That John Rustee is a real idiot

Ah my friends, you have no idea how delighted I am with the response my letter in the SA Jewish Report received. While for the most part I was completely ripped apart and made out to be, in usual SA manner, a disgruntled former South African with a chip on my shoulder and no grasp of logic, there were some people who responded intelligently. I would like to respond to two of those people briefly (The letters section of the latest SA Jewish Report can be found here).

 

John Brenner, while I understand the fear of speaking up, it does not mean that by shutting up and accepting the way things are that life is going to get any better. Quite the contrary if you follow the narrative of Israeli/Jewish history. South Africa is definitely not the Roman Empire or Mother Russia and the Jews have the knowledge that Israel and world Jewry would be there to support them if something along the lines of the Pogroms, God forbid, started happening in SA.

 

Victor Gordon, thank you for having the intelligence to understand my aims. Rustee John is a persona who’s raison d'être is to be coarse and callous while inciting reactions from his audience. I’m telling it like it is and that is going to rub most people the wrong way but if it gets you thinking, I have achieved my goal.

 

And that’s exactly what that letter did; it got people talking, thinking, discussing and while most of the people who wrote back decided to argue against my character, there were some who loved the article – more in Israel than in SA – and some who could not disagree that while SA’s fake Zionists may not be as bad as I make them out to be, there is a SERIOUS problem that needs to be addressed.

 

Where SA Jews go from now is anybody’s guess. I don’t think much will change until the material luxuries of life are either unaffordable, unavailable or the rising crime and hatred towards Whites and specifically Jews, increases to a point where they are forced to leave.

 

On a final note, I pray that South Africans will stop using the twisted logic that all expats are jealous and bitter because they had to leave this wonderful country to go live somewhere else. While Israel is not the perfect country it is made out to be, I do not regret moving here and if I could go back and make the choice of Israel or SA again, I would choose Israel every time.

So please, when you, the South African, are arguing with an expat about anything related to SA, do not bring up the “you’re just bitter” argument. It makes you look like an idiot and further blinds you from the truth that the problems in SA are real problems that cannot be swept under the carpet and ignored.

The Aftermath of my last post.

Hello friendly friends. Well I received a lot of feedback from the last post. Some commended me while others slated me. Nothing like a great argument. The post was published in the SA Jewish Report under the name John Rustee. I was looking forward to next week's edition to see how I am completely buried and I came across a blog that slates me more than it does my opinion, whilst trying (and failing) to stay objective.

I will be courteous enough to return his favor and provide a link to his post where you can see my response in the comments section. Or you can just read my response here.

http://supernatural.blogs.com/weblog/2009/11/john-rustee-is-an-idiot.html

And my response:

Dear Stephen,

First and foremost I would like to thank you for the added publicity you have given to my opinion despite the fact that "it does not warrant a response".

I love argument ad hominem, it really makes for a thrilling read but has nothing to do with the matter at hand. I can assure you, this monkey can do a lot more than just read and write.

While I may be a narcissistic, patronizing, bigot, I feel hurt by your calling me a hypocrite. Please elaborate as my dodging your name-calling resulted in my missing your point.

A few things before you make a fool out of yourself by misquoting me:

1. I do not speak on behalf of Israel, I speak on behalf of myself and anybody who supports my opinions is included in that collective "we"; trust me there are enough of us. While you may find this surprising, I have had people contact me to thank me for saying what I said. While you may consider your opinion fact, the rest of the world does not. I know my opinion is just that which is why it was posted on a blog and not in a political journal. Considering I am actually in Israel, I think I can safely comment on the reactions that the SA soldiers have had in light of the situation and the response back home.

2. I never stated that people who don't make aliya are not Zionists. There are plenty of Zionists in South Africa whom I respect and plenty of apathetic people in South Africa whom I respect. The people I do not respect are those who are apathetic yet act like they are Zionists and seem to get terribly offended when you put them on the spot about it.

