Read Here – Council For Foreign Affairs

It was several months prior to the outbreak of the Soweto Riots that my former husband and I decided to leave South Africa.  My personal decision had absolutely nothing to do with fear … nothing to do with the future of South Africa.  I left for only one reason:  I despised the Apartheid regime and did not want my children to grow up regarding black people as second class citizens.

I am writing this response to give voice to my feelings of shame, because I was once a typical white South African, who learned – through osmosis –  to treat with disregard, the needs and feelings of so-called ‘non-whites’.  I was in my 20’s when I began to awake from the slumber so ingeniously instilled in my family and me by the Apartheid regime.

As a child living in a typical South African household, our family had two servants, one of whom was a ‘coloured’ lady named Nancy Sampson (Aunt Jemima reincarnated!), who spent 22 years of her life taking care of our family with love and devotion before she passed away in her 50’s.  My story revolves around Nancy, perhaps because the memories I have of my relationship with her epitomize what later fuelled my hatred of Apartheid.

Living in a family in which Apartheid was neither discussed nor questioned (this was your garden-variety white South African family of yester-year), I did not possess the insight, as a child or teenager, to remove the ‘blinkers’ from my eyes.

I try hard not to think how many times, during my teenage years, Nancy asked me to stop what I was doing for a moment, in order to help her with something.  But how could I have helped?  I was far too busy luxuriating in the pleasures reserved for white South Africans.

I loved this woman so much – my whole family did (and she knew that) – yet the South Africa in which I grew up did not teach me to look beyond my own self-serving needs when interacting with ‘non-white’ people. I would never have dared to refuse to help a white adult!

I cringe when I think about the ten-foot-square room in which my beloved Nancy (like millions of other servants) spent so much of her life  -  a tiny, dark, cluttered room with no bathroom …  a room which served as her bedroom, living room, kitchen and dining room  … a room located in the back yard of our lovely home (you know?  the one with the swimming pool on the half-acre property?).

The vivid picture of Nancy’s appalling living quarters remains indelibly imprinted in my mind’s eye, and leaves me feeling heartsore and ashamed.

Like most non-white South Africans with live-in positions, Nancy had a home to which she returned on her days off (of which there were so few, as was typical at that time). One day I offered to give her a ride, since it was raining.  When we were almost there she asked me to drop her off a little distance away.  Not wanting her to have to walk in the rain, I ignored her request – but quickly regretted this when I realized that I had taken away what little dignity she could salvage, for her home was a small, corrugated iron shanty inhabited by who-knows-how-many of her family members.

After inadvertently having crossed the line, however, I was able to become a regular visitor to their oh! so humble abode, always welcomed as if I was the Queen of England, despite my wish to simply be treated as a family friend.

I remember how, in earlier years, Nancy used to tell me (if I took the time to listen) that they were ‘waiting for a ‘council house’  – whatever that meant.  How would I know?  I never stopped to ask!   Of course,  they never got this ‘council house’.

Why, oh why didn’t I hear the plea behind that piece of information? Why didn’t I listen?  Why didn’t I try to help???

Miraculously, in my early twenties, I began to emerge from my unconscious stupour as I began to see and feel, at the very deepest level, the horrors perpetrated in the name of ‘Apartheid’ – from the kind of self-indulgent carelessness I had displayed, to the blatant cruelty all white South Africans witnessed on a daily basis.  No household was immune, for example,  to the frequent midnight police invasion of the servants’ quarters in order to catch a spouse spending a night with his wife … and arrest him because he did not carry his ‘pass’ (I recoil at the very use of that word).

I remember reading a book written by the now-famous Afrikaner author, Andre Brink. The book was called “Looking on Darkness” (a brilliant and moving story of a ‘coloured’ man living under the Apartheid regime, awaiting execution for the murder of his white lover). Deeply moved by this story, I wrote a letter to Andre Brink to ask why he – as an Afrikaner who clearly felt such compassion for the non-white population – chose to remain in South Africa. He wrote back to me (yes, he did!!), stating simply that he felt he could do more by staying than by leaving.

And the classic “Cry the Beloved Country” tore at my heart, in particular the parts where the father is addressed with the contempt so typical of the white-to-black communication of those days. Yet the father responds with the polite subservience equally typical of that generation in those times – without the anger that the next generation experienced and expressed.  I can still touch the painful feelings I experienced each time I read this book.

Yet, by my actions and inactions, was I any different?   When I look back now on my behaviour as a child and teenager, I sometimes wonder if Nancy (like the father in ‘Cry the Beloved Country’) had any idea just how thoughtless and unkind my behaviour was.  In the South Africa of those days, was she simply conditioned to expect and accept discourtesy?

In acknowledging my earlier failure to challenge the glaring injustices of Apartheid, and in sharing my personal transgressions, I try to soothe my own inner wounds of sorrow and regret.  Whereas I have learned to forgive myself, the memories – when brought to the surface – still retain the power to elicit feelings of shame.

