Van swaan na lelike eendjie....my Pottery Klas nagmerrie

Ek het so 'n maand terug begin met Pottery Klasse en alles het baie goed gegaan... dit was tot gisteraand.

Die eerste paar lesse het ek geleer om slaps, coils en pinch pot tegniek te gebruik. Coils is redelik maklik maar vat baie lank want jy moet die klei in wurmpies rol en dit dan op mekaar sit om iets te vorm. Ek het in my eerste pottery les die tegniek gebruik om 'n slaai bak te maak.

Slabs vat baie vinniger maar 'n mens moet die klei ewe dik probeer uitrol met 'n slap roller en dan kan jy die blokke klei gebruik om oor moulds te sit. Ek het in my tweede les die tegniek gebruik om 'n vaas vir blomme te maak. Pinch pot is die derde tegniek wat ek bemeester het en by vêr die maklikste. Hoe dit werk is jy rol die klei in 'n ronde bal en gebruk dan jou duime om die klei stelselmatig na die kante te druk. So kan jy dan 'n oulike bakkie vir chips of snacks maak.

So gisteraand het ek besluit om my eie kop te volg en ek het die parfuum bottel van Jean Paul Gautier as inspirasie gebruik. Ek wou ook so 'n uurglas vroutjie maak sodat ek my hangertjies om dit kan sit. Daar word draad weergawes van hierdie vroutjie verkoop in winkels waaraan jy ook jou hangertjies kan hang.

Maxi, wat vir my die pottery klasse gee het na die prentjie gekyk en aanbeveel dat ek dit met coils moet doen. Ek het haar egter oortuig dat ek dit eeder met slaps wil probeer want ek het 'n Saysoft bottel saamgebring om te help om die perfekte vorm te kry. Na twee ure van klei druk en uitrol en baie lag vir die misformde figuur stap Maxi se man in die vertrek en gee my kunswerk een kyk. "Wat is die gedrog veronderstel om te wees?", wil hy weet terwyl hy sy lag probeer inhou. Ek antwoord ewe arrogant terug: "Wag net oor 'n paar minute gaan hierdie gedrog in 'n beeldskone dame verander....al lyk dit op die oomblik soos die Leaning Tower of Pisa" My woorde was nog skaars koud toe knak my huurglas vroutjie se kniee en sy sak met haar laaste asem inmekaar. Ek probeer haar nog red maar besef dit is tervergeefs, sy is weer terug na haar oorspronklike klei vorm en ek as pottebakker het misluk in my poging om haar te skep.

Laat die aand kry ek 'n oproep van Maxi wat sê ons kan volgende week weer probeer om die Jean-Paul vrou te skep maar die keer moet ons eeder coils gebruik. Ek sit die foon neer en bêre die prentjie wat alles begin het in my bedkassie. Miskien moet ek volgende keer eeder iets eenvoudigers probeer soos 'n bord of 'n teepot..... of miskien dalk 'n minateur eiffel tower dink ek toe my kop aan my kussing raak.

JT"s got competition

The imagination of a painter

How will Harry die in Book 7?

Top 10 Ways that Harry could die in Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

1. Gets very drunk on butterbeer and has one-night stand with Dementor. Finds out its "Hump of Despair" is way worse than its "Kiss of Death."
2. Scar actually a time bomb set by Voldemort, making Harry's head explode in a bloody mist.
3. Luna Lovegood provides Harry with some bad acid. While tripping, Harry thinks he can fly without his broom and dies jumping from window in astronomy tower.
4. Murdered by Ron after Hermione gets caught holding Harry's wand.
5. Smothered by Veela breasts.
6. Disgruntled Snitch frees a bunch of Bludgers and sends them after Harry.
7. Decapitated by Hogwart's Express in game of "chicken" with Draco Malfoy.
8. Trampled by a mob of liberated house elves.
9. Becomes Animagus. Turns into mouse. Gets eaten by Hedwig.
10. Harry becomes paralyzed when thrown from back of Centaur. Inspires wizarding community with inspirational struggle towards recovery, but dies from bedsore infection

Getting involved in the fight against Crime

When Bashier Omar, one of my co-workers first suggested that we do an anti-crime protest a few weeks ago, myself and a lot of other people were skeptical. Would it really make a difference? We asked.

