There is a new danger on South African roads. In a previous blog I expounded on the moronic idea that recreational cyclists should be allowed to practice their sport on public roads at the expense of motorists. It has been decided by the powers that be, without the consent of motorists, that we should pass cyclists at a distance of 1.5 metres. This entails crossing a barrier line to give them sufficient space, particularly if they are not riding in the gutter.
Yesterday, while travelling in fairly heavy traffic in both directions, there were no less than 3 occasions where someone with a sheep mentality blindly followed his latest instruction from the authorities and swerved across the barrier line in the face of startled oncoming motorists who then had to swerve onto the verge. Did these people not understand that the basic rules of the road still apply and that, when spotting a cyclist, the world should not revolve around them? Apparently not.
This leads to the very obvious conclusion that, in the face of oncoming traffic, the cyclist must be allowed to dictate the pace of the traffic. This situation cannot be allowed to become the norm, as the common man becomes subjected to more and more restrictions applied by people who should never have the authority to impose them.
There is currently a video going viral on the web of a youngster skateboarding down Kloofnek in Cape Town and being flashed by a speed camera, which was the object of the exercise. One can only admire his courage as he flies down one of the best slaloms in the world, while feeling sympathy for the oncoming motorists who must have been horrified at the possibility of a potentially fatal crash, and as he took a sharp right between two cars, I also feared for his life. The most thrilling thing for me was that he actually had the guts to do it and with such skill. Throughout the world, children are no longer allowed to climb trees or playground equipment, nor are adults allowed to climb ladders at work, all in the name of Health and Safety, in a very successful plan to take away personal freedom to make all our own decisions and live a life of nothingness. The traffic department have declared the stunt reckless and plan to prosecute this daring young man. I think it is their way of giving him a speeding fine, as the law probably doesn't cover prosecution of speeding skateboarders.
Saturday, 9 February 2013
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Speechless for once
I joined Toastmasters last night.The very formal structure is something quite new to me as it's the kind of thing I have successfully avoided all my life.The aim of Toastmasters is to mentor would-be public speakers to develop sufficient skills to deliver a speech without hesitation, repetition, um, ah, er, so and okay, within a strictly controlled time limit. This sounds like an audience's dream and can certainly be recommended for those who are liable to be interviewed by the media. How excruciating are the incoherent mumblings of those who are caught unawares by questions they don't know how to answer.
A section of the evening is taken up by Table Topics, where you are given a topic or suggestion and must deliver a one to two minute speech immediately on the subject. I was asked to do one, as a visitor, and my first reaction was no, I'm not ready, and then I realised that that was what I was there for, and said yes.
I'm not usually at a loss for words. I had to take an object out of a bag and then address the audience, who were my Valentine, as to why I was giving them this Valentine's gift. It was a calculator.
Now a calculator is the last thing I would give as any sort of gift and as I stood there, nothing raced through my mind. The clock was ticking as I desperately tried to think of any word that would make sense. "I'm speechless," was all I could say. They liked that, so I thought a little more and Shakespeare came to my rescue. "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." Laughter and applause. And that was it. I told them that there was no way I could connect a calculator with a Valentine or marriage as you couldn't really work out what the result would be. And that was my first speech at Toastmasters.
We were all evaluated afterwards for timing and how many umms we had used. Amazingly enough, I apparently used real words and was recorded as 'very good' despite having said practically nothing! This is very encouraging for the future.
Applause and laughter can be addictive - and completely harmless to your health. I can see why so many actors prefer a live audience to film. Oh, I neglected to mention that they videoed our speeches. They have promised under oath not to release them on YouTube.
A section of the evening is taken up by Table Topics, where you are given a topic or suggestion and must deliver a one to two minute speech immediately on the subject. I was asked to do one, as a visitor, and my first reaction was no, I'm not ready, and then I realised that that was what I was there for, and said yes.
I'm not usually at a loss for words. I had to take an object out of a bag and then address the audience, who were my Valentine, as to why I was giving them this Valentine's gift. It was a calculator.