I am hard-pressed to believe that I was alone in my childhood disregard and lack of moral consciousness. I wonder, though, are there other ex (or current) South Africans who have grappled with feelings of regret and remorse?

I wonder too – am I the only fool willing to acknowledge and reveal my iniquities?

Given the ‘awakening’ I experienced in my early 20’s I was relieved beyond measure when we finally made the decision to leave South Africa.  I was 29 years old.

It is now over 30 years later. Like most ex South Africans, I carry with me a deep love for the African culture, and my insides still melt when I hear African music or watch African style dancing.  There’s a part of me that will always be a South African, but with that comes sadness about the person I once was.

I know that for our family, leaving South Africa was the right decision. My biggest reward came in a strange package many years later.  My daughter, who was attending graduate school in Buffalo, New York, talked frequently about her close friend and fellow student, Sharon.  I met Sharon for the first time at their graduation ceremony.  Sharon is a black woman.  Her colour was of such irrelevance to my daughter that she had never even thought to mention it to me!

My children are indeed ‘colour blind’.

And I will never, ever take this for granted.

Published in SAJAC Magazine

Photo from bbc.co.uk

Having a dig at David Beckham is almost a national pastime in the UK, and we’re not immune to it ourselves, having had a good chuckle at him falling flat on his backside in a nice suit while taking a free kick in China. That been said, whatever you think of him as a player, he has won 10 league titles in 4 different countries and is the only Englishman to score in 3 world cups. That’s a pretty impressive career by anyone’s standards.

It always seems impossible until it’s done.

Nelson Mandela

Even dying people have an opinion on the Windows/PC war…

 
Starring:
Brand Rackley
Winston Carter
 
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God sends Zulu Oracle Sibongile Nene to helps Quinn and Fabian Makhanda remember who they are.

African American twins Quinn and Fabian Makhanda fight to reclaim their identity and birthrights.

We are Quinn and Fabian Makhanda. There was a huge conspiracy from certain extraterrestrial beings and outside forces to brainwash us from our true identity and to disconnect us from our spiritual and material inheritance. Therefore, Zulu Oracle Sibongile Nene based in Toronto, Canada was chosen and sent by the Most High to awaken us to our true identity as Zulu Royals.

We are the descendants of King/Chief Makhanda and of the great King, Shaka Zulu. Our Royal Grandfather Shaka Zulu was described as being spiritually gifted and a military genius. Through clairvoyance, he was shown wearing the Royal Leopard skins, carrying a spear and shield. Our Royal Grandfather explained that we are strongly connected to the leopard skins of royalty and that we are also of the same bloodline as Nelson Mandela. King Shaka has made himself clear and has made it known that we are to connect and reclaim our birthrights on our mother’s line in South Africa which include both spiritual and material wealth. 

The South African Presidency has refused to honor the wishes of our King Grandfather. They have denied our family the right to return home for the repatriation that is required for our Ancestors. Our Grandmother Magdeline Makhanda, maiden name Magdeline Phitsane is in exile with us here in the U.S. We have been fighting to return to the Homeland of South Africa with honor and dignity. We expected the South African government (ANC) to treat us with respect but they have been anything but.

The ANC government may have us in exile at the moment. But I know the prophecy concerning my future and I know for sure that “God has caused me to remember who I am.”

HRM King Quinn Makhanda
HRH Prince Fabian Makhanda

WARNING: If you don’t get irony, you should stop now.

The religion that supports self obsessed people and donates money to the cause says; quote:

“there are many ways to gain attention 1. always have some lipstick on. Drama queen is NOT the best one”

end of quote.

I have had a difficult week. It’s not me, it’s other people making me crazy!

Yes, I know what Oprah and other non-self obsessed geniuses pope, mother Teresa, Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela etc have to say about my attitude.

A tiny little question though:

Why should I look and analyze myself? Point the finger at myself? Find fault in me when there are other people to blame!

fat chance!

When I have a bad week/day/month/year, in addition to pointing my finger to the responsible culprits; I go through these 6 mantras:

• I am a good person with a heart in the right place on the left side of my chest.
• I know 50% of what I want with my life and these boots are willing to walk on anyone to get it
• I plan to spend my life finding the other 50% and while at it, doing the things that make me laugh. From the heart.
• And listening to music I can dance to! dammit
• I am loved, and I love. Have always been loved and always have loved.
• I am the center of a wonderful dynamic world and it is glorious to have the honor to spend even just the one lifetime here.

But these mantras may not work for you if you are not as self centered as I am. So I have tips for those of you who think of others first.

Putting others first or even showing consideration for others who does that shit?:

• Don’t let people feel sorry for themselves near you. That’s for sissies.
• Don’t enjoy defending yourself. No-one gives a crapping crap!
• If any sissie has anything to accuse you of, tell them to dare do it in your face! Implicit accusations should piss you off.
• Inject some attitude into things, all things, it tells the sissies to stay clear of you!
• Don’t let people, I mean sissies, spread guilt in your personal space.

