Steve is closing down his blog

Following a recent emergency operation, South African music sensation Steve Hofmeyr, is closing down his blog.

Steve se Spoegblog is no. 7 on Amatomu and receives in excess of 4 Million hits per month.

Steve has been a prolific writer and very consistent in his entries. Every day he shared news, opinions and a bit of himself with his readers - even when he was in hospital.

Soon, instead of his blog, his website will display a homepage. We will miss connecting with Steve every day...

Wishing you well on your recovery and building kites and fishing!

Who is Vernon Koekemoer?

If you don't know Vernon Koekemoer, you live in the dark ages!

He was made famous for his fashion sense and compared to the likes of Rambo and Chuck Norris.

This is the photo that made the man:



More about Vernon:

Vernon Koekemoer makes onions cry

Vernon Koekemoer can delete the Recycle Bin.

Ghosts are actually caused by Vernon Koekemoer killing people faster than Death can process them.

Vernon Koekemoer can build a snowman..... out of rain.

Vernon Koekemoer can strangle you with a cordless phone.

Vernon Koekemoer can drown a fish.

When Vernon Koekemoer enters a room, he doesn't turn the lights on, he turns the dark off.

When Vernon Koekemoer looks in a mirror the mirror shatters, because not even glass is stupid enough to get in between Vernon Koekemoer and Vernon Koekemoer

Brett Favre can throw a football over 50 yards, Vernon Koekemoer can throw Brett Favre even further.

The last digit of pi is Vernon Koekemoer. He is the end of all things.

Vernon Koekemoer does not know where you live, but he knows where you will die.

Bullets dodge Vernon Koekemoer

A Handicap parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Vernon
Koekemoer and that you will be handicapped if you park there.

The Vernon Koekemoer calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd - no one fools Vernon Koekemoer.

If you spell Vernon Koekemoer wrong on Google it doesn't say, "Did you mean Vernon Koekemoer?" It simply replies, "Run while you still have the
chance."

Vernon Koekemoer can do a wheelie on a unicycle.

Once a cobra bit Vernon Koekemoer' leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.

When Vernon Koekemoer gives you the finger, he's telling you how many seconds you have left to live.

Vernon Koekemoer can kill two stones with one bird.

Vernon Koekemoer was once on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and was the first to spin. The next 29 minutes of the show consisted of everyone standing around awkwardly, waiting for the wheel to stop.

Leading hand sanitisers claim they can kill 99.9 percent of germs. Vernon Koekemoer kills 100 percent of whatever he wants.

There is no such thing as global warming. Vernon Koekemoer was cold, so he turned the sun up.

Vernon Koekemoer can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass. At night.

Vernon Koekemoer has a deep and abiding respect for human life unless it gets in his way.

It takes Vernon Koekemoer 10 minutes to watch 60 Minutes.

Vernon Koekemoer once shot down a German fighter plane with his finger, by yelling, "Bang!"

In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Vernon Koekemoer could use to kill you, including the room itself.

Behind every successful man, there is a woman. Behind every dead man, there is Vernon Koekemoer.

Vernon Koekemoer destroyed the periodic table, because Vernon Koekemoer only recognises the element of surprise.

Vernon Koekemoer got his drivers licence at the age of 16 Seconds.

With the rising cost of gasoline, Vernon Koekemoer is beginning to worry about his drinking habit.

The square root of Vernon Koekemoer is pain. Do not try to square Vernon Koekemoer, the result is death.

When you say "no one's perfect", Vernon Koekemoer takes this as a personal insult.

Interview with Paul Buckby Part 2

Wednesday 28 May 2008

Our second installment of our interview kicks off with a lot of concern from viewers in light of Dr Adam's most recent appearance on Egoli.

Des (Chanelle de Jager) explained that his bald appearance is due to him taking the research with his cancer patients a bit too seriously.

1. Paul, what does the audience think about your baldness and your weightloss?

I have been hearing reports of Egoli fans shocked by my appearance in Egoli.Some say i scare them and I look ill.

When i found out that i landed the role of KING, I weighed 92,8kgs!I went down to 72,5kgs for this role.



2. How did you do that?

I did basic exercises and ate properly. Remember the King of Siam lived on bean shoots and Thai tea, not Peronis and boerewors.

I now weigh 78kgs so I am not dying. Egoli were just as surprised as the public when I arrived on set.