Now a calculator is the last thing I would give as any sort of gift and as I stood there, nothing raced through my mind. The clock was ticking as I desperately tried to think of any word that would make sense. "I'm speechless," was all I could say. They liked that, so I thought a little more and Shakespeare came to my rescue. "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." Laughter and applause. And that was it. I told them that there was no way I could connect a calculator with a Valentine or marriage as you couldn't really work out what the result would be. And that was my first speech at Toastmasters.
We were all evaluated afterwards for timing and how many umms we had used. Amazingly enough, I apparently used real words and was recorded as 'very good' despite having said practically nothing! This is very encouraging for the future.
Applause and laughter can be addictive - and completely harmless to your health. I can see why so many actors prefer a live audience to film. Oh, I neglected to mention that they videoed our speeches. They have promised under oath not to release them on YouTube.
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Comet spotting and other astronomical observations
There is currently a comet passing by at a tremendous speed. It is Comet Lemmon, and can be seen with binoculars on a dark night such as during this week when there is no moon, with a good pair of binoculars. It isn't spectacular like Comet McNaught as it is still far away, but look for a fuzzy pale green blob without a tail between Musca (right of the Southern Cross) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (it is heading towards the globular cluster 47 Tucanae). You may find it interesting to observe its path each night, as it is moving very fast. It is currently on its way towards the sun and will swing round the back of it and be flung back on its return trip past us in April, when it will hopefully be a more breathtaking sight.
The best time for spotting is about 2am when it is overhead. At the same time you will be able to admire the magnificent constellation of Orion with its Great Nebula forming the sword, and the giant planet, Jupiter, the fourth brightest object in the sky, to the left in Taurus, with its four moons constantly changing position as they orbit the planet. Sirius, the Dog Star which is the brightest object, lies to the right of Orion.
There is a particularly rich star field to the right of the Southern Cross, in the constellation of Carina, and you can observe stunning clusters and the Eta Carina nebula with binoculars.
So set your alarm and go outside to see the wonders of the night sky. But remember not to turn on any lights as it will ruin your night vision for half an hour. Make sure you know the way to the door!
The best time for spotting is about 2am when it is overhead. At the same time you will be able to admire the magnificent constellation of Orion with its Great Nebula forming the sword, and the giant planet, Jupiter, the fourth brightest object in the sky, to the left in Taurus, with its four moons constantly changing position as they orbit the planet. Sirius, the Dog Star which is the brightest object, lies to the right of Orion.
There is a particularly rich star field to the right of the Southern Cross, in the constellation of Carina, and you can observe stunning clusters and the Eta Carina nebula with binoculars.
So set your alarm and go outside to see the wonders of the night sky. But remember not to turn on any lights as it will ruin your night vision for half an hour. Make sure you know the way to the door!
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
An invitation to think #1
I recently heard of a woman in England who, through infirmity, desperately needed to sit down for a while when out shopping. The shop assistant told her they couldn't let her sit on a chair, and that chairs were not allowed in the shop, in case she fell off it and hurt herself. This 'rule' formed part of the health and safety regulations which these days prevent anyone from doing anything that might cause them to hurt themselves. The reasoning behind these regulations has little to do with concern for safety, but rather concern for the amount of money the injured party could sue for. There are a number of questions that can be raised here.
Since when has the human race become so afraid of being responsible for their own actions that laws have been passed to ensure that someone else becomes financially ruined through those actions?
Since when has compassion been replaced by mindless obedience to someone else's rules, thus robbing the enforcer of free will, the one thing that sets humans apart from all other beings?
What are the statistics relating to people who sit in chairs and don't fall off them, as against people who sit in chairs and fall off them (this would have to be broken down into the myriad reasons for falling off)?
If the shop assistant stood all day and was on the point of collapse, would she be too frightened to sit on a chair in case she fell off?
How is it that a world population of billions has managed to relinquish control of their everyday lives to so few?
If you were the shop assistant, would you ignore the 'rules' in favour of good sense, compassion and empathy?
Since when has the human race become so afraid of being responsible for their own actions that laws have been passed to ensure that someone else becomes financially ruined through those actions?
Since when has compassion been replaced by mindless obedience to someone else's rules, thus robbing the enforcer of free will, the one thing that sets humans apart from all other beings?
What are the statistics relating to people who sit in chairs and don't fall off them, as against people who sit in chairs and fall off them (this would have to be broken down into the myriad reasons for falling off)?
