Why The SKA, And Not 'The Spear'

We are about celebrating things that unite us as a country and not those that divide us. This is why we are not going to touch 'The Spear' issue. 

   For the benefit of those who are not aware of this issue, 'The Spear' is a painting by the artist - Brett Murray - that depicts President Jacob Zuma with his private parts(genitals) showing. Needless to say, this painting has resulted in some heated debates. Those for the painting, saying the artist is exercising his freedom of expression - a right protected by our constitution - by painting what he deems appropriate. Those against the painting say it infringes on the right of the President to dignity and self-respect. They add that the portrayal of an elderly person's private parts is not the done thing in the African culture.

   The SKA(Square Kilometre Array) project, though, and South Africa winning the right to host this radio telescope, is more our cup of tea. This is what we want to talk about.

   Congratulations to the SA team that worked tirelessly to get South Africa the SKA telescope. Taking the lead from the excitement shown by our minister of Science and Technology - Ms Naledi Pandor - we are also over the moon about South Africa winning the right to host the majority(70% of it , while Australia and New Zealand will host the balance - 30%) of this telescope.

   Of course to the man on the street the benefits of hosting this telescope are a bit hazy. But we are told that the building of this telescope will create jobs in our country's science and technology industry. The SKA project will also apparently raise South Africa's profile in the astronomy field worldwide.

   It would have been nice to have gotten the whole right - 100% of it - instead of sharing it with Australia and New Zealand. But to share the spoils of victory with two of our biggest rivals when it comes to the sport of rugby and cricket is not a bad thing. For once the three countries will be pulling together instead of going at each other.

                                                          ===========================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                          ===========================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL

GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com

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Orlando Pirates FC Are on Fire

Whether you support them or not; whether you like it or not, you just have to give it to them. Orlando Pirates Football Club is hot right now.

   Yesterday the 'Sea Robbers' wrapped up their second Premier Soccer League title in a row. In their last game of the season, against Golden Arrows FC, they prevailed 4 - 2. And they needed to win this last game because they were leading their closest competitors for the PSL title - Moroka Swallows - by just two points. As it happened, Moroka Swallows did also win their last game against Maritzburg United 1 - 0. Swallows were just pipped to the post.

   This Pirates side, by winning the league in addition to their MTN 8 Cup and Telkom Cup, completed a hat trick  of Cup wins for the second year running. Last season they annexed the MTN 8, Nedbank Cup and the PSL title.

   The fighting spirit of the current Pirates team is just unbelievable. One has lost count of the number of times that they won games by scoring in the very last minutes of the game. Not to mention the number of times they have had to come from behind to win their games. In their last two games against Celtic and Golden Arrows, they came back to win after first trailing 0 -1 and 

1 - 2 respectively.

   Hard luck to the second placed Moroka Swallows. They were the neutral's favourite to win the PSL league. The story of how they came close to being relegated to the second tier division last   season, to then challenging for the PSL title itself this season, is the stuff of fairy tales.

Better luck next time Mr Ingesund and your squad.

P.S.

Nice one also to Chelsea FC for being crowned European club champions last night. The adage that if something was destined for you; that if GOD had decreed that it belongs to you, no man or man-made force can deny you, was so true in Chelsea's case. As in the 2nd semi-final game against Barcelona in Nou Camp, last night the gods of soccer were smiling on Chelsea.

                                                         ============================ 

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                          ===========================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL

GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com

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With Mathematical Certainty 

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The DREAMS DO COME TRUE(DDCT) Tour - Part 4

It was my wish to have done another DDCT Tour presentation this week. In fact, my biggest wish is to do two of these per week. One at a high school and the other in a corporate setting.

   But the process of arranging these talks takes time, I am discovering. Much as I do tell my prospective audiences that the talks are done for free, it does still take some time for me to finally be given a go ahead. Just as an example, for me to eventually do the DDCT Talk at Altmont High School last week, I must have visited the school more than ten times as part of arranging this talk.

   Having said that, I do understand where the people in charge are coming from. There are a lot of snake oil salesmen out there. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the 'fly by nights' and the genuine articles.

   While I wait for the next 'Yes, you can come.', I am getting reminded daily of why I believe these DDCT Talks matter. In my 'walk abouts' here in my 'kasi'(Protea South), I 'bump' into some matric students from Altmont High School. And the enthusiasm with which they greet me is humbling. Their excitement as they call out, 'Hello TP', is heartening indeed. These guys may not tell me that they are now starting to set goals - as I advice them to do during the presentation - but from their greetings it does seem that my talk did touch something inside them.

   And it is because of such feedback that I will patiently wait. I will continue to pester the relevant 

people until I am allowed to address the next group of matric students.

                                                         ===========================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                          ===========================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL

GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com

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With Mathematical Certainty 

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The DREAMS DO COME TRUE Tour - Part 3, Altmont High School, Protea South

The quiet and attentiveness from my audience of last week was gone this week.

   The bankers were all ears last week. They gave me the feeling that what I had to say was important. Not the students at our next stop - Altmont High School. I had to work hard to get their attention. 

   This high school is located in my 'kasi' - Protea South. It was a walking distance from our house.

   After the preliminaries of being introduced to the students, the teacher concerned left to attend to an urgent matter. And, yes, she did honestly implore the students to hear me out.

   But students are students. I still had to summon all my powers to interest them in my presentation. Every five minutes(or so), I was made to call them to order. By the end of this talk I had shouted myself hoarse.  

   Despite all of this - the rowdiness of the students, the sense of chaos at times during the presentation etc, I thoroughly enjoyed doing this presentation. When the talk ended, it felt like I had been in a wrestling match of epic proportions and I had won. That the majority of the students stayed throughout my talk was a major achievement for me. One or two, though, did get up to leave during the talk. They must have had a bus to catch - LOL!

