Thursday, November 24, 2011

In Other Words...

On the Protection of State Information Bill

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that I always try and keep things rather light-of-heart here at Miss Boo HQ. Life is tough enough; there are more than enough things to be stressed and grumpy about, and more than enough opportunities to share those feelings. But by the same token, I think that if I were to use any space, any platform, to address the things which make me do more than think, but really ponder, what better platform than the space I call my very own?

When I was about thirteen, we had to do an essay for school on what careers we would like to follow when we were done with school. I thought and thought, and whittled down a list of plenty to ‘Top 5 Potential Careers’. I couldn’t decide which one would be best to write about, so I asked Daddy Boo. Without having to think about it, he said, ‘Writer’. We spoke about it, and decided that the best way to approach the essay was to look at the ‘traditional writer’ idea, sitting in a little writing shack, hunched over a typewriter, knocking out story after story; as well as examining journalism as an option. That essay was one of my favourites, and it showed. I got a B for it, which rocked my world to no end. The teacher’s comments were something along the lines of, ‘You could do this in your sleep’. ‘Strue! So, of course, on the wings of a little praise and approval, I started looking into studying literature and journalism. Since I already loved to write and read, I figured it would be a case of ‘Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life’. I worked hard at my English classes, wrote extra essays and started writing short stories and (admittedly shocking and nauseating) poems, read as much as I could (much to the chagrin of my mom, who never had any time to read because, while Daddy Boo and I were lost in fantasy worlds, she was in the real one, doing real chores… *shame face*), and dreamed of being the next Christianne Amampour (When I was little, instead of playing ‘House-House’ or any such nonsense, I was the only one who ever suggested ‘Reporter-Reporter’. Complete with bomb blasts rocking the feed. Yes.) My English classes were often the only ones that got my full attention lesson after lesson, and I put more effort into that subject than any of the others.

And finally, after all my hard work, I applied to the one and only university I ever wanted to attend: Rhodes. Once the application went off, life went on, and, in typical life fashion, veered a bit left of centre. When the university sent their response, my life was rather different from when I had applied. When I read that I had been accepted, I shrieked so loud the neighbours came out. Unfortunately, because of life veering the way it had, I wasn’t able to go off and live that particular dream. BUT, I’ve never given up on the dream, or on writing. I have countless short stories, essays, novellas and books in various stages of completion littering my computers and my mind.

Because of this undying passion for words, and an equally strong aversion to bullshit, I’ve always considered myself a writer-journalist in the making. And because of that passion, I’ve been on the verge of tears for a large part of this afternoon. You see, for a  while now, there’s been a storm brewing over the Protection of State Information Bill. I’m not going to give you a history lesson on it… If you found me, you have Google, and you can figure out how to find all you want to know. In a nutshell, though, the government is slowly trying to gag the media. If they get it right, there will be no more reporting on government corruption and in terms of the bill it will, therefore, be illegal to make secret state information public, even if it exposes serious corruption or crime. (From News24 article). So the government is covering its ass and tying the media’s hands in one fell swoop. There have been protests, the bill has been pushed from pillar to post, gone back for redrafting, and on Tuesday parliament voted in favour of the bill. Dubbed Black Tuesday, people wore black in protest, and there were set protests around the country. When the results of the vote were made public, people panicked (myself included there for a little while). I felt a sadness equal only to the horrific violence that swept through the country a couple of years ago when awful xenophobic attacks were happening everywhere and life meant less than it usually does, which is terrifyingly little to start with to a lot of people. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so helpless and defeated.

But it’s not over yet! The Bill can still be opposed! It goes directly against a key part of the constitution, so the next likely step, if it’s not redrafted to include a public interest defense clause, is to oppose it in the Constitutional Court. As an optimistic cynic (or a cynical optimist, depending on the day), I really, really hope that someone, somewhere out there with a little power will use it well, instead of using it in greed. After everything South Africa’s been through, surely we can see that passing this bill into law will be taking infinite giant steps backwards, and land us right back at square one. You might call me naïve for believing in the power of South Africans, but it’s not going to stop me from believing in us anyway. This year has shown just how powerful people can be, and how fragile governments are. If the rest of the world can bring about change through enough people caring enough to do something to change things, then so can we! All we need to do is stop waiting for someone else to change things (a chronic South African ailment!) and be the change ourselves!!! That’s not to say we need to overthrow the government and start from scratch (look to Egypt to see how quickly people tire of an interim government), but we can and must do something!!

Even though South Africa is my adopted country, I love her beyond measure, and can’t imagine being anything other than Proudly South African. I don’t want to feel anything but pride and glory when I sing our national anthem, and I sure as hell don’t want to stop singing it all together. I love this country, and I will fight as hard as I can to keep her as gorgeous (no matter how flawed) and proud as she is in my heart.

