Saw the new South African movie "Verraaiers" (Traitors) with one of my godsons. This true story revolves around a loyal burgher, loving father and husband - as well as a well respected Boer officer - who, upon hearing that the enemy (the English), are planning a "scorched earth"-policy, decides to lay down arms, swear neutrality and to go home and protect his wife and family instead of further participation in the war. This decision leads to him and his sons being tried for high treason. Written by Sallas de Jager and directed by Gys de Villiers this amazing movie highlights the dreadful way in which this country was torn apart by the English and their colonial greed. This is a "must-see" - especially in view of the fact that, while my godson had a particularly immaculate education, it turns out that he knows nothing of the Boer Wars, the Rebellion or even the reasons for the First and Second World Wars! It is terrible to think that a major portion of a younger generation has no insight into what caused the very tragedies that define our sad society today. This paucity of insight and understanding is accelerating this world towards its next major social implosion.

The New Standard for the Poor

When early this morning I switched to the BBC News Channel I jumped for joy: It was announced that the US government plans to sue the ratings agency Standard & Poor over its rating of mortgage bonds at the heart of the 2008 financial crisis!

It must be two years now since I first questioned the legitimacy of ratings agencies: Standard & Poor’s, Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings lead the exclusive club of a handful of such agencies and are the names most commonly heard when especially “down”-ratings of countries (and corporates) have been announced with such monotonous regularity during the past years.

What people do not understand is that these agencies are not government agencies or organizations brought about through international agreements and representation. These are all privately-owned organizations which - and I will bet my bottom dollar – given the opportunity, can and will use their influence to make money out of destabilizing national economies.

Likewise the US Feds (the Federal Reserve System) are privately owned! In the same vein, it is incredible that non-governmental institutions in the UK could have been responsible for fixing the libor rate.

It may be quite a revealing moment for you if you could spend a little time on inquiring into the board membership and the ownership of these different organizations that so negatively impact the quality of life of the man in the street and our ability to make a decent living. I have - and it has opened my mind to a number of unpleasant truths.

Remember that there is no such thing as conspiracies. There are only loopholes, which given a chance and the course of human nature, that people will take and get away with if Joe Soap and friends don’t start putting the screw on these privately-owned businesses.

It is time that we, the people, start taking back our power and start forcing politicians to be responsible for the decisions that govern our quality of life and our future. Our future must be wrestled back from the realm of boardrooms and it must be placed again where it rightfully belongs: Within the debate of democratically elected parliaments!

Of pigeons and starlings

My maternal grandmother once told me, very confidentially,  that birds, because they sing so beautuifully and because they have wings and can fly, were the angels that we read about in the Bible. I cannot remember exactly how old I was when she imparted this secret knowledge to me but, what I do remember, is that around the age of four, when I had found my first dead bird, that Grandma's theory starting puzzling me. I might have seen dead birds before that incident but, it was at around four years old that I understood what "dead" really meant. Japie, the Rhodesian ridgeback that my parents had when I was born and whom had become my great friend and protector, had died suddenly and, I knew that he was dead, because my mother had explained death to me.

But, when I first registered that birds also could die I became mightely puzzled. If little children had to die and go to heaven to become angels and then visit us as little birds, why dit they have to die again? When I asked my mother if angels could die, this thoroughly modern woman first of all informed me that there were no such things as angels and heaven, and secondly, even if there were, that nothing could die twice. According to her, death was a once off and final event - period.

Not only had I  encountered my first dead bird that day but I also had my first face to face encounter with the first conflict that two vastly different truths can evoke. When my mother then asked me why I had  asked the question I simply replied with a non-committal "just".  Even at that age I realised that there could be great potential for tension when two truths had to be considered. So, I opted for accepting that both truths could co-exist and I walked off, keeping the peace between two very feisty women.

But, accepting two truths did not keep me from spending a lot of time, collecting, examining and burying the inert bodies of grandmother's angels – mostly pigeons and starlings - who had become the victims of road accidents. In the street where we lived there was at least one death a day and often, driving with my mother, we accidently would hit a pigeon or starling that did not fly up fast enough or, sometimes. these aves would fly directly into the car’s windscreen or radiator.

When I started driving, I too had a few collisions with angels. I remember, in particular, one hot sumer afternoon in Commissioner Street in Johannesburg’s CBD. In quite heavy traffic and going slow, the car connected two pigeons which were either too slow or too interested in whatever they were scavenging off the road.

I stopped, got out and found one pigeon dead and the other still flapping its wings. I took the mortally injured pigeon in my hand and I felt it trembling with pain and fear. Its one red-rimmed eye looked straight at me. Was it accusing me or begging me? I hesitated but then looked away and wrung its neck.

I remember vividly the sudden urge to void both my bowel and bladder. Also, and, as a consequence (and for several nights thereafter), just before I fell asleep I recalled every detail of that “mercy killing” incident and wanted to throw up.

One eventually rationalizes such an incident and the memory is only brought forth when one sees a pigeon dead in the road. But that doesn't happen that often anymore. Despite that fact that we are blessed to live at high altitude and in a city which has the world’s highest number of trees per square kilometer, as well as the highest number of bird species of any other city, it is rare, nowadays, to find a dead bird in the road. And, surprisingly, both the bird and car populations of this city have increased dramatically over the decades.