If the shop assistant stood all day and was on the point of collapse, would she be too frightened to sit on a chair in case she fell off?
How is it that a world population of billions has managed to relinquish control of their everyday lives to so few?
If you were the shop assistant, would you ignore the 'rules' in favour of good sense, compassion and empathy?
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Lazy days of summer
Did nothing today. Watered the garden. Helped put a side mirror on the Mini. Took the Mini for its first long drive since reassembly. Did 110 on the stretch along the fence at Cape Point Reserve - this little car sure can go. Still need to adjust the timing so overall very happy with my new little old car!
Had a nap under the trees and spent some time looking at the clouds speeding overhead in two different directions, and listening to the rumble of the breakers crashing on the rocks down at the lighthouse and the sharp crack of the waves dumping closer to home at the Inner Kom.
It's nice to take time out and do nothing, think of nothing and just BE. It's going to be a busy week - Tai Chi twice, a funeral, Toastmasters, Astronomy, lunch at the Pickled Fish, appointment with nutritionist - in addition to general household chores, gardening and some rather essential bookkeeping matters! And doubtless some other events will creep in to keep me busy. Oh, and of course I have my blogs to write and three books to work on, as well as a painting underway.
Thank goodness I did nothing today.
Had a nap under the trees and spent some time looking at the clouds speeding overhead in two different directions, and listening to the rumble of the breakers crashing on the rocks down at the lighthouse and the sharp crack of the waves dumping closer to home at the Inner Kom.
It's nice to take time out and do nothing, think of nothing and just BE. It's going to be a busy week - Tai Chi twice, a funeral, Toastmasters, Astronomy, lunch at the Pickled Fish, appointment with nutritionist - in addition to general household chores, gardening and some rather essential bookkeeping matters! And doubtless some other events will creep in to keep me busy. Oh, and of course I have my blogs to write and three books to work on, as well as a painting underway.
Saturday, 2 February 2013
How many people does it take to replace a light bulb?
It's been a week since I turned on the kitchen light and nothing happened. Well, not quite nothing. The ends of the fluorescent tube glow a kind of warm orange colour and bathe the kitchen in a rather pleasant and flattering light for someone who is looking to hide the odd wrinkle or a bad hair day, but it's absolutely useless for cooking. If I open the microwave, I can chop vegetables and knock up a stir fry in the light that comes from inside. I wonder why the light comes on when you open it? It's not like a fridge where you need to be able to peer into the depths to see what is hiding behind that jar of authentic Italian pasta sauce you were given three years ago but have never had the inclination to open because you know it couldn't possibly be better than yours. When you open the microwave, you are either expecting it to be empty, or you know exactly what it is you are going to take out. So the reasoning behind the illumination escapes me. Perhaps it is for occasions such as this, where the light is not working - if so, well done, LG.
Every evening, as darkness draws in, I bleat to He Who Can Fix Anything that the light has gone in the kitchen and he answers, "Oh", from where he reclines on his pillows, glued to the latest episode on the Crime channel, Women Who Kill, looking for tips and telltale signs that he might need to look out for. I keep telling him that when the time comes, I have a perfectly good oleander in the garden which I can use as a herb garnish on his braai chops. And so a week has gone by without replacing the fluorescent tube.
You might ask, why don't I just go and buy one myself? Well, the last one I bought and installed didn't work; it just glowed at each end, and having 1. gone to the trouble of getting the thing home without breaking it, 2. climbed a ladder and unclipped the old tube without falling and 3. climbed back up the ladder and clipped the new tube in without falling off it, I was so annoyed at having been sold a shoddy product that I simply left it in and it's been glowing at each end for some two years now. (I should mention that it is a double tube light and I only need one, so it didn't matter that the new tube didn't work - after all, if the kitchen is fully lit by one tube, what could I do with twice the amount of light?) So I have decided to wait and see how long it takes for him to remember to bring a new tube home.
About 19 years ago, there was a leak in one of our showers and so we took the tiles off one wall and removed the dry walling.
I'm still waiting for it to be put back.
