TAKING CHANCES

Through out my entire year that I have spent at Rhodes University, I have been tempted to climb on the bikes which are right next to the Eden Grove building, on campus. However this seemed to fail because I was told that that kind of deed would get me into trouble.
After planning to spend an afternoon with Dr. Saleem Badat, our vice chancellor, we were disturbed by a meeting that he had to attend urgently. Therefore, my next option was to spend the rest of the afternoon with Professor Andrew Buckland. That was quite interesting, considering that I had never been in his office for an hour and literally sit there and watch him work. However, I felt as if I was still hungry for more from this exercise and I needed something a bit more challenging. My next option was to go for my temptation which has been haunting me the whole year.
I decided to spend an hour on the bicycles, taking the chance of being chased away by the CPU. Some students thought that I was crazy because most of them seemed to notice that I had been on those bicycles for quite sometime. Time went by, shifting myself around the bicycles and making me comfortable as I was this was starting to get tiring. After fifty five minutes spent on the bikes, a CPU officer walked up to me and reprimanded me for doing something against the university’s code of conduct. But to my surprise, the officer understood when I explained that this was work related. The mission was accomplished at last…

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL…
Sifiso26: #rublogs Mirror mirror on the wall is a blog which can be said to be a job very well done. the hard work put in by the bloggers is seen

This blog caught my attention from the minute I browsed into it. It left me with such a great impression that I was unable to proceed to other recommended blogs. The appearance has been what I have find to be fascinating about this blog; which allowed me to be interested in reading the contents in it.
The style of writing used by the bloggers of this blog can be described as very narrative, which allows you to create images with the given story in your head; as we find that they have guided us in every step of the story. However, in saying so, they have allowed us room to place our own opinions as the readers; they have not spoon fed us and led us to a certain common opinion.
A lot of dedication can be seen on this blog as we see that the bloggers have taken the initiative of going the extra mile to blog a lot of information and post up a lot of articles which is more than what the course requires them to do. They have taken a lot of pride in the stories that they have written and have shown interest as young and upcoming journalists. This is also evident in the fact that they have taken the time to upload pictures to all of their articles. As journalists, we know that it is vital for an article to have a picture which will be a good combination to the story; be an eye catcher and be able to give the readers an idea of what the story is about, before they have even read the article. This blog does follow those types of principles. Therefore, it can be said that Mirror Mirror On The Wall is a job very well done.

The Bubble Review

By Thobile Memela

Ever wondered what other journos are writing about in their blogs?. There really is no need to worry, it only just crossed my mind. I recently visited the Bubble blog and believe me it is 'bubble'. It is a group blog that consist of three members who are curious about life as much as you and I. Their main concern is about a life of a journalism student. It is not perfect neither not ridiculous but so damn good. First time i browse through it, i was like 'who the hell is going to read this junk?' Its like they are writing essays. I couldn't believe it but after a while i remembered that these bloggers are actually young aspiring journalists and journalists-in general are good at writing and expressing their intellectuality in paper-well on their blogs' so gave it a try because i read what i like and i really wanted to read it. but patiently i went through it, i was actually amazed. One thing i have noticed about this group is that they are all equally persistent to pursue a career in the journalism field -well reading from their personal mission statements. It was surprising to find such young intellectuals who actually care about writing and reporting regardless of how much criticism journalist have received more especially from the last five years up-to date. They all still have faith in journalism with no doubt of cracking stories that concern people but more reflectively varsity students for now-as to gain access to the real world out there after staying at Rhodes for the next four to five years.

A laugh with the Mandela Professor

by Thobile Memela

The 2nd final day of lectures, but the last day with the professor. Peter Vale 'The Nelson Mandela Professor of Politics' as he usually describes himself potentialy speaks with gratitude to his junior students of Politics and International Studies at Barrat 1-Rhodes University continuously feeding his students about the world around them and what they ought to do to save it from the accelaration of capitalism.
This i have never done before, sharing a laugh with the professor! It was a mini-conversation that was filled with great laughter as the students left the venue after the lecture. It was suprising for me to actually chat with the professor as i usually see him as a prominent firgure who may not whatsover have a friendly conversation with a student more specially a first year student. This was 'the day' of my life with Politics.

