+02:00

some things can become so tedious and boring - like trying to organise a new laptop, for instance. a specific company was recommended to me, i enquired about machine, they had that i wanted at the right price, right specs etc.

I then had to go through the performance of opening a 7 day account - why? i was paying cash in advance, up front, for the machine, so this was annoying but i went through the whole account application process, was approved and then the order was officially acknowledged.

Next I found out that they wouldn't accept my credit card, i had to do an EFT. That wouldn't have been a problem at the beginning of March but after laying out funds to register my new company etc. etc. i was just a few hundred short on the cash front, so wanted to pay by credit card. Another hassle to overcome. Anyway, got that sorted out - i paid my daughter by credit card and she agreed to transfer the funds from her company account to the place i was buying the laptop from. All done and dusted. Sit back and wait for delivery of my new machine.
Think again

Next thing, i get an email (not a phone call) saying that they didn't have stock of the machine i'd ordered, would i take this one instead? and there were the details for another machine (lower specs and not what i wanted at all). I said, er no ...
then i was presented with another machine a day later in email (again no phone call) and this one looked okay. it was RED, so obviously goes faster. (hur hur)
I agreed on the substitute machine and sat back waiting for delivery of the new choice.
Think again
Then i get told, the next day (again in email) that there's no stock of THAT one either but I can have a PIENK one. I tell salesman that i will whack him over the head if he tries to deliver a PINK laptop to me.

By now, i'm starting to smell all sorts of rats.
I request my money back

Then get told to hold on, the supplier is getting more stock on Monday and i will be presented with more options to choose from. I tell the chap that i am not interested in Acer or HP, so don't even bother to send me specs on those machines.
Tuesday comes ... late in afternoon, i start getting emails with one machine per email - first off ... you guessed it - Acer.

I email back, rather snottily, and tell sales chap that he wasn't listening to me and i am not interested in Acer. He replies that he knows that but wants to send me specs of ALL machines they have available.

Then sends me emails with ... HP machines.
Can't people READ anymore?

I again ask for my money refunded.
Then he sends me another email with details of an even lower spec machine, nothing like what i originally ordered.

Last night, i sent an email threatening to take them to a lawyer if they didn't refund the money like NOW.

I get more emails today, with more machines i'm not interested in and eventually a promise email from the salesman telling me that they will refund the money i've paid to them already and he's sorry that the supplier let him down and i was messed about.

I'm still waiting for my refund.
I guess this saga will continue.
Ho Hum

Mercurial pics.

2011-04-06T14:02:00.003+02:00

MESSENGER
(MErcury, Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging

M'um

2011-04-04T21:26:00.003+02:00

I only have to hear the first few tinkling windchimes and i'm back in that hopeless, crazy, lonely savage place i was in with you. Saturdays and Sundays spent talking online with you all day. Driving to work on Monday morning, knowing you were waiting, lying awake, for me to get to work so you could continue the conversation until you passed out from too much Belvedere. Times i won't ever forget or want to. Thank you for showing me another side of life from all the way over there in Seattle. A life i can never have
.... and leaving me with so many exquisite sounds to feed off, like this one from Iceland's M'um ....

sunday

2011-04-03T22:34:00.007+02:00

why is it still impossible to get into a bank on a saturday morning at the end of the month? why is it even necessary to have to go into a bank to open an account in this day and age?

i got the online account opened on Friday evening, oh big whop.
however ... one can't actually do anything with an online facility because there's no actual bank account attached to it, is there? stupid bloody waste of time and energy that was.

so i will have to take time off this coming week to go in to the bank when you can actually get near a consultant and try my best to get a bloody bank account opened, geez.

don't want to get my hopes up but with a bit of it, my computer supplier might have the right notebook for me tomorrow ...

found out, whilst surfing through one of my fave websites this evening, that I have RLS (restless leg syndrome) and the cure for it is a bit of onanism. whodathunkit?

Decided to start posting one or two songs each time of toons i completely dig, and always will 100% for all time. Starting with this one by the genius that is BECK:

Follow this link to a little thing i wrote that was inspired by this Beck song back in May 2005 on my original Story-Crossing site. Keep wondering whether it would be a worthwhile exercise resurrecting that concept?