3. I do not have to list every anti-Semitic/anti-Israel occurrence that transpires in South Africa in order to make my point. Your argument further solidifies mine - too much is going on in SA and not enough is being done about it. The writing is on the wall but nobody wants to see it - maybe Ronnie Kasrils, the PSC and COSATU need to march again for you to get the picture.

4. I mentioned nothing of a call to arms. A call to action is an entirely different thing. Must I spell it out for you?

5. Again, I do not ask SA Jews to make aliya. Your being so far off the point makes me wonder if you read the piece to begin with.

6. My focus is on South Africa, I do/have not lived in England, Australia, the U.S. or any other diaspora country, so unlike yourself, I cannot assume what their motivations may be. I am simply begging the question.

I find it ironic that you blast my blog yet your conclusion basically alludes to the same ends as mine does, a call to action. Maybe your conclusion should really read "but the claptrap stench of Rustee’s rantings certainly shouldn’t be the spark that triggers it because its not fair that he gets the attention that I want."

Sincerely yours,

"John Rustee"

South African Jews should be ashamed of themselves

I haven't written a real rant in a long time. Mainly because I feel that it frustrates me too much to concentrate so much negative energy on something that I can't really do much about, however, this one needs to be written. If anybody has issue with me after they have read this post, its too bloody bad.

Attention South African Jews: SHAME ON YOU! All of you. You all sit there in South Africa oblivious to what's going on in your own country and the rest of the world. As long as you have your big house, your fancy car per member of the family, a maid to clean up after you, all is grand in this world. Who needs a conscience when you have GAP patrolling your neighbourhood after all.

In the past few months, the signs of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism have been all to clear to the rest of us expatriates while the biggest issue in your lives is that some idiot messed up the South African national anthem at the big rugby match.

The funny thing about the South African Zionist is that he is not in the least bit Zionistic. Its not enough to have a Yom Haatzmaut party once a year or to sing HaTikva at school assemblies. The reason why the Muslim world has such a huge influence is not due to their size or numbers. It is due to the fact that every death of every single Palestinian is met with calls of "war crimes" by every Muslim on this planet. They are united against their enemy, be it the West, the Jews or Israel. However, South African Jews are simply to selfish and ignorant to care about anything but the materialistic bullshit that blinds them from the truth that they live in a third-world dump.

Several months ago, Jonathan Garb jeopardized the safety of every El Al passenger who flies from Johannesburg to Israel by exposing the security methods El Al uses to profile passengers. I was in South Africa at the time; there was no outrage, no concern for safety, nobody standing up for the Israeli embassy or El Al or even the safety of South African Jews.

The result - A security officer was deported this Friday. The South African authorities have threatened to deport all El-Al security officers. Well done guys, your apathy has resulted in, what may be, the end of direct flights from SA to Israel. Alternatively, El Al can yield and risk the safety of passengers and the state of Israel - Isn't it a shame that you might not be able to send your children on free birthright trips any more?

In August of this year, a South African had to cut his trip short because his indictment for war crimes had been made public. Two Muslim NGOs are working with a Muslim lawyer to make a case against 75 South Africans who bravely fought for the IDF and risked their lives for the safety of their people and Israel. According to South African "law" - Citizens are prohibited from fighting for another country. Every day, this is becoming a more serious threat. Every day, South Africans in Israel are waiting to hear what the Jews back home are going to do in order to defend them and allow them to come back to their families without the threat of being arrested.

And the more we wait for you to wake up out of your materialistic high, the more frustrated and disappointed we get. Do you think this is going to end at the airport or with soldiers? What about synagogues, Jewish events, Bar Mitzvahs, even your beloved GAP, it will all come to an end if you let these people send your sons to jail for having the balls to defend the country they love. It is your responsibility as a community and as individuals to use the democratic rights that you have to stand up and defend a just cause. Whether you think so or not, your safety as a Jew relies on the existence of Israel. These people are actively trying to destroy it and they are winning because you don't care to help us fight back.

