Punctuation vs Memories of a Deceased Friend

Johnny Knoxville & Ryan Dunn
Source

So I was reading Jackass star Johnny Knoxville’s post on his blog about the loss of his friend and fellow Jackass celebrity Ryan Dunn who died on Sunday in a car accident and all I could think about while reading the post is: “Wow, this guy has excellent grammar and really knows how to use punctuation properly.” I think I’ve reached a level in my career as an English lecturer where I ought to become seriously concerned with my priorities. Surely someone’s use of punctuation is not as important as his memories of his deceased friend. Or is it the fact that I'm so used to seeing terrible grammar and use of punctuation amongst my students that when I see it applied properly it causes an endorphin rush in me? Either way, it's a cause for concern. What's happening to me?!

Knoxville's post is a touching tribute to his friend.

Lady Gaga se "Judas" en die stryd met sonde

Lady Gaga se nuwe song “Judas” vanaf haar onlangse album “Born This Way” word baie ongunstig in Suid-Afrika bevind. Vele radioluisteraars het gevra dat die lied van die lug af verwyder word.

Die spreker in die liedjie noem dat sy verlief is op Judas en dat sy Judas se voete met haar hare sal was. Die spreker trek dus 'n paralel tussen Jesus en Judas en sê dat soos Maria Magdalena Jesus se voete met haar trane gewas het en met haar hare afgedroog het, so sal die spreker ook Judas se voete was. Judas word dus 'n paralele Messias of aanbiddingswaardige figuur. Haar liefde aan Judas is onvoorwaardelik. Sy sal Judas vergewe al sou hy haar belieg (“[lie] through his brain”); selfs al sou hy haar bedrieg, “three times,” sal sy Judas vergewe. Judas is nie goed vir die spreker nie, nogtans het sy vir Judas onvoorwaardelik lief, en daarom beskryf die spreker haarself as a “Holy fool.” By implikasie is Jesus dan ook 'n “Holy fool” omdat Jesus se liefde onvoorwaardelik is en omdat hy ons wat hom so gedurig bedrieg vergewe.

Die lied maak 'n vreemde draai met die brug wanneer die spreker haarself as 'n “Fame hooker, prostitute wench” beskryf wat haar gedagtes “vomits.” Die prostituut wat Jesus se voete gewas het, het haar vergifnis vir haar misdade in Jesus gevind. Die spreker in die “Judas” liedjie vind haar vergifnis in Judas: “Judas kiss me if offensed.” Maar ons weet dat Judas se soen die soen van 'n verraaier is. Sy is ongelukkig dat haar lojaliteit aan Judas nie volkome is nie, want “something's pulling me away from [Judas].” Dit is Jesus wat haar wegtrek van Judas af. Sy vind haarself in 'n tweestryd: “Jesus is my virtue, / Judas is the demon I cling to.”

Wat presies Lady Gaga se intensie met die lied is weet ek nie. Indien Judas die sonde in haar lewe is waarmee sy 'n “liefdesverhouding” het, dan het ek baie simpatie met haar. Ek het ook al geskryf oor my eie (liefdes)verhouding met sonde—gedigte geïnspereer uit 'n stryd met gewoonte sondes.

Belydenis

Ek dans met haar. Vat haar styf
om die lyf. Speen aan haar peul-
bors. Hawe haar kors tortuur tong
in my mond. Stort my ongebore
half-kinders in haar kreng brakbuik.
Miopies beskou ek haar vigs
minnenswaardig. Noktambulis
eienaardig is my sinlike wellus
vir haar. Sonde is my houvrou.

Sonde

sy flankeer met my,
lek haar kraakblou lippe af met ’n skilfer tong
en flankeer met my
haar koue linkerhand krewel my broek af
haar benerige regterhand speel met my hare
haar asem, lou soos die dood, walm vanuit ’n diep kasme
in my nek – die tyd vir vrek het aangebreuk
my siel slaan in sweet uit soos na seks
bevlek met onne:
onheil
ongeregtigheid
onbarmhartigheid
só flankeer sy met my,
en ek weet – nou’s dit tyd om te sterf,
af te sterf en die wêreld ’n reiner plek agter te laat,
’n bietjie purer: daar’s een sondaar minder
en daarvoor sterf ek gewillig

En nes Lady Gaga het ek myself ook al as 'n hoerbeskryf, in baie erger terme as sy:

Soos ’n opgefokte hoer
met ’n pruimmoer, ’n suursmoel,
’n opgedroogte hart wat lanklaas
geklop het, lankal uitgeplukte oë
en afgekapte hande, vuilsiekte
en wonde, ’n swartsak vir ’n siel.
Só, het die sonde my gepimp.