Anyhow, i'm tired ... leaving you with a track by one of my fave bands of the past ten years ... and hardly anybody really gives a damn about them. Warning: Shock Horror! NO annoying moving pictures ... you can just listen, like we used to do when radio was half-decent and played stuff that people wanted to pay money for.

sum of all its parts

2011-03-31T21:57:00.005+02:00

part the first

yes, so i am getting there slowly but surely. got Hosting sorted out, we begin work on the actual architecture this weekend. Not got logo yet but it's in the stewing pot and shouldn't take much longer. going into bank/s* to rob them on saturday ... cos i do need to get me a business account, I suppose. i used to think that stuff was lank boring but it isn't ... it's exciting, it means that i am quite serious about actually trying to make some munny.

checking out the naughty bits

holy crap, i got the catalogues on Wednesday ... i've gone purple. the place where i'm getting my 'stock' from is based in South Africa but their head office/factory is in Germany ... the catalogue is about five hundred pages thick, is heavier than a bible and has over 7000 products in it. some of the stuff would make a sailor blush.

two

so there i was all getting excited for delivery of my brand new notebook that was supposed to happen tomorrow ... only to find out that they aint got stock. then the chap emails me and says "we can't get the red one but they've got pienk ... would you like a pienk laptop?"

(he's Afrikaans is my salesman, so has a cute way of spelling things)

PINK
Fuck the EFF OFF !

My reply went something like - "
Do I look like a PINK person to you? If you bring me a PINK 'puter, I will smash you over the head with it."

He does have a sense of humour does my IT salesman but for effs sake, i'm quite pissed off actually. Why make me go through all the rigmarole of opening an account, take my money and then tell me you haven't got stock and erm ... won't be ordering that particular model anymore because it's been superceded with another range (of course, more expensive). Now I have to wait while he gets a few more for me to see and emails me the specs etc. etc. .... quite irritating. So i won't be playing with a brand new toy over this weekend and i was so looking forward to that.

three

my eldest g-child (who is six in May) had her first concert today and all the 'old folks' were invited. it was very sweet, i'm so proud of her.
babysitting little man on sat'day night - cos mom, dad and eldest g-child are going to some birthday party for one of their ex-biker friends. I have decided that i am going to get him an Optimus Prime Transformer or some such mega-toy and we are going to play with it, make a lot of noise, eat junk food, watch movies, drink beer, jump on the bed ... the usual stuff you do with 20 month old toddlers.

seven (were you honestly counting?!)

can't see myself getting any leave this year, which is making me a bit depressed. i'm very tired and really would like a week or so to myself and it looks like that is how i will be spending holidays in future. what with school and holidays and the man and woman of the house having to tailor holidays to suit school holidays. we can't all go away at the same time, what with the business/es etc. The lady and man of the house, with children, are going away towards the end of April for almost two weeks (camping at the coast) and yours truly has the place to herself. it will be fun for one or two days but then it will be crap, cos i always miss them when they are not here. i'm supposed to have gone down to Hermanus already to scatter my mum's ashes in the sea ... stupid. won't be doing that any time soon and don't want to go near Hermanus for a very long time, if ever at all but i wouldn't mind going down to Cape Town. I miss you, you know. Yes, you.

C

I'm still madly in love with this Radiohead thingie - i know this band is not everyone's cup of tea. i just think their music is so technically brilliant, smooth, liquid and complex. why they stopped at 8 tracks is beyond me.

*just thought i'd put that in to see if anyone's awake or actually reading this piffle on a regular basis.

abstract watercolours

2011-03-30T12:43:00.003+02:00

All on Artist quality watercolour paper/support
Mixed media - watercolour, chalk, tube glue and acrylic

dumdedumdedum.... swoon

2011-03-25T20:48:00.000+02:00

not got much to say tonight, so i give you this ...

my new interweb baby is almost ready to be born

2011-03-24T20:04:00.001+02:00

well this week has been very productive, despite the initial hiccups with the domain shite. got that done. i am now the proud owner of www. ........ .co.za - can't show any of you's yet until it's live. Managed to get most of the hosting sorted out and the e-commerce stuff, so i'm almost a for away. got my account set up with my supplier. got CC registration. sorted out a new laptop.
i'm quite the businesswoman when i get started.

see you

what's in a (domain) name?

2011-03-21T21:55:00.003+02:00

Geez, there was i thinking this little exercise would be a piece of piss/cake ... should be finished in a couple of hours. ha!

try two full days trawling the web, random name search engines, dictionaries, thesauruses (is there such a word? who cares), phrase books, Histories of the Norse language, Yorkshire dialect lists, Medieval archives and Latin to English translators .... did you know that SONY got it's name from Sonus? No, i bet you didn't ... cough. Anyway, i digress. Can't find a bloody suitable name YET for my new website - the name has to come first you see (hah, there's a pun if ever there was one).

i might have a competition - to see if one of my illustrious reader/s can come up with a suitable name that i can buy as BOTH a dotcom and a dotcoza (cos i'm a greedy sonofabitch) ... prize will be a weekend away*#

I have found many names for websites, some quite good and to the point (classy and elegant, not sleazy). But it's like trying to find a pudding in a palace, cos of all the domain-name pirates there are out there ... you find a perfect name, do a search and it's taken but you can have it for $4999 ... yawn. I've gotten really tired of this exercise today. I found a great website called Bustaname and thought my problems were solved ... it's a really execellent website ... if you are looking for obscure computer generated really crap domain names that nobody on earth would actually want to buy ... argh.

