Phuthu Stay Phut, Don't go!

Here comes another picture puzzle, especially for Chris!

With the World Cup just around the corner and soccer fever being quite contagious, I thought it a good time to familiarise ourselves with a some basic soccer facts.

To all the girls out there – this one if for you! When you find yourself between your friends watching a game (and wondering how the hell you got there!), make the most of it by mouthing off something like:

“…that red card was so uncalled for it’s not even funny – the ball was played from a position in front of him.. c’mooon!”.  Sounds good, huh.

Now, you try!

1. There are 11 players on each side with 4 groups of players: Goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and strikers.
2. Goalkeepers are the only players that are actually allowed to touch the ball with their hands and this can only happen in the area in front of the goal. Favouritism, if you ask me.
3. When a player commits a foul, the ref may show them a yellow card. Any player that receives two yellow cards then get gooi’ed with a red card, which means they get sent off the field as with immediate effect. For serious fouls a player can get a red card onetime – no yellow card – and has to leave the field pronto.
4. The offside rule -You have to concentrate for this one:  An attacking player is not allowed to receive the ball when he is between the goalkeeper and the last defender. However, if he is in his own half of the field or if the ball gets played from a position in front of him (in other words, by a player closer to the goalkeeper), it is all good and the ref is happy. And that’s what it’s all about – keeping the ref happy.
5. In the pool stages of the World Cup, teams get 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 for a loss. The two teams with the most points in each pool advance to the knockout stages.
6. A game lasts 90 minutes, split into two 45-minute halves.
7. Soccer is about 90 % thinking and 10 % physical.
8. Heading a ball will not cause you a headache or a serious injury.
9. Bafana means “boys” in Nguni.
10. Zakumi – The name of the World Cup’s popular leopard mascot. The “za” comes from the country code and the “kumi” means “10″ in African languages

We have a fun one for you today. Let us know if you passed the Alzheimer’s test……….or not.

1- Find the C below.. Please do not use any cursor help.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2- If you already found the C, now find the 6 below

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

3 – Now find the N below. It’s a little more difficult

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This is NOT a joke. If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your neurologist. Your brain is great and you’re far from having a close relationship with Alzheimer.

As you well know, the Comrades Marathon 2010 was held this weekend in KZN.

Here are just a few pics documenting the feel, excitement and overall comradery of both the spectators and participants alike. I hope you enjoy the pics, as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Firstly let’s congratulate the winners. From Zimbabwe, lets hear it for Stephen Muzhingi finishing with the time of 5:29:01.

Now I thought that the pic below was Stephen, but after some careful scrutiny, I realised that it is in fact the first South African to cross the line Sipho Ngomane. Oops sorry Stephen.

And the first lady over the finishing line was Elena Nurgalieva of Russia finishing with the time of 6:13:04, one second ahead of her twin sister Olesya, who won last year in 6:12:12.

The marshals and the police were out in full force on Sunday to keep us safe from the bad guys, thanks man! I couldn’t help taking this photo, I PML when I saw this. Damn, that can’t be comfortable-

Comrades are not the same without the trusty old skottle and a bacon and egg fry-up. Shame, it must be torture for the runners having to smell all this.

This guy had the right idea-

The neighborhood kids were out in full force, really standing behind the runners and giving it their all, sometimes to their mother’s irritation. I now know how loud and overpowering the vuvuzelas can be when faced with hundreds of spectators blowing on the thing.

No specific comrades related reason for showing the next pic, I just love the way this little girl was looking on at the runners, with her pink ‘hoodie’ and ‘Happy day’ back pack-

Now I’m not a comrades guru, but I think this little boy was handing out salt to the competitors to aid in muscle cramping, but I could be wrong.

I admire people who run this already grueling marathon with additional heavy costumes, flags, wigs and all sorts of other paraphernalia in tow all in support of a meaningful cause-

Patriotism at its best-

As in any endurance race, their will most definitely be high’s-

And of course low’s

But for some reason, one that I have difficulty grasping, is that this time next year those same people will be back at the starting line ready to put their bodies through another grueling test of stamina, cramp like they have never cramped before, get blisters the size of KZN, dehydrate…….. sun burn………….chafe (ouch)………………the list goes on. I personally don’t get it, but I enjoyed watching and supporting them regardless.

Well done to all the participants, we at Phuthu salute you.

I came across this video on South Africans who had an huge impact on the world. This clip improved my posture dramatically -
I traded my laid-back way for an upright  stance..
yeah, that’s right, look at us, we did stuff!

Not only did this made me feel proud that my roots are solidly embedded in this awesome country; it challenged me. Every single person (yes, e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e) has something to bring to the table. We can either let it slip and it will end up a wasted gift or we can develop it and use it to bring change.

I opt for the latter.

Ref: SA Good News

A court rejected an overnight bid by Muslim advocacy groups for an injunction to prevent the Mail & Guardian from printing a controversial cartoon by Zapiro. The Prophet Muhammad was depicted, complaining to a psychologist that his followers lacked a sense of humour.

Now to you or me, this type of content would be classified as some light hearted political banter, but Muslims consider any depiction of the founder of Islam to be offensive.

Zapiro being Zapiro, has marched to the beat of his own drum before, with some controversial drawings of some of our very own high ranking South African comrades. Who can forget the caricature depicting President Jacob Zuma with an actual shower head permanently attached to his body or Ju Ju being portrayed as an ill-disciplined, over-fed puppy that’s completely out of control.

But Muhammad……..are you crazy!

Some people are saying that the Mail & Guardian was irresponsible for printing the cartoon so close to the World Cup and this could raise the possibility of a terrorist attack during the tournament.

But others are supporting the paper and its right to free speech.

What are your views?

Cartoon: Zapiro
Ref: News24
Written: Kerry