After standing at a traffic intersection on Corlett drive since the 5th of February and getting support from our co-workers, people in the Melrose Arch Vicinity, TV and radio stations, Newspapers and even a few policemen, we can all honestly say Yes, it did make a significant difference.

Tomorrow President Tabo Mbeki is going to open parliament with his State of the Nation address. Most South-Africans fear that he is going to ignore the crime issue in South Africa because the government has been in denial about how hectic things really are for the past few years.

After banking giant FNB decided to cancel their Anti-crime campaign we all realised that nobody was going to speak out against crime and that we ordinary South Africans had to do something. So we started to picket in front of Melrose Arch with flags and posters urging motorists to hoot if they support what we're doing and advertising the Anti-Crime March on the 10th of March.

On the first day there was only 5 people, the next day it quadrupled and there was 40, Yesterday we had 60 and today we had more than a 100 with 3 different Television stations covering our every move. We we're also on page 2 of the Star Newspaper and the top story on IOL and News24, 94.7 Highveld Stereo, 5Fm and 702 Radio also mentioned us on their News.

For all the South Africans who feel the way we do, remember you can make a difference about the awareness of crime in South Africa. I'll keep you updated on tomorrow’s state of the nation address.

South Africans - Unite against Crime

BY Zani Barrish

South African citizens took a stand against crime when they picketed in Johannesburg, following the recent retraction of banking giant FNB’s anti-crime campaign.
The urban jungle became the battle field for ordinary South African’s who’ve had enough of crime and held a picket this week on one of Gauteng’s heavy-volume traffic intersections between Corlett Drive and Melrose Boulevard. While the picketers carried posters and flags to draw attention, motorists on Corlett Drive showed their support by hooting and giving the protesters the thumbs-up.

Ahead of President Thabo Mbeki’s State of the Nation address on Friday, the picket spear-headed by Bashier Omar and his fellow colleagues and residents of Melrose Arch, decided to break the silence and voice their concerns about South Africa’s ever-rising crime rate.

First National Bank dropped its multi-million Rand anti-crime campaign where they were going to prod South Africans to fight the crime scourge. Their plan was put inserts into various newspapers where citizens could write letters to President Mbeki, urging him to publicly put crime at the top of South Africa’s agenda.

“If a huge corporation like FNB can run scared, who will stand up for us?” says Omar who has been holding the protest during noon and 1 since Monday, 5 February, 2007. “We hope that the exposure will inspire others to do the same and to send a message to our beloved President to please address our concerns that crime levels are unacceptably high”, says Omar who clutches a South African flag and anti-crime posters. “We pledge our allegiance to the President and South Africa, and are pleading with him to heed the call of all South Africans, Black, Coloured, Asian and White to listen to our concerns.”

Xolani Cele, who also works in an office in Melrose Arch, expressed his concern: “We represent the majority of South Africans who are sick and tired of crime. “It’s time our government faced the fact that crime has got out of control and that something needs to be done. We don’t even feel safe in our homes anymore,” “I am not anti-government or anti-Mbeki, I am just anti-crime. In fact, I am very patriotic and this is why I have decided to take a stand,” he says.

The organization VIRSA are organizing a National March on the 10 of March, that will allow South Africans to forward their grievances to Government by way of petitions and by marching in an appropriate and law abiding way.

The Art of Words

How many ad people does it take to change a lightbulb?

Q. How many media people does it take to change a light bulb?
A. I first need to figure how many people the light will reach, And then I can back out a number.

Q. How many writers does it take to change a light bulb?
A. Change! I'm not changing crap! This is bull**** - who said to change it?

Q. How many art directors does it take to change a light bulb?
A. Does it have to be a light bulb?

Q. How many creative directors does it take to change a light bulb?
A. Let me go to LA and find out.

Q. How many print production managers does it take to change a light bulb?
A. Forget it. We don't have the budget for a new one.

Q. How many traffic people does it take to change a light bulb?
A. All I know is that it should have been changed last week, and it's not my fault.

Q. How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
A. Two. One to change it and one to check the change