The Really Really Free Market – Cape Town November 12, 2009
Posted by Andreas in "The Economy", Environment, Facebook, Life, Politics, Society, South Africa, Sustainable Living, activism, anarchism.Tags: The Really Really Free Market - Cape Town, gift economy
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We’re having the very first ever Really Really Free Market in Cape Town this Sunday (at Zandvlei in Muizenberg where the kite festival normally happens) and Meghan made this beautiful flyer:
Join the Facebook group and pray for good weather 
Penis 101 November 10, 2009
Posted by Andreas in Life, Men's health, Sexual health, Society, South Africa.Tags: Men's health
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I wrote this for the Health24.com ManZone recently:
Penis 101
I often wonder about men and their penises. We joke about them, brag about them, feel embarrassed by them and name them after dead American Presidents. Women content – perhaps with some justification – that we use them more frequently than our brains when it comes to decision making. Psychologists have us believe that girls envy them, but feminists decry them as sexual and cultural weapons. In the era of HIV/AIDS they’ve become the real Weapons of Mass Destruction in our society.
Basic functions
So why is it that when penises are constantly on our minds, the vast majority of men know so very little about them? Of course we all know the two basic penis facts:
1. Drink too much beer and eventually urine will gush out the front end.
2. Become sexually aroused, get an erection and there are several mechanisms to eject a sticky fluid out in the same direction.
Beyond these rudimentary insights, however, most of us are essentially clueless.
Girls vs. Boys
Compared to the detailed medical understanding that most teenage girls have of their entire reproductive system, we guys wallow in the depths of ignorance. You know what it’s like: give your girlfriend or wife a chance to elaborate and they launch straight into fallopian tubes this and ovarian cysts that, leaving you utterly befuddled. Ask any grown man about the whereabouts of the epididymis or the corpora cavernosa, on the other hand, and all you’ll get are blank stares.
You see, for all the macho bravado and enthusiasm most blokes exhibit when it comes to telling cock jokes, most of us don’t actually like talking about our penises. Not with our partners, not with our mothers, not with our doctors and most certainly not with our mates.
From around the time when they get their first period, most girls are initiated into a process of lifelong education concerning their private parts – at special school classes, through regular gynae visits and most importantly by talking to their mothers and other women around them. Guys don’t benefit from anything even remotely comparable. I don’t know about you, but my dad certainly never sat me down for an informal chat about things going on “down there”.
An introduction to your penis
“So what!?” I hear you complain. “Most women don’t know the first thing about crankshafts, the off-side laws in rugby or braaing either.” The point is, of course, that should you wake up one morning and find that yesterday’s one-night-stand left you with the Cooties, or your wife looks at you accusingly because after months of trying you’ve still not managed to impregnate her with your long-awaited first-born, you may regret knowing so little about the inner workings of your own nether regions.
So in the spirit of public education and brotherly solidarity we have decided to put together a couple of articles to give you the lowdown on the penis. Nothing gross, don’t worry. Just some basic information – a “Penis 101″ of sorts:
► How the penis works
► How an erection happens
► What’s wrong with my penis?
► Penis resources
► Penis size per country
► The lowdown on the penis
► The lowdown on your testicles
► Your foreskin
► Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
Attack of the man boobs October 29, 2009
Posted by Andreas in Life, Society, South Africa.Tags: Men's health
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I wrote this for the Health24 ManZone recently:
Attack of the man boobs
What’s worse, a woman with fake boobs or a man with real ones?
Personally, I’d always go with the natural look, even if it sometimes falls short of what the media and society at large consider to be perfection. When it comes to the human body, the natural and real are just so much more interesting to me than the manufactured and artificial.
That’s not to say that I’m not concerned about the state of my chest, of course. Like most men, I find the prospect of developing man boobs quite disconcerting. So I regularly find myself checking out the situation when I’m in the shower and although it’s fair to say that I’m some way from growing proper moobs, it’s equally apparent that my pecs have seen better days.
If I was made of more free-spirited stuff I’d show you a picture of what my torso looks like today, but I’ll spare you the abuse. Suffice it to say that things have changed somewhat for the worse.
If you have a more exhibitionistic streak, though, don’t let me stop you. If you are particularly proud of your upper body, bloke-knockers or not, send us a photo (ManZone@health24.co.za) and we’ll put together a gallery for ManZone readers to look at. We’re especially interested in hearing from anyone who has managed to get rid of their flesh pillows and before-and-after photos are most welcome.
Abnormally enlarged male breasts – the medical term is gynecomastia – are a serious problem for a surprisingly large number of boys and men that can lead to considerable embarrassment and emotional distress. Being a notoriously uncommunicative lot when it comes to important issues that affect us directly, most men have developed elaborate mechanisms to avoid talking about the issue. We’d rather discuss the minutiae of Formula 1.
