Category: this is south africa

PistoriusBalls 1

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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:

 

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

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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)

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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.