Mathematicians to save the Rhino?

I'm back!!!! (Tell you more about this later)

To celebrate check out my new post on TS.

Little Boxes

To read this post I did for TS on how we place other people in "little boxes" click click click.

Religion in SA down to 64%

Fewer religious people in SA - survey

According to the latest polls released by the Win-Gallup International Religiosity and Atheism Index, which measures global self-perceptions on belief, religious South Africans dropped from 83% in 2005 to 64% in 2012.

This is interesting. It seems that as we better educate ourselves and become free from oppression (of various kinds) we see the light!

'via Blog this'

Birthday presents? How pagan of you

You guessed it. Another post up at TS.

And I thought we had problems in South Africa

Not sure if any of you have heard about this but a couple in Mississippi was not allowed to marry at their church because they are black!

Now it is not as though they selected a strange church full of racists from the yellow pages, this is the church they attend on a regular basis. It seems that it was a very small group that had a problem with this and Stan the minister man decided to give in to their whining.

The amazing thing to me is that the world tends to point fingers to South Africa for racism but this story shows that there are racists everywhere. Every country has it's "iceholes" (and yes we have quite a few) but clearly the First Baptist Church in Crystal Springs has a few of their own.

So next time anyone feels like flogging Mzansi for racism please take the time to check your own backyard and start there. Everyone here is very aware of the history of our country and though my generation have not experienced apartheid first hand we are well educated on the subject and very much aware of it's existence.

No country can afford to become complacent on issues of discrimination whether it be on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or any of the other reasons people use to instill hatred. That's just what it is, hatred, and this small group of people from the First Baptist Church in Crystal Springs call themselves followers of a loving and caring God. Perhaps they should go read their 10 commandments again.

Prophetic Equals Fickle

My latest post up at TS...click here.

Twelve!

At the very minute of this post (11:15 pm in South Africa) I am officially 12 years old.

Age is natural but growing up is optional, and in that case I still love all my teddy bears!!!!

Circumcision and HIV AIDS

Read my new post at Teenskepchick by going "CLICK"

Education Department FAIL!

FACTS:

1. In South Africa our academic year starts in January and ends in December.
2. This means that we are now half way through the school year
3. The Limpopo Province has not yet received their texbooks for the year 2012*
4. *Textbooks mentioned are for Grades R, 1, 2, 3 and 10

Shocking yes?

This is a 3rd world country and if we ever want to get ahead we HAVE to focus on the education of our children. This is a very simple equasion - no rocket science required.

Why is it then that the Government/Education Dept cannot even get the delivery of textbooks right? It would seem that there were some issues of maladministration in the Limpopo Education Department and due to this they have been run by the National Department since December. Now one would imagine that the National Dept would get it right - it is clear now that one would be wrong. Regardless of a High Court order wich decreed that the non delivery of textbooks were against our Constitution and which set a deadline (June 15th) for delivery, the books have still not arrived.

Furthermore the Democratic Alliance came upon the burning and shredding of texbooks - not old ones as claimed by our Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga - but new ones - some still in their original packaging.

The problem now is that there are factions calling for a free pass for these students. This would at first seem fair because they should be failed as they were not doing anything wrong. If we do however give them the free pass they will not know the work for the year and therefore not be ready for the next years lessons.

There is no explanation to this crisis that will satify me. There is no explanation that will ensure these kids regain the time they've lost. There is no explanation that will include truth and disciplinary action against the administration.

There are only excuses and blame-shifting.

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Here is a link to all the News 24 articles thus far if you would like to follow the saga on that platform.

Spaces: Guest post by Jaque Pelser

When I read this around Fathers day I really wanted to share and so got permission from Jaque to use her piece as a guest post. I hope it touches you as it touched me.

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space (sps)

n.

1.

a. Mathematics A set of elements or points satisfying specified geometric postulates: non-Euclidean space.

b. The infinite extension of the three-dimensional region in which all matter exists.

2.

a. The expanse in which the solar system, stars, and galaxies exist; the universe.

b. The region of this expanse beyond Earth's atmosphere.

3.

a. An extent or expanse of a surface or three-dimensional area: Water covered a large space at the end of the valley.

b. A blank or empty area: the spaces between words.

c. An area provided for a particular purpose: a parking space.

4. Reserved or available accommodation on a public transportation vehicle.

5.

a. A period or interval of time.

b. A little while: Let's rest for a space.

6. Sufficient freedom from external pressure to develop or explore one's needs, interests, and individuality: "The need for personal space inevitably asserts itself" (Maggie Scarf).

7. Music One of the intervals between the lines of a staff.

8. Printing One of the blank pieces of type or other means used for separating words or characters.

9. One of the intervals during the telegraphic transmission of a message when the key is open or not in contact.

10. Blank sections in printed material or broadcast time available for use by advertisers.

v. spaced, spac·ing, spac·es

v.tr.

1. To organize or arrange with spaces between.

2. To separate or keep apart.

3. Slang To stupefy or disorient from or as if from a drug. Often used with out: The antihistamine spaces me out so I can't think clearly.

v.intr. Slang

To be or become stupefied or disoriented. Often used with out: I was supposed to meet her, but I spaced out and forgot.

 Spaces Where You Used to Be

The world consists of millions of spaces. Some of them are filled with things, but they are still spaces. A tent occupies a space and there is space inside of it. It is like a picture inside a picture inside a picture….  Never ending. Vast. Undefinable.

There was a space on Christmas Day. One where you used to be. Watching a movie way too loud, in a minimised window. Playing Canasta. Grumbling about how you don’t want this or that. One where I would wish you Merry Christmas and kiss your stubble cheek. One where you would mumble “Merry Christmas, my doggie”.

There will be a space on Friday.  A space that used to be filled with me phoning you to wish you a ‘happy birthday and hope you have an awesome day’. A space where you would have gotten some desert brightly coloured and decorated in a celebratory fashion. A space where your day would have been concluded with a whisky, and gathering around a fire with a best friend. That space is empty.

There is a space in a couple of days’ time. Where I would have bought you some cigars/socks/whisky – wrapped it specially and presented it to you, along with a clichéd message about how great you are at your role as the position you use to fill. That space is vacant. How I wish in the past that I had used more than clichés to tell you how much you mean. How the space that you fill is an immense one, in my heart. I am trying to recall whether the words on the page were actually matched by feelings in my heart – I can’t really remember. I can’t really say whether I took the space you filled for granted. I do know that had I been given half the chance I would have savoured the moment, expressed the gratitude and magnitude of the space you filled with more sincerity, more attention to be sure I remembered every moment of it.

All these little spaces you used to fill are now empty. I am sure as time goes by more of them will be discovered. It only dawned on me now that this week there will be two of them. Some of them yet to be discovered. Some of them glare at me – my wedding day – the space you would have filled giving me away to the man who has my heart and the birth of your grandchildren I still have to find someone to create them with.

All of these spaces, where you used to be in my day. All of these spaces you had ownership of, all leave this space you filled in my heart a little hollow…