*who knows where
# or not

layout change and family stuff ... yawn.

2011-03-18T21:36:00.005+02:00

decided to revert back to black, got a bit sick of the green grass, dandelion seeds fluffing about in the breeze and general, hop-skippity-bump of the last template. I'm too lazy, as well, to compose a design on my own to put up here.

meeting with my 'web developer' tomorrow for lunch, so hope i can get all the stuff sorted out for the new site, or at least start working on the basic framework/architecture.

the light of my life is a bit sicky poo at the moment - literally. he stands and projectile vomits wherever he wants to (has some kind of post-nasal drip that sits there waiting to be upchucked come light of day ... luverly) ... we kept him at home today, which i find is something quite wonderful and a special treat - bugger work - i would rather spend all day playing with him than working anytime. he's two in July, can't believe how the time has whizzed past. His sister is 6 in May, that's even scarier (and so is she). what is it with 5 1/2 year olds? once they start school, it's over - you can forget having any influence at all in their lives. we actually don't know zilch. at least today, she came home in a good frame of mind and actually said hello to everyone, like she meant it. makes a change. god knows what she will be like when she's 16. Mercifully i probably won't be alive then.

i had a few things to say tonight but have ended up diarising. never mind.
my second daughter is going to get engaged soon - the ring is almost ready (she was given a stone by a friend of her husband-to-be and has had it set in her own design). Of course, the husband-to-be hasn't actually asked for permission to marry her yet ... that's looming on the horizon. i hope to be out of the country on holiday somewhere exotic when that happens, so i can't be held responsible. I guess i have to just face up to the fact that she IS going to marry this jerk, no matter what any of her brothers/sisters/parents/friends/cousins/uncles/aunts and grand-parents think. Oi vey.

balancing acts

2011-03-17T19:37:00.003+02:00

Everything seems to be in a state of flux in my world ... all the time.

I used to have definable passions and interests that drove me to do all sorts of crazy, successful magic things but now, I feel like I’m in a pinball machine smacking about from one obstacle to another, not really sure where I’m going, what the purpose is, other than I will eventually roll down the black hole into nothingness. Great. It’s being so enthusiastic that keeps us going.

I had what I thought was a really good idea at the beginning of last week, started putting it into fruition and now I’ve had the wobblies, and don’t know if I should just pack the idea in and forget about it. Story of my life. it's not a unique idea for a business (internet driven) but at least one member of my family has made me think that it has readily identifiable unsavoury undertones.

Okay, well seeing as you asked ... i was thinking of starting an online adult toy website ... (cue for snarky, cheesy, smutty comments) ... i've sourced a reputable, reliable supplier in South Africa and the products are state of the art, high quality thingies; i have several new ideas that aren't being done on other sites offering these products and thought i stood a chance at starting something unique.

But now, after what my son said to me yesterday evening, i'm having second thoughts and wondering if i should just pack it all in. he seems to be concerned that it will somehow get out to his bosses that his mum owns a sex toy website and ergo, he will get fired. how he even drew that conclusion is beyond me.

I let people put me off things, I take opinions too much to heart – maybe this is a side effect of being a Libran, constantly weighing shit up, balancing this and that … in the end, nothing gets done and the whole concept/idea/fantasy loses momentum and peters out into nothing. I am trying really hard to stay positive, to keep telling myself that I’m onto a good thing with my idea, that I will end up making myself a really decent living by it and not be reliant on immigration for the rest of my days on this planet and then the niggling doubts come into the equation and I’m back to worrying, over-analysing and looking for an out. Am i? is that what I’m doing all the time? am I my own worst enemy? How to get around that? You can’t. self-help books/courses don’t work, they are a lie, designed to appeal to fucktards like me who can’t get their act together.

I am saying to myself tonight that I will try. That’s all I can do. If it doesn’t work, then tough but at least, just this ONCE I will have seen an idea through from light bulb to concrete action and results.

well it's pretty damn obvious isn't it?

2011-03-08T20:52:00.000+02:00

Obligations, Complications ... routines and schedules …

2011-03-07T21:15:00.003+02:00

Today I was depressed, frustrated .. just wanted to lie on my bed and listen to Thom.