RaVe ReViEw:

Curious to see what my fellow journies came up with, I decided to review http://www.cowandchickenandcoward.blogspot.com/. It is awesome. I am definitely one to admire the look of something and before I even started reading I knew I would enjoy it. The blue, white and black background design is neat and classy and the blog title in itself is interesting – I absolutely love the cartoon Cow and Chicken! The blog is maintained by four first-year female journ students – and boy do these girls have something to say. Their posts are witty, attractive, inspiring and intelligent. The standard of writing is quite high and I was kept captivated long enough to want to read all the posts. These girls are concerned with many current issues (as all journalists should be in my mind), especially the image of the modern-day woman – and they do not agree with it. I concur with their values. Rake-thin is most definitely not attractive. In all, I found http://www.cowandchickenandcoward.blogspot.com/ extremely edifying, and its bloggers driven young ladies with an eye for current events. Their pictures helped to make their posts even more relevant and their perspectives are both informed and clever. I would definitely recommend this blog to people who are concerned with today’s issues, as well as those who would like to read a more feminine point of view.

Stormy Weather

Lighting cleaves the dark sky asunder. The air trembles with thunder, with anticipation. Tonight is a night of drama, of expectations. Who knows what may happen? The bench is cold beneath me, the table rickety. These are small things compared with the majesty of the sky above me. The moon makes a brief appearance through the clouds, its light transient, fleeting. It is warm, muggy even. The sweat beads on my forehead; the show is about to begin. A bottle opener is produced. Think wine, friends, the botanical gardens and the most spectacular air display you could ever imagine. The wind picks up, soughing through the ragged pines above me. A sip shoots fire through my chilled limbs, there is little to say. All we can do is watch as the night unfolds. A smattering of cold drops, remnants of the previous downpour, fly off the trees. Sweet relief. The clouds are yellow, oily, ready to explode. I have never been here after dark, especially not during a thunder storm. I am excited, exhilarated, ready for the next rumble. We sit in the open, exposed to the elements, our fingers numb and our lips warm. Wine slides down our throats. We are masters of all we survey. This is our place. We belong. Our hair frizzes, crackling with tension. A fire is lit within. I am weightless, buoyant, lost in the sheer exuberance of the storm, all earthly ties severed. With one final crash, the heavens open, casting out their invigorating contents with little regard for plant, man, animal or building. We brace ourselves against the drops at first, shivering; then abandon ourselves to the rain, quenching our thirst and cleansing our very spirits. The shower is brief yet satisfying. The wine lies untouched as we dance for joy.

A chance to review

Nicholas Rocke
A chance to review...
Rhodes purple knickers is more than a tantalizing title for one’s blog and this caught my eye as it is catchy and cleverly related to Rhodes. The blog is immediately appealing as it is colourful with the only appropriate shade to catch the readers eye; purple. It is not only aesthetically inclined, with a clear amount of hard work that has contributed to a good design, but also very informing, touching on a wide array of topical issues evident in our controversial society.
The majority of blogs that I reviewed, whilst searching for the most interesting, had pictures attached to their posts, which for me is essential in adding that shine needed to capture the reader’s attention, and these bloggers employed this wonderfully. The pictures were related to the issues in the posts and definitely worked effectively. Many posts spoke of the problems faced by the citizens of South Africa hotly debating issues revolved around gender and sex.
Journalists around the world however are constantly drilled with the notion of objectivity as a top priority. I always welcome a feminist perspective as this is needed in our male-dominated culture to recognize challenges faced by females yet the subjectivity of this blog, to say the least is overwhelming.
However, on a whole the blog has complied well with all the requirements expected of modern day bloggers and is written from heart-felt perspectives leaving one with a sense of enlightenment and appreciation.

new experiences in a different world...