But why should any single South African Jew take a stand for their own people? Its not going to make a difference in your life is it? The house will still be clean, the cars will be there unless you get hijacked - which is just one of those things that happen - and the kids will still go to King David to learn all about Judaism and Israel - or is it because in reality, you don't want your children integrating with blacks and gentiles? Make up your minds, either you want to be assimilated or you don't, you can't sit on the fence unless you openly admit that you are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.

You are Jews and whether you ascribe to that ideology or not means nothing to those who are trying to persecute and destroy us. The Nazis did not ask people how Jewish they were on a scale of one to ten. The genetic connection was all that was needed and that remains true to this day. Left-wing, Right-wing or completely a-political, you do not have a choice in how somebody else identifies you. In their eyes, all Jews are the same.

South African Jews, you have a choice to make. Will you unite with your people and stand up for the South Africans who have sacrificed the material values of life to fight and support the country you claim to love. Or will you do nothing? The maid is not going to clean this mess up for you.

The Return of the Blogger

Yes, it has been a long long LONG time since I updated, this might be due to work, school and other computer games. However, I have been convinced by my wonderful Tali, on our 21st monthaversary that we should put up the Cape Town pics, so here goes…

 

Day 1

We arrived at airport early Friday morning to fly off to CT. I found it amazing that people in South Africa stand in lines. The passengers lined up in single file and remained in the order they arrived in even after the boarding gate opened.

Unbelievable, the flight was pretty decent, we saw a castle on a cloud and other fun time-passing devices

 

We arrived to windy weather and went straight off to the Grand West casino with Tali’s parents.

 

View Full Album

After the casino we went to drop our stuff at the flat and go feed the birds – this was an incredible experience. Throwing bread at pigeons and seagulls is very therapeutic.

 

View Full Album

After the birds, Tali and I went with Michal and Aviv to the waterfront. We ate KFC before a huge Shabbos dinner – please don’t tell Diedre.

 

View Full Album

We had my friend Dan over for Shabbat dinner and Tali showed her artistic side by not taking a single photo in focus.

 

Day 2

We were woken up early on Saturday morning by a retarded seagull. The alleged seagull screeched incessantly and wherever he went, the other seagulls seemed to leave. Tali and I transformed this simple act into anthropomorphic drama, where Mr. Duck’s embarrassed and the other ducks are laughing. 10 brownie points if you can correctly answer which song that is from.

Tali and I got up and went for a short stroll to the beach front. With a beautiful view in every direction we looked, I reenacted the retarded seagull’s lament.

Oh yes, the scenery…

 

We officially started the day when we got back to the house and the female made me macon

The food was good so I allowed Tali to join us on the red bus tour. We arrived at the bus stop about an hour early and occupied our time with random activities.

View Full Album

The red bus company takes tourists on a scenic journey around cape town. This is what we saw:

 

View Full Album

 

Kirstenbosch Gardens:

View Full Album

The Bird Park:

 

View Full Album

 

The touring was followed by lunch – fresh fish and chips which was awesome. Later that evening we went to the casino again. We watched a football match, a movie and had a buffet dinner at a Chinese restaurant. We also decided to play the machines a bit, Tali obviously has more luck than me – I walked in with R100 and came out with nothing, she walked in with R50 and came out with R700

Well at least I have her to win for me :D

 

Day 3

The next day, Charlie decided to sell Cape Town to us by taking us on the most beautiful scenic tour of the country side.

 

View Full Album

From there we rushed off for lunch and off to the airport where I sat waiting hours for a delayed flight. All in all, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to and I can’t wait to go again.

Love and thanks to Diedre and Charlie and of course Michal – who generously gave us her bed to sleep in and Aviv who provide great colour commentary throughout the trip.

Pretoria and Jack Russels or a prelude to Cape Town

Yes I know I haven’t written in a while but I work in Hi-Tech and Batman Arkham Asylum is seriously addictive.

So when we left off Tali was going to Pretoria for the night and I joined her that day. I met two of her very good friends, Tammy and Kenny, her mom’s family and Tali also took me to heaven. Yes I have been to heaven; it looks like this:

That is by far the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life.

