LJ & Codename SWAG

So, I discovered a new social network. It's actually pretty cool - it's like a facebook-mini-me in many ways, and in some it's rather individualistic - I have a feeling that it will grow into its own and spout more vibrant originality as it expands. The best part about it, is that it's proudly South African! It deserves a spot on THE Pinus.

The creator, Lawrence Jugmohan, has quite a lot to boast about considering that he was awarded "Durban's Youngest Web Developer 2011" and his range includes his own blog and profile, K9 Conceptz, and his own web design and hosting online studio, K9 Conceptz Web Design and Hosting.

Check it out World and loyal Pinus followers - simply click on the link ---> Codename SWAG.

And, I'm pretty sure he'll welcome feedback, so don't be shy!

You wait little girl, on an empty stage, for fate to turn the light on...

I need to tell you World, about Tasneem. I've known her since grade four. I've known her for eight years.

When we were younger, we used to sit outside on a low ledge in the school courtyard and share our lunch. Tasneem had this multi coloured chequered poncho - it was black, red, blue and yellow - well, those are the only colours I can see on it when I close my eyes now and see the two of us sitting there trading one peanut butter sandwich for one cheese one (I HATED peanut butter, still do). Strangely enough, we would find each other at every break-time even though during class time we never really socialised.

Tasneem was always so immaculately dressed (she still is, to this day), even in our frumpy school uniforms, she managed to always look so polished and put together! I used to feel like the grubby poor relation sitting next to her even though we were usually wearing the exact same thing (save for that beloved poncho). Tasneem's been wearing glasses from an early age too, and it only added to her status as the 'smartest kid in the class'. Sitting next to her every day, I always pinched myself, wondering, "why does she want to sit next to me?!" (this, loyal readers, was a time before I came into my own). I'm not really sure how our friendship began. If anyone had to ask what our first encounter was, I wouldn't be able to tell them. And if anyone asked me when it was that we truly became friends who shared their secrets and helped each other with homework - instead of mere lunch buddies - I wouldn't be able to tell them that either. I can pinpoint the day exactly when D and I crossed that invisible line from Mortal Enemies to Best Friends Forever; or the day I realised that Bob was someone I definitely wasn't going to let go of any time soon; I can't tell you when it was that Tasneem and I clicked. All that matters, is that we did.

As the years passed, my circle of friends grew larger, but there are really only three of them who I can still count as my very close ones. It's amazing, how at that age, friendships are made and broken on an almost daily basis. Our politics back then were so uncomplicated and fickle: you didn't lend me your colour pencils, so we can't be friends; you have the same pencil case as me, lets be best friends!; you can't sit next to me at lunch because you don't let me see your homework...oh looking back, it's amazing how we all managed to navigate our little classroom on a daily basis - making alliances, breaking bonds, best friends forever for a day and a half.  I had a separate friendship with each of them (D, Bob and Tasneem), but we never went through all those petty grade-school squabbles. I had many other friends, with whom I did play the game of child-hood politics, but never with those three. By the time we reached high school, I was always sitting next to either one of them. And by our final years Bob, Tasneem and I were found to be nearly inseparable during school hours.

Tasneem was our anchor. The one who brought us back down to earth every time Bob and I decided to tour the galaxy in our heads or got too carried away discussing some nonsensical topic: like the existence of evil pixies. She was the one who reminded us about assignments and tests; who pulled out her books and went, "right lets see what you're having trouble with". I know not a lot of people were fans of Tasneem; I know a lot of people resented her for her 'teachers pet status'; I know too, that Tasneem didn't care. I admired her for that. I still do. She is one of the most intelligent people I know (and just so you know, I have a knack of surrounding myself with those. I'm freaking talented like that). She was always the one who would be there for us, but never needed us to be there for her. I don't think I ever saw Tasneem depressed, or on the verge of hysterics. Sure, she PMS'd (like massively!), but she didn't do it often. We loved her for it all the more I think, because we loved taking the piss out of her for it every time. Space brownies; air guitar; glass carriages; catwalks of Milan; creative artworks; owls; sunshine; sandwiches; brad pitt; the sound of music; blue skies; books; laughter; morality; beauty; religion; confidence; loyalty; bowling; poncho's; PIN POPS! Dear World, you have no idea what a wonderful person she is. Tasneem always gives more of herself than she takes from others.

I'm telling you about her, because she deserves to be read about. It's not always that someone loses a dearly loved one, like a parent, and smiles and says, "It's what God willed. He's in a better place." Even though it's what we should all say and believe, it's not always that we do; not always that we are able to mourn in quiet dignity; not always are we able hide our pain even from those who want to help us, just because it might distress them; it's not always that we can console others when it is us who experience the loss...but Tasneem can. Tasneem does.

We weren't there for her the one time she probably needed us the most. We didn't read the signs. We let her go through the hurt and grief of watching someone you love slip away from you, alone. We didn't know.
"I didn't want to tell you," she said to me when I held her tight, "I didn't want to tell you, because I didn't want your pity. I needed you to be yourself - I needed you to make me smile; you gave me what I needed."
And that is why, I had to tell you about her. I had to somehow find a way to freeze-frame the Tasneem I grew up with, because she's in danger of disappearing. Maybe it's selfish of me, but I want that Tasneem who ran around shrieking at us in glee, stuffing ice down our backs, to stick around a little longer. I could see it in her eyes, glassy and bright, as she squeezed my hand and tried to reassure me that she was ok. She was still being Tasneem - but a version that made me sad. Sad, because it was the first time I was seeing this new her, even though she'd been in plain sight for quite some time. Sad because we were so blind. She loved us no less for it and we couldn't help loving her all the more.