And now, back to regular programming…

X

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Things I Love Thursday: 17.11.11



* Simba’s Grinderman attempt for Movember

* Hallowe’en! It was, as always, awesome. Went to the Currie Cup Final in costume, raised hell on the back of the bakkie on the way there, and even more hell on the way to the party (also on the back of the bakkie) afterwards. And the party – oh, the party! It was fabulous! Dozens of glowing orbs filled the terrace, looking menacing; we had a resident spook-in-chains (named after Daddy Boo) keeping an eye on us; specimen jars littered the tables, filled with objects resembling brains, hearts, lungs and livers; the shrunken heads made an appearance… I love Hallowe’en. So, so much.

* The MTN Golden Lions won the Currie Cup! For the first time in…well, ages. We were at the final, screaming our lungs out, and had a fantastic time of it. Yay Lions!!!

Via The Bloggess
* Rocking the arcade at Monte Casino for Mister Boo’s birthday. The table staff in the casino are on strike, so we had to make do with alternative entertainment. We kicked ass so bad in the arcade, and after not a very long time, walked away with armfuls of awesome prizes, including a Zoom Chopper, a glow-in-the-dark skeleton that moves, and a scorpion ring. Way better than a potential fistful of cash , I think.

* This. And this. And this. And also: this
* Jogging. It’s a step up (hur hur) from walking, it works the same muscles better, as well as working new muscles that get lazy over time, and it feels AMAZING. LOVE IT!!

* We had our first proper swim of the season on Sunday, and it was marvelous! We shloofed in the pool for aaaaages. Can’t wait to do it again!!


I made this! Also: I hope you can read it!
* Mona Simpson's eulogy for Steve Jobs. I'm not often moved to tears, but this? The ugly cry.
* Nighttime swimming. Last night it was so sweltering, I was too hot to even eat! So instead of shoveling food into my face, I slipped into the pool. Best. Idea. Ever. Bonus Points: No sunburn!

* Planning to de-clutter. Mister Boo and I are probably moving in a couple of months, and when we do, it will be into a smaller place. This means epic de-cluttering has to happen. I’m really looking forward to that process.

* Mister Boo’s commentary on Miss World. For example: “Love, there’s a tranny in Miss World! And her name is Lola. L-O-L-A, Lola!”

* Beating the crap out of the cold I got after the rugby. I used nothing but Disprin, Orange Juice, positivity and proper sleep.

* The random doodles I have in my notebooks after tedious meetings and being on hold with government institutions for over an hour.


* The end of the year being a tangible concept. Only 28 days until we close for the year! I can juuuuuuust about feel it!

* Our satellite TV has been suspended, which means I’m going to miss Glee & Game of Thrones, which kinda sucks. BUT it also means that I will have more time to do productive things with my time (or, like last night’s swim, non-productive, but oh-so-rewarding), such as clean, get creative and read! I’m thinking I need to get my hands on Songs of Ice and Fire, the series on which Game of Thrones (the show) is based. Hmmm… Santa, are you listening?! I’ve been a (mostly) good girl!

Little things which made me smile:

* Greenpeace * Discovering new markets to try. Can’t wait! * For the first time in about twelve years, I’ve started writing poetry again * Secret Santa Challenges * Writing all weekend * My message tone * Fruit Cocktail Smoothies * Sunshine. Every day! * 11:11 11-11-11  * My new cuff. Muuuuuush booootifool! * Getting ready for new beginnings *


X

Friday, November 11, 2011

Thoughts On Life, From A Boy Named Sue

In this new feature, a certain Boy Named Sue will give us semi-regular Gonzo-style insights into his life and experiences of it in a weird little town,somewhere on the coast of South Africa. It's strange, it's twisted, and it's a whole lot of fun! I can vouch for this guy's insanity, and trust me, he's the best kind of fucked up! Enjoy...

4pm on Friday afternoon. I hadn’t even finished my working day and I was already opening my first drink for the weekend. In fact I hadn’t even finished my last meeting for the day. The meeting started with a round of shots, then the beers and bitch-liquor was served and the meeting began. Welcome to corporate South Africa! May the weekend begin! Work hard, play harder, sleep when you’re DEAD!