It was awesome chilling with Tali’s friends and putting names to facebook profiles. Here are some pics from the day

Later that evening we went back to the Amlers to pick some things up and for Tali to meet my other other family in South Africa. Kari gave Tali lots of stuff and they did that women bonding thing that nobody can actually understand. While they were doing that, I was onto the second leg of heaven – a plethora of Jack Russels

Jefe: I have put many beautiful pinatas in the storeroom, each of them filled with little suprises.
El Guapo: Many pinatas?
Jefe: Oh yes, many!
El Guapo: Would you say I have a plethora of pinatas?
Jefe: A what?
El Guapo: A *plethora*.
Jefe: Oh yes, you have a plethora.
El Guapo: Jefe, what is a plethora?
Jefe: Why, El Guapo?
El Guapo: Well, you told me I have a plethora. And I just would like to know if you know what a plethora is. I would not like to think that a person would tell someone he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has *no idea* what it means to have a plethora.
Jefe: Forgive me, El Guapo. I know that I, Jefe, do not have your superior intellect and education. But could it be that once again, you are angry at something else, and are looking to take it out on me?

 

Meanwhile, back in the house, the girls did their evil voodoo stuffs

 

I had to go undercover by assuming the role of someone who is FABULOUS!

After the Amlers, we went for dinner with my grandparents and I had Karoo lamb chops which were awesome. At this point I have put on around 5 kilos and I am starting to feel like I can’t do this for much longer.

Tomorrow we’re off to Cape Town and trust me, the pics are magnificent.

Dinner with the family again and again

The evening we got back from the park we went out for dinner to my aunt Shirley. Joining us were her husband Ian, cousins Carey and Darryl and their respective significant others Berelize and Catherine.

My aunt has a reputation for spoiling her dogs. Her last dog, Bambi, had its own tea mug and whenever the kettle was switched on, demanded her own cup of brew. Bambi also had a nemesis, a sharpei named Morpheus owned by two gay guys. If that is not the premise for the greatest series ever, I don’t know what is.

Bambi is now in the great tea garden in the sky and the new pet in the house is a huge bear chow by the name of patent pending.

Since chows are the most loyal dogs in the entire multiverse, people who are not family members often get devoured by just looking at them. Thus there was no interaction between us and Chewbacca.

Dinner was a tasty home-made roast and my aunt sure knows how to fill a person up. I think that every woman in my family fears somebody starving in their house and they all take preventative measures.

  

Its nice being the tall one in the family…

After dinner we went off to Avron and Steffan for some sheesha. Tanya joined in the fun as did Jarryd and Neil

The following day we went for dinner to the family again. This time on the Bauskin side. At this point, Tali was probably relieved that this was the last bit of my family she had to meet. We ate lamb ragout for dinner.

 

Tomorrow Tali goes off to Pretoria for the night and I will join her Thursday for adventures in Pretoria Tshwane.

The Big 3/5 and other interesting specimens

The title of this blog was supposed to be “The Big 5 3 and other interesting specimens” but I can’t put strikethrough in the title, so you’ll just have to deal.

A little background information:

I love the Kruger National Park (KNP). I can recall many fond memories from the times we spent at our house next to the KNP. Several times a year we would go off for a couple of weeks to the middle of the bundu (bush) and live in paradise. One of my prerequisites when going to South Africa is a trip to the KNP. If I cannot go to the park, I cannot see a point in going to SA. This trip to the KNP almost did not happen; accommodation across the whole area seemed to be booked out as my grandparents and uncle struggled to find us accommodation. Eventually, someone cancelled and we got a place for the weekend.

Back to the story.

Day 1

We left JHB early Friday morning and hit the road for the 7 hour trip (with stops) to Mpumalanga which means “where the sun rises”. Our stops included the famous Milly’s trout farm and restaurant which used to play the funniest country music but now sadly, has lost that part of its heritage.

The next stop was Hall’s Gateway to the Lowveld. Hall’s is a farm where they make honey. There is also a shop with all kinds of amazing fresh produce from meat to dried fruit. Whenever I go there, it is a small tradition of mine to take a photo of the Malaria warning sign.