Vier hierdie tipe gedigte het ek kritiek ontvang. Daar is vir my gesê dat deur ek oor die sonde skryf (al is dit my eie stryd daarmee), dat ek "rol in die sonde". Dat 'n mens nie in die sonde moet rol nie, is sekerlik goeie raad, maar die kunstenaar het 'n ander motief: om kommentaar te lewer oor die werklikheid. 'n Foto joernalis neem nie slegs fotos van blomme en mooi sonsondergange nie. 'n Ordentlike foto joernalis neem ook (of veral) fotos van ellende, van die afskuwelikheid van oorloë, van pyn en hartseer.

Enige een wat 'n eerlike bewustheid het vir sy of haar eie sonde, weet dat dit 'n tipe verliefdheid tot die daad is. Jy weet dit is sleg vir jou, maar kan dit nie help nie. Selfs die Apostel Paulus was eerlik hier oor:

Rom 7:18, 19, 24 “Want ek weet dat in my, dit wil sê in my vlees, niks goeds woon nie; want om te wil, is by my aanwesig, maar om goed te doen, dit vind ek nie. Want die goeie wat ek wil, doen ek nie, maar die kwaad wat ek nie wil nie, dit doen ek . . . Ek, ellendige mens! Wie sal my verlos van die liggaam van hierdie dood?”

Paulus was dit eens dat as 'n Christen voer 'n mens 'n tweestryd: “Want ek verlustig my in die wet van God na die innerlike mens; maar ek sien 'n ander wet in my lede wat stryd voer teen die wet van my gemoed en my gevange neem onder die wet van die sonde wat in my lede is” (Rom 7:23). Daar is twee wette in ons; twee magte: een goed en een sleg; die invloed van Jesus en die invloed van Satan. Lady Gaga se lied beskryf dit as: “Jesus is my virtue, / Judas is the demon I cling to.”

Daar is 'n oomblik van hoop in Lady Gaga se lied, daardie sinsnede “Jesus is my virtue.” Nêrens probeer sy haarself verdedig nie. Sy erken dat sy 'n “Fame hooker, prostitute wench” is wat aan sonde vasklou – byna sonder hoop. Paulus se uitlating is soortgelyk: “Ek, ellendige mens! Wie sal my verlos van die liggaam van hierdie dood?”

Maar dan antwoord Paulus sy vraag: “. . . Jesus Christus, onse Here!” (Rom 7:25); soos Lady Gaga: “Jesus is my virtue.”

Ek probeer nie Lady Gaga se liedjie verdedig nie. Ek stem saam dat dit 'n onsmaaklike trand het, nes my sonde-gedigte. Nietemin, dit openbaar 'n pertinente Christelike punt: Die stryd met sonde is 'n intieme werklikheid – byna soos verslawing en wat is verliefdheid anders as verlawing? Maar daar is hoop: “Jesus is my virtue.” Paulus gaan verder in sy rede en sê dat “die Wet van die Gees van die lewe in Christus Jesus het my vrygemaak van die wet van die sonde en die dood” (Rom 8:2). Paulus se raad is om ons hoop op God te hou en ons gedagtes weg te draai van die “vleeslike,” en eerder geestelike dinge te bedink. Dit verg 'n doelbewustelike keuse om eerder die “geestelike dinge” te bedink (Rom 8:5). Uiteindelik, soos Jesus gesê het, moet ons kies—ons kan nie twee meesters volg nie. Dis of Judas of Jesus.

Totdat jy nie self uit ervaring weet hoe moeilik dit is om teen intieme sondes te stry nie, moet nie te haastig wees om Lady Gaga te oordeel nie. Totday jy nie self weet hoe dit voel om deur sonde "gepimp" te word tot 'n "opgefokte hoer" nie, moenie my te vinnig oordeel nie.

Daar is twee dinge wat ek oor Lady Gaga kan sê. Dis nie my tipe musiek nie, maar daar is geen twyfel dat sy 'n uitmuntende stem het nie, en baie talentvol is nie. Tweedens, sy's braaf. Dit sit nie in enige een se broek om te doen wat sy doen nie. Noem dit maar sensasionalisme as jy wil. Hoe ook al, dit vereis binnegoed om jouself so bloot te stel.