3. What are you working on at the moment?
There's an old saying: "To find your missing prince, you have to kiss a lot of frogs!"
Well the same can be said for concept developing. A colleague and I devised a reality concept for television which has international prospects. We linked up with an influential player who really believes he can sell it overseas to top broadcasters in various European countries, after which we would produce it here in South Africa. The next move is to shoot a precis' of the concept so that our man can take it to Germany, Italy, England, France and Japan. All that we are waiting for now, is an investor to cover the costs of this DVD and we are away. That's where the missing frog bit comes in. We haven't met the right person or persons yet.

4. What is your proudest achievement thus far?
My proudest achievement? mmmm... That's a hard one, because the survival of this sort of career depends on 'proud achievements' to keep you relevant. It's what keeps you going. Very much like Golf. You wonder why you do it, but make two or three shots good shots and your question is answered. There are many, but I don't ponder on them. I am too busy chasing the next proud moment. I feel in my spirit that God wants my next move to make Him proud.

5. What about your musical career?
I am song writing at present. Mostly Christian songs and I'm loving it. I don't know if they will ever be published, but they really have blessed me and have helped bring me into a place of intimacy with God. I am also the 'gas kunstenaar' on the NOOT VIR NOOT ROADSHOW, which so far has traveled to more than 40 towns.

6.Where does your inspiration come from?

Inspiration? Two sources, God and my wife Sarann. I have been a Christian for 35 years and only now am I really enjoying this relationship. Why? because I am seeking His face, because I want to really find Him and be significant to His kingdom. I have surrendered my life to Him completely. I have no aspirations for my world as I've known it, no trophies to win, no points to prove. I am waiting for God to open the gates to my new future and this is what now inspires me to get up in the morning. This gives me real joy. My wife is a very unique human being who is always on hand to encourage and inspire me. It's very easy to take the disappointments of this career personally. Sarann always finds the positive side to any situation.

7. How do you relax?

Relax? Via opposing forms of entertainment. Song writing really helps me to relax and believe it or not, computer games! Games which are centered on total carnage and destruction! First person shooters are my favourite. I love walking around awesome environments along with the ever present threat of being shot or hacked to pieces by some mutant lunatic or mercenary. Strange how this could possibly help me to relax, but it does.

8. Any albums for us to look forward to?

Album, not just yet, but watch this space!

9. What are your plans for the next 5 years?

Mmmm. I have a dream which in 5 years time I hope will be up and running. I can't say more at this stage.

10. Who is in your secret address book?

No one is in my secret address book. (if there was someone and I told you, it wouldn't be a secret :-) )

11. Who is your role model?

I don't have a role model, but I do admire people who achieve their goals despite overwhelming odds. eg. Oscar Pistorius or Nelson Mandela

Thank you for your time Paul and we wish you much success with your projects.

Thank you for this opportunity Lizette. I hope I didn't waffle too much :-)
Paul

Interview with Paul Buckby Part 1

Monday 19 May 2008

Paul Buckby, the hunky Dr. Adam Fischer from Egoli fame is a versatile artist and qualified auctioneer.

Get to know the man better in the first part of my interview with Paul Buckby.

Paul, how did you get into the entertainment industry?

It all started from a very young age. I had an inherent ability to entertain an audience, albeit it friends or family. It went onto the school stage and after that almost straight onto the professional stage at The
Baxter Theatre in 1983. I played JOHN n Peter Krummeck's play THE PASSION.

Children's theatre then took most of my time which is an excellent training school for actors. Capab made use of me for a few years and before long, i was working for Pieter Toerien in Johannesburg 1985. I enjoyed leads in musicals around the
country for ten years. TV eventually became my focus, starring in soapies or
drama series for most of the networks. This last Xmas, I played the KING in THE KING AND I at The Civic in JHB and
relished my return to the musical stage. I'm now in a bit of a wasteland.
God is in charge of my next move.

You are so versatile: stage, music, television... do you have a preference?
Musical Theatre is my favourite form of showbiz.

You're a qualified auctioneer. Any funny / embarrassing moments to share?

The hardest thing for me to auction is aspects of myself. E.g. I get called upon to auction off one of my CDS 'A MOMENT'S BORN' to raise funds.
Well, I usually blush the whole time, especially when there is a muted response!!