Wasn’t interested in email, doing work, speaking to people – kept feeling an overwhelming urge to throw something at the wall. My aunt called from the UK and even though it was fun speaking to her and we had a good laugh, I felt empty when I put the phone down.

Seemed like I was in some eerie Matrix today – like I wasn’t really in the world, on the edge, looking in and I didn’t like what I was seeing about my situation, so that made me even more fed up and angry.

Life is complicated, when it should be simple.

Life is strange when it should be comfortable.

I am financially secure, have a job, personal possessions, everything I need to keep me amused and busy but then I hear you and I realise that I miss having someone to love, someone exciting, brilliant and genius filling up my concrete still life. Someone adult. Someone complicated, gifted, strange, beautiful and animal.

Little by little by hook or by crook
never in earnest, never get judged
... i don't know where it is i should look

it's like when i first discovered the best of Leo Kottke, the chord sequences are so pure, so clear, they actually hurt. Maybe I need to listen to someone else for a couple of months.

you got some nerve

2011-03-06T20:56:00.005+02:00

i'm not going to wax lyrical about Radiohead and this new thing, it's just exquisite. a masterpiece of aural architecture. best thing i've heard in a very long time - such a relief to have my brain waves thrilled again and played with by this stunning music. thank you again Thom and the team.

my daughter and I were out shopping today at Eastgate and the phone rings (our security gate personnel fone us whenever we have visitors, cos we live in a moated garrisoned fortified castle ... well might as well be) ...
Yeah, well some fucktard client had decided to come past to drop off his documents. 11am on a Sunday morning. Jesus H Fried Chicken. I could spit.

I was supposed to do so much today but ended up fiddling around with electronics and getting my fone sorted out. And i bought new headphones. If there is one piece of advice that i'd like to be remembered for it is this - when it comes to listening to music, make sure to treat yourself to a pair of REALLY GOOD headphones at least once a year and really good doesn't translate to rip off Skullcandys.

the famdamily are going away in April - camping for over 10 days, i know i will miss them the minute they pull out the drive but i am so looking forward to some peace and quiet - being able to bring all the paint downstairs, fiddle about with new canvasses (i've got a lot of blank ones stacked up in my storage room downstairs) - many ideas, lots of things bursting to come out, so i am really excited about having this time to myself. I will be able to play my music loud, jump on the couches, get drunk, watch porn, sleep late ... usual shit.

"While the cat is away, do what we want ...."

Did I forget? Thanks Thom.

it's unfurling

2011-03-06T00:26:00.003+02:00

a cascade of glittering frequencies, all to lose myself in.

I bent the credit card - well i had to, didn't i?

Maybe too early

But Oh thank you Thom, Thank You again

i'm almost afraid to listen to more than two tracks at a time, in case it descends into crapdom.

So far so amazing, so good.

the rest of your study material has been couriered to you

2011-03-04T14:18:00.002+02:00

and this is how it looked when DHL delivered it:

like it's been dragged through someone's back garage, under a bus and chucked over a fence.

Please people, don't ever make the mistake of signing up with intec college.

the things we do for family

2011-03-03T15:52:00.002+02:00

she's about four foot tall, has long strawberry blonde hair, skin like clotted cream, huge hazelnut eyes and lashes that Maybelline would die for ... (and i'm not talking about the fairy chick)

"oh nanna ... please put the picture of the queen of the fairies on the internet so i can see the pretty flashing lights"

not my fault.

Anyhoo ... i've moved mrs fairy to below (she's a bit loud for my sidebar)

Debris around the dwarf Star - HD53143

2011-03-02T08:05:00.002+02:00

Lank cool pic this - courtesy of the Hubble

oh almost forgot

2011-03-01T15:41:00.004+02:00

TRENT REZNOR !!!!! you dog

Wtf

I was PRAYING that he would strip off his tux and start stomping out 'I wanna fuck you like an animal' to all the assembled perfectly-manicured mealie-mouthed media-whore celebs ... but nope, didnay happen.

whodathunkit? he's turned into his dad.

like shoowee man - the drugs do work

2011-03-01T15:30:00.003+02:00

yes so i decided to try and be valiant and get out of bed this morning, doll my self up a bit (i.e. put on some plaster of paris and lipstick in a vain half-hearted attempt at the old euphemism 'powdering my nose') and go downstairs to do some wurk.

oh joy

i ended up doing a bit of co-consulting with my daughter for a client who arrived just as i made my grand entrance from upstairs ... during the course of the appointment, i alternated between sweating hog syndrome, dizzy gillespie wobblies, shaking stevens and dribbling idiot stream of consciousness blathering ... he didn't seem to notice most of the time (unless he was just being polite).