My self obsessed opinion: Guilt should be spread on the public square.

Directed at politicians and governments.

Individuals have enough issues to deal with.

e.g. too few shoes while traveling,

spoilt children,

travel,

job hunting,

thesis,

studies,

sick relatives,

lunatic relatives,

witchcraft,

gossipy nosy neighbours,

backstabbing friends,

paying attention to the other half  before he breaks something,

cleaning,

laundry,

shopping,

cooking something that will help to gain weight etc…

Politicians and governments can spare time in between the talktalktalktalk meetings.

They don’t seem to have our problems.

• Don’t be the little rabbit that allows other people to be drama queens at your cost.

Get pissy if others try to win the Nobel price for attention seeking by Drama queening because that role is already taken.

By one of the Kardashians. I don’t know which

A train accident leads to Mark doing something really shitty.

 
Starring:
Brand Rackley
Mark Potts
 
For the newest The Craig T. Nelson Mandela Variety Hour news, sketches & shorts check out CTNMVH.com

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“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”

Nelson Mandela’s family objected to images of President Jacob Zuma seated with him in April.

LYDIA POLGREEN | New York Times | May 15, 2013

JOHANNESBURG — “Smile!” the visitor implored, an edge of forced bonhomie in his voice, as he held up a cellphone camera to take a snapshot.

But the face of Nelson Mandela, the 94-year-old leader of the struggle against apartheid who became South Africa’s beloved first black president, remained impassive as stone. He looked confused and irritated, as if his rheumy eyes failed to register the faces of the top leaders of the African National Congress who came to see him last month, even though he had known them for decades.

These images, captured by a government camera crew and broadcast nationwide, were the first to appear in more than nine months of the ailing Mr. Mandela, who has been in the hospital four times in less than a year. Far from being honored, Mr. Mandela’s relatives were furious over the broadcast, saying party leaders had invaded his privacy and exploited his frailty to reap the political benefits of being seen in his hallowed company at least one more time.

“I was really, really livid,” said Makaziwe Mandela, Mr. Mandela’s eldest daughter, arguing that the filming took place against the family’s wishes. “They should have had the sense to not publish those pictures.”

Read more

El tiempo se crea.

La excusa estrella para no hacer algo es no tener tiempo. Créeme, no la has patentado. Siempre habrá otras cosas que hacer y es muy común dejar las cosas para más tarde. Tareas como limpiar la casa, salir a comprar, limpiar el coche… se vuelven sumamente importantes cuando se trata de procrastinar[1].

A veces, es más dejar las cosas para otro momento que la simple disuasión de hacer algo. Se trata de priorizar necesidades en cada momento y administrar el tiempo de forma efectiva. Porque ten en cuenta que si realmente quieres o necesitas hacer algo, siempre habrá tiempo.

El problema es que aplazar las cosas no hace que se vuelvan más fáciles cuando llegue el momento de enfrentarlas, las hace más difíciles.

Si permites que las distracciones no te dejen seguir avanzando, tendrás un problema. Y cuando digo distracciones, pueden ser de todo tipo: pareja, animales de compañía, hijos, trabajo, tareas domésticas, amigos…

Resulta difícil volver a lo que estabas haciendo. La tarea se vuelve innecesariamente complicada.

A veces la confusión y la inseguridad respecto a lo que hacemos o a lo que debemos hacer direccionan nuestra atención hacia tareas como las que he nombrado anteriormente.

 Es frustrante, pero no desesperante. Puedes administrar tu tiempo de forma eficaz. Ten claro tu objetivo, lo que quieres conseguir y, a partir de ahí, crea tiempo. Puedes hacer lo que requiera más concentración cuando tus hijos estén en la escuela, o tras el paseo de tu perro, cuando se queda dormido. Elige cuándo quedar con tus amigos o pareja y explícales el motivo, lo entenderán. Puedes coger días libres en tu trabajo que coincidan con festivos, así tendrás más concentración.

No permitas que todo lo que necesitas hacer te abrume. Ve paso a paso. Y sobre todo, busca la intención positiva.

Dejo este texto de Marianne Williamson, famoso porque fue leído por Nelson Mandela en una ocasión señalada.

English: Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, Gauteng, on 13 May 1998 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nuestro miedo más profundo no es a ser incapaces. Nuestro miedo más profundo es que somos poderosos más allá de toda medida. Es nuestra luz, no nuestra oscuridad, lo que más nos atemoriza. Nos decimos a nosotros mismos: «¿Quién soy yo para ser brillante, genial, talentoso y fabuloso?». En realidad, ¿quiénes somos nosotros para no serlo?