We arrived at our destination, Waterberry Hill, a small resort in a valley just past Hazyview and about half an hour from the KNP’s nearest gate. The chalet was perfectly adequate for our needs, it looked like this

   

For the 3 nights we were there, we had braaivleis, for the ignorant fools out there, braaivleis is barbequed meat. A braai is a fundamental part of being in South Africa and one must braai as often as humanly possible. Braaivleis is traditionally eaten with mieliepap, a kind of savory pudding made out of corn meal and eaten with tomato and onion relish.

The view from the resort is amazing, especially when the sun starts to set. There is nothing in this world like the setting of the African sun

 

I also taught Tali how to play Scrabble and we spent the evening outside chilling on the veranda and drinking real home-made hot chocolate

 

Day 2

For the sake of not writing a novel, I will just put up pictures with a brief description as to what we saw in the park. I will also be uploading the full album to my picasaweb album for your viewing pleasure.

The Big 5, for those keeping score

Phabeni gate was our starting point each day

Buffalo – as we entered the park we were greeted by a heard

Baby buffalo

 

Impala – the most populous animal in the park

Impala Male

Impala female

 

Red Hornbill

Red hornbill baby

Giraffe and baby

Zebra

And here is where things get interesting. Driving along the road, we noticed a helluva lot of vultures in the trees and circling in the sky. This normally means business.

Lying about a meter off of the road was a giraffe being swarmed by the vultures. We assume, based on the color of its fur, that the giraffe died of old age and the vultures were here to clean up the mess. I will attach a youtube video when I have bandwidth but for now, please enjoy the pictures. This is a very rare sight in the park, something that I have never seen before. Normally one would have to go on an organized drive with game rangers to see a sight like this – we were very lucky

 

We drove past the site for all 3 days that we were in the park. The smell was putrid but it was amazing to watch how the vultures devoured the giraffe.

Giraffe watch - Day 2:

  

Giraffe watch - Day 3

 

Back to day 1 – isn’t non-linear story-telling fun?

Kudu female

Kudu male

Bats

It was fun to watch people’s expressions as they realized the bats were above us while we ate.

Yellow hornbill

Klipspringer (Rock Jumper)

We stumbled upon another rarity on our first day, the ground hornbill or turkey buzzard. These birds look like something out of Jurassic Park and are slowly dying out due to stupidity. Only alphas breed and they lay very few eggs so to see these dino-birds is somewhat of a rarity. But what we saw was extremely rare

The two hornbills in the front left of the shot are adults. The smaller brown one behind them is a baby. It has not matured yet and has not developed colors. As you will hear, when I put the video up, the young one was crying out, I can only guess it was doing so to alert the older birds that it was there, or maybe it was hungry. I cannot speak bird, give me a break.

These are truly spectacular creatures. They are about the size of a medium sized dog and walk like you would imagine a velociraptor would.

Kingfisher

Warthog (Bonus question, how many warts would a warthog hog if a warthog could hog warts?)

Waterbuck male

Lucky little ladies at the watering holes (Bonus trivia question: Name the song)

Hatted girlfriend

 

Tarentaal

 

Sun going down at the end of day one

Fish eagle

Hopapitamus (Fun fact: The hippopotamus is the deadliest animal in Africa. The hippo kills more people per year than any other wild animal)

Elephant

Plover

Francolin

Gemsbok

Starling

Speckle-arsed sparrow

Pervert monkey

Definitely a sheep

Homo-superion (Mr. Extra Extra)

Veranda frog

Wildebees

The original 3 monkeys

A vein of the crocodile river

Zebras and wildebees drinking at the water’s edge

Crocodiles and maribou cranes

Birdbath with masked weaver et. al.

Giraffe with weird things on its face

Kudu male with weird stuff on its antlers

White rhino

Sunset on the way home

And that’s where we end the journey to the Kruger Park. It was an unforgettable experience with amazing sightings and lots of biltong. More scenic photos to come with our trip to cape town next week.

The full album will be up when bandwidth permits (when I get back to Israel).