Nicholas Rocke
Experiences from another world…
During the week I pondered long and hard about what new and exciting exercise I wanted to indulge myself in, I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there are simply so many activities that you never come around to doing. Eventually I settled on a trip to the cathedral as this is a journey I really would not expect to see myself on. I have seen a couple of magnificent cathedrals in parts of the world and so was a bit curious as to the aesthetics and more importantly, the cultural history of the building. Standing just before the threshold of the door I was slightly apprehensive and even felt as if I did not belong there. Yet, pushing this aside I slowly pushed the door upon to be met by a sight of beauty.
The building is magnificently constructed with a wide array of wonderful collages capturing picturesque moments in the past. I was also met by the sounds of soft African drum beating. These slow and soft beats were reverberating throughout the cathedral and were coming from four African men in the corner. I was intrigued as to why the men where there so early in the morning simply playing drums. I sat peacefully taking in the sounds for what seemed like an eternity, mulling over dilemma’s in my own life and in the world, thinking back to some wise words presented to me a few days earlier; that everyone is continually fighting an uphill battle in their lives. It resonated with me and I thought of the struggles that those men had possibly had to face in their lifetime.
This trip was intended as a simple walk through the cathedral, yet for me, through the simplest of means, it turned into something quite a bit more than that. It was a different experience and these are more often than not enthralling due to the unexpected happenings one comes across and the lessons that one can learn.

Tax-(i)ing my financial transport

I went in a taxi... I’ll let you simmer that thought for a bit longer.

My mundane life is dull and lacking and come last Saturday something new and exciting had to be in the cards. As a potential road-raging motorist, taxi drivers are not and presumably will never be my favourite people. Acting like God; the road seemingly diverges away from them as the rearing taxi tackles stones, sand, plastic bottle caps and the odd dinged side mirror of the Gauteng licensed Mercedes Benz. They will not stop for you, nor will they remorse over the new dent that is already on their potholed bonnet. It adds character you see.

This is the stereotype that infamous taxi’s especially Johannesburg ones have created. So after saying that, I’ll let you interpret my statement as you will: I went in a taxi. For the first time ever I boarded this terrifying and angry looking automobile that once resembled a car, I’m sure. I headed down to the local taxi-rank situated in Grahamstown. I got on board and kindly asked Mr Taxi man if he could take me to Location. The ride was pleasant and a lot better than I had ever anticipated. Initially people were standoffish as bewildered passengers questioned the intention of this white girl, luckily I didn’t whip out my pen and paper in my journalistic fashion. The ride was about ten minutes and cost R6, 00. I surmised my silver coins, paid my dues and was well on my way to discovering the other side of Grahamstown, one that was only familiar from the far-stretching view that the Monument offered.

It was interesting to encounter something for the first time when lodging a taxi ride is such an eminent activity for people with little or no transport. It pleasantly surprised me to realise that not all taxi’s are as reckless as us motorists perceive them to be. All aboard the taxi route – I’m keen!

Obama stay @home videos

The historical event of 2009?
Barack Obama's speech, lessons for other presidents?
Watch and learn!

MUSIC IS DEAD:
Think back to when music actually meant something. It could inspire the most beautiful – and terrible of emotions. Nowadays, we are stuck with synthesized, imitation noise that passes for music amongst the tone deaf and those immune to aesthetics. Bring back the days of layers of sound, of intensity, of expressive lyrics! Too long have we been stuck in this rut, bound by consumerism, social strictures and passivity. We have grown to accept it, suffocated by artificial sound, selling our souls (and our wallets) to the music giants, too scared to take the leap beyond that which is considered “popular” by the masses. Our tastes in music have begun to reflect the complete and utter consumption of our souls. Mass media does nothing to help us – they condone the very ‘music’ responsible for this loss of identity. I have the utmost respect for those bands that choose to go above and beyond, breaking limits, articulating themselves in new and inventive ways. They are given too little credit – most are only interested in the shallow lyrics and simplistic pumping baselines of popular “artists”. Bring back the meaning. Bring back the heart. How else can we regain faith in humankind? For surely music is an abstract expression of our souls - judging by current tastes, I’d say they are pretty defunct, don’t you think?