So the weekend started well. Or at least, I thought it did. Drinks paid for by the MAN, then home to clean up a little, some more recreational substance abuse and off we go! I was taking my first shot on the pool table when things started to slow down. That feeling of the entire world shifting, just a tiny bit, into a slower gear. Focus here! The lights are not that pretty! Look at the ball, concentrate. 4 Shots later and I was clearly in the lead and all my mojo was gone. Nothing left. Just beer to keep my mouth damp and the satisfaction of knowing that I’m ok with losing. I enjoy losing. It’s good to lose.  GODDAMIT! Bring back the mojo and beat this worthless bastard! 
That didn’t happen. I lost every game. But I didn’t pay for the BOOZE, so life was good. What next? We couldn’t spend the entire evening at a pool table. Pool is for getting the mood started, not for maintaining it. Maintenance requires NOISE! We need explosions and violence! Or maybe just somewhere to dance? Let’s work with that. Let’s dance the night away in the hopeless abandonment of chemically induced oblivion. And people! We need people! We went looking for crowds, and more chemicals.
The Fear hit me the moment I walked through the door. Was this place supposed to be so empty? Why was everyone staring? Had we stumbled into some sort of preternatural, redneck rompfest where all the men had perfect hair, high collars and testosterone poisoning, and all the women were, well… not there. Hmm… now the question of etiquette. Do we leave and risk insulting the squarebacks and rat bastards? Or do we stay and, potentially, get confused for possible prey. The Fear had me wondering. The Fear had me thinking about being lured into a quiet backroom to be beaten into submission and served on a platter to the wolves at the bar. Jesus, you better get me out of this!
None of that happened. We were just early. Timing was added to the list of things that we had managed to fuck up, then we got liquor, and sat down. We were, in fact, one with the hunters. We too were waiting for the prey to arrive, and when it did – by god – we were going to HUNT. That is, of course, assuming we where capable. We had the advantage of perfect clear thinking and superior wit. But the fantastic drugs that gave us these super-powers also made us completely incapable of demonstrating them. Kinda like a high powered genius coming straight from the dentist, with crippled lip-muscles. A drooling beast that communicates by grunts and howls and obscene gestures. Darwin would be proud.
Then they arrived. In small groups at first. Like bikini-clad debutantes dipping a toe into the water before committing to whole body wetness. But as the overall crowd got bigger, the arriving groups got bigger too. Now the numbers where UP! The game was ON! The brain/mouth filter, on the other hand, was not on at all. Not even a little bit. Neither where the nerves operating things like lips and tongues, which did actually counteract the first problem. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to seduce with profanity and insults when every syllable sounds like a twisted, paragraph-long, moan. But we will try and we will NEVER quit! Hell, if they get as twisted as us then we may even succeed. A sobering thought. In hindsight at least. At the time, thought was not an option. ACTION was needed!
And ACTION is what was attempted. After the first few failures, my hopes began to rise. Slowly. The odds would be turning in my favor soon. Eventually SHE will be seduced! But who is she? Have I seen her yet? I need to find this unlikely gem in our chosen den of iniquity and moral ambiguity. SOMEONE had to fall for this gibberish eventually. Then someone did. Well… not entirely. There wasn’t actually any talking, and thus, no gibberish. A solution had been found! Do not talk! Talking makes it obvious that there is either no grey matter inside your brain-case, or the grey matter that is there is so completely swamped in mind altering substances that you cannot possibly be a viable mate. So instead of talking/mumbling/groaning, just take action!
So action was taken. Slow steady action. Action that should have been avoided at all costs.
Being employed in a supervisory position has advantages. But one should not get that – um – close, to the minions. Even if SHE is belongs to a different group of minions and is not one of your own. Do not foul the waters at your place of work, you dirty, irresponsible bastard! Of course, these thoughts came much too late. Long after the introduction. Long after the advice from colleagues that said, “Yes, yes! This is a good idea!”. In fact, those wise and definitive thoughts only happened some time after it was established that there would be no sleep that night. None at all. Instead, the only thoughts that where loud enough to penetrate the Haze where simply: “Heh. Heh. Heh.”
Dirty, dirty bastard.
But enough of that. In the early hours of the morning, as the sun was starting to establish its presence for the day, sober thoughts started to make an appearance. Not in my mind, naturally, but her thoughts were sober enough to recognize that perhaps it was time to leave. All I knew was that she was probably right. So I stood in the driveway watching her leave, while starting to formulate a plan for the next phase. The proverbial “Part 2” (Part 4? 6? 42?).
The most obvious next step was sleep. I’d been awake far too long and was far too full of toxins to be able to function on a human level. Interaction with the general population was out of the question. The problem with that plan was the ominous shadow of a Busy Day Ahead. No time for sleep, you lazy freaks! Sleep is for the weak and the dead! The strong and twisted MUST carry on! The day had to be taken care of! But how? Was it possible? Could a strange beast move through the population without creating a stink of alienation? Would I be able to take care of business before the people around me sensed my not-belonging? I needed help.
Help is, of course, whatever you make of it. So time now to level out. Smoke something to counteract the bad vibes of animal instinct and last night’s mistakes, then… Do It! Blue team! Move out! Go! Go! Go! But after a shower. The animal instinct to react unconsciously to aggressive and unknown pheromones is one thing, but to actually smell bad would make fighting those instincts impossible. I had to at least try to fit in. Action plan: 1) level head = smoke. 2) Interaction with others = shower. 3) Conform = get dressed. 4) Begin. Drive. Go! Go! Go!
And so the drive began. Slowly at first. But not too slowly. I had places to be, dammit! But focus is important here too. I MUST get there, but I must get there Alive. So, slowly does it. Speed up gradually. Find that right balance between Time and Space. Get to the Destination. After many long lonely kilometers on the road and beautiful, breathtaking scenery that I didn’t give a crap about, I finally arrived. I didn’t have time for scenery! I had tar and tyres and mutant drivers to worry about!
Reaching my destination resulted in a kind of mixed lifting and sinking of my mood. There was the satisfaction of having Done it. I achieved the impossible (unlikely?). But I was done. The possibility of total collapse was starting to look more and more like a statistical inevitability. I just needed to hold on a little longer. Getting there wasn’t enough, I also had to get back. Again, I would need help. Again, help was available. This time in the form of seafood and beer. Seafood. A powerful craving for dead fish had come over me and it was time to Satisfy. It is, of course, possible that the craving was simply for food of any description, but I smelt seafood and I had to have it.
Business taken care of. Cravings satisfied. Mind altered. Time to return. And return I did. With a vengeance! Also with the sneaky rising waves of exhaustion and paranoia. A long, treacherous road kept me company while i swore at imagined insults from non-existent drivers and kept my third eye open for any sign of the pigs. The god damn pigs were everywhere I tell you! Everywhere! But they stayed away from me. Intentionally? Probably not. They probably just didn’t see what I thought was my flaming exhaust and smoke flying off of my screaming tyres.
But I did get Home. Alive and well. (Well? Maybe not) Then, time for the next round (How many rounds were there, again?). At least this one did not involve any public appearances. All it involved was collecting supplies and going to another house; another house full of people maybe, but still a Private Residence. A pseudo-Land Fortress if you will. A place where the Freaks can gather without fear of public outcry. And when the Freaks gather, we do it in style.
What happened next is open to debate. Or, more specifically, it has been debated. At length. I do NOT believe the accounts! I am a wholesome and naive Freak! I did not do those things! The Good Lord himself will back me up on this! I arrived to the scene of hopeless and depraved lunatics cooking meat on a fire and eating with their hands and, yes, drinking. These people had no sense of social obligation. They had no sense moderation or responsibility. They are My people and I love them, but in the name of all things holy, they are little more than animals.
I joined the feast. I let my hands and lips partake in the feeding frenzy and the abandon of all things Civil. I looked at the people around me, there was no shame. There was no pressure to join the masses in their mindless obedience and silent judgment. There was only place to grow and enjoy and become another Freak in Pursuit Of Happiness. The Universe had given me safe passage every step of the way to that place, and now I understood why. The stars had guided me home; to the Good People; to My People.
Sue and I would both love to hear your thoughts on this.... Leave us a comment or two in the box below!