El hecho de hacerte pequeño no sirve al mundo. Nada hay de iluminación en encogerse para que otros no se sientan inseguros a tu alrededor. Todos tenemos que brillar como hacen los niños. Nacimos para manifestar la grandeza que llevamos dentro. Y no está solo en algunos de nosotros; está en todos. Cuando dejamos que nuestra luz brille, inconscientemente damos permiso a los demás para que hagan lo mismo. A medida que nos liberamos de nuestro propio miedo, nuestra presencia libera automáticamente a otros.

Manten el enfoque.

Craig T. Nelson Mandela Variety Hour: Episode 2:

Stacy doesn’t understand why all her friends don’t want to talk to her while Stacy’s doctors try to discover why her skin is melting away from her body.

 
Sketches Include:
Growing Apart
Acting With Accents (Edited)
80s Music Interview
The Last Windows/Apple Argument
Don’t Go Down 12th Street
Train Accident
 
The CTNMVH Players are:
Brand Rackley
Winston Carter
Benjamin Crutcher
Stacy Kaney
Jo Light (http://twitter.com/jo_12345)
Earnest Pettie (http://twitter.com/earnestp
Mark Potts
Reilly Smith
 
For the newest The Craig T. Nelson Mandela Variety Hour news, sketches & shorts check out CTNMVH.com

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For more news, videos, shorts and feature films starring Brand Rackley check out BrandRackley.com

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Sports films… We all know the drill. The underdog overcomes incredible odds to win whilst learning valuable life lessons along the way.

Is that all they really are or is there more to them? Decide for yourselves but here are 20 of the greatest Sports Films of all time… (In My Opinion)

20) Whip It (2009)

In a town near Austin, Bliss Cavendar’s strong-willed mom believes Bliss, at 17, can win pageants – the key to a happy life. Bliss isn’t the beauty pageant type: she’s shy, quiet, and has just one friend, Pash, her fellow waitress at a diner. Things change for Bliss when she discovers a women’s roller derby league in Austin, tries out, proves to be whip fast, and makes a team. Now she needs to become someone tough on the rink, keep her parents from finding out where she goes twice a week, and do something about a first crush, on a musician she meets at the derby. Meanwhile, mom still sees Bliss as Miss Bluebonnet. Things are on a collision course; will everyone get banged up?

(Source)

19) When We Were Kings (1996)

It’s 1974, Muhammed Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Forman is ten years younger and the Heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire and the “Rumble in the Jungle” is set. A musical festival, featuring the America’s top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King, is also planned.

(Source)

18) White Men Can’t Jump (1992)

Billy and Sydney think they’re the best basketball hustlers in town, so when they join forces, nothing can stop them, except each other. To add to their problems, Billy owes money and is being chased by a pair of gangster types…

(Source)

17) Happy Gilmore (1996)

Happy Gilmore is a rowdy boy, who was raised by his grandmother. He wants to be a hockey player but isn’t because of one thing, he can’t skate. When his grandmother’s house is foreclosed cause of her failure to pay her taxes, and she’s placed in a retirement home, Happy must try and find a way to make some money. One day while at a driving range, he discovers that he can hit a golf ball a hundred feet, so the range pro, convinces him to try being a pro golfer. Reluctant at first, because he considers himself a hockey player, but when he learns he can make a lot of money, he gives it a try and surprisingly, in addition to his amazing driving ability, his antics have made him the darling of the crowd. Shooter McGavin the tournament leader, thinks that Happy’s an embarrassment and is jealous that he is stealing his spotlight, tries to get him thrown out or get him to quit.

(Source)

16) Any Given Sunday (1999)

An aging football coach finds himself struggling with his personal and professional life while trying to hold his team together. A star quarterback has been knocked out of the game and a naive football player replaces him only to become exposed to the world of sports and become a danger to himself and to his players. Meanwhile, the coach finds himself constantly at battle with the team owner’s money and power-hungry daughter intent on moving the team out.

(Source)

15) The Waterboy (1998)

31-year-old waterboy Bobby Boucher is constantly tormented by the team he works for until he is fired by the coach. He then finds a new coach to work for. Here he finds a new talent, tackling people by pretending they’re making fun of them. Soon, he becomes the best linebacker in college football, but he must keep it secret from his overprotective mother.

(Source)

14) Tin Cup (1996)

Roy McAvoy is a failed pro golfer who lives in a Winnebago at a crummy driving range which he owns in the West Texas town of Salome. One day, a beautiful woman, Dr. Molly Griswold, appears at his driving range for golf lessons. She turns out to be the new girlfriend of McAvoy’s longtime nemesis, the smarmy PGA superstar David Simms. Molly inspires Roy to start taking himself seriously again, and he decides to try to qualify for the US Open.

(Source)

13) Invictus (2009)

The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa’s rugby team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.