Ten laaste, wat dink ek van die reaksie van Suid-Afrikaners om te vra dat die liedjie van die radiogolwe verwyder word? Ek hou daarvan. Verbruikers moet meer proaktief wees in wat hulle behoeftes is. Dit is nie nodig dat ons alles opvreet wat die media vir ons gooi nie. Ons moet 'n keuse gegun word en ons strewe moet wees na kwaliteit. Ek hoop Suid-Afrikaners sal ook begin om al daardie ander (Afrikaanse) gemors wat die radiogolwe so besoedel te kritiseer.

How Ricky Martin Bangs

So I hear Ricky Martin is gay.



According to popular stereotype straight men can't dance, and if there is one thing that Ricky does know how to do, it is to dance. So I guess we ought not be too surprised at his recent relevation.

I wonder how his official homosexual status will influence his sales as a singer? Will his girl fanbase now be completely taken over by pink money? His songs and music videos have always, at least in my opinion, catered for the heterosexual market. Take for instance his "She Bangs" song and music video:



Speaking of videos, who is the target market for this eerie seductive video promoting his coming album?



The video looks more like part of a postmodern art exhibition than a marketing stunt for a new latin pop album.

In other news, Ricky is going to play the character Che in the Broadway musical Evita next year.

Jamie Cullum Concert

The Jamie Cullum concert on Saturday night was excellent. Cullum is a master at the piano. Although his forte is jazz, he also showed off his ability at classical pieces and other genres; flowing from one to the other with absolute ease. He is also a great jazz singer; and also a great performer. The other band members are all experts at their respective instruments as well, making for an all round riveting performance.

I was planning to go see Bob Dylan at the end of last month, but things didn’t work out. Although I missed out on seeing this legend, I do think that I still would have enjoyed Jamie Cullum’s show better. While I do have a best of album of Dylan, I tend to listen to it far less than my two Cullum albums. (Actually, Cullum has three albums; I’m missing the second one.)

An interesting thing about the Cullum concert is that it actually started on time, at 7 pm. So by 9 pm it was finished, and after two encores, we were out of there by 9:30 pm. The concert itself was jam packed with Jamie Cullum’s entertaining antics, which included different mash ups of old and new songs, standing on the piano, playing sections with his butt and feet, jumping off of the piano, making impromptu songs with a sampling-machine, and generally just creating excellent music. I’ll definitely go see him again if ever I have the opportunity.

Throughout the show Jamie mispronounced “thank you” in Korean, saying “gamsahanida” 가사하니다 instead of “gamsahamnida” 감사합니다. Nonetheless the Korean crowd cheered him on for his efforts. That is one thing I do love about Korean culture – how they can cheer an individual on. That is a thing about a group-orientated culture that is quite impressive to experience; especially for me that is so very individually-minded.



The song "Twentysomething" used to be a theme song for me. It starts with the words: "After years of expensive education / A car full of books and anticipation / I'm an expert on Shakespeare and that's a hell of a lot / But the world don't need scholars as much as I thought."

Skryfblok’s Most Kissable People Challenge: My List

Recently I challenged readers of my blog to share with me who they think are the ten most kissable people – five women and five men. Read the challenge and then share with me your list. Here is mine:

Most Kissable Women

Monica Bellucci

Model / Actress, Monica Bellucci seems to get more beautiful the older she gets. People have likened her to a goddess; me included. She is the most voluptuous woman in the entertainment industry. When I’m asked who do I think is the most beautiful woman I immediately think of Monica Bellucci, have a blush reflex, and need to fan myself to calm my nerves. She’s the kind of “heaven” that will make me go to hell. And boy, would I like to kiss her!

Sheryl Crow

I’ve always found Sheryl Crow’s mouth outrageously sexy. It is true that she does not have the bee-stung lips usually considered appealing, like for instance Angelina Jolie’s; regardless, I love her mouth. I’m assuming that my fascination with her mouth has more to do with what proceed out of it. Her mouth is a synecdoche for her sexy voice. I’ve been listening to Sheryl Crow since 1996.

Catwoman – Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Pfeiffer in her shining black leather as Catwoman is a killer. I first fell in love with her in the movie Ladyhawke (1985), but like Monica Bellucci, Michelle Pfeiffer seems to become more beautiful the older she gets. Most men that saw Michelle Pfeiffer in her Catwoman outfit in Batman Returns can testify of the tremendous impact it had on our psyche. Kissing Catwoman would be like the little male spider kissing the Black Widow; there is the danger of being eaten alive. But I guess that ads to the trhill.