X

Friday, October 21, 2011

Friday Fangs - 21.10.2011

It’s Friday! And, for the first time in weeks, I’m feeling super bouncy. So, even though this post is a couple of days late, here’s this week’s list of awesome!!

* Angie and Alex’s wedding, in all it’s glory and splendor, takes the first spot on the list of things that have made me happy this week. It was just… sublime. The ceremony was gorgeous – and hysterical. The drive to the reception was thoroughly entertaining. The reception was one of the best jols I’ve had in absolutely ages. There was (forced) stripping, (surprise) puking, (astounding) dancing, (crazy) conversation and (drunken) pouring-and-scraping. It made for one of the most awesome weddings I’ve ever been to!

Via Southern Cross Productions

* Throwing a pair of jeans on over my pjs and bolting out of the house in a frenzy with La on Sunday, just to leap into the car and go in search of the Ice Cream Van. We were lethargic, and we decided that the most awesome thing that could happen would be for the Ice Cream Van to come past. But she said she hadn’t heard it around for ages, so we resigned ourselves to no ice cream. And then…. We heard it….. The Ice Cream Van. We leapt up and ran outside to listen for him, but he must have stopped somewhere and we co0uldnt’ hear him… we waited a bit, but figured that if we left it much longer, he would be gone, so we ran back inside, threw on jeans, grabbed wallets and legged it! Alas, after cruising around Germiston for about twenty minutes or so, we realized we’d lost him. So we went to KFC and got ice cream there instead.


