Someone stole my house numbers.
I find this unutterably funny, given my slight air of security boasting in a recent post, but to be fair to my guardians, the numbers, which were brass, were affixed to the outside of the street wall.
I actually don't know why I'm surprised. In a place where we have up to 60 percent of the population living below the breadline (check the annual income versus percentage of the population table, it'll make you feel better about whatever it is you earn), I really hope "they" got a good meal for them.
Or a dose of their drug of preference.
I know what it's like to be hungry, and by Gods I know what it's like to need your fix. I'm not angry, rather I see an opportunity to paint, using a stencil and black gloss enamel, a large pentacle on the outside wall. The only question here is whether to paint it point-up or point-down. I'm not a second degree Gardnerian initiate, at this stage.
The talking point which is starting to irritate me at the moment is that of the status of Chinese South Africans.
Classified under Apartheid as non-white - and thus subject to all the restrictions on how they may live, what jobs they may do, and who they may associate with that our previous regime was famous for - there are now many calls for citizens of Chinese extraction to be ineligible for Black Economic Empowerment positions.
Excuse me?
If the purpose of BEE is to give a leg up to those sections of our society who were previously grossly discriminated against, then there is absolutely no reason to cut the Chinese out of it - they suffered too.
But if the purpose of BEE is to enrich a few black members of society beyond all reasonable provision for a decent standard of living, then I can see why the cries are going up against allowing the Chinese an equal share - they're just too damned smart compared to the poor blacks, who wouldn't have a chance if forced to compete against them.
Don't be bloody ridiculous, South Africa.
In other news, the godsdamned Mercury retrograde is coming to an end tomorrow.I for one will be happy to see the back of it - my computer blew up this morning.
Pic: I'd love to have something like that on my gate post, but with my artistic talents I'll have to settle for gloss black.
I'll be happy to see the retrograde end too, it's been hellish in my neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteHi Livia,
ReplyDeleteYes - we had extreme database problems at work (well, they did insist on moving the servers at that time!), and apart from my desktop at home blowing up (just the power supply really), I also bought a Hoover and managed to trip an entire multiplug out so badly on first use that the reset button is useless.
I keep forgetting about Merc,retro, but it sure as hell reminds me.
Love,
Terri in Joburg
Yup ... they like brass numbers ...
ReplyDeleteAnd i'm also with you on the chinese ... can't we get over this cr@p now? Previously disadvantaged my bum. If i go to china you can bet i'll be lower than scum. But hey, that's THERE.
ant pics of your new numbers when painted ;-)
peace
Hey Abraxas,
ReplyDeleteYour mouth feeling better now?
What did you use on it, out of curiosity?
Liked the rant, a couple of days ago-does you good.
You bet I'll take pictures. But I'm starting to waiver between a pentacle, runes and triple goddess/horned god symbols.
Love,
Terri in Joburg
...err, that should be waver of course.
ReplyDeleteSalt and lemon water ... burns like crazy, but after 2 days my teeth are whiter than for years :/
ReplyDeleteStill sore though ... thanks for asking ;-)
What house number are you (if i may ask)? I can also add that black people are VERY superstitious about snakes, perhaps including that would get their attention?
I'm 21.
ReplyDeleteYou kow, my Dad used to swear by salt water for gums and nasal passages.
The rest of the family used to swear at it of course.
Hmm...snakes...how about a caduceus?
But then again, I'm not 100% sure it was black people who stole the numbers.
Not in our suburb.
Love,
Terri