Saturday 29 March 2014

Controversial song mocking South African President goes viral: Nkandla Style Psy Gangnum Style parody. #JacobZuma

This video is terrible, controversial, and terribly funny whether appropriate or highly distasteful. That seems to be the verdict of the Internet, where it has already passed 159 717 views in two days, besides being covered by local media additionally.



This is what it is based upon:



The Nkandla Style video portrays the South African President as though he were the persona Psy portrays: a powerful man who wants and gets what he desires. It mock's Zuma's comments at his rape trial that showering prevents HIV Aids, his friend Shaik escaping jail due to being allegedly on his death bed, his luxury fire pool, his many wives and girlfriends (he likes businesswomen), Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (portraying Julius controversially as a defecating dog), and noting the Public Protector's clashes with Jacob Zuma's African National Congress. It also mocks Zuma's statements that black people should not own dogs. Polls suggest the African National Congress comfortably in the lead for this year's national elections, although with their lowest support since prior 1994. The African National Congress, are Africa's oldest political party. President Jacob Zuma is an exceptionally popular president in some areas, and very unpopular in others.

Thursday 27 March 2014

At least ten tigers killed, dismembered, for entertainment at private parties for Chinese rich, officials.

Nouvel Observateur reports the sad news. The news of yet another massacre.



A video has emerged, of a prisoner in a cramped cage, undergoing electroshock, and then being butchered. This tiger in the clandestine photography, is far from unique.

It is as though the world has jumped back to the age when the Roman emperor lit Christians on fire to light up his parties for the rich and famous. Chinese officials and the rich attend private events, to watch tigers massacred, mutilated, and then to buy the bodily remains such as bones, making sure the tiger was alive before they saw the medicine beast killed for their pleasure.

It is part entertainment, part a way to show off status and monetary position. The tigers are abused and killed, and the rich whether for superstition or for a show of grandeur, attend, and then are sure to buy the animal fetishes as medicine, though China Daily says in simplified Han Chinese, that the inspection itself is akin to a procedural formality for smugglers, the fetishes were already assigned to buyers well in advance.

The butchery parties are set up at plantations, in the woods or even in houses, China Daily reports in Chinese.

The combination of entertainment and superstition, particularly were hard hitting for French journalists. The slaughter of the animals alone was hardly the end of it.

'At least a dozen tigers were killed in a southern city of China, at private parties bringing together local officials and wealthy businessmen, the Chinese press reported, at the end of March.

'The beasts were then skinned and their fur, meat and their bones sold at exorbitant prices, specifies the newspaper "Nanfang", controlled by the Communist Party of Guangdong Province

'According to the newspaper, the beasts were killed in front of a public official and community leaders, proud to display their wealth.

'"The tigers were probably anesthetized during transport. But buyers ensured they were alive before their being put to death," said an anonymous source quoted by the newspaper.

'Despite official bans, there is a persistent demand in China for tiger products (bones, claws, whiskers, penis ..) [...]

'This fuels the poaching of this feline that has always been associated with high status in Chinese history and mythology.'

(Le Nouvel Observateur | 'CHINE. Des tigres tués et dépecés en guise de divertissement' at 27-03-2014 16h05 by staff and AFP)


The Nangfan communist paper continues the story:

'One of the suspects jumped from a building to his death while trying to flee. The police retrieved a number of weapons used to capture the tigers, tiger goods to be sold on the black market, and the tiger’s carcass, Yangcheng Daily reports on Tuesday.

'According to Zhanjiang Police, the 15 suspects are mainly from Baisha County, Leizhou; while the 16th suspect, who jumped to his death was from Shentang County. In total, 10 tigers were killed.

'In recent years, tiger meat and tiger baijiu have become quite popular in Leizhou, and can fetch a hefty price. Although unconfirmed, it is suspected that the tigers were smuggled into China from Vietnam. Typically, smugglers find buyers for the meat or bones before they smuggle the tigers from Vietnam. Occasionally, they make the trip to Vietnam and then quickly flee after the sale is complete. Tigers are slaughtered in a variety of places to avoid being caught by the police: in the woods, banana fields, or houses.'