Did you know that while man boobs can be a by-product of being overweight, in many cases they are the result of a medical condition most likely related to hormonal imbalances? Do you have enlarged breasts yourself, but have no idea what to do about them? It seems to me that an open and honest conversation about the issues involved would go some way towards making this less of a headache for so many of us.
One guy who doesn’t beat about the bush when it comes to mantits is Anton Marshall, front man for the Cape Town band Three More White Guys. He actually sings about them!
Marshall: “Our song Mantits is really about the pressure all large people – or out-of-shape people – feel. Most people don’t realise that in modern times guys are under as much pressure as women to have a flat stomach and chiselled chest. Take a look at a magazine and you’ll see all the images being thrown at us about what we’re supposed to look like. I was looking at one of those celebrity gossip rags and I remember thinking: ‘Man, that crap you’re saying about Jack Nicholson’s boobs is such bullshit. The guy’s 70! He’s my granddad!’”
ManZone: Do you think moobs are a big personal issue for many guys?
Marshall: “Yeah I think there’s a ton of ways people get ostracised and being differently shaped or overweight are just two of them. In my experience, men seem to do one of two things with the mantits issue: they either wear it like a badge or they completely retreat within it. There just doesn’t seem to be any middle ground. Ultimately, wellbeing is about more than just mantits though. It’s about feeling good about who you are.”
ManZone: Any advice for dudes with man boobs? Do we embrace them, take them to gym or to the plastic surgeon?
Marshall: “All and none of the above. It won’t do you any good to do anything without first deciding that there’s something wrong or right with it. I’ve personally come to accept that I’ll always have the potential to be overweight and out of shape. So I deal with that danger my way. I personally wouldn’t consider surgery right now. Or gym, to be honest. But I do feel I’m in control of my body at the moment and I’m just fine with that.”
More info:
- Man boobs demystified
- Exercise can get rid of your man boobs
- Man boobs are more common than you think!
- Men with boobs
- UK men seeking smaller moobs
- ManBoobs
- gynecopmastia-gyno.com
- gynecomastia.org
Poison on the Platter October 19, 2009
Posted by Andreas in Environment, Film screening, South Africa, Sustainable Living, genetic engineering.add a comment
Free screenings of a powerful new documentary about genetically modified food
Poison on the Platter, a short documentary film about the detrimental effects of genetically modified crops in India, which will be screened at the Labia on Orange cinema on Tuesday 27 October at 6.15pm and on Wednesday 28 October at 6.15pm.
Entrance to both screenings is free of charge, but since only a limited number of seats are available, you are strongly encouraged to reserve tickets by calling the Labia at 021 424 5927.
While the European Union has decisively rejected the use of genetically modified food crops, powerful multinational biotech companies like Monsanto, Syngenta and DuPont are aggressively marketing these crops in developing countries such as South Africa, India and Brazil.
Poison on the Platter is a short (26 min), but powerful documentary film by well-known Bollywood director Ajay Kanchan that critically examines this process with special reference to India. The film stresses the numerous detrimental effects genetically modified crops have on the environment, human health, sustainable agriculture and people’s right to safe food.
Devinder Sharma
The Indian experience is of great relevance to South Africa, where the widespread introduction of commercial genetically modified crops including cotton, soy and maize has been actively promoted by the government and the biotech industry without significant public participation or awareness.
Poison on the Platter is an eye-opener for anyone who is concerned about the proliferation of genetically modified food crops in South Africa.
The screenings will be followed by an open discussion with Devinder Sharma, a prominent Indian food policy analyst, author and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security in India, who was instrumental in the production of the film.
This event is presented by the Labia, Biowatch, Surplus People Project, Agroecology and Family Farming (AS-PTA) from Brazil, Chetna Organic Farmers Association from India, the African Centre for Biosafety, SAFeAGE, Woman on Farms Project and Workers World Media Productions and While You Were Sleeping, a Cape Town-based non-profit film collective committed to bringing progressive, non-mainstream documentaries with important social and environmental messages to South African audiences.
Contacts:
The Labia:
021 424 5927
Biowatch:
Michelle Pressend
082 564 1581
michelle@biowatch.org.za
www.biowatch.org.za
Surplus People Project:
Tennille Rode
021 448 5605
spp@spp.org.za
www.spp.org.za
While You Were Sleeping:
Andreas Späth
084 772 1056
Andreas_Spath@yahoo.com
www.whileyouweresleeping.wordpress.com
Rock art in the Cederberg July 7, 2009
Posted by Andreas in History, Life, South Africa, holiday.1 comment so far
We spent a couple of days at Bushmans Kloof in the amazing Cederberg mountains last week. I was totally taken by the rock art in the area. There are over 130 individual sites (and many more in the Cederberg as a whole), ranging in age from around 2000 years to as old as 8000 years. Incredible!
