“Rock journalism is people who can’t write interviewing people who can’t talk for people who can’t read” (Frank Zappa)

According to Frank Zappa, "Rock journalism is people who can’t write interviewing people who can’t talk for people who can’t read." So what exactly does this statement mean?

It is evident that not everyone enjoys rock music. Rock music is definitely in a league of its own. It could be described as an “all over the place” genre, most of the time it is unstructured. My understanding of Frank Zappa’s statement is that it does not take an excellent individual to pull off rock journalism efficiently. Being a rock journalist is totally different to being an ordinary music journalist. The ordinary music journalist would review the latest Jazz or classical album to hit stores, over coffee in front of the fire, whereas the rock journalist would rather like to find out by personal experience by attending a rock concert alongside another fifty thousand rock-heads. Therefore, rock journalism is in a league of its own. It is unstructured, random and not a brain wrecker.



My top 200 achievements

1. Entering this world on the 11 June 1987.


2. Being blessed with the wonderful parents that I have.

3. Being part of a lovely family.

4. Being given the wonderful name that I have.

5. Being dedicated.

6. Starting to crawl after months of just being on the arms of loved ones and family friends.

7. Beginning to walk in my walking ring.

8. Having the ability to walk without the support of a walking ring or any other support object.

9. My first proper word (one that actually exists).

10. Getting rid of nappies.

11. Getting rid of the bottle.

12. Getting rid of the dummy.

13. Being able to eat my food by myself.

14. Being accepted at Crèche.

15. Progressing to Pre-school.

16. Being accepted at Excelsior Primary school.

17. Going to Grade 1.

18. Passing Grade 1.

19. Passing Grade 2

20. Being part of the school choir.

21. Passing Grade 3.

22. Joining the under 12B Netball team at school.

23. Taking part in a church production as a singer.

24. Passing Grade 4.

25. Being part of the under 13A Hockey team at school.

26. Passing Grade 5.

27. Passing Grade 6

28. Having had the ability to go on a hockey tour to Caledon with the under 15A girls hockey team.

29. Passing Grade 7.

30. Being accepted at Monument Park High School.

31. Joining the under 16A Hockey Team.

32. Becoming head cheer leader in Grade 12.

33. Passing High School.

34. Being accepted at CPUT.

35. Receiving a distinction for Spanish (first year subject).

36. Receiving a certificate for Spanish (first year subject).

37. Being nominated as a candidate for Co-Op student of the year (third year).

38. Graduating in April 2010.

39. Being accepted to do my Btech - Degree.

And the list goes on and on, but I will not continue any further as I think that is enough for now. We all have achieved certain things in life that we could/should be proud of. What are your achievements and have you ever thought about how these achievements have impacted your life?



Andy Warhol said, “In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes.” You can’t choose the fifteen minutes but why would you be world famous?

I would be famous for taking a stand and releasing the truth into the atmosphere. The truth that this nation needs to hear and be aware of. This truth is the truth that will set people free from bondages, this truth is so important to us as human beings. That truth that I am talking about is that we all need to live a life that is pleasing to God. We need to take a stand and be willing to give our hearts and every single ounce of our being to God.

While proclaiming this truth it is actually not me who would be made famous, because that is not the aim. My aim is to make the Almighty, the Most High God famous. Not that He needs to be made famous as He already is the most powerful. My desire is for people to open up their eyes and realise that they need to acknowledge that there is no Higher power, for them to realise that in order to live a prosperous life we all need God to be the foundation of it.



A skill set called leadership

Leadership is the process by which an individual has the ability to impact others positively in order to reach a specific goal or objective. Not everyone is born a leader but if you have the desire and you put your mind to it you are able to become an effective leader. Some individuals are better at following somebody else’s lead, whereas others are natural born leaders. Having the opportunity to be a leader (whether it is at school, varsity, work, church or for a project) is a good thing for individuals who have the ability to guide their team members. However, one has to make the most of this opportunity. It is important to lead by example, a leader that expects his/her followers to act in a certain manner or do a certain thing but does not display an example of this is a hypocrite.