(The Nangfan | 'POLICE BUST TIGER SMUGGLING RING IN WESTERN GUANGDONG' at 03/20/2014 1:00 pm by staff)

Law: The Arab Spring, Ukraine, and the Westernised legitimization of the armed or unarmed coup.

A few years ago, the idea that governments could legitimately be overthrown by a revolution or armed street protests where police and violent rioters die, was a foreign idea. In about 2003, America invaded Iraq on false pretences, without United Nations backing. After overthrowing a long standing Western ally in the Middle East, America set up elections where the deposed leader's party could not be given a chance of success, and claimed a transitional yet imposed government was legitimate, and that following elections also were. Afghanistan saw a similar imposed government, and similarly suspicious elections guaranteed to go the way the West desired them to go. Then, in Tunisia a violent uprising occurred, and a long standing Western ally fell. And it spread.

The West insisted again that elections and an unrepresentative transitional government could fix all. Yes, government was overthrown, by force, but it was termed a Spring Time, the coming of Western Democracy to the Middle East: except that did not happen, just as it did not happen in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Spring Time saw a rise of radical movements, and the fall of the region's economies and the creation of unstable states, where Al Qaeda could flourish.

When in Honduras, a leader was removed by force in accordance with the country's Constitution, it was deeply condemned by the West, but two Coups have occurred in Egypt, and the silence remains deafening, as Egypt remains an ally essential to the western world-view. In Syria, Al Qaeda backed rioters set off onto the streets, hoping to topple the moderate secular presidency of that country. As in the other cases, the West instantly took the side of the rioters, spurred on by Al Jazeera (a television station controlled by a monarchy), in the pursuit of apparent democracy. The riots were violent, and reports emerged of Ethnic cleansing, and that it like the Libya revolution (aimed at cleansing the black immigrants from Libya according to aid groups, the New York Times, and Catholic Church), was what might be called a race riot: a riot by people who want impure people eliminated. The West backed the rioters, and has continued to back Al Qaeda linked militants ever since.

Ukraine decided not to join the ever expanding German run European Union. Backed by European Politicians, rioters took violently to the streets, spreading chaos and destroying lives and the economy, allegedly to have closer economic ties with Europe. Europe backed the violent protesters. An agreement for a transitional government representing both the Russian speaking East, and the Ukrainian speaking West was set to be signed, and was signed. The rioters, the revolutionaries would have none of it, and insisted that the Russian Speakers' leader and President of the country be killed or otherwise dealt with. The leader did not sign any document to revert the Constitution to an earlier form, where authority lay in different seats of power. Because they feared the rioters or for whatever reason, the coup government in Ukraine, unconstitutionally impeached their president and issued a warrant for his arrest. The West praised them for this coup. Russia, no doubt very aware of the Arab revolutions and the destructive force of these on these places and their surroundings, saw that danger right on her doorstep. Before Russia invaded Crimea every person feared a civil war, as the East was not represented and as the Ukrainian coup parliament attempted to ban the use of Russian (something their leader vetoed eventually). Russia invaded Crimea. The many lives lost in Western Ukraine, did not feature in this action requested by what procedurally was still the President of Ukraine, as he did not acquiesce but retained his throne over parliament which he was set to give up almost immediately, if the transitional government were to be set up.