Claire Forlani

I first saw Claire Forlani in Meet Joe Black (1998) opposite Brad Pitt. In that movie Pitt’s presence completely overshadowed her, so I did not really take notice. But two years later she played in the movie Boys and Girls (2000) and it was quite the opposite. I left the cinema walking on clouds, completely in love with the character she played. If I could marry that character I would have done so on the spot, and when the pastor declares “You may kiss the bride” it would have been one extraordinary kiss.

Song Hye Kyo

Most female Korean celebrities look the same to me and it is not because I’m racist, it is because they literally do look the same. Many of them have plastic surgery and as this is a homogenous culture most of them have the same ideas about aesthetic ideals; hence, many of them get plastic surgery to enhance similar features. One Korean actress / model I can recognize from any throng of lookalikes is the beautiful and very kissable Song Hye Kyo.

Most Kissable Men

Elvis Presley

Of the males, Elvis was the easiest guy to choose as kissable. Again, it might be a case of his voice making his mouth sexy, I don't know. But look at those lips. Definitely kissable.

Brad Pitt

When I was a teenager I had very few role models. A workaholic father and brothers thinking me weird (read “creative”), left me with little options but the popular media. It was with many of Brad Pitt’s outsider-characters that I associated, or tried to mold my teenage character around: Firstly, Tristan Ludlow in Legends of the Fall (1992); especially Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with a Vampire (1994); thirdly, David Mills in Se7en (1995); as well as Michael Sullivan (1996) in Sleepers. By the time two of my favourite movies, Fight Club (1999) and Snatch (2000), came out I already started to have a unique enough identity of my own, so that I did not try to follow Brad Pitt’s characters anymore. Nonetheless, his oeuvre made a strong enough impression on me to still consider him one of my favourite male actors.

Jarred Leto

It was a close call between Jarred Leto and Kurt Cobain, but in the end I settled with Jarred Leto. While I prefer Cobain’s music over Leto’s any day, I think Leto would make the better kisser. I just don’t know if I’d be able to endure the bristles while kissing. I think that smooth female skin makes for much better kissing. Would you agree or disagree?
Chris Isaak

Watch the “Wicked Game” music video – ‘nough said.




Miyavi

Okay, choosing Miyavi is probably cheating since half of the time he is so androgynous that kissing him is almost like kissing a girl. I ran out of options. Regardless, he looks quite kissable --  lip rings besides.

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So that’s my list of Most Kissable People. Please share your list. If you have a blog of your own, take up the challenge and share with the world who you find most kissable – remember to send me the link. Alternatively, you can write your list as a comment to this message. Or email me your list at skryfblok at gmail dot com.

What did I learn from this exercise? For one, I noticed that for me the actual shape of the mouth had little to do with its smoochability. The person in her (or his) entirety contributed more than the lips themselves. I also noticed that singers made up half of my list, and apart from Brad Pitt the rest of my male choices are all singers. While compiling the list a number of women that did not make the final five were singers as well. Also noteworthy is that most of the women listed are older than I am, but that is not a surprise to me. I do find mature (i.e. independent) women much more attractive than the cutesy-girly-type, so common in the Far East. Lastly, while it is easy for me to find men attractive, as far as romance and kissing is concerned, I prefer female lips. How about you?

David Choi Visits Korea!

David Choi is one of my favourite online musicians. I started following him on YouTube (David Choi Music), I think, in 2006 already. He writes original songs (some of them hilarious), and also do beautiful acoustic covers of famous songs. His laidback, non-pretentious style makes him unique in the music industry. “Music industry” is somehow a misnomer, as David Choi is not part of the mainstream music monster system – instead he markets himself online through YouTube and iTunes. He has a massive YouTube fan base and features on every major networking site, like Bebo, iMeem, Amazon.com, Twitter, Myspace and Facebook.

The great thing is that David came to visit a friend that’s in the army here in Korea and will be performing two gigs; one this coming Friday night, and one on Saturday night. I won’t be able to make the Friday night’s show, but hope to go see him on Saturday night. These Korean gigs will kick off his American West Coast tour. I’m really disappointed that I couldn’t get to see him perform live more – on Saturday he will only play a couple songs during the Paju City Sound Festival.