(Source)

12) The Karate Kid (1984)

Daniel is new in town, and is getting picked on by the local bullies, who all are adept in karate. Determined to stick up for himself, Daniel begins to teach himself karate, only to discover that the caretaker at his apartment seems to be a grand master in karate. Agreeing to teach Daniel, Mr. Miyagi shows Daniel that there is more to karate than violence, and perhaps the best way to solve the problem he has with the bullies is in the All Valley Karate Championship.

**Special Mention to The Karate Kid (2010), A fantastic Re-make With Jaden Smith & Jackie Chan**

(Source)

11) The Mighty Ducks (1992)

Gordon Bombay, a hotshot lawyer, is haunted by memories of his childhood, when, as the star player in his champion hockey team, he lost the winning goal in a shootout, thereby losing the game, and the approval of his coach. After being charged for drunk driving, the court orders him to coach a peewee hockey team, the worst in the league, Gordon is at first very reluctant. However, he eventually gains the respect of the kids and teaches them how to win, gaining a sponsor on the way and giving the team the name of The Ducks. In the finals, they face Gordon’s old team, coached by Gordon’s old coach, giving Gordon a chance to face old ghost.

(Source)

10) Kickboxer (1989)

Kurt Sloan is the corner-man for his brother, U.S. kickboxing champion Eric Sloan. When Kurt witnesses his brother become maliciously paralyzed in the ring by Thailand champion Tong Po, Kurt vows revenge. With the help of Zion, a kickboxing trainer who lives in a remote area of Thailand, Kurt trains for the fight of his life.

(Source)

9) Rollerball (1975)

In a futuristic society where corporations have replaced countries, the violent game of Rollerball is used to control the populace by demonstrating the futility of individuality. However, one player, Jonathan E., rises to the top, fights for his personal freedom, and threatens the corporate control.

(Source)

8) Escape To Victory (1981)

During World War 2 when some Swiss inspectors inspect one of the camps, one of the Germans accompanying them sees that the inmates play football. And when he recognizes one of the men, Colby as a former player for England, he suggests that his men play against a team of Germans. Colby agrees provided that his players be provided with certain amenities. At the same time, one of the prisoners an American, Hatch is planning to escape. But his plan hits a snag because of the football game. He joins the team cause it’s the only way his plan can work. The officers at the camp want him to go to Paris, where the game will be held, so that he can contact the underground and see if its possible for the team to escape. Hatch makes it and after meeting them, they think there’s a way but Hatch has to get caught so that he could be sent back to the camp so that he can inform the team of the plan. Which he does but unfortunately the Germans are keeping him in isolation so Colby must convince the Germans that he needs him for the team so that he could be released.

(Source)

7) Moneyball (2011)

In 2001, General Manager Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s lose to the Yankees in the playoffs then lose three stars to free agency. How can Beane field a competitive team when the A’s player salaries total less than a third of the rich teams’? To the consternation of his scouts, Beane hires and listens to Peter Brand, a recent Yale grad who evaluates players using Bill James’ statistical approach. Beane assembles a team of no names who, on paper, can get on base and score runs. Then, Beane’s manager, Art Howe, won’t use the players as Beane wants. Can Beane circumvent Howe, win games, make it to the 2002 Series, and stand baseball’s hidebound conventions on their heads?

(Source)

6) The Fighter (2010)

As a welterweight from the wrong side of the tracks, Dickie Eklund is the pride of working class Lowell, Massachusetts. Living in his shadow is his half-brother and sparring partner Micky Ward. It’s part of the Irish pride to let Dickie lead the way and win a championship belt first. However, after suffering a humiliating defeat to Sugar Ray Leonard, Dickie plunges into a nightmare of crack addiction, violence and prison. His family’s hopes are crushed in the wake of Dickie’s demise. Like a real life Rocky, Micky fights on his own terms and pulls his family out of despair with his meteoric rise in the ring. Freshly paroled Dickie finds redemption training his little brother, now known as “Irish” Micky Ward, for his Welterweight Championship bout with Shea Neary.

(Source)

5) The Wrestler (2008)

American filmmakers may have rediscovered emotional realism, but no conversion is more surprising than Darren Aronofsky’s. His unadorned portrait of a pro-wrestling has-been is built around a fantastic, physical performance by Mickey Rourke, captured with a documentary style that renders his dingy world all the more strange, funny and heartbreaking. In his own words, he’s “a broken-down piece of meat,” and Rourke, back from actor purgatory, brings ample baggage to the role—including his bulked-up, modified body, his sandpapered larynx and his craving for an unlikely comeback. Randy “The Ram” Robinson can’t keep doing pile drivers forever, especially as the game evolves into something even more brutal, but what else is there? He’s distant from his daughter, but he has a flirtatious, tentative relationship with an aging stripper (Marisa Tomei) who’s facing the same injustice of the ticking clock. The movie, with its dime-store romance, breezy dialogue and telegraphed emotion, feels a bit like a grungier Rocky, but at times the understated attitude, grime and destitution are closer to Raging Bull.—Robert Davis

4) Days of Thunder (1990)

From the engine roar and fever pitch of professional stock car racing, Days of Thunder explodes with racing action. Race driver Cole Trickle, whose talent and ambition are surpassed only by his burning need to win. Discovered by businessman Tim Daland, Cole is teamed with legendary crew chief and car-builder Harry Hogge to race for the Winston Cup at the Daytona 500. A fiery crash nearly ends Cole’s career and he must turn to a beautiful doctor to regain his nerve and the true courage needed to race, to win and to live.