I got antibiotics for this cough thing (only one day for three days mind you) and these things are seriously gude drugs. I've been tripping most of today. Also got some pretty nice pain tablets and anti-allergy pillickies (maybe it's a combination of all of the drugs together).

anyway, i'm trying to come back down to earth (although why, i have no idea)

effing clients who don't have lives

2011-02-25T19:33:00.003+02:00

as some frequent visitors to this cyberhole might know, i work from home. we have a very small, compact office that is accessible through our dining room from the main house (our private entrance).

when we close up shop for the night, the interleading door is closed, all outside office doors are locked, lights switched off, 'puters put to sleep etc. etc. we work long hours, we work on saturdays, as well as occasional evenings going to see clients who can't be arsed to take off a couple of hours to make an appointment during business hours (even though the decision they make after consulting with us, will affect their lives and the futures of their children's children).

unfortunately, people (i.e. joe soap the general public) don't seem to recognise that we are entitled to some time off. they seem to believe that we are at their beck and call 24 hours a day.

cut to this evening ... i'm lying in bed suffering from cold, sore throat, runny nose etc. etc. and the lady of the house has the same ailments. All we want at the moment, is some peace, to recover, recharge our batteries and have a fucking break goddamit.

but no .... phone rings at 4.30pm (we close at 4pm on Fridays and our business phone is in the office, not in the main part of the house), again at 5.15 and 7.10pm ... so we decide to answer, in case it is an emergency.
the tosser has phoned all these times just to talk about a form he is filling in and that he's booked his English test (for the third time because he's too full of himself to shut the fuck up, pay attention and do the test properly - so he keeps failing). "is this an inconvenient time?" he asks sweetly. we have to bite back the expletives .... what a turd.

had to get that off my chest.

other than that, i'm fine.
cough, hack, wheeze, sniff, choke, sweat

i need a night nurse.

painting of the week

2011-02-21T14:53:00.001+02:00

Acrylics on Stretched canvas
59cm x 70cm

still a creep

2011-02-20T21:47:00.003+02:00

thanks very much thom yorke, you bugger ... now i have to bend the credit card again, after i so promised myself i wouldn't use it for at least three months ... jeez
Lotus Flower and the attendant quirky video (featuring an elastic limbed Thom, jittering about like a monkey on acid) is such a brilliant toon, can't hear it enough.
Oh well i guess 6 quid isn't so bad for a digital downloadfest ...

in other news, i finished another painting (seem to be on a roll), am also getting more confident and managing to restrain the urge to overwork my pieces. That said, there is a large canvas in my bathroom that i started two years ago and am so tempted to fiddle about with (cos i think it's boring). EVERYONE (i.e assorted members of family, children and little animals) tell me to leave it alone, i'll fuck it up if i start working on it again .. but i have such a strong urge to add shit to it and change lines, add depth, texture ... hmmm.

greatest show on earth

2011-02-14T14:47:00.001+02:00

110,000 people can't be wrong.
Completely, absolutely mindblowing.
Oh YES, i had a good time!!!

link off

2011-02-11T12:18:00.002+02:00

i keep getting all these bloody linkedin requests to join so-and-so's 'professional network' - click here to accept the invitation.

what is it with people?

i've had a cyber presence on the intertubes (thanks Kyk, i seriously dig that term) since about 2002 It might have been earlier, can't exactly remember when i first Googled stuff - and nobody knew then, what Google was ... (so i was considered something of a boffin back then). I have so many net accounts, i need my own personal library system just to store all the usernames/ passwords etc. i DON'T ... repeat DON'T need anymore memberships or invites to labyrinthine forums. I have enough 'net friends, thanks very much. So i DECLINE your invitations.

360 degrees

2011-02-10T17:17:00.002+02:00

Going to the U2 thingie on Sunday - can't wait. Radio are, of course, doing their collective marketing thing - i.e. attaching everything U2 to all their stupid competitions and win-a-ticket-athons ... grrrrr ....

Even though i don't think much to John Legend and believe he's completely over-hyped, i do believe that his cover of the below Bono classic, is possibly the best i've ever heard.

2011-02-10T11:28:00.001+02:00

as the stomach turns ...

2011-02-04T20:58:00.003+02:00

i suppose the real issues at the moment in my life revolve mostly around my youngest daughter and her sudden urge to get engaged. the main reason behind this is that her other brothers have all just done the same thing, so by extension she is feeling left out and also wants a pwitty ring on her finger.

if i break the situation down into byte sized chunks, maybe it will make it easier to swallow / make sense:

1. my daughter is schizophrenic, is on serious medication and has been for over four years (can't remember exactly when she had the first psychotic episode). Despite this illness, she is coping really well and holding down a good job. She socialises well and to all intents and purposes functions perfectly fine.