   Hours later, at home, I was still on this high. Those who run or jog talk about a "runners' high". It was something similar. That I still felt so good well after the talk made me feel that - nerves or not, rowdy students or not - I would not really mind to do this for the rest of my life.

                                                                    SOME THANK YOUs 

Ma'am Brenda(my contact teacher at Altmont) - for okaying this talk and organizing the students.

Komati('mpinchi ya ka' at the school) - for  his energy in making it all come together eventually.
The matric students - for the wonderful experience. 
Ntate Molefe(the Principal) - for buying a copy of our FGM blog book(FEELING GOOD).

                                                          ===========================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                          ===========================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL
GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com
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To Achieve Any Financial Goal 
With Mathematical Certainty 
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The DREAMS DO COME TRUE Tour - Part 2 (FNB, Protea Gardens)

                                                                                

The 'Dreams Do Come True'(DDCT) Tour officially kicking off this past Tuesday. I was given an opportunity to address the staff of a First National Bank(FNB) branch located in our local mall(Protea Gardens).

   That the DDCT Tour started at FNB was appropriate.FNB is the company I used to work for before I left to pursue the writing dream and that of motivational speaking.

   During these free DDCT Tour talks, I do my best to inspire people and motivate them to go for their dreams also. I use myself  as an example of someone whose dream came true when our FGM blog book was published.

   In this very first DDCT Tour presentation, I must admit, I was nervous in places during the talk. Even though I knew my material and how my presentation should flow, for some reason, in some instances I simply went blank. I could not remember, at times, which point came next. But I soldiered on nevertheless. Afterwards, my sister (Teboho) - who is my moral support companion on the tour - said I did ok for someone who is starting. The core of my talk is good, she said. I just needed to add more oomph and energy to my presentation style. 

   Of course, these early DDCT presentations - like all new ventures - are work-in-progress. By my next talk, I will have steadied my nerves, I am sure. 

                                                    SOME THANK YOUs

bra Tshepo(the branch manager) - for giving us the opportunity.

Lunga Ndlovu - for buying our book on the spot.

Sara & Mpho(fellow GBC members) - for expressing interest in purchasing our book.

Thabo(the CCC) - for urging me to approach his manager to arrange this talk.

The branch staff - for the warm welcome.

                                              ===========================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                              ===========================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL

GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com

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To Achieve Any Financial Goal 

With Mathematical Certainty 

From the gurus featured in "The Secret"

=====================================          

The Book Is Here

Our Feel Good Movement blog book(FEELING GOOD:The best from the Feel Good Movement blog in 2011) has finally been published. And I am feeling on top of the world, needless to say. A dream has come true indeed.

All the hard work(late nights,missed FGM blog post deadlines, etc,etc) has been worth it. All the disappointments(being let down,emails not answered, etc) no longer matter now. All is forgiven.

Many, many thanks to all our blog readers around the world. Your weekly visits kept our spirits up when things were not going well with the book project.

Since receiving the first copies of the book this past Thursday, I have been showing it to a few people in my neighbourhood. And the feedback has been very positive. I have been humbled by one or two young people saying that I have inspired them greatly in getting our book published. Some say they write poetry on the side. Now they going to revisit their poems and see if they can put something together for possible publication.

In the same week that we received the first copies of the book we also managed to sell two copies. These were sold to ntate Maqutu and ntate Nkosi. I thank these two gentlemen wholeheartedly.

This selling of the first two copies(above) also means that the journey to that '1 million copies sold' target has now started, ladies and gentlemen.


                                   ===============================


THANK YOU UNIVERSE.THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                    ===============================


SO,SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE,WHAT MADE YOU

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com
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Learn the Exact Formula
To Achieve Any Financial Goal
With Mathematical Certainty
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Things Put In Perspective

I complain about the fact that sometimes we don't have electricity here in my 'kasi'.While at it, I may even complain that temperatures here in South Africa are starting to dip,meaning that winter - not my favourite season - is on its way.

But all these problems of mine pale in comparison to those of somebody who cannot speak or hear.The reality of the world of the mute and deaf was brought home recently when we acquired neighbours who can neither speak nor hear.

We do our best to communicate with them using rudimentary sign language.But the whole question of how they experience the world has suddenly become paramount for me.I keep wondering what it is like to be mute and deaf.Is theirs a world of total silence?How, for example , do they hear an approaching car?Does it not feel a bit lonely to be in this sea of chattering masses where you can't join in?

Having said that,our neighbours are definitely not candidates for being pitied.Their lives continue at full speed.They go to work by public transport(taxis) like everyone else.Sometimes we hang out together to watch a soccer game(or two) on TV.

One of them was actually able to speak and hear when young.Things changed when he was 8 years old.Overnight it all went silent for him.And naturally people speculated about the cause.It was mainly believed - in that rural set up he grew up in - that 'Ke ntho tsa batho'(It is witchcraft).

Living in close proximity to Thembelani and Sango has starkly reminded me of how lucky those of us who can speak and hear are.Instead of complaining about this and that,we could do more with appreciating what we have.That the price of petrol is now R11.05 here in the Gauteng province is not really major in the scheme of things.

Even better than not sweating the small stuff,we could do with learning the sign language.This would make it much, much easier for the mute and deaf to communicate with us,and therefore not feel that excluded.


======================================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE.THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

===============================

SO,SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE,WHAT MADE YOU

FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?

Let us know at - feelgoodmovement@gmail.com
=====================================
Learn the Exact Formula
To Achieve Any Financial Goal
With Mathematical Certainty
From the gurus featured in "The Secret"
=====================================