Every evening, as darkness draws in, I bleat to He Who Can Fix Anything that the light has gone in the kitchen and he answers, "Oh", from where he reclines on his pillows, glued to the latest episode on the Crime channel, Women Who Kill, looking for tips and telltale signs that he might need to look out for. I keep telling him that when the time comes, I have a perfectly good oleander in the garden which I can use as a herb garnish on his braai chops. And so a week has gone by without replacing the fluorescent tube.
You might ask, why don't I just go and buy one myself? Well, the last one I bought and installed didn't work; it just glowed at each end, and having 1. gone to the trouble of getting the thing home without breaking it, 2. climbed a ladder and unclipped the old tube without falling and 3. climbed back up the ladder and clipped the new tube in without falling off it, I was so annoyed at having been sold a shoddy product that I simply left it in and it's been glowing at each end for some two years now. (I should mention that it is a double tube light and I only need one, so it didn't matter that the new tube didn't work - after all, if the kitchen is fully lit by one tube, what could I do with twice the amount of light?) So I have decided to wait and see how long it takes for him to remember to bring a new tube home.
About 19 years ago, there was a leak in one of our showers and so we took the tiles off one wall and removed the dry walling.
I'm still waiting for it to be put back.
Friday, 1 February 2013
Consumer cautions
Having been scammed on so many occasions in a supermarket, I feel compelled to share some basic tips on how to avoid being taken for a fool:
1. Don't buy prepackaged vegetables. The glossy, firm looking baby marrows on the top layer are cunningly concealing the yellowing, shrivelled second-grade marrows underneath. There is no way that it is not a deliberate act to put the inferior goods out of sight.
2. The same goes for meat. The top retailer in SA is as guilty as the rest of them. I bought a piece of steak which looked appetising and with minimal fat, only to find, on opening the pack, that the reverse side of the steak was basically the edge of the rump and mainly fat. Once again, absolutely a deliberate attempt to deceive.
3. Packaging is used to effect a price increase without increasing the price. Toothpaste is number one on the list, with the size of the tube being slightly reduced without changing the price so that it looks as though everything is the same. Old stock with the bigger tube is removed from the shelf so that there is nothing to draw the eye to a smaller quantity in the tube. The way to overcome this and reduce toothpaste sales is to only use the actual amount you need - adverts and the packaging show a lavish dollop of toothpaste covering the entire bristle section, but in actual fact, only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste is required to do the same job. Consumption can be reduced by 75% and you can leave the manufacturer wondering.
4. Bulk packaging is in general more expensive than regular sized products and a careful comparison of the price per unit of every size of pack will prove this, particularly in the domestic cleaning products. The "Great Value" printed on the pack is nothing but deliberate misinformation.
A little care and a good pair of glasses can save you quite a substantial amount over a period, as well as send a message back to the retailers that we are on to them!
1. Don't buy prepackaged vegetables. The glossy, firm looking baby marrows on the top layer are cunningly concealing the yellowing, shrivelled second-grade marrows underneath. There is no way that it is not a deliberate act to put the inferior goods out of sight.
2. The same goes for meat. The top retailer in SA is as guilty as the rest of them. I bought a piece of steak which looked appetising and with minimal fat, only to find, on opening the pack, that the reverse side of the steak was basically the edge of the rump and mainly fat. Once again, absolutely a deliberate attempt to deceive.
3. Packaging is used to effect a price increase without increasing the price. Toothpaste is number one on the list, with the size of the tube being slightly reduced without changing the price so that it looks as though everything is the same. Old stock with the bigger tube is removed from the shelf so that there is nothing to draw the eye to a smaller quantity in the tube. The way to overcome this and reduce toothpaste sales is to only use the actual amount you need - adverts and the packaging show a lavish dollop of toothpaste covering the entire bristle section, but in actual fact, only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste is required to do the same job. Consumption can be reduced by 75% and you can leave the manufacturer wondering.
4. Bulk packaging is in general more expensive than regular sized products and a careful comparison of the price per unit of every size of pack will prove this, particularly in the domestic cleaning products. The "Great Value" printed on the pack is nothing but deliberate misinformation.
A little care and a good pair of glasses can save you quite a substantial amount over a period, as well as send a message back to the retailers that we are on to them!
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