You were very convincing as Dr. Adam in Egoli. Are you as weird as him in real life?

I am not like Adam in his extreme, no. I do, like everyone else, have quirks and idiosyncrasies.
When I eat and go for seconds, I like to clean my plate first. Every serving deserves an opening night! I don't like sharing my ice-cream, or eating off someone else's fork.
I don't like someone
helping himself to my food from my plate, or sucking chicken bones. I'll stop there!

What is home like?
'Home' will always be in Cape Town, not only because of my parents, but all my childhood memories are there. This sounds crazy, but I feel a strange sense of security when I'm staying at my folks' place. I slip into 'son' mode and my dad switches on the alarm and makes sure all the doors are
locked, feeds the cat etc. I take a breather from my responsibilities in
JHB.

I believe that like my hubby, you like the young ladies. Tell us about the love of your life?

My wife is 17 years my junior. I didn't plan it this way. I met Sass when I was 37, she was 20.
She was/is very mature for her age. She's a very bright lady. She was studying at RAU when we
met. I am young at heart and this is what works. I am now 45, but you wouldn't say so. I
collect model cars for goodness' sake! Our age gap is our platform. We bring
different ideas to the
table. She'd never heard of BUCK ROGERS and I didn't know who MATCHBOX 20
were!
I'm sure you can relate Lizette. [oi - yes... can't I just!]

I look forward to Part 2 of my interview with Paul.

Craig Mischief Attemted Hijakcing

Well-known, South African comedian, Craig Mischief was involved in an attempted hijacking on Friday night.

Craig was returning home from a show in Port Elizabeth when he noticed a blue Golf appeared next to his car in the road. A flustered looking foreigner gave Craig the impression that he was lost and needed directions. Craig rolled down his window to find out what the driver of the blue Golf wanted when something told Craig to check his side mirror.

Says Craig: "... I saw an accomplice running up on the drivers side, with a firearm in his hand. I also saw another 3 approaching from the passenger side. Needless to say, I put my foot Flat on the floor, and sped off."

Luckily the would-be hijackers didn't shoot, but they jumped into the Golf and started chasing Craig. "After driving like a maniac with my lights off in order to lose them, I managed to shake them off long enough to get into my security complex."

On Saturday, Craig was happy to be unharmed and looking forward to relax with the family. "A person that runs up to your car with a firearm in hand, is NOT there because he likes you; He is there to hurt you and deny your innocent children the right to grow up with a loving Father!"

This follows a spate of hijackings in Port Elizabeth. In another incident on Friday night, a 12-year old girl was demanded by armed men to become a prostitute. The driver managed to speed off with the girl and was later hospitalised after going into a diabetic coma due to the shock of the incident.

When will our Government start protecting our young girls?

Interview with Ashley Dowds

Lizette speaks to Ashley about home, life and work as well as his role as Andrew McBain in eTV's Scandal.

Ashley is an interesting guy with a CV as long as your arm, husband and father of two.

1. What is home like?

A combination of aesthetic and utilitarianism; of morning school-readying madness, and green, leafy inspiration; books and flat screen, Wood and appliance, bad storage solutions but comfortable spaces.

2. Can you play a musical instrument, if so which?

I am a lazy guitarist; lazy because I have not applied myself! In my head I am Paco Pena.

3. Is Ashley anything like Andrew McBain from Scandal?

Some of the later commitment and romance has a confluence with Ashley - I think. ("Oh, Puh-LEASE" says my wife!)

4. You have a very impressive CV which includes acting, presenting, writing, directing - what do you do what is not on your CV?

I am a dad - a comprehensive commitment

5. What previous jobs have you had?

I have sold super absorbent cloths at a Hypermarket, was once a house cleaner in the Jewish boroughs of London,taught (as an English/Drama teacher) for 5 years, was in sales as a Print rep until an autocratic MD drove me out of my wits by telling me to forget about my dreams of being an actor.

6. Is it true that you were a char in London - is that true?

Yes - I was staying with someone I had met on Kibbutz, who knew people that needed ironing and cleaning done. (This was after he'd offered me a job as an accountant and then discovered I couldn't count.)