(Source)

3) The Rocky Franchise (1976 – 2006)

Rocky is a boxing saga of popular films all written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, who plays the character Rocky Balboa. The film series has grossed more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Never got a chance to see all of the rocky films? Here’s the full the franchise in one paragraph…

2) Senna (2010)

Senna’s remarkable story, charting his physical and spiritual achievements on the track and off, his quest for perfection, and the mythical status he has since attained, is the subject of SENNA, a documentary feature that spans the racing legend’s years as an F1 driver, from his opening season in 1984 to his untimely death a decade later. Far more than a film for F1 fans, SENNA unfolds a remarkable story in a remarkable manner, eschewing many standard documentary techniques in favour of a more cinematic approach that makes full use of astounding footage, much of which is drawn from F1 archives and is previously unseen.

(Source)

1) Raging Bull (1980)

Often regarded as Scorsese’s masterpiece, this biopic about boxer Jake LaMotta is a compelling character study, chronicling LaMotta’s violent outbursts inside and outside the ring. It’s beautifully shot in bleak black-and-white, and Robert De Niro (who won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance) plays the prizefighter like a clenched fist, lashing out at friends, family and anyone who looks at him the wrong way.

(Source)

There we have it, 20 of the greatest with some obvious omissions… Like Jerry Maguire (More about a Sports agent than a Sport) and Million Dollar Baby (I just Hate it, no rational explanation)

Feel free to comment your own top fives or top tens or even top fives in the same sport! I look forward to hearing from you!

Related articles

• Happy Gilmore (Dugan 1996) (hum222.wordpress.com)
• Remember why we love the sport (capetownshark.wordpress.com)
• Historical moments in sport, Nelson Mandela (calumhill.wordpress.com)
• Adam’s production company, Happy Madison, is named after two of his successful comedies, “Happy Gilmore” and “Billy Madison.” (adamsandlerfan.wordpress.com)
• Idris Elba says his upcoming Mandela biopic is ‘hands down the best’ (praisecharlotte.com)

For many years, I’ve been telling my teams, my colleagues, and my clients that leadership happens in the conversation. It’s where you have the greatest impact as a leader every day. And, like chocolate, conversations can be rich, dense, and layered. What we say and what people hear can be very different. What we hear and think we understand can be misinterpreted.

Remember the great American Leadership Conversation? President Obama opened a dialogue with a broad group of Americans and brought them along on the beginning of his leadership journey. He had a huge vision and, as soon as he became the president, he began to implement it. Shortly into his presidency, however, the healthcare debate spun out of control and Obama seemed unable to control the spin and keep his message on track. Soon, even his supporters became disappointed as the conversation grew more shrill and adversarial. It may be true that some political issues— Social Security, healthcare and peace in the Middle East — are just explosive topics and no leader can guide a constructive conversation around them. I might agree but I have found that there are issues just as explosive in companies. As my colleague Gavin McMahon says, “Politicians are public executives.”

I have seen significant controversy in companies attempting to adopt a new technology that cannibalizes the core business, a shift that always causes different points of view to emerge. Changes in compensation benefit plans, and other reward systems are also fodder for controversy because they affect people on a personal level. Organizational changes can result in people losing power and influence. These may be positive changes for the company but may leave some people with ego wounds to lick. I don’t have to tell you how brutal those conversations can be.

Leaders have to have those conversations — one on one, in small groups, or in a public forum. Conversations can take place in someone’s office, over lunch, informally in the hallway, or formally in front of large audiences. Some conversations are televised, like webinars that CEOs have with far flung global teams or even State of the State and State of the Union addresses.

There’s no room for misinterpretation here. All participants have to come out of the conversation knowing exactly what’s changing, why, and how it will affect them.

The most brilliant change initiatives can die long, painful, expensive deaths. These Conversations can inspire and move people to action or they can erode people’s confidence, performance, and faith in the company leadership. Ultimately, everyone suffers, and the company struggles to regain its footing in the same way our country and many nations around the world are struggling to regain theirs.

Having conversations that truly communicate what you intend is vital to achieving your goals and to surfacing the potential concerns of others. Conversation is so much the lifeblood of an organization that it can be said, “Conversation is to leadership what water is to life.”