Scandal only exists in the thoughts of the beholder.

In today’s fast-paced world, individuals pride themselves in knowing the latest news that is either horribly embarrassing or downright absurd. Celebrities have become far more famous for flashing their underwear and partaking in other such frivolous activities rather then truly representing great talent in a show-stopping film or a wonderfully, lyrically-based song that has made the number one spot for having meaning instead of inundating people with frolicsome romances. Scandal is a made up concept; only relevant to the people that find some sort of great philosophical meaning in it.

I have been alive for almost twenty years and I have experienced the media deluge of petty celebrity fights and irksome political figures pretending to be something a lot better than they are. I find no importance for such petty things yet someone else who idolises such people might be horrified or delighted in facts that don’t actually concern them. It comes down to one’s prerogative and regardless of the sad lives that many people live, there is often a great emphasis on people that were previously put on a peddle stool, to crash.

The ordinary life lived by the dull often lacks excitement; hence one thrives off the deplorable news of someone other than themselves. Why? Because it gives them the upper hand. Scandal exists to the person who deems it so, and not for any other reason other than the feeble mind hard at work.

DRAMATIC ARTS; A HOME FOR HOMOSEXUALS

DRAMATIC ARTS; A HOME FOR HOMOSEXUALS

Sifiso26 #rublogs the dramatic arts has now been labelled as a home for homosexuals. Could this be true? http://ruscandalous.blogspot.com

Usually, a lot of artists seemed to run away from pursuing a dream in the dramatic arts, due to the fact that they had fears of facing a bleak future. However, nowadays, people seem to be a bit reluctant when it comes to joining this field because they fear the stereotypes that come with it. The dramatic arts have been known to be a home for homosexuals; it is now being regarded as a “disease” because it is said that every person who joins this field becomes a homosexual.
This has left a lot of strain especially on talented men, who consider themselves straight because they are now being painted with the same brush. Male dancers risk the chances of being labelled as “fags” which is a commonly used word for gay people. At Rhodes University, some students have gone to the extreme of regarding the drama department as the “hell place”; mentioning that every men and women in that department are homosexuals and if God was to come to earth, the drama department will be the first building he burns down.
In discussion with a few of the drama department students about this matter, many seem to agree with the stereotypes and also revealed that there are stages for every student in that department, which is; in first year you are straight as a line, second year you become bisexual and in third year you officially become gay. That only happens when you survive the route of being gay in third term, as that seems to be the term where true personalities are revealed.
Does the talent still matter in this field or has it become more about your sexuality?

smiling

Smile and wait…
I wonder at times, if all people think the same about smiling as I do. In principle it’s just another simple expression portrayed in the human face, the key word here being simple; effortless and what should be natural. Yet, to me it is so much more. My mother wears a constant grin and advocates it to say the least and so I was inspired at a very young age to do the same. Her unwavering smile has inevitably worn off on me throughout the years. I proudly wear a smile everyday because the effects are all too rewarding. Yet, it is a shame that a lot of folks do not appreciate this. For me it is the world. It amazes me the looks one will receive if, whilst walking down main drive, with a spring in your step, you are beaming out at the world. If I see this I know what jumps to mind, “why is that person smiling, what are they thinking about and why are they looking so darn happy”?!
The curiosity one can invoke in other people if, upon entering a nightclub for instance, you adopt a cheerful smile is amazing. You in turn make yourself more interesting and even intriguing. Affirmative thinking is proven to be a hundred times more beneficial than negative thinking and this all begins with the simplest of tasks- smiling. It may seem hard at times if you are feeling down but just give it a shot; smile and see if you start to feel better inside... I bet you will.
There are so many little benefits one will receive in life from smiling and emitting that positive energy that is so greatly appreciated by all those around you, not to mention being able to get out of paying for that library book overdue. So I urge you, when next walking to class or wherever you are, smile at the person walking towards you, I mean really smile, and you’ll see what happens...