Waking up in the city of Johannesburg is a sight for green eyes.

So how come there are more birds but less feathered ones dead on the tarmac?

The answer: Darwin.

The pigeon and starling populations of Johannesburg are perfect examples of how the theory of natural selection is at work in living - and observed - bird species. Those birds which were too slow and not adapted to city life 50 years got taken out and, therefore, had fewer descendents in each generation. In my opinion the city's slicker and auto savvy birds that remain and flourish are offspring of the alert fast ones that easily could take to the sky long before a vehicle was upon them. Now and again the odd genetic throwback still dives into a car and probbaly dies with few or no individuals sharing its behavioural disadvantage. The reality is that in 2012 there are dramatically fewer road deaths involving birds than in 1962.

A very common bird in Johannesburg : The "Hadeda" or Sacred Ibis

But I still remember that hot summer afternoon in Commissioner Street as if it had happened yesterday. And even now, on a hot Johannesburg day like today, the memory evokes a distinct feeling of nausea and, I wonder if Darwin's process of natural selection, as I write, is selecting for or against killing angels?

The last paragraphs of "The Inevitable"

Isaac Asimov once wrote: "It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be."


And, the world as it will be, only will be because it will have made the transition to an inevitable next epoch - as it was the case before that and before that.

For humans, if we survive, none of our knowledge of the past nor of the present and, none of our old or new perceptions will be relevant in terms of the changes inevitably coming to our world. Neither will anything we ever experienced be as frightening or as exciting!

There will be a whole new way of thinking and living together and none of the isms we knew before will have a refrain in this exhilarating future. The best of all is that change will not have been brought about through the intervention of a movement, an organization or a dogma and, therefore, for this new lease on life we will not be indebted to any human agency. We will invent new processes of perceiving things and new ways of living together and novel ways of communicating with each other and with the universe and, we will do so only because Mother Nature will have forced us to do so. MDK130110

Telkom (Spermcount) - A Really Big Wank

Van my vriend Daan Smit in Pretoria!

Ek is nou so kwaad jy kan 'n eier in my gat veras, never mind kook.

Telkom natuurlik.

Die foon en internetlyn het op 13 Oktober (presies 'n maand gelede) buite werking geraak. Ek het dit op Maandag 15 Oktober by die werk aanlyn gerapporteer. Daar het ek boodskap gekry dat 'n sogenaamde area fout reeds gerapporteer is en dat ek nie hoef te rapporteer nie. Ek het nietemin gerapporteer.

So 'n dag of twee later het ek weer navraag gedoen en is ingelig dit sal so 'n so dag of twee neem en dan is dit reg. So of dag of twee later skakel ek weer en hoor toe somme r- in een gesprek - dat dit eers so 'n week, en toe so twee sinne verder, dat dit so drie of vier weke sal neem.

Kan ieemand my kwalik neem dat ek my gruwelik vererg het vir die totale oningeligtheid en arrogante houding van die Telkom operateur? Elke keer kry ek dan ook 'n sms wat my inlig dat die klagte "ge-eskalleer" is!

Daarna het ek ander kanale gevolg. Verlede week het ek my internet diensverskaffer, MWEB gekontak en binne 'n paar uur kon ek begin vordering sien. Saterdag, (amper 'n maand later) kom tegnikus by my aan. Na lang gesoek en draadtrekkery op die paal, lig hy my in dat dit die kabel tussen die "boks" en Albertstraat in Waterkloof is. Daar gaat hy toe. Sou glo na Kabelafdeling eskaleer.

Paar dinge geleer

• Telkom telefoon-operateurs het opleiding dringend nodig

• Telkom telefoon-operateurs lieg

• By Telkom beteken die woord "eskaleer" fokol

• Ek moet die land verlaat of ek gaan 'n beroerte kry

Netnou bel een of ander HR karakter van Telkom my wragtag en vra dat ek moet die operateurs moet "rate". For crying out loud! Die blerrie foon is steeds nie reg nie en ek moet hulle "rate" op grond van wat? Diens?"

The Poor Goose That Lays The Golden Eggs

This very moment - as we move into the 7th day of November 2012 – I received an sms stating: "The City of Johannesburgs [note no apostrophe!] bank details have changed with effect from 1/11/2912, please deposit at Standard Bank account number AA45."

This "world-class" city - as it is so widely advertised by spinning the truth - is actually "bankcorrupt". The roads are crumbling, the inner-city is falling apart and we pay rates and taxes at levels never before attained. The mayor and his executive committee run around obfuscating all the critical issues - which are legion and which are multiplying exponentially by the day. Who do these megalomaniacs thinks they are fooling?

The problem is that the council members are now seriously believing their own advertising. And that is very dangerous. Listen folks, maybe it is time you guys start paying attention to the bad publicity your lack of actions are creating rather than to your own glowing advertising?

ABSA must be a bit confused now that they have lost such a big client. The majority of Africa's economies are way smaller than the Johannesburg City Budget!