* Our incredible, spectacular Joburg sunsets. It may be the pollution, but there’s nothing quite like it in the world!
(Photos taken by Mister Boo from the Gautrain Station in Rhodesfield)
* On a more serious note: 10 Things You Should Know Before You Kill Yourself. Mental Illness and Suicide are things that MUST NOT be ignored. Suicide and its effects reach further and deeper than anyone could imagine, and I really do think that reading something like this if you’re contemplating making such a shattering decision in the depths of despair and loneliness is a good idea. There are always – ALWAYS – people who want to help, and there is always – FUCKING ALWAYS – another way. Even when there’s not, there’s got to be!


* The Jacaranda trees are in bloom!!!! That means: rainy season, slippy roads, slippier pavements, dirt, mud, purple mush and glorious, glorious purple-bedecked streets throughout the city! I always feel tetchy at this time of year, but as soon as I see the Jacarandas blooming, I feel like it’s okay to breathe again. Finally! I thought they were never going to burst!

* Being asked to write project summaries for a design company’s portfolio! Eeeeeep!!! (A draft of which I shall have on Monday – I know you’re reading this J )

* My new jeans. I can’t WAIT to debut them! They’re just…. splendid! 

* The new tunic I got this week – at half price! It’s going to look SPECTACULAR with said new jeans! Eeeeep!  

* Freedom! This week I’ve been happier than a bird with a French fry, and I wish it could last forever! It won’t be long now before we can make it happen, long term, though!

* New Miss Boo Originals designs! Can’t wait to get them rolled out – keep a look out; it won’t be long!

* The delicious risotto I made last night for dinner!!! NOMNOMNOMNONMNOMNOM!

Little things that made me smile this week:

* “Many of the colours” * Mister Boo’s first Gautrain trip * Overcast mornings. It’s no secret that I love the rain, so the grey clouds that have everyone else whining have totally made my day * Bohemian Rhapsody. By William Shatner. * Cream Soda – aka, the Green Ambulance – curing my weekend exhaustion and latent babelaas on Monday. Yay for that! * Super lazy Sundays, consisting of rolling out of bed at 9H30, coffee, junk food and DVDs. Awesome! *

So, Boo-lettes, what's made you ecstatic this week?

X

NOTE: All photos, unless otherwise stated, are sourced via Pinterest

Thursday, October 13, 2011

TiLT - 13.10.2011


So… it’s full moon this week, and my mood is looking up! (Curse being ruled by the moon sometimes!) Yay for that, at the very least! Here are some other things which have made me happy this week:

* My new hair!!! It’s not blue, it’s not pink, it’s not purple…. But it’s incredible. After two years of incessant bleaching and My Little Pony colours, there were parts of my hair that started to feel like shredded paper – NOT GOOD. So that, in conjunction with a tighter Breadwinner’s Budget, led to the decision to shock the socks off of everyone and do something relatively normal. It’s dark, but it’s still extreme – I still have a rock star cut, just in a normal-ish colour. But I just LOVE it!!! The last couple of times I’ve coloured my hair, I’ve spent weeks toying with the idea of just going dark for a while and giving the rainbow hair a break, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it. But now is the right time, and I am in love with my hair again, for the first time in a little while. Every time I look in the mirror, I beam because it looks so fabulous. And let me tell you, it’s already opened up a whole new box of ideas for make up and outfits now that I have a more versatile palette to work with! For. The. Win.

* Dying. I spent last Thursday dying clothes. I have a skirt that I love – it’s jersey knit, it’s the right length, it’s got navy stripes and it fits like a dream. The trouble with it was that the navy stripes lay on an off-white background, and I just don’t have enough off-white to make it work for me. Nor do I have more than one top in the right shade of blue to make it worthwhile in its original form. SO, after much consideration, I took to it with charcoal dye. Much like the top my darling Mister Boo ruined a few months back (which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, despite the fury he faced!), it looks incredible in charcoal and navy stripes, and I’ve been loathe to take it off. In the same dye lot, I dropped a crisp white tank top, with little bits of string wrapped around it in random places. This is the result of such genius: I’m in LOVE. (I will post some pics soon - just have to squeeze in a few moments for a mini photo-sesh!) I’ve been a very busy Boo!

* Down time. Even though we haven’t done much, socially, for a while, I have still felt totally rushed off my feet the last couple of weeks. I think it’s a combination of raging emotions and the markets we’ve done than anything else, but I’ve felt utterly exhausted. Last weekend, except for de-fuzzing and hair-awesoming (it’s totally a verb!!!), I did as little as possible. And it was SPECTACULAR. I feel so revitalized and refreshed, and ready to tackle the epic weekend ahead.