At the worldview level, almost everyone agrees that communication is critical. When you go beyond paying lip service to this concept and you begin to set standards for how you communicate— with whom and with what frequency— you can do more to lead effectively and move your company forward than you can with any other initiative.

Leadership happens in the conversation, and that conversation happens in the moment. It is a choice we make. When you manage a project or a process, you have time to plan. When you are confronted with the unknown, you have to act in the moment and respond. Those moments often define our leadership. Even when we are silent, we are communicating. People will read into your silence as well as your words.

I will go further and say that communication is so central to leadership that once an individual becomes a leader, he no longer has the luxury of casual conversations. People hear everything. When you’re a leader, the casual conversation that you have in the hall or the off-the-cuff remark you make could have significant ramifications. All of your remarks become part of the conversation your people are having; they’ll have these conversations with one another, and they’ll parse what you said, what you really meant, and why you said it. The senior leaders I consult with understand that every comment they make communicates volumes.

Communication needs to be authentic. It’s not about saying the right thing or using the right buzzwords. One might say all the right things, in the right tone of voice, and in the most positive manner— and, it doesn’t mean that those words will land as meaningful and true. Most people see right through someone who is talking in corporate speak or jargon. Speak straight, speak what you intend, speak from what you know to be true— and people will respond with their own conviction. You can then have a dialogue that is purposeful and moves your company forward.

If you think of every communication as a conversation and you are authentic and open, people will respond to you. Even when they don’t agree, they will feel they can express themselves, and then you’ll know why they disagree. This is a good thing. If you know that people disagree and you know why, you’ve opened a dialogue so that you can resolve the differences, align your people to you, and move forward into action.

You may not be the best presenter in the world, but if you are able to communicate in an open and conversational style, you will create receptivity and people will respond. You know people are responding to you when they give you feedback. This is how you uncover those unmet needs I talked about earlier. When you uncover the unmet needs of people, obstacles fall away and you are left with clear understanding that moves people to action.

Even the best communicators can be misinterpreted. It’s important to communicate with the understanding that someone is on the receiving end of what you are saying. People are going to interpret what you have said. Knowing that will encourage you to stay focused and speak straight from the heart.

I’ve met my share of superstar leaders, and even superstar leaders don’t start out fully formed. Putting experience aside for the moment, the fundamental attributes that great leaders have is the ability to convey a message to their followers that compels them to take action.

Let’s look at this for a moment. Napoleon, a short man with a grand vision, was able to conquer half of Europe. Winston Churchill, who successfully led England to resist Hitler during World War II, was a political outcast who spoke like he had a handful of marbles in his mouth. Golda Meir, a student who grew up in Wisconsin, established a nation state and led Israel solidly into the twentieth century. Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King both challenged discrimination in their societies despite being the targets of prejudice themselves. Rosa Parks sat on a bus and, in silence, led a change that significantly advanced the Civil Rights Movement. Mother Teresa, through compassion and tireless effort, communicated with her devotion and faith to make a difference for the victims of poverty in India.

All these leaders had courage, commitment, and vision. But what really set them apart — what made them leaders — was their ability to convey a message to their many followers to take action. They spoke from their hearts about what they believed. People responded and made those causes their own. What made these leaders effective was their ability to convey what was important to them and make it important to others.

Speaking naturally and authentically about what you believe in, whether it is a political position, a personal choice, or a business decision, will get the attention of your audience.

I recently read Nelson Mandela’s A Long Walk to Freedom. An amazing read indeed. I recommend it to everyone.

I can’t believe that it took me til the age of twenty-one to read it. He is perhaps the most well known and respected leader in the world, and yet I had never studied him in-depth, simply knowing him as ‘the guy who became president after being locked up in jail.’

Mandela dedicated his life from a young age to advocating for equal rights for all South Africans, whether they be black or white.  He finally achieved his goal, a mere fifty years later, including over half of that spent in prison, when he was elected president of the country at the ripe old age of 75. His story is one of sheer persistence and perseverance

But perhaps one of the strongest lessons which I took out of the book and which anyone can apply to life was his ability to wake up at 4:30am every morning and exercise before starting his day.

It was one of the integral ingredients which allowed him to tackle each day full on and go from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm.

Being a recent university graduate, I have had my fair share of sleep ins over the years, many of the time nursing a severe hangover.  But recently, through the inspiration of Mandela, I have been attempting to wake up at six o’clock each morning and starting my day on a bright note.

I have noticed substantial changes in my overall energy and persona only a month in to my lifestyle change.

Not only did I used to sleep in, but I would retire to the couch by five o’clock in the evening for a night in front of the TV. Yet nowadays, despite my early wake up, I somehow still have the stamina and focus to keep going and sometimes even put in a second exercise session for the day.

I feel I have been able to get so much more done when I kick start the day with only a twenty minute exercise session.  I feel a sense of empowerment and confidence at the conclusion of it. I feel like I can tackle any challenge, given I have already faced and conquered the hardest one of simply getting out of bed.

