6000 – Page 850

On form

Posted on March 5, 2014March 5, 2014

This makes me happy:

Look at that. Just look at it!

Six wins out of six and not a single goal conceded. In fact, last night’s home win against the MIGHTY Peterborough United took the winning run to eight, if you include the FA Cup wins against Fulham and Nottingham Forest.
I’m really not sure what has changed, but something has and suddenly, we’re feeling as invincible as an unlit cyclist on Ou Kaapse Weg at dusk.

Sadly (much like an unlit cyclist on Ou Kaapse Weg at dusk), this is merely a feeling – there is no actual invincibility: because of our poor start to the season, we’re still worryingly vulnerable and things could still go horribly wrong.

But the feeling is good. It reminds me of the feeling back in 2003, when we did really well in the league and both cup competitions and then won absolutely nothing.

PistoriusBalls 2

Posted on March 4, 2014March 7, 2014

I’m not saying or promising that this is going to be a daily feature, but the journalists at Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial continue to amaze us with their insight and their desperation to “set the scene”, by tweeting the mundane, the more mundane and the really mundane. (Although, SA is gradually getting the idea that courtroom drama, simply isn’t dramatic.)

Interpreter has coughing fit and is forced to leave. Sounds of coughing outside.
— Karyn Maughan (@karynmaughan) March 3, 2014

It’s not the cough that carries you off; it’s the coffin they carry you off in.

My laptop is dead, my BlackBerry is dead, I'm down to 25% on my iPad and figure I may as well eat my Twinkie now. #Pistorius
— Rebecca Davis (@becsplanb) March 3, 2014

Disclaimer: Looking at her timeline, it could be that Daily Maverick reporter Rebecca Davis has been asked to cover the trial in some sort of whimsical way. So, this could be deliberate.

#OscarPistorius is showing a police office a piece of paper.
— SA Press Association (@SapaNews) March 4, 2014

#OscarPistorius is chatting to the attractive blonde lady on his legal team. She nods away as he speaks
— SA Press Association (@SapaNews) March 4, 2014

#OscarPistorius a relative has just given Oscar a tissue. BB
— Barry Bateman (@barrybateman) March 4, 2014

Meanwhile, is it really even worth actually being there?

Can't hear a thing that #Pistorius witness 3 is saying. He's the husband of the 1st witness, and has something to say. Just no idea what.
— Anita Powell (@6ArmsPowell) March 4, 2014

PistoriusBalls 1

Posted on March 3, 2014March 7, 2014

I recognise that the Oscar Pistorius trial is considered big news (despite the other stuff going on in the world), but it’s only 30 minutes since the trial was due to begin and already, we’re seeing some hyperbolic, dramatic and wholly unnecessary tweets from the journalists present in the courtroom:

Pistorius, with what looks like two small grey patches of hair on the back of his head, is now in conversation with lawyer Barry Roux.
— David Smith (@SmithInAfrica) March 3, 2014

#Pistorius writing on an A4 notepad, occasionally touching his brow with an unsteady hand. Looking more composed than last year’s hearings.
— David Smith (@SmithInAfrica) March 3, 2014

#OscarPistorius Judge’s clerks have brought in several files. BB
— Barry Bateman (@barrybateman) March 3, 2014

#OscarPistorius is sitting on a cushion in the dock.
— Anita Powell (@6ArmsPowell) March 3, 2014

#Pistorius drinks water from a bottle, his left hand trembling.
— David Smith (@SmithInAfrica) March 3, 2014

David Smith making an early name for himself with some fantastically unimportant information already.

And we’ve still got weeks – or more – to go (hence the “1” in the title).

Lord help us.

On Ukraine

Posted on March 3, 2014

This was on The Daily Mash website about a week ago, and it was funny – very funny – then. But now, seven days on, it seems worryingly prophetic. It’s still making me laugh though.

CONTAINS SOME NAUGHTY WORDS

THE parallels with the First World War are totally doing a historian’s head in, it has been confirmed.
Julian Cook, professor of early 20th Century history at Roehampton University, has admitted he dreads reading the newspapers because ‘it is just one massive headfuck after another’.
He said: “It’s got to the stage where my wife won’t let me speak. All I’m allowed to do is point at the front page of the Guardian while looking at her with an expression of sheer horror.
“We have a strongly nationalistic, strategically significant eastern European country deciding its fate, while three empires stand waiting in the wings, rattling their sabres. It is freaking me the fuck out.”
He added: “I talk to my historian pals and they’re like, ‘no way, that’s totally what I was thinking’. And then we all shout ‘powder keg’ in unison and have a bit of a giggle.
“It relieves the tension, but seriously, we’re all terrified.”
Professor Cook said the fact it was also the 100th anniversary of the First World War was ‘spooky’.
“Honestly, you want to try being a historian at the moment. Mental.”

If WWIII does break out, we’ll be the last place on earth to know, thanks to the intriguing third test against Australia and the murder trial of some athlete or other dominating the local news.

Weekend Flickr Set (with free octopus)

Posted on March 2, 2014March 2, 2014

More quota photos than quota photo, here are the pics from a pretty cool forty hours down in Agulhas, all contained neatly in their very own flickr set:

This flycatcher(?), singing us back up from a walk on the beach this morning is probably my favourite photo (bigger here), but shipwrecks, a giant starfish, an epic sunset (as mentioned here), some mice, plenty of fun on the beach – and yes – an octopus in a rock pool (seriously), will have to compete with one another for top spot in the memories category.