What I Have to Say About Oscar Pistorius

Cleared of Reeva Steenkamp's murder, charged with manslaughter

The world of Twitter has been making predictable quips drawing attention to his physical disability. But he is the one with the supermodel girlfriend! Well, was, anyway. And even MY body isn’t perfect; if there’s one thing I'm unhappy about, it's my fingers. They're so small and girly. And a bigger thumb would be more satisfying to suck. Though since I’m light-years from a live-in model girlfriend, or a career, I often wonder whether or not I'm wasting my life. But then I remember, 'hey, I was born'. Out of all the sperms in the race, I was the one that made it. That was given the gift of Life. That took it for granted and never became an Olympian athlete.

Just as regrettably, it is the case that South Africa is rife with crime and guns and shootings. A reflection of this, gangsta rap is extremely popular over there. And in May this year Snoop Dogg, or Lion, or whatever version of Mac O/S he wants to call himself now, made an open call to rappers to end gun violence. Guns DO kill people. And if anyone knows about killing it's Snoop Dogg. He did help kill hip-hop in the mid 90s. But Pistorius went around discharging handguns in restaurants. That’s just immature and irresponsible, that is. Even still, I don’t feel all that mature or responsible. We’re both the same age. Except I’m older. And I don’t even feel I will have kids before I reach 40. Hope, I’ve all but lost ( ... she was the kid I was meant to babysit).

Anyway, about the trial, the case against him was strong. Using telephone messages as evidence, prosecutor Nel painted him as a hothead bully to the late Reeva. Details from both sides had yet to paint a fuller picture at this point, so the circumstantial nature of a few flippant exchanges would not be regarded as such. Especially when, of Pistorius' alleged bullying, relentless and boorish Nel fought so loudly and so dominantly, so aggressively, a little bit like a bully. I think that bullying, in all forms, sucks. I hate it more than I hate myself. But you can’t expect a man and a woman who sleep together, or who live together, not to have heated arguments and disagreements. He, Nel, picked some particularly upsetting-sounding statements from Pistorius to Reeva. But she did stay with him, even whenever he really put his foot in it ... or perhaps that was the reason she stayed. I tried it once but it tickled too much.

Viewers around the world may have benefited from the courtroom cameras - but they could have only compounded his depression, PTSD, anxiety, and his risk of suicide. At points Pistorius was visibly upset; not only crying but vomiting too. So he had an independent psychologist to conduct a mental evaluation, as well as three psychiatrists. I have a good friend who works in a psychiatric hospital, she's devoted to her work and humble too. "Oh, no, really I'm no angel. That's only another of your delusions Mr Man. Please lower your arms and stop running about". So whatever the mental state of Pistorius, if not affecting his case either way, I think it probably slowed down the proceedings.

But I think I can understand it when people doubted the genuineness of his tears. With such a terribly weak defence against a strong and aggressively-styled prosecution, a public display of crying may have just been his only hope. Just a wild shot in the dark.

Scottish Independence Referendum

 Scots Independence Poll Puts ‘Yes’ Campaign Ahead at 51%

That’s like, what, a whole percent away from 50/50. Want to play Roulette but don’t have a wheel? Just have a Scot tell you if you’ve won or lost. Rather than going to the voting booths they could settle the referendum with one coin toss. If they’re not sick of the sight of the Queen’s face. But really it was all down to JK Rowling, she donated a million pounds to the ‘No’ campaign. So they’re all voting ‘Yes’ to spite her. (That’s what I’d do.) She is just a children’s story-writer and not 'truly' Scottish. It might as well have been Mrs Doubtfire.  Rowling’s only claim to Scottishness is by marriage. She’d have more credibility draped in salmon and wearing a Tam o’ Shanter cap.

A ‘Yes’ vote may spell woe for pensions, security and the economy! So Cameron and Miliband have united suddenly, just over a week before the vote, to propose more powers to Scotland. Looks like they’re really going for broke. A Broke Britain that is, so useless and ineffectively timed the gesture. Salmond thinks that “they are not serious” anyway, that it’s just a measure “to bribe us”. But Scotland may become an independent republican system within the EU. Leaving one Union while staying in another. So perhaps the whole ‘No’ campaign has been one big bribe to get those very powers. Either that or it's mere hypocrisy (but let’s not go there).

Appealing to the emotions of the public is a way of gaining power yet I am surprised Scots have been so affected by Salmond’s Braveheart rhetoric. We must leave sentimentalism out of this debate. Whether that is a nationalistic pride in all under the Saltire - or whether a romantic attachment to what it means to be a United Kingdom.