2. until she has a relapse. which she did last year on a trip to Hermanus with her intended fiance.

3. she has had some absolutely awesome boyfriends in the past - some of them were really good to her and gorgeous men in their own right.

4. the fiance to be - well what can i say that's good about him? nothing.

he has no personality - zilch, nada, nix

looks at everyone with a sly sideways cringing glance

creeps about the place like one of the living dead, is stick thin and not
particularly attractive

has systematically lied to all of us (including my daughter) for
over two years about his so-called 'jobs' ... he has not been
in a genuine lasting job for most of this time (if not longer)

was supposed to be doing a computer course for the better part of 2008 and
2009 (A+). He wrote the tests four times - each time his mother paid
for him to rewrite (and this wasn't cheap). He still has not passed
the course. He doesn't have matric.

he relies on his father (who lives in Witbank) and his mother (who
lives the life of the rich and famous in Hermanus) to bail him out
every couple of weeks with money. they are constantly throwing cash
at him. His mother even bought him his own flat (which is the only
thing that he's got in his favour at the moment) I've met his
mother and stepfather (when they came up to Gauteng to look for a
flat to buy him) ... they are super wealthy people and major
socialites. They have personal homes all over the world and cash
is not a problem but they don't seem to have done much to make sure
that their adopted son gets a good education and make sure he can
provide for himself in the future.

yes, he is an adopted son. we do not know who his biological parents are.

he suffers from epilepsy - not such a problem, many successful people have it
(Jonty Rhodes, for example)- but in his case, it's not a positive
thing.

absolutely everyone who comes into contact with him, can not understand
what my daughter is doing with him - he's a social misfit and reject
my sons want to punch his face in every time they see him.

my daughter knows exactly how i feel about him (per above) - we've told her these things over and over and every now and then she agrees with us and leaves him, to go and stay with one of her brothers. But he doesn't leave her alone, cries and wails when she leaves him, smashes his head against the wall and threatens to kill himself, so she goes back to him.

i do not see any happy future for her with this chap at all - all i see is years of misery, debt and mental problems. he is no good for her emotionally, spiritually or physically - by her own admission, he has erectile dysfunction and she has to force him to have sex with her, he never initiates the process and for a chap his age (he's over 27) this is not natural.

I could go on, there's tons more but this lot is enough to be getting on with.

What am i to do?

I can not find it in myself to rustle up any enthusiasm whatsoever for this intended union - it just makes me feel sick to my stomach. I've been ill, in fact, most of this week with dread thinking about the upcoming meeting that the intended fiance keeps hinting will happen - i.e. the one where he is going to ask if he can marry my daughter.

Nobody will want to attend the wedding (from her side of the family) and if they do, it will not be for his benefit and when the time comes for the priest to ask if anyone of the congregation gathered here today has any reason why these two shouldn't be joined in holy matrimony' ... my entire family will stand up and shout out in unison that
"YES WE DO!"

aargh

so i was wondering, should i sign up on a dating website?

2011-02-02T18:13:00.002+02:00

are my outrageously detailed fantasy dreams, featuring intense sexual liaisons with Jet Li, enough of a reason?

i don't know why i would want to really ... other than that i am starting to feel like this is something i should have tried really hard at making a success out of a few years ago and didn't.

the problem is, men can't really survive without sex.
and i have a very Shirley Valentine approach to all that - i.e. it's a lot of pushing and shoving and you end up with very little in return.

Also, i've got hang ups. (as we all have)
yet, the thought of stripping down to my undies for a strange bloke (i.e. someone who hasn't fathered my grown up children), gives me the willies.

talked myself out of that very nicely hey?

10:15 Saturday Night * (with apologies to His Highness Robert Smith)

2011-01-30T21:48:00.005+02:00

when are they going to bring back the three day weekend?

two days aint enough, specially when minions like myself have to wurk on saturday morning, then spend most of the rest of saturday at the Vet - sorting out kitty that was neutered the day before and ended up sucking his tongue so badly (from stress) he got an ulcer and looked like Pet Cemetery cat the next morning, complete with yellow drool hanging in strings from the side of his mouth (yuck, yuck and upchuck)
rest of saturday afternoon at doctors with grandson, who has developed the weirdest red rash all over his body (except bottom and face) ... nobody knows what it is, so he's going to the paediatrician next week. oh and saturday was the daughter's birthday.