Yes it was hard at first, and still is at times, especially on those cold dark winter mornings, but if Mandela can do it, then there’s no reason why nobody else can. I hope to eventually find the courage to work my way down to Mandela’s time.

Mandela is indeed a remarkable person, but he has only been able to bring about what he has done through his steadfastness, determination, courage and hope, qualities which anybody can undertake.

And once you have exercised first thing, you don’t feel the need to indulge in fatty foods throughout the day, preferring to maintain your healthy mindset.

It is an amazing feeling alone to look at your watch and see that it is barely seven o’clock, and that you have already completed your exercise for the day. You may even find the time on top of exercising to do some quiet reading or meditation before you begin your day’s activities or work schedule.  Mandela fitted in them as well.

I found it easy during university to just drift in to the day, waking up at the last minute, rocking up late to class, and hardly being able to keep my eyes open as the lecturer waffled on, but through waking up early it has allowed me to enter each day with full force.

It might be hard to leave your bed, being all snuggled up in your doona, but once you are up, there is no better feeling.

Mandela was not born with special powers which were unique to him, but he rather implemented basic daily rituals, such as that of waking up early, enabling him to triumph over any self doubt or fear, and thus allow him to change the world for the better.

It is no coincidence that successful people such as the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Robin Sharma, Condoleezza Rice, Thomas Edison, Howard Schultz, Serena Williams, Steve Jobs and Barack Obama have all emphasised the importance of rising early each day.

Once you persist through those first few difficult days, you’ll never look back. You’ll be addicted. You never know, it might just be the start of your journey to achieve something as great as Nelson Mandela.

Photo credit: Vince Alongi / Foter.com / CC BY

Today I will tell you about my visit to The Butcher Shop & Grill in Nelson Mandela Square near Sandton City in Johannesburg.  If you are in Sandton area and want a steak this is a good place to go as they feature an in-house butcher shop and a good selection of steaks and other dishes.

The meal started with a basket full of very soft bread and a small dish of home-made sausages.  I think the sausages were beef sausages and while they had the texture of a Vienna Sausages the flavor was much better.

I decided to have my favorite, rib eye, with a side of mashed potatoes and onion rings (which were more like onion straws to me).  I ordered my steak grilled to medium rare, there was a selection of sauces but I am a purest when it comes to steak so did not select any.  When my steak came it was cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of marbling and my first (and every other) bite was full of good flavorful, juicy, tender steak.  The onion rings (straws) and mashed potatoes were good, though the potatoes were a little dry without adding some gravy and butter. I washed the meal down with a nice cold draft Stella.

I am sure I will visit this place again though there are a few other steak houses around Johannesburg I want to try first.

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

- Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Today is blog is focusing on peace and healing for South Africa. Let us pray:

“God of love and compassion, we ask you to bless the rich diversity of South Africa – a land rich in resources, land and people. Yet we lament that in the midst of this beautiful country it is riddled with crime, rape, violence, poverty, unemployment, and AIDS pandemic, and recently xenophobia (an irrational or unreasoned fear of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange, and can manifest itself in many ways involving the relations and perceptions of an ingroup towards an outgroup, including a fear of losing identity, suspicion of its activities, aggression, and desire to eliminate its presence to secure a presumed purity.) There is much to be done to heal the nation. Call forth new laborers, O God. Commission new compassionate leaders who will cure the sick, raise up those dead in poverty, cleanse those with HIV and AIDS, and cast out the demons of hatred towards one another. We pray for our refugee neighbors from Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo who fear they will be the next victims of xenophobia. We pray for the AIDS orphans who are deprived of their most basic needs and will never know what it means to have parents. In Jesus’ name. Amen.*” prayer by Susan Valiquette and Scott Couper, Global Ministries of the Christian Church and United Church of Christ.

“Prayer of Petition:
“O God of all humanity, we come to you pleading for your help in stopping South Africa, Zimbabwe and all countries in Africa from bleeding. Restore those who have been victims of rampant violence. Heal those who act violently towards others. You gave the people of South Africa and the world a unique leader in Nelson Mandela. Guide the current leaders to make courageous decisions. Re-establish hope in all of us that there will be an end to this violence and the violence in our own communities and nation. Renew our spirits, so that the spirit of Ubuntu (“I am because we are”) may flourish in South Africa and everywhere. Amen.*” adapted from a prayer by Nokuphiwa S. Langeni, South African seminary student, Eden Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri.

“Action:
“Consider viewing ‘In My Country’ about the Truth and Reconciliation Project started by Archbishop Desmond Tutu; reaching out in forgiveness or making amends for your own personal hurts; and supporting the work of the South African Council of Churches for justice, reconciliation, integrity of creation, and the eradication of poverty.*”

All * quotes are taken from “Praying for Peace Around the Globe” by James McGinnis.

NAMASTE