Once again there is a transitional government which does not represent the people making decisions which are divisive and serious. Elections will no doubt ban the President of Ukraine partaking, if they happen at all, and any government will have the threat of the rioters hanging upon them. Was Russian intervention legal? I would say yes: not under Responsibility to Protect, but because the President of Ukraine who procedurally is still just that, demanded their intervention. Is it the right move for Russia? Probably. Is it a Russian Response to Western Weakness? Certainly not: it is Russia seeing the potential of Ukraine becoming another Syria and deciding that it is much more worthwhile to experience sanctions than to be sitting next to a civil war as in Syria. Elections do not legitimise a Coup. A biased transitional government does not legitimise a coup. Preventing civil war is never a bad thing. A house divided will fall upon its foundations and collapse, destroying all in its proximity. Such is a civil war. A show of strength by Russia, has averted much bloodshed, but the legitimisation of the armed overthrow of governments might see many more nations fall into chaos.

Wednesday 26 March 2014

If you do not inform your brain that it must remember something, it may just forget it forever...

When I was in Grade 8 I started really reading the bible. I got to the part where Jesus told the Apostles they would remember what he told them (more than all the books in the world), and I took it personally.

Since then whatever I read I remember, and whatever I hear I remember.

I do so because I back then started reading the bible and remembering everything I read, believing God had ordained that. This brings up an interesting concept.

I often cannot find what I need on Google, Google is limited and cannot answer much of the world's questions, or give many fake answers. People who take photographs or think there is a record of some fact often do not remember it as well as those who think their memory is the only record. This does not happen to me.

If I photograph a scene or I write down an event or I think something is on Google (or my own private database because Google sucks at search), I actually tend to remember it quite well, if not even better. I think this goes back to the bible and the fact I turned my brain into an all reading encyclopedia, after believing the biblical promise to the apostles applies to me.

Once I learnt shorthand, I began remembering not just good summaries, and paraphrases of meaning which kept the nuances of the original, and the odd exact phrase, I have an even more exact memory. It is how I train my brain. I think this is what is missing in these research essays: we choose what we remember and how we remember. This is why it can be difficult to remember if you brushed your teeth or put your vehicle in reverse to exit parking. Imagine if you told your brain to remember everything.

Disclaimer: testing suggests I have a 'perfect verbal memory', so it might just be that.

A video on memory and the internet:

Thursday 20 March 2014

Dear Future Mom #WorldDownSyndromeDay

This touching video is a must watch. It should change your views of down syndrome children.

Shocking Video (Graphic Contents) of Brazilian police dragging a wounded woman behind their vehicle

Brazilian security forces drag a woman behind their vehicle for a good distance, before getting out and putting her body back in their vehicle. A cameraman driving behind the vehicle latently films the incident.

'A Brazilian woman shot and then dragged behind a cop car has led to three cops in handcuffs and the president of the country saying she is “shocked” at the horror.
'Mother-of-four Claudia Ferreira da Silva, 38, was caught in a shootout involving police Sunday morning in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, BBC News reported.
'Cops threw her in the trunk of their SUV bound for a nearby hospital. Her body fell out as the police peeled off and was dragged for more than 1,000 feet.'

(New York Daily News | 'WARNING GRAPHIC: Brazilian woman dragged behind police SUV' at TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014, 8:28 PM by STEPHEN REX BROWN http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/brazilian-woman-dragged-behind-police-suv-article-1.1726183)

A translation of the description of the YouTube video is:

'It was about 9am this Sunday when a car of the 9th Battalion (Rocha Miranda) went down the Intendant Magellan Road towards Marechal Hermes in the North Zone of Rio, with an open trunk. After rolling from inside and hanging on to the bumper of the vehicle only by a piece of clothing, the body of a woman was dragged for about 250 meters, beating against the pavement as the vehicle was passing. Although warned by pedestrians and motorists, PMs have not stopped. An amateur cameraman recorded this, passing by the scene, in a video'

The video was published on their website by Globo's Extra.

Discover your first ever tweet, as Twitter celebrates that it is eight.

Twitter is following a strange tradition and giving something early to Tweeters for its eighth Birthday, Tomorrow, 21 March.

What was your first Tweet? See Here!

Mine was:

Tuesday 18 March 2014

Sorry, post went out due to error.