sunday spent cleaning, trying to fix the dishwasher that decided it had had enough of our dirty pots and pans - anyhow, husband of the house managed to find the problem and sort it out, thank god for that - it is an undisputable fact that the dishwasher is the greatest invention of all time.

come sunday afternoon and i actually found some time to paint, clean out the 'puter, do some studying - yep, i'm now a 'student'.

on the studying thing.
paid for the course in full on October 15th last year - only received study material for the course on Monday last week, after i threatened the college with lawyers et al. I ended up putting a complaint on Hello Peter.com and what do you know? next day, the material arrives by Fedex. Now they are emailing and sms'ing me every fifteen seconds (well it seems like it). From the sublime to the ridiculous.
i'm not doing anything fancy, (i.e. don't get all excited and think i started a degree) - it's a none-course in pattern cutting and design, something i've wanted to know more about for a long time. The college has graciously given me until 2013 to finish it (christ, i'm not THAT retarded!)

*cos it's almost 1015 on a Sunday night.

Night night

extreme soppy alert

2011-01-18T22:07:00.003+02:00

you know that if i was twenty years younger, you wouldn't stand a chance hey?
you say that you are surprised that i still get surprised by the connection ... well of course i do. i can't remember what life was like before i found such a friend as you, i can't comprehend most times how fortunate i am. i am safe with you, you are like my own private refuge away from the insanity (or there with me in it). there are times when i don't think about you consciously at the front of my mind but you are always there, the essence of your personality, your voice, and what you would do in this or that situation? no excuses, no need to explain, no need to justify or elaborate, you just know
thank you again, for being my friend. here's to another year of madness.

Migration on track again... phew

2011-01-16T22:56:00.005+02:00

Well we had our lickle migration planning meeting on Saturday night and now we have a 'war room' .. well the beginnings of one - it looks like Google Maps in there. Map of Great Brittania has been mounted on polystyrene board, box of coloured tacks at the ready (for results of job searching). We're nothing, if not thorough.
Anyhow we'll see how our plans go- got a lot to do in the next few months. Having another planning meeting on Monday night.

One of my homies popped past for a look see this afternoon (isn't he pretty!) ...

I told him to come back in 2024 - not ready to leave Earth just yet.

stay a little while on my linoleum

2011-01-14T22:43:00.003+02:00

got out the old "Tweaker" today and am back listening to it again ... the title of this post is from the "linoleum" track - featuring the sublime vocals of David Sylvian.
i was mesmerised by this song (well, the whole damn cd) when i first heard it and it still gives me supernatural chills

"are there more like me ....?
... there's just got to be"

Have a load of mixed emotions this evening - things are not going as full-steam ahead with the UK migration plans as I was expecting and i am getting the distinct impression that the mistress of our household has got cold-feet. She suggested today that I go on ahead of them - get myself a job, find a place to stay and they will join me when they can get around to it. Rather goes against the grain of the whole concept really and pointless, as far as I am concerned. Anyway, we are supposed to be having our 'meeting' this weekend to discuss all angles and scenarios, so i'll try to keep optimistic.

Tref-y-clawdd and surrounding places

2011-01-13T18:37:00.004+02:00

I stayed in a place called Knighton (“Tref-y-clawdd” in Welsh, , which is on the Welsh/Shropshire border. ‘Black & Whites’ (see below) are EVERYWHERE in this part of the world, something I find truly wonderful. There are thousands of listed buildings here, some waiting to be fixed up, others quite brilliantly renovated to their original Tudor splendour.

Went into Hereford on one trip, then to Shrewsbury on the train (lordy, lordy a TRAIN … and I didn’t get mugged, raped or worse).

Spent the day browsing around the book shops in Hay-on-Wye – reputedly the largest second hand bookshop in the world is situated in this town (in the castle) – I didn’t get into that one though. Ended up in a pub/restaurant called The Three Tuns (here’s the website) – which has been renovated after a fire they had there in 2005. Going up the cramped, solid ancient dog-leg stairs to the loos I was dumbfounded/disturbed and thrilled by the age of the place, I could feel the ghosts of highwaymen swirling all around me, resonating through the wood as I touched the posts to go up the stairs … creepy and sublime 

Some photies ...

The Town Crier lives just up the road from my aunt's place:

They do get sun occasionally in Wales ... this taken just outside a tiny little hamlet called "Knucklas" which nestles beneath an ancient Viaduct.

Every sign in Wales is bilingual ... SA doesn't have the total monopoly on that!