* On that note, ANGIE’S GETTING MARRIED ON SATURDAY!!!!! I’m SO freaking excited for her; I have spent so much time squeeing that I risk ending up like Adele. I’ve got my outfit together (figured out a pop of colour solution in my outfit planning this morning) and am now ready to rock and roll. Excite!!!

* Mister Boo’s anticipation at his first Gautrain ride. I’ve been riding solo the last couple of times, and I rave about the experience each time, so now he’s super excited to try it out for himself! Yay!

This made me cry with laughter!
* The Springboks. They may not have come home with the trophy, but, as far as I’m concerned, they came back with their dignity intact (more than I can say for the team who knocked them out of the tournament, to whom the rules clearly didn’t apply in the last match!!) and were received as heroes nonetheless. I was very tempted to develop a sudden-onset case of rabies to get off work and rush to the airport to throw myself at certain returning Boks…. Offer a sympathetic and attentive shoulder to cry on…. *cough* welcome them home.

* On Sunday night, at the dinner table, I almost got pumpkin to fly out of Maja Boo’s mouth, all over the Family Boo. It went like this:
Miss Boo, at seeing an advert for my insurance company: “Ah, shyte, I have to cancel my insurance!!”
Mister Boo: “Yea, but you’ll be doing Pierre Spies out of his sponsorship money.”
Maja Boo: “I’m sure she can think of things to do to make up for it.”
Mister Boo: “Screw Pierre Spies then.”
Miss Boo: “Um…. With pleasure?!”
Mister Boo: “So when you cancel your insurance, Pierre Spies can give you your out-bonus.”
Miss Boo: “I should bloody hope so!”
Grampa Boo: “Well, (Mister Boo), you walked right into that one!”

* Being filled with an inexplicable, overwhelming feeling of love. Which is especially unusual for a Monday morning. It’s awesome. More of that, please, Universe!






* Naturally, the Johnny Cash Project is the next point!


* Picking up my guitar last night, after a rather long time, and getting the hang of it again quickly. And then attempting one of my ultimate songs to learn

* Also: Picking up my tarot cards last night, after over a year, and doing a spread. Lots to ponder now!!!!


* Little girls in princess dresses playing pirates and kicking little boys' asses at it


* Walking with my iPod. I have a whole playlist of the best music for exercising, and last night I finally remembered to take it with on our walk. It made such a difference! I rocked that walk so hard!! (Incidentally, the music I have on there is less like Nts-Nts dance music, and more along the lines of Smells Like Teen Spirit, Black Dog, and Papa Was A Rolling Stone)


* The Avengers trailer! I JUST watched it, and nearly fell off my chair in excitement. EEEEEEP! Roll on May 2012!!! (Incidentally, the Thor DVD hit shelves here today..... go out and get your copy! But... leave one for me too, yea?)

* There's a pink-haired tattooed Barbie now! 
Via



Little things which made me smile:


* Basmati Rice * Glass biscuit jars with fairy lights inside * Treble Clef earrings * Wanderlust. Actually, I keep bitching about it at the moment, because I feel like I'm stuck in a rut when I should be out there, experiencing the world. But it's still on my list of things to love. I'm trying, okay?! * Plants vs. Zombies * Stylin' Scarf Styling * New ideas for Miss Boo Originals! * A good night's sleep last night. For the win!! * Deciding on the last details of my outfit for Saturday - Eeep! * Tomato soup * New recipe ideas *

Et vous, Boolettes? What's made you happy this week? I'd love to hear in the comments!

X

Thursday, October 6, 2011

The Loss of a Legend

The first thing I heard when I woke up this morning was this:

"Steve Jobs, CEO and founder of Apple, and creator of devices including the iPod, iPhone and iPad, has died at the age of 56."

I was surprised to find a rather large lump in my throat at the news. I was just thinking about him yesterday, incidentally. I saw a cute Angry Birds post-it art installation, which got me thinking about the iPhone and iPad, and then about Jobs himself and the speculation that surrounded his step back from Apple in August. I sent a little ray of light to him as he struggled with his health, and went on with my day, thinking nothing of it.* And then I woke up to this.




His 'back story' is a reminder that that you don't have to have the degree or the money behind you to succeed. 
"Although he dropped out after only one semester, he continued auditing classes at Reed, while sleeping on the floor in friends' rooms, returning Coke bottles for food money, and getting weekly free meals at the local Hare Krishna temple." (Wikipedia) 
His definition of success was a little different to the 'standard' ideas, too, which, naturally, caught my attention.  

From the day I found the quote below on some random website or another, it's resonated with me in such a profound way.