Basil, coriander, rocket and parsely June 10, 2009
Posted by Andreas in Cape Town, Gardening, South Africa, Sustainable Living, Urban Agriculture.add a comment
The herbs I started growing from seed in my recycled seedling containers a while ago have grown up! Of course they have been re-planted into larger pots…
Basil
Coriander
Rocket
Parsely
I’ve also grown quite a few tomato plants, but I suspect I left it too late in the season for them to still bear fruit before it gets too cold.
Recycled seedling containers June 2, 2009
Posted by Andreas in Environment, Gardening, Organic Food, South Africa, Sustainable Living, Urban Agriculture.add a comment
If you’re throwing away loads of plastic containers and bottles like these…
… you should probably have a serious look at your consumption habits – *gulp* – and definitely recycle as many of them as you can. Alternatively, why not turn some of them into little planting pots to raise veggie and herb seeds in?
First, clean them out with water and cut off the bottles:
Then punch holes into the bottoms for drainage:
Now just add soil, seeds and water:
South Africa resuscitates nuke programme May 26, 2009
Posted by Andreas in Cape Town, Environment, Nuclear Power, South Africa.add a comment
When Eskom appeared to stop it’s plans to build more nuclear power stations in South Africa at the end of last year, those of us who oppose this expensive, dangerous and environmentally costly form of electricity generation heaved a big, but temporary sigh of relief, knowing perfectly well that the monster would be back soon enough. So here it is: the national power utility is hoping to build not one, but three new conventional atomic power plants.
According to Melanie Gosling, Eskom is:
asking to be allowed to combine authorisations to develop Nuclear-1, Nuclear-2 and Nuclear-3 power stations at all three coastal sites earmarked for the nuclear programme. The three sites are Bantamsklip near Pearly Beach in the Overstrand, Thyspunt near Oyster Bay in the Eastern Cape and the Koeberg site of Dynefontein 30km north of Cape Town. At the start of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) the three places were to be assessed as alternative sites for the proposed Nuclear-1. [...] The application includes the “roll-out dates” for the first three nuclear power stations: site preparation for Nuclear-1 will start in January next year and the nuke will come online in July 2018; site preparation for Nuclear-2 will begin in January 2013 and come online in July 2020 and Nuclear-3 site preparation start in January 2015 and come online in July 2022.
Great. We’re told that South African passports can’t be trusted, but we’re asked to put our faith in Eskom’s load-shedding hands when it comes to running a fully-fledged nuclear power programme…
If you’re looking for a juicy project encompassing both politics and the environment into which to sink your activist teeth, helping to stop this lunacy should be near the top of your agenda.
Cat-proofing veggie beds May 21, 2009
Posted by Andreas in Gardening, Life, Organic Food, South Africa, Sustainable Living, Urban Agriculture.add a comment
I built a couple of raised beds for growing veggies in a small corner behind our house some time ago. The main problem with them has been that our cat, Perry, has been using them as her toilet. Not good for growing food and really smelly, too! She has her own “facilities” right next to the beds, but I guess she finds them less convenient, so I set about trying to cat-proof the beds.
I cleaned up the beds and installed shade netting to keep Perry out of them. Here's the culprit inspecting my handiwork
Veggie garden in cat exclusion mode! Of course in summer the shade netting will also help to keep out the scalding sun.
My efforts seem to have been reasonably successful, although keeping the cat out of the beds completely is never going to happen. I did sow some stuff in the beds and we’ve already harvested some beans.
Success!
Some suburban farming principles May 7, 2009
Posted by Andreas in Cape Town, Gardening, Life, Organic Food, South Africa, Sustainable Living, Urban Agriculture.1 comment so far
Nothing complicated here, just a couple of principles I’d like to follow as I start getting into this urban agriculture thing in our garden. It’s all a bit daunting at the moment as we head into winter and the whole garden goes into hibernation. Here goes:
DIY – I’d like to do as much of my gardening myself and don’t want “experts” to do the job for me. I’m very open to advice, suggestions and help, of course
Organic – no synthetic fertilisers or chemicals in this garden! I’m hoping to broadly follow the principles of permaculture in my approach.
Sustainable – In our climate that means being particularly mindful of water requirements, but also of other inputs such as compost. I also want our garden to be fairly low-maintenance… I’ve got a job, you know.
Cheap – I’d like to use as many cheap and free resources as possible and am hoping that Freecycle and the Cape Town Talent Exchange (a local alternative currency system) will help achieve that goal.
Beautiful and functional – I’d like our garden to be a place that the whole family enjoys spending time in, while at the same time offering habitats for wildlife (I’m talking mostly birds, reptiles and insects here, not antelope and such…) and providing us with a steady supply of healthy, organic and fresh fruit and vegetables.
That’s about it for the moment. Will add more if I can think of any…
