Dream

eye closed thine light,

and there she emerged,

enchanted on her grace I was,

gallantly spake to Thee I did,

Our ideas flowed sailing.

wake me up not,

Am not a yellow belly: for it is just better this way.

No objections on beauteous

“Objective beauty is,” they say,

Thy defied with all I had,

“It’s on the eyes of the beholder,” they stressed,

Thy defied rigorously, beauteous is…

“Objective beauty is,” they say,

They saw not the things Thee does,

Her kinesics; divine and graceful,

Thee is just excellent.

“Objective beauty is,” they say,

Yes! them yet saw Thee not,

Definition of winsome Thee is,

Indeed, God’s captivating creature yet.

I pray not deceived by my sight,

Eye declare Thee the most splendid being alive.

A ‘NO’ means that a ‘YES’ is possible

If an old man like Heath Ledger can get an Oscar for showing the world his crying abilities on screen then it is criminal when the best performance ever in life has not yet been honoured with the same accolade. Who can explain the snub? I don’t know, maybe the man’s life was not documented yet.

Surely in our lifetime we have heard the word ‘NO’ more than any word, but the NO’s we have encountered are just a drop in the ocean compared to the NO’s Gideon Maleka has faced.

He is one of a few select who triumph on making lemonade out of lemons. I felt the truth in his words accompanied by minor gestures. His mouth exhaled a fine voice with ponds of sense. I then stereotypically decided that is how Pedi people are-they possess passion.

The motto, “after every storm there will be sunshine” has been his biggest mantra. He developed resistance attributes during childhood-being the second born of five children taught him to become a strong young man and be the bigger person, a role which he still cherish.

Gideon Maleka, who experienced tough times during his childhood, had a dream. He wanted to be an attorney which he chose after poverty exercised power over him. In plain text he was after money which would in return enable him to change his family’s landscape. What a dream that was. After a thorough self-introspection he realised his interests and abilities-creativity, writing prowess and that unexplained media bug. Perfect match indeed.

In a perfect world there are critics and his decision of choosing an unpopular career path was severely scrutinized-“I even turned my family away, but if you’re correct they will realise that and share in your success”. This man followed what he believed in-he never even once defied his parents who imparted respect, humility and discipline in him.

Whoever came up with the saying, “a village brings up a child” was referring to this child (Gideon Maleka) and the village Mashite in Gamphahlele. The respect in him is from a profound setting. “Even against the big apple it would still be Mashite”, he said with a broad smile. It was vivid from his reaction that something special had been evoked, and why not, he has great mementos about that setting.

I couldn’t help but notice his grooming sense. One word - neat. His taste buds in music are exquisite, he’s into classical music. This conversation took place under the sensational sounds of Kenny G on the background which was really a nice soundtrack.

His dream momentarily shattered when the NSFAS declined his application in 2014. “Dreams delayed are not dream denied”. Gideon’s friend John Ngwati fully agreed. In 2013 he suffered the same faith. Both men thanked the High one for pulling them trough. Gideon even extended his hand by inviting me to come with him to the Z.C.C Sunday service. I obliged. I must say I had a blast.

If onions can make a grown man cry, who was Gideon not to cry after receiving a call from TUT confirming that he had been granted a place to pursue his dream of being a journalist?

A fighter - not in a literal sense but a person who is persistent, determined and philanthropic in nature. Gideon is not done; he would like to become an established journalist and take his philanthropic venture to a larger scale.

“Actually we never remember individuals.” Gideon is one in an elite group of people who would appreciate it if his works become appreciated more than him the individual. Let’s take the baton and continue running the race of life bravely even away from his presence.

Let’s not romanticize censorship

I sincerely don’t understand why we are debating whether acts of terrorism should be given coverage by news organisations or not, primarily because we live in the so called information age. In this instance, the conversation should be in the lines of: why must acts of terror be given coverage by news organisations?

The justifications of why terrorism acts should be given coverage are endless but considering the airtime given, I will try to condense every significant fact available.

Turn off your lights, and switch them on again. I know that atmosphere – darkness. That is what will happen if news organisations decide not to report on terrorism. Society and the international community will be denied a significant right to satisfy their curiosity. As a counter argument one might say but there is social media. But social media is a breeding ground for hoax information hence it is vital to have a professional media that is credible in the dissemination of information.

There is this view (Utilitarian), which advocates for the distribution of news regardless of the agony which is brought about by the same acts of terrorism. The core point is the fact that society need to know about such news in order to make informed decisions concerning terrorism. By covering such news, the media contributes in educating society.

The education provided is broad, it includes how to conduct oneself in hostage situations and after an attack. Such stunts were met with heavy scepticism after the Paris and Brussels attacks but that’s an issue for another day.

After acts of terrorism, it is likely that a state of emergency may be implemented. Meaning people may have to stay indoors and those who wish to travel to that city from abroad and out of that city cannot do so because of security concerns. Without the surveillant eye of the media all that will be a strenuous exercise. Such was explicitly demonstrated after the deadly Paris and Brussels attacks.

“Acts of terrorism must not be given coverage by news organisations.” Negative and incorrect construction. How about: Acts of terrorism should be given coverage by the media – well that’s a no brainer really.

Sir Vincent: The Suspense Reviewer

Rear Window
9.5/10  

Approved l 1h 52min I Mystery, Thriller l September 1994 (USA) l PG

                      

    

 

Director: Alfred Hitchcock 

Writers : John Hayes and Cornell Woolrich

           

Stars    : James Stewart and Grace Kelly

Voyeurism - don’t be shy, it's not as bad as you think, it's human nature hence everyone has that thing which say: watch what your neighbours are up to. “Rear Window” encapsulate all those dynamics in just an hour and 52 minutes.

Professional photographer, J.B Jeffries has a very nice excuse as to why he spy on his neighbours. He breaks his leg while trying to get an action shot at an auto race. Confined to his apartment, he has nothing to do but to spend his time observing the neighbours through the rear window. The plot thickens when he suspects that a man across the courtyard may have murdered his wife.

What makes the mystery in this movie brilliant is the fact that the viewers and Jeff don’t know what happened to the wife, or she just left town to get some fresh air. The ending can go either way, which adds to the overall tension and mystery of the movie.

The movie is visually and technically a masterpiece, executed by the master himself: Hitchcock. Like hand in glove – that’s all you can say to the characters: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, and Raymond Burr. They are brilliant, their finest performance in cinema.

If thriller is you preference, make a date with Hitchcock’s Rear Window – his best yet.

See more at:  http://j.mp/15w2JZp