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the trouble makers, the round pegs in square holes... the ones who see things differently. They're not fond of the rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do."

And this morning, I read a beautiful post about the effects of losing one's idol here. This stood out so powerfully that, for the first time in a very long time, I had a lump in my throat as I read it:

Bad guys die, and heroes such as Steve Jobs die, because both bad guys and heroes are simply humans who have touched our lives in an enormous way.  It’s important to always remember that heroes are people; that they don’t have powers that the rest of us don’t have the chance to possess: they simply make choices that lead them in one direction or another.  We all have the ability to become someone’s hero, and I fully suspect that one day, the Wolvog will be someone’s hero.  And that while heroes themselves die because they are human, what continues to live on are their ideas, the actions they took while on earth, the people who remain alive who think about them and love them.  That he will never be fully gone from this earth because there are tangible reminders of him in our very house with our iPad or our iPods.  And the way we really honour our heroes is to emulate them; to grow up and similarly repeat (while putting our own flair on it) the good things they did.  Following his computer bliss would be the best way to honour Steve Jobs’ life.  Finally, I told him that the chicken he had eaten at Rosh Hashanah had been my grandmother’s recipe, and I had made it to feel close to her since I was having my parents over for dinner too.  So while she is gone, we still are connected to her through her recipes — these cooking ideas that were so important to her while she was living — and we will still be connected to his hero via enjoying his ideas, his inventions.

I am very surprised that the passing of a stranger - a great man, without doubt, and someone to be admired, but a stranger nonetheless - has brought on such a response from me, but at the end of the day, a great man is gone from this world. We are lucky enough to have lived alongside someone so great, and our collective existence has been touched by his ideas in some way.

X


* Incidentally, this isn't the first time I've thought about someone only to hear in the following days that they've popped off. I hope this isn't a hidden skill! O_o

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Wednesday Wonders - 05.10.2011


It's that time again! Wednesday!! Here's a list of things which have made me happy in the last week:

* The Blues Brothers
Via

* Impromptu lunch-and-dinner at my sister, with awesome music, photos and randomness to round it off
* Seeing my gorgeous niece on Monday night. What a cool party!
* My new leopard print belt. Yayness!! It might be a bit of a Jerseylicious influence in my life, but I’ve been craving leopard print in my life for a while now, and a belt is much cheaper than the shoes I have been coveting, so it’s a winner!
* My new cellphone cover. Being the clumsy fool I am, I need something to protect my phone from the various collisions it has with walls, desks, floors and other random objects (and sometimes, people). It’s so pretty!
* Rethinking my next hair plan. Now that Mister Boo is a househusband again, the budget is a little tighter than I’d thought, so the turquoise mermaid hair will have to wait a little while. But it’s all good; it will give my hair time to recover from two years of bleaching and assault.
* Sleep. Apparently it’s lame to like sleep as much as I do, but it’s something I can’t really function without for too long. And it’s become a bit of a rare commodity in my life lately, so any sleep I can get my hands on is as good as gold.

* This:

* My new make up supplies. At the end of last month, I was literally scraping the last of my blush and setting powder out of their pots with ear-buds in order to loosen them enough to use. And don’t get me started on the state of my brushes! So once payday rolled around, I skedaddled over to DisChem and purchased myself a new foundation brush, angled liner brush and some translucent powder. My skin feels amazing now that I’m using the right products and tools again!
* FINALLY going brown after my apocalyptic sun burn. At the River Deck market last weekend, Amy D and I managed to get what looked and felt like 7th degree sunburn. Parts of my body went a charming shade of mauve. That part of my body is still, over a week later, a little bit pink, and rather disgustingly, scaly. But most of the peeling is finished now, and everything except that tender little patch has turned a lovely brown. I LOVE being tanned, but I LOATHE tanning and burning. And I refuse to do sunbed or spray tan sessions. O_o
* It’s Mister Boo’s birthday this month, and I have a few awesome plans up my sleeve. Can’t wait to unveil them!!
* Mister Boo doing so well at the markets. It’s so rewarding to see him doing something he loves, and that makes him happy, and seeing him succeed at it, no matter how ‘small’ that success may be at the moment. The only way is up!
* Jackson Browne
* Integrity
* Navy and Hot Pink



* Navy and Apple Green


* Navy and Turquoise



* Neil Young
* The idea of doing this for Hallowe'en, if we end up having a party:

* My body. We’ve been at odds on and off (but mostly on) for most of my life, for one reason or another, but when it comes down to it, my body and my mind are starting to synchronise better and better lately. For example: The knowledge that certain foods are ‘bad for me’ has never been enough in the past. It’s always been a vague term that meant I should feel guilty for enjoying the little treat of the moment. But now, my body is taking control and putting its foot down with me. Now, when I have sugar, my body shows me why it’s bad for me. Now ‘bad for me’ means something completely different, and since it’s tangible, it’s easier to avoid the ‘bad for me’ things. Sometimes, just sometimes, I think I should be called Clever Kevin. * (Ten points if you can name the movie without googling it!)
* Spring rains!!!! This weekend marked our first thunderstorms of the season, and while they got out of hand in some parts of Jozi, we were lucky enough to be untouched by the hand of disaster, and the rain was spectacular. I slept like a baby** on Saturday night and woke up so refreshed and invigorated on Sunday.