7. You are a Shakespeare fan - does Shakespeare inspire your writing and theatre work?

O for a muse of fire! Yes, my first Shakespearean mind blast was watching Antony Sher at the Barbican Theatre, playing Shylock. After that all I wanted to do was be part of the RSC. I went up to Stratford on Avon and stayed with Richard Haines who was with them at the time, but I think I was too young still and not bold enough to audition.

8. What else inspires you?

Being in the mountains, working with people like Sylvaine Strike, watching Andrew Buckland or Ellis Pearson perform, Being in London (some of the time), my sculptor friend Kim Goodwin, the way my kids invent moments, Travel...


9. What do you prefer: nature or city life?

It's biased in favour of Nature

10. What is a day like in the life of Ashley Dowds?

I can usually count on a radio/TV commercial to record about twice a week, so it's getting to studio; I am also project driven: right now it's directing a play with some talented young performers and writing travelogues. I have a few ideas I am developing for theater and for bibliophiles. Most of the time, I respond to work that interrupts all this: filming pilots, meetings etc

11. You do a Travelogue for 'Country Life'- what do you enjoy most about traveling and where is your favourite destination in the world?

The Country Life column no longer - but I still submit on the occasion. I relate to the Drakensberg most. It is familiar and calming.

12. You have received a number of awards for writing, presenting as well as being stylish - which nomination / award meant the most to you?

Not the Stylish - I am very equivocal about what 'stylish' means in SA. People get credence for something outwardly showy, when there are hugely
talented people in this country who don't get recognized at all. Stylish can be ugly.

13. What are your hobbies?

I want to say neuroanatomy, but that's just because I want to tell some stories around this on stage. (Any neurosurgeons out there ready to talk?)

14. How do you relax after a stressful day?

Swim

15. What has fatherhood taught you?

Introspection

16. What are your current projects and future ambitions?

Refer to neuroanatomy above. I've also just returned from work-shopping with a dynamic theatre co. in London, Complicite, which has given me some inspiration for more physical work.

17. Is there anything else we'd like to know about Ashley?

No

Jurie Els molestation scandal

I was quite young when I first heard Jurie Els sing on radio and immediately loved his music with it's nice beat and sing-along lyrics. Much to my delight I found out that he grew up in the same town where I lived, Vrede and I started seeing him around town when he visited his elderly mother. His tailor lived across the road from us in the house she bought from my grandfather's estate and my mom used to type up documents for him when I was a baby still. Vrede is a small town and everyone knows one another.

Jurie won Noot-vir-Noot and by that time he was my hero. By this time I had a huge infatuation with him although he obviously was unaware of it. My mom bought me all his CDs and I wrote to him. I was ecstatic when he wrote me a post card back and when running into my mom in the shop, he asked her if it was her daughter who wrote him. In Welkom I went to a radio station where they let me into the studio where he was and we chatted. I was in 7th heaven!

As a young adult I moved to Johannesburg and I didn't miss one of his performances. My boyfriend at the time was incredibly jealous when I listened to Jurie's CDs and he made some of them disappear, but that's a whole new topic on it's own.

In recent news, Jurie is said to have got an interdict against Media24 banning them from publishing details on allegations by up and coming singer, Robbie Klay of molestation by a prominent singer he calls "The Uncle", who's name is known to The Beeld. The allegations are damning and the insinuations very clear.

My heart has been in agony. I too have a little boy and if anyone touches him, I will sure kill them. I don't want to believe that Jurie did such a thing. Local gossip blog bosparra.com says that if Jurie was innocent, why the interdict. This whole situation feels like a dark cloud with no silver lining. My heart aches for Robbie Klay who lost his innocence at the hands of a predator and my heart aches that Jurie is implied. It's hard to hear such things about someone so... homegrown, so fresh, talented and sweet. Someone you had been infatuated with for half of your life.

My personal view on how child molesters should be punished is not something I would wish on anyone I have ever known, but there can never be exceptions. I can only pray that there was a misunderstanding, however that still doesn't help Robbie.

Jurie Els and his wife, high jump champion Hestrie Cloete were not available for comment on Friday. Their cellphones were off following their announcement in January that they were emigrating to New Zealand. I can't imagine the pain Hestrie must be going through during this time.

When all is said and done, stars and celebrities are people just like us that literally live under the spotlight. All the blemishes show up under pressure, as we've seen with Britney Spears and her public breakdown.

My heart goes out to anyone who's life has ever been affected by molestation and I hope this nightmare will soon be over.