Heart Breaker & Voice Synth

Korean hip-hop sensation G-Dragon recently released his song "Heartbreaker" -- with voice synthesizing being a prominent feature of the song. I cannot help but wonder if it was inspired by Kanye West's 2008 album entitled 808s & Heartbreak. Listen to Kanye West's "Heartless" from the album and notice the strong use of voice synthesizing.

Speaking of Kanye West, what on earth was he thinking last week when he hi-jacked Taylor Swift's acceptance speech during the MTV awards? If you haven't heard about it, West took the mike during Swift's acceptance speech for best female music video and proclaimed: "Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you. I'mma let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time."

In the meantime his "I'mma let you finish, but..." has become a flourishing meme and has gone viral.

I just a while ago started to listen to 808s & Heartbreak and have enjoyed it a lot, but this recent asinine trick by Kanye West has really spoiled it for me. Really, what was he thinking? (He attempts an explanation on Jay Leno, who asked Kanye what his mom would have thought about it -- this causes Kanye to choke up.) Aah... celebrity life... such a realm of emotions!

The Liminal Michael Jackson

[Image Source: Rasha]

I’ve avoided the Michael Jackson-saga on purpose. What is there too add? Then I started to think* about what a liminal being Michael Jackson was.

Isn’t Michael Jackson the epitome liminal being? What is Jackson’s ethnicity, what’s Jackson’s gender, what’s Jackson’s “age”? Throughout his career, Jackson seemed to transcendent such labels. Of course he is African-American, but we all have to agree that it is not that simple. Jackson did not look African-American. Imagine an alien being visiting Earth and seeing the Pop-icon for the first time. Seeing Jackson’s ethereal white complexion, silky wavy hair and chiselled-coned nose, the alien visitor would never have been able to guess Jackson’s “ethnicity”. Although politically incorrect and slightly distasteful, there is a reason why we find the following humorous: “Michael Jackson was born a poor black boy, but became a rich white woman.” Regardless of having fathered numerous children, many people still question his sexual orientation. In fact, he is has become an almost asexual being. And towards the end of his life, it would seem that he refused to age, not merely outwardly, because of the many plastic surgeries, but rather inwardly; as if he became a psychological Benjamin Button.

The great essayist James Baldwin wrote in the essay “Here Be Dragons” the following:

The Michael Jackson cacophony is fascinating in that it is not about Jackson at all. I hope he has the good sense to know it and the good fortune to snatch his life out of the jaws of a carnivorous success. He will not swiftly be forgiven for having turned so many tables, for he damn sure grabbed the brass ring, and the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo has nothing on Michael.

All that noise is about America, as the dishonest custodian of black life and wealth; the blacks, especially males, in America; and the burning, buried American guilt; and sex and sexual roles and sexual panic; money, success and despair–to all of which may now be added the bitter need to find a head on which to place the crown of Miss America.

Freaks are called freaks and are treated as they are treated–in the main, abominably–because they are human beings who cause to echo, deep within us, our most profound terrors and desires.

Indeed, Michael Jackson became a freak – a liminal being in who we projected “our most profound terrors and desires”; and that’s why we hated him so much. That’s why we loved him so much.


* My thoughts about Michael Jackson’s liminality was spurred on by an article I started writing recently on the similarities in liminal spaces in Samuel Taylor Coleridge epic poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and “Tales of the Black Freighter: Marooned”, the comic-within-a-comic, in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ graphic novel Watchmen. [Previous posts on Watchmen here and here.]

Some Good Looking Koreans

(Source)

(Source)

So who do you think are the hottest K-Pop (Korean Pop) artists under 25? If you have no idea who the hot and trendy current K-pop stars are, no worry; allkpop provides a list of the top 10 hottest female stars under 25 and the top 10 hottest male stars under 25.

I'm not much into pop-music, and therefore even less so into K-pop. Furthermore, I prefer a little more mature celebrities. Personally, I think Rain (Bio; previous post here) and Song Hye Kyo (when she's not trying to look cute), are some of the sexiest Korean stars. I think that Song Hye Kyo (when she's not trying to look cute -- I hate cute!) can easily be the Monica Bellucci of Korea.

(Song Hye Kyo -- Image Source)

(Rain/Bi -- Image Source)

Iran: The Beauty and the Beast

Image from Claudia Lynx's MySpace.

While the world keep their eyes on the (fraudulant?) (albeit final) Iranian election results, I'll keep my eyes on Iranian models, like goddess Claudia Lynx. (See more beautiful Iranian people at Persian Hub.)