A good leader has the ability to inspire their team members into a higher level of teamwork. They also continuously strive to improve their leadership skills. As a leader one should have an honest understanding of exactly who you are. You also need to be aware of what you know and what you are able to do. Followers will not perform well if they do not have confidence in their leader and in order for them to be confidence in their leader, the leader has to have confidence in them self first.

Our greatest strenghts are our greatest weaknessess.

After reading the heading for this blog I realised that this statement is true. Often we don’t even realise that our greatest strengths could be our greatest weakness. In many cases individuals use their strengths in the wrong way and this could lead to a negative impact on a situation. For example, there are numerous occasions where people who are in ‘high’ positions within an organisation or people who possess a lot of power use it in the wrong way. In this way their greatest strength which is their position or education becomes their greatest weakness.

Another example that comes to mind is if an individual is a peoples person, someone who strives to look out for the best interest of others, sometimes even putting others before themselves. This individual might care so much about the well-being of their friends, family and maybe even people that they interact with daily whether it is at school, varsity or their work colleagues, that they put these people first and really go out of their way to be good to others and at the end of the day these very same people that they strive to look out for are the ones who end up hurting this individual. In this way that strength becomes a weakness because in the end these people have the ability to walk all over this person.

Each and every one of us are different and we all have different strengths. However, it is important that we learn to use our strengths positively and not allow other people to take advantage of the strengths that God has blessed us with.

When 2010 comes to and end.

It’s really amazing how fast this year is going bye. It felt like it was just the other day that I registered to do my B-Tech at the beginning of this year. At this moment I really wish I knew where I am going to end up next year. I can’t help but wonder whether I’ll be studying further, working for a corporate organisation in South Africa, working overseas or starting my own business. All I know is that I will be a success and I’ll definitely have the answer to my question when 2010 comes to an end.


I’m sure that many of my fellow class mates are in the same space that I am right now. Wondering exactly where they’re going to end up next year. Yesterday, I started thinking about the past year and how we all have become used to seeing each other in class and I even started to think about the past three years that we’ve studied together. How we’ve grown in so many ways, the many life lessons we’ve learnt and the knowledge we’ve gained. It’s just so mind boggling how the time has just flown bye. I keep on wanting to pinch myself just so that I know that I am not dreaming and that I am awake.

At least I know that I have accomplished one of my goals in life, I would have studied for four years at the end of this year and I actually finished my course without dropping out or just giving up. So right now I’m pleased with myself because I know that when I strive to do something I do it to the best of my ability. I know that when 2010 comes to an end new opportunities, challengers and ventures will begin!

 

What motivates me?

The fact that I know that I have God in my life and just knowing that through Him I can do anything because it’s Him who gives me strength to accomplish my dreams is the main thing that keeps me motivated. Knowing what my goals are in life is also one of the many things that motivates me. By me knowing exactly where I’d like to end up one day and what I’d like to accomplish in life automatically causes me to steer towards my dreams, goals and my vision in life. If a person does not have a vision in life he/she will simply have no clue where they are going and would not be motivated.

I firmly believe that family is very important in one’s life. My family has been there for me through thick and thin. No matter what they’ll always be there for me. It’s my family that help motivate me when they say things like, “don’t worry” or “you did really well, keep up the good work”. Then of course there are those really trustworthy, reliable friends who also motivate me. Helping by steering me towards my goal and encouraging me when I feel really far from where I’d like to be, or simply when I just feel a bit negative about a situation.

Another important thing that motivates me is the fact that I know who I am and what I stand for, knowing my morals and values, not compromising these values and morals which I have. This makes me proud to be who I am and keeps me motivated because I know that I respect myself and others and therefore I will go far in life because I do not allow myself to be influenced by others and I stick to working towards my goals and dreams.