A post was posted to our site a few minutes ago in error. We apologise for that and retract the post.

Monday 17 March 2014

Obama Crimea Sanctions Badly Backfire: Russians pull +-100 billion from US Federal Reserve Bank

The war of 1812 has for some, come to mind. Specifically: the sanctions by America against the British and the French, which benefited the British and hurt American business so much that USA shipping secretly attempted illegal trade. Barack Obama has announced frightening, comprehensive sanctions against 7 Russian politicians/consultants. 100 Billion US Dollars in Bonds were withdrawn from the American Federal Reserve Bank this past week, creating extensive speculation that the rich among the Russians are limiting their exposure in case of future American asset freezes, at the cost of America losing possession of 100 billion dollars, and perhaps more in normal bank accounts, which America could have used to increase her economy and security currency-wise. Maybe less talk of costs against Russians might have stopped such a capital flight. Imagine if investors withdrew 100 Billion Dollars from South Africa, would financial watchers feel concern?

'A record $100 billion in withdrawals of Treasury bills is raising speculation that the Kremlin and Russian oligarchs are yanking their money out of the United States to avoid upcoming sanctions over Ukraine.
'The massive outflow over the past week came as President Obama and other top US officials repeatedly warned Russia would face a “cost” if it didn’t reverse course in Ukraine.
'The total amount of foreign-held US Treasury securities dropped to $2.86 trillion — lowest in more than a year.
'Last year, the most moved out in a week was $32 billion.
'Analysts said that if the switch was made by Russia, it would represent about 80 percent of that nation’s US Treasury holdings.
'“This is only speculation on our part, but it seems likely that the Russian authorities had more than $100 billion of Treasury debt in custody at the Fed, and it doesn’t seem implausible that they moved it to a jurisdiction where it would be less vulnerable to a US asset freeze,” Lou Crandall at Wrightson ICAP LLC told The Wall Street Journal.'
(New York Post | 'Treasury bills hints at Russian move' at 15 March 2014

Perhaps a quote by the Britannica Encyclopaedia is appropriate:

'Jefferson, however, chose to exert economic pressure against Britain and France by pushing Congress in December 1807 to pass the Embargo Act, which forbade all export shipping from U.S. ports and most imports from Britain.

'The Embargo Act hurt Americans more than the British or French, however, causing many Americans to defy it. Just before Jefferson left office in 1809, Congress replaced the Embargo Act with the Non-Intercourse Act, which exclusively forbade trade with Great Britain and France. This measure also proved ineffective, and it was replaced by Macon's Bill No. 2 (May 1, 1810) that resumed trade with all nations but stipulated that if either Britain or France dropped commercial restrictions, the United States would revive nonintercourse against the other. In August, Napoleon insinuated that he would exempt American shipping from the Berlin and Milan decrees. Although the British demonstrated that French restrictions continued, U.S. Pres. James Madison reinstated nonintercourse against Britain in November 1810, thereby moving one step closer to war.

'Britain's refusal to yield on neutral rights derived from more than the emergency of the European war. British manufacturing and shipping interests demanded that the Royal Navy promote and sustain British trade against Yankee competitors.

'[...]

'Immediately after the war started, the tsar of Russia offered to mediate.'

("1812, War of." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Deluxe Edition. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2012.
)

Saturday 15 March 2014

Oscar Pistorius will not be acquitted, that isn't his team's strategy anyway.

Oscar Pistorius shot at a door either knowing or having the duty to know that someone might be hit and killed by his bullets. Whether it is a robber or Reeva behind the door is irrelevant: the Error in Objecto rule, where someone intends to murder A, but accidentally murders B, still results in a murder conviction. Furthermore, aberratio ictus or missing blow theory cannot negate guilt if the wrong target is hit with intention to murder another target: but this sister of Error in Objecto, would not apply here, as it is not a case of the wrong target being hit due to bad aim. Likewise, private defence