The media statement from Standard Bank:

Joburg and Standard Bank in new banking partnership


Standard Bank South Africa has beaten four banks in a tender bid to partner with the City of Joburg.

The participating banks were subject to the same rules and requirements, in line with the prevailing legislation, the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).

The City had utilised the services of one of the big four audit and consultancy firms to ensure that the process was transparent and fair to all participants.

"This signifies the beginning of a new partnership with Standard Bank," says Mr. Trevor Fowler, the City Manager.

"We believe the partnership with Standard Bank will support the City of Johannesburg as it rolls out the GDS 2040 Strategy , will assist the City, through commitments undertaken during the bidding presentation, on numerous aspects which are in line with socio-economic transformation and the strategic objectives of the organisation."

In terms of the mandate, Standard Bank South Africa will provide the City with transactional banking services for the next five years. This includes payments, collections and liquidity management; property management; and comprehensive banking services for municipal employees.

The bank will also partner with the City on various socio-economic transformation initiatives which can only auger well for the City as a whole. In line with the City's objectives, the new partnership will enable the City to:

•Drive efficiency and sustainability

•Optimise revenue collection

•Optimally manage cash flows both for operational and capital budgets

•Effectively manage transformation; and

•Ensure service delivery.

To minimise fraud, the City's bank account details will be masked.

For the City's residents paying their municipal bill at Standard Bank branches, they will use a unique Customer Identify Number (CIN) assigned to the City of Johannesburg, CIN no AA45 in the place of the City's account number. The customer deposit reference will be ratepayers' municipal account number for the bill being paid.

In the case of ATM payment and telephone banking, customers are urged to make arrangements with their bank to link the City of Johannesburg from the pre-approved beneficiary list. The beneficiary reference will be the ratepayers' municipal account number for the bill being paid.

Customers using internet banking payments will need to delete any current beneficiary details they have linked on their Internet Banking profiles for City of Johannesburg. Customers will then link the City of Johannesburg from the pre-approved beneficiary list.. Again the beneficiary reference will be the ratepayers' municipal account number for the bill being paid.

Commenting about the new relationship with the City, Head of Transactional Product and Services of Standard Bank, Mr. Neil Surgey says: "Standard Bank has been an integral part of Johannesburg for 126 years. We are delighted to be appointed official bankers to the City and believe that this partnership will benefit all Johannesburg's citizens."

Mr. Surgey reiterated Standard Bank's commitment to Johannesburg and to serving all its people. He says, "Our head office is in downtown Johannesburg where we employ about 10 500 permanent staff. In addition, we make a major contribution to Johannesburg's fiscus in terms of revenue and taxes. Johannesburg is an exciting, vibrant and dynamic city and we are proud to be part of it."


Congratulations Standard Bank! You sure are "moving forward"! Just know that this account is going to billow in the red as more and more residents of this city default on their rates and taxes - and, as the interest payments inversely inflate in the favour of the blue bank!

TO INSURE OT NOT TO INSURE: THE CON CONTINUES

My friend Leigh Jackson stopped at a stop street in Fairmount on Monday 27th August at midday. Obeying the law and reading the road, she duly waited for the car on her right to pass. Suddenly Leigh was hit from behind by a woman driving a large Audi Q5 SUV – and, all of you know how much I hate people in cities driving SUV 4x4’s!

The well-dressed, very angry female driver leapt from her lofty vehicle and was most unpleasant about - what by law – was her mistake. People normally stop at stop signs and, normally they do not bash into other people’s cars. If you get rammed in the rear, by law in most countries, the rammer and not the rammee takes the blame – especially at a designated stop street!

Now, what really angers me is teh fact that despite Leigh, as requested, having obtained 3 quotes ranging from R 10 600 to R 13 766 for repairs to her perfectly roadworthy but old vehicle (at the time of the accident), the insurer, SANTAM, grudgingly is offering R5000 towards repairs! This is an utter shame and, reflects my own sad experiences with SANTAM! Leigh simply cannot afford to pay the balance of the repair costs and, for all intents and purposes, have now become a prisoner of the retirement home in which she lives. SANTAM's only excuse is taht tehy are goingf by teh book value of the car and that the book only starts in 1988 - according to them the last sale of that model was on eBay and for US$ 960.

First of all, it is important to know that Leigh has devoted all her life to educating young South Africans in the art of communication as well as teaching heritage and environmental conservation to students and children. She tirelessly lectured for very little pay and, now, as an elderly citizen, lives on a limited income. Her car is essential in keeping her in touch with the world – as she says, it is the only member of her family that she has left in this world.! And, now, this member is injured and Leigh is left high and dry.

I wonder how the driver of the Audi Q5 SUV will feel when she realizes that Leigh’s whole life has now been impacted upon through that accident? I know that SANTAM could not give a shit and will us eteh excuse fo book value. In my opinion they used to be one of the most respected short-term-insurers in the country. But, through personal experience and the derogatory remarks I hear about them, they now probably rate amongst the least-liked in South Africa.

This accident was not Leigh's fault. Why must she be the one to suffer?