Filippa Hamilton

Nicholas Rocke

Tweet: Model Filippa Hamilton is the centre of a ridiculous photo-shopped image and then gets fired for being overweight.

Painstaking exercise and abstinence from food is common practice among the young female population in modern society. Stop for a second, have you ever looked in the mirror yet you actually didn’t want to. Seen those sensational models and super-skinny celebrities only to sigh in envy, and want. Filippa Hamilton, the Swedish-French supermodel certainly has. The stunning 23 year old, who weighs only 120 pounds was not always so unsure of herself though.
She got a job with Ralph Lauren, one of the fashion world’s biggest designers when she was only fifteen. Yet, she was the recent subject of an appalling photo-shopped picture for a Ralph Lauren advertisement. Tempers rocketed over the picture of Hamilton and her ravaged image. The company admitted to ‘have learned’ that they were responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted representation of Hamilton’s otherwise healthy image.I don’t understand how we live in a society where women, beautiful women, need to be manipulated by modern technology to look ‘right’. Young girls flock to magazine stands all over the world absorbing with eyes wide shut all that the parading glossy mag’s have to offer; brainwashing themselves into taking unnecessary action. Hamilton informed the world that she had been fired, six months prior to the release of the image, for being too fat. Mr Lauren jumped around the bush in a further statement, saying that Hamilton was let go “as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us”. So what, basically she couldn’t fit into the clothes anymore? It is a tremendous pity that such sages arise in the modern fashion world, yet all is not lost; with foreign countries banning models too skinny from their shows and plus-size models being promoted in women’s magazines perhaps there is hope!? I simply wish the unhealthy representation and ridiculous depiction of models—and women—would come to an end entirely. Do you think the day will ever come?
http://www.chicagotribune.com

Actress Mia Farrow Speaks Out For Gaza's Children

The coverage of Mia Farrow’s visit to war-torn Gaza was quite excessive as the 64-year old American is a well-known actress, UN goodwill ambassador and former model. Most interesting was the coverage by ynetnews.com, which chose to take a more personal angle on the story. Most other coverage of the story relates the same information – Farrow is quoted on the destruction and havoc wrought, as well as the 12-year old child she spoke to and her criticism of Israel’s unnecessary bombings upon the Gaza Strip. ynetnews.com, however, speaks of Farrow’s personal life and her contributions as an ambassador, delving deeper into the facts to provide a more rounded view of the story. This is far more effective, as, whilst other online sites pretty much copy information, this website gives reasons for her motivations and even spoke of her recent 12 day hunger-strike out of respect for and frustration at Darfur’s plight. I far prefer this more personal view – it somehow more heartrending to read about Gaza’s children and their terror as well as their hope in the face of disaster. Thus this piece had a far greater impact on me than some of the more hard news coverage presented by other sites.

SHALL I CALL YOU MISS OR SIR?

Caster Semenya, an 18 year old young woman has to face the humiliation of being classified as a human with no specific gender, as some leaked test proved her to be a hermaphrodite.

After the Australian’s Sydney Daily Telegraph reported that Semenya has no womb or ovaries, but internal male testes which were producing extraordinary amounts of testosterone, this young woman began to face problems achieving her goal as an athlete; due to the fact she was not allowed to run in the women’s 800m race. This humiliation that had overwhelmed Semenya forced to her to withdraw from the race that was going to take place in South Africa.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/sep/11/caster-semenya-withdraws-race-south-africa
This should be regarded as inhumane because it is quite shocking to find that another human being should be disapproved of reaching their dreams because certain things about them are considered deviant by the society. The worst part in this case is that Semenya cannot be held responsible for this fault because it is a biological error. A few people seem to be taking Caster’s feelings into consideration with regards to the whole matter. However, the rest are hardly bearing it in mind what kind of damage this might have in this young woman’s future dreams as an athlete.
The International Association of Athletics Federations forced Semenya t o undergo tests, which proved her to be a woman…and a man. This could mean that her Gold that she won in Berlin in August could be taken away from her.
South African sports minister, Makhenkesi Stofile threatened to have a “world War 3” if that was to happen to their golden star.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2009/09/10/2009-09-10_caster_semenya_.html
Semenya is meant to be praised for making the country proud with her gold medal; however, people seem to be more concerned about who she is…