I don't dislike Americans. I detest their attitude.

Everyone's holding their breaths for the end of the world this year. Well, most everyone - not me. 2012 is looking so bright, the end of the world is almost unfathomable. My 2012 began with a bang - just outside New Delhi, dancing in a crowd of strangers, while the night sky exploded in a multitude of colours. I couldn't have asked for anything more promising - except of course, RetardLove; but as New Years Eves go, this one was amazing. It set the precedent, of course, for the rest of the year - and thus far, the year hasn't disappointed.

However, I have disappointed. My apologies, loyal Pinus followers - my blog posts recently have been nowhere near the standard they were a year ago. I mean to remedy that as of right about...NOW. I found myself wanting to hurl earlier on, when I scrolled through the beloved Pinus, and found hardly any posts of intellectual stimulation in the pasts two months - horrific, I know. In my defence though, there has been nothing that made my blood curdle or my neurons spark in a frenzy of whirlwind thoughts. Till now.

I was watching Piers Morgan the other day, and he was interviewing Sean Stone - most people probably don't know who in the heck that is - for all those in the dark: Sean Stone is a 27 Year old American film director, producer, cinematographer, screenwriter and actor (he's the son of the legendary Oliver Stone). But anyway, let's move away from his impeccable pedigree and Hollywood-royalty status, and onto the fact that he's accepted Islam. Of course, the whole of the USA is in an uproar (so maybe I'm generalising here - please accept my apology those of you from the US of A who see no problem with his conversion). Piers practically said to him, "I don't like what you're up to". Forgive me, but I thought religion was a personal decision in a democracy. Before you go ahead and say, "well yeah, he basically condoned Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's claims that the Holocaust was a farce", he totally did no such thing! He just stated (quite fairly I may add), that Iran had every right to their own nuclear program. In fact, watching that interview, I had only the utmost respect for Mr. Stone as he quite intelligently, logically and calmly explained himself, his actions, the religion he has chosen to follow and the stance he expressed with regards to the Iran/Israel/USA/Nuclear Program dissension. He hopes, through his conversion, to help fellow Americans learn more about the faith they so readily condemn, because of extremists who contort its peaceful nature to meet their own ends. He said, "The most important thing is I hope I can help Americans to understand the true nature of Islam." And for that, I admire the man. 

His responses to Piers in that interview made me smile, because they were so well articulated and so concise and so placidly delivered that the British Piers Morgan looked like a blustering American (to me), clutching at straws - and I usually hold Piers in high esteem (needless to say, he has gone down a few notches in my opinion). Mr. Stone was right, why shouldn't Iran have access to nuclear energy if it aids in the efficiency of the country? Many cite the reason Iran should be excluded from the elite 'nuclear club' of states, (which include the USA, the UK, Russia, France and China) is because its President is firm in his belief that, "The real cure for the conflict is elimination of the Zionist regime". Of course, I can even agree that some of Ahmadinejad's claims are extreme and I do not condone them all - but as Mr. Stone pointed out, that statement there does not mean any more than a dissolution of the state of Israel. 

That interview not only confirmed my belief that the USA is selfish and egotistical, but also that the citizens themselves are just the same. Reading through the comments on Piers Morgan's blog on the CNN website, I felt sickened by the level of ignorance, arrogance and animosity expressed in the comments by viewers - not all of them mind you, but a great many - 

"Who is this guy?? Why do you even invite this moron to your show? This idiot is not an academic, nor a scholar, he is the son of a has-been director!! Just because they direct movies does not make them smart enough to change the world! I mean, c'mon!!! He is not even the director of any movie!!! He is just trying to get attention and you gave it to him! To listen to this imbecile speak, he makes no sense, he has this stupid smirk on his face and he looks and sounds like Tori Spelling's husband!! Get real people to your interviews, people that can bring content, not this airhead stoner!!"

This person clearly has no idea himself what he is talking about. He clearly knows nothing about Sean Stone to have made those comments - anyone, with half a brain, who listens to him speak or reads his statements can tell that he is sensible and smart and thinks carefully before he speaks - which means this viewers own knowledge is greatly lacking; his abuse of punctuation is pathetic; he has no feasible grounds for refuting Mr. Stones claims too; he just sounds, like a sore loser in my opinion, a bully who thinks the more exclamations he adds in at the end of a sentence, the truer it makes it seem. Reading what that imbecile wrote makes me want to laugh really - because for a country that can boast at being the World's Superpower, most of its citizens are shining examples of a culture of stupidity and myopia. And that, is sad; frightening too.

I'm not angry at all Americans - there are pretty decent ones around, but my beef is this: (and it is not  with the potential threat Iran may impose as a Nuclear State) but rather with the audacity of the US to presume that they can dictate who can and cannot develop a nuclear program. Did all those self-righteous Americans stop to think that maybe if they stopped looking at the rest of the world as a threat, the world could be their ally? The USA has been the world Superpower for so long, that they have forgotten I think, that the world is not theirs to rule. It has not reached a stage of blatant absolutism, but it is not difficult to see a time where it possibly does. Why does it have to be an either/or situation: either you're with us or you're against us? "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely". While they're raving on about the threat Iran poses, do they remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki? The United States of America, is the only country, to have ever used nuclear weapons of mass destruction in warfare.