A selection of "Black & Whites" in Shrewsbury and Knighton:

Another bit of Ye Olde in Shrewsbury

Snow - got lots of this :

back from the frozen (literally) north

2011-01-10T15:55:00.002+02:00

"Make me a snowman, nanna ... she must have long hair ...."
well i had no option but to comply with the brief

er ....

yes ....

who killed cock robin?

well nobody ... little blighter wouldn't stay still ...
every time i poked my head out of the door to take a snap he fluttered off. kept spying on me from the bushes, even sent his missus out to see what i was up to.

i had a great, peaceful, restful holiday - Shropshire is beautiful any time of the year and i was staying in a lovely little housie in the Welsh town of Knighton (which is on the Shropshire/Welsh border)

happy to be home, the flight back was horrendous.

let it snow ... let it snow ... let it snow ...

2010-12-20T22:46:00.002+02:00

but not at Heathrow
(that rhymes in a weird kinda way)

Crikey, i'm getting increasingly nervous watching the UK weather reports ... minus 27 deg C is an estimate of what temps are going to sink to this week ... wtf?!
i'm going to need the army to get me to Wales, never mind my police escort.
Oh i didn't tell you - my uncle and cousin are collecting me from Heathrow - both retired with some degree of seniority from the British Bobby service. I keep making jokes that they should just put a blue light on the car, thereby making sure they get to the airport in double quick time (in case of congestion and what not) ... they don't take me up on the joke.

every year, round about now, i get asked to 'burn' a Christmas cd - so as to create the right 'ambience' whilst we wait for the Christmas Eve din dins to cook proper like. We usually start cooking in the morning and by the time the damn turkey etc. is ready to eat, table set, candles lit, blah blah, we are all so knackered that we can't face a full plate of food. I don't do Christmas cd's very good - usually end up putting some weird stuff on just to freak people out (at least i've done that in the past when there weren't little uns running about) but this year, i've got to act grown up and do a good job. I have about three gigs of toons (Carols and the like), all the traditional and not so traditional things but somehow when they are all assembled for the family to sing along badly to (nobody ever knows all the words) they lose any kind of magic they had to start off with.

when i was a little geek back in Yorkshire (oh here we go with anecdotes, cue to all to fall asleep), we would be frog-marched from our local church into various modes of transport and shipped out to snowbound farmsteads and outlying manors. once assembled in a frozen tableau in front of the doorways, we would shiver and quake out all manner of hymns by the tonload. Ah, them were the days.

Oh well, i must stop reminiscing and get on with it. I think this year i WILL still include a Tom Waits Christmas toon (something cheery like "Just the Right Bullets")

i got a cowd

2010-12-18T21:06:00.002+02:00

i was struck down this week with the dreaded lurgy, aka a sore throat, chesty cough and general unwellingness ... i usually try and let my own internal system fight off bugs and viruses but this time, seeing as how i'm making the long flight to the UK on the 26th December, thought i should rather play it safe and go to the quack.
many rands later and i now have a stockpile of drugs, throat sprays and what not, guaranteed to keep me in bed for a couple more days at least.

Imogen Heap still keeps fascinating my ears - can't stop listening (and watching) her "Hide and Seek" tune, i'm a bit of a moron that way - if i find a toon a really dig, then i have it on constant repeat. Like i said, moronic. Same with some of the thingies off Massive Attacks' "Heligoland" ... oh and i don't post videos on here, or links to tracks, i'm not that clever. i might link to the artist (like i've done in this post).

There are much better sites out there that post music for your downloading and listening pleasure. One i found recently.

my laptop is such a geeky old thing, it is not at all 'Gizmodo' level ... but i need to take my electronic shit with me on the plane in December, so i can fiddle about on the 'net and do stuff. what to do? the thought of hauling out my battered Acer and plonking it on my drinks tray, while the dude next to me is working on his state of the art Mac or better makes me cringe with embarrassment ... it could be argued by some that my laptop's almost steam driven.
and then again, i'm nervous to put it in my main luggage ... so many cases are stolen by unscrupulous baggage handlers at airports after your shit has been through the Rapiscan - they think they are getting your 1million dollar Luvaglio (the world's most expensive laptop), only to cry when they see the beaten up Acer TravelMate staring at them from inbetween the unmentionables.

My heap of nuts and bolts is not technically an Acer TravelMate though - I mean i've completely obliterated it's original brain and replaced it with a far superior and faster one. Decompartmentalised the compartments, fixed all the glitches, taken out the 'empowering technology" ... so, now my old thing is quite quick off the mark ... Cunning? might be but it still looks crap. There's no elitism in owning an old laptop .. it will never become a cool to own antique. Sigh.

yellow ... all ye what enter here

2010-12-15T19:56:00.000+02:00

i have gone back to my roots
hold on to yourselves.