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-south-africa-runner21-2009aug21,0,5294672.story

More parties for public officials and guess who suffers!

by Thobile Memela

The Cape Town minister of Education Angie Motshekga decided to throw a party of more than R250 000 in order to celebrate her budget speech in parliament. Now think about that... Motshekga admitted that the department of Education spent R267 044 on the event. This amount included R50 000 which was spent on refreshments and R20 500 for entertainment. Okay now how much would it cost to build a home-care shelter for orphans?... The party escaled in the Education and Training departments with a number of 250 guests.
An amount of R237 000 had been spent by the police minister Nathi Mthethwa for the party and accommodation in a high class hotel in Table Bay. Do they ever get enough?...Despite anything else Motshekga and the minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande had been long spending huge amounts of money, of which they bought luxury official cars. Now really, at the age of 55, is it necessary? Motshekga owns 2 luxury cars ( don't forget that) a range Rover Sport TDV8 and a BMW 730D meanwhile the taxpayers suffer to death. Mr Blade Nzimande owns a BMW 750i and this amounts to R1.1 million and R1.7 million of which taxpayers had to pay. Okay now how much would it cost to develop Khayelista, Abahlali baseMjondolo The shack dwellers?
Officials are spending money like nobody's business obviously they won't pay the price because the government is on their side. They hold power to society so who can arrest them? Who can report their cases? Report them to whom?

http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/Politics/1057/17417aad6557435286e2367aeb8cb1f4/16-10-2009-10-06/Minister_spends_R260k_on_party

http://news.iafrica.com/politics/news/1989300.htm

http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=137189&sn=Detail

No More Drama for this Confused Queen!

If you haven’t heard about what award Julius Malema was nominated for, I am yet to brighten your day! The beloved president of the African National Congress Youth League was nominated for the “Drama Queen” award at the Feather Awards Ceremony; an event put together by the gay society of South Africa whose focus is to honour any inspirational icon. Yes, inspirational...
http://gayscene.co.za/node/2396 This exciting news hit the world on the 8th October 2009, but sadly Malema did not rejoice in his nomination. Similarly like the Caster Semenya gender saga, Malema did not in fact know what a drama queen was and thus felt no burning desire to comment on something that he didn’t understand. Surprised? Well to be fair he is in politics, not drama... After hearing this debilitating news, the Feather Awards organising committee have indeed revoked the nomination sincerely apologising for any unhappiness caused to old Julius and his team. http://www.artzone.co.za/template_level2.asp?parentseq=7712

What was intended to be light-hearted has in fact backfired as the committee said that evidently “he’s not having much fun”. I must say that I find this all quite amusing that a) they consider Malema inspirational and b) its quite wonderful really, that people think of Malema as a drama queen. I can’t help but chuckle at the complete silliness of this entire event but in all honesty I am disappointed that they retracted the nomination. It would have been nice to have a political drama queen in the house. Malema c’mon girlfriend!

For more Reports on this bizarre topic
http://thevillageidiot.co.za/2009/10/julius-malema-a-gay-icon/
http://www.hayibo.com/articles/view/1146

Bliss in it's simplest form!

CHILDREN PLAYING; a common sign of joy in the Grahamstown location.

Ease on Down the Yellow Brick Road

The scarecrow and the Crows entertaining the Durban audience with their stylistic choreography by Janet Hare.

Photo by: Linda Van Der Veen

African Purity

Magic of Pegasus

A member of the hottest glam-electro band entrances the Grahamstown crowd at Slisptream.

"Children on Stilts"

by T-girl

I am all over the places haha!, not can you only find me here but you can follow me on twitter as well.