Little things which made me smile this week:
* Acceptance * Walking in the sunshine, even if it’s a little chilly at the moment * Pinterest. I have a problem * Tangled * Impending dye jobs *
** Why do people say 'I slept like a baby' to describe a good night's sleep? Babies wake up every few hours, crying and more often than not, covered in poop. Yay?

X

NOTE: All images via Pinterest, unless otherwise stated.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Friday Fangs - 23.09.2011

I know, I know! *shameface* It’s not Wednesday, so this isn’t Wednesday Wonders. It’s not Thursday, so it’s not TiLT either. But it’s Friday. So you’re getting it all in the shape of Friday Fangs! Ha!!

It’s been a bit of a weird week, and before I put pen to paper and started writing down what I have to be grateful for this week, I wasn’t convinced that there was very much. But once I started writing, I realized that it wasn’t so bad after all! What a nice surprise! So, here is the (longer than anticipated) list of things that made me happy this week:

* Eve, of Madam & Eve fame, is Playmaid of the Year. I think this is supremely awesome! Check out the cover:

Ha!

* The Silly Walk. Dinee and I have a stretch on our walking route that demands that we do the Silly Walk. It’s an epic power wiggle, downhill, and produces screeches of laughter from the guys playing soccer in the park. Every. Time. Love it!

* My awesome, spectacular friends, for tolerating my out-of-breath freak outs and talking me through them, at any time of the day or night. You guys rock, and I honestly don’t know what I would do without you. Thank you!

* Miss Boo Originals sales! Woot-to-the-Ski!!

* This picture


Via Pinterest

* Being super-prepared for the next market (which is on Sunday, if you didn’t see). I’m freaking out that I seem to have things under control, because I never have anything under control, and now I’m panicking that I’ve forgotten something crucial. But, with the help of my lists, I’ve ensured that everything is truly, honestly, under control. Eeeep!
*Can I get a ‘Touch Wood’ just to be safe, people?

* Planning my outfit for a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party birthday party tomorrow. It’s gonna be so much of fun! Plus, I’m looking forward to catching up with some friends I haven’t seen in a while. Yippee!!!

* The bright, lush green that’s sprawling throughout Jozi at the moment. Yay Spring!!!

* Vanilla sponge, cream and fresh strawberry cake. NOM! Thanks Cath!

* Singing & playing the tambourine at Angie’s Pamper Party. She had no idea what we had planned for her, so when we started singing, it was awesome! And shortly after that, this happened:


As Marina put it, everyone pissed from their eyes. It was awesome!!
(I will post a couple of pics in the next couple of days for you to see just how much awesomeness was floating around on Saturday. There was a lot).

* The ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz are on sale (!!!!!) Go here if you want them and have $2m - $3m to spare.

* Walking my suburb flat on Sunday for no reason other than that it was a beautiful day not to be wasted lying in bed until lunch time. It was glorious!

* My newly levitating Buddha


* My Blackberry isn’t working

* A new story idea. I’m SO excited to get started on it!!

* Realising that I’m not the world’s most obsessed Nick Cave fan-girl. I forgot that yesterday was Nick Cave’s birthday. Mmmphff. Ridiculously, I feel like a failure at being a fan-girl now. O_o (Hangs head in shame)

* Unleashing my inner nerd and having a proper laugh about random nerdy stuff with functional nerds. (Think Leonard, not Sheldon or Raj. Or even Howard.)

* The Springboks. I love them. Our boys are playing like legends, and I just….. love them.

* Miss Boo Originals. Just the whole concept has got me SO freaking excited right now, and all the ideas and creations and concepts and upcoming opportunities! Winning!

* My glue gun. It’s little and using it has given me calluses, but  I just love it.

* The countdown to turquoise hair. Only two weeks now!!!

Little things which made me smile this week:
* Glee. I’m such a Gleek * Getting dirty * Being organized * Lists * The new Lady Antebellum album * The Gautrain. It’s awesome. That is all *

So, my little Boo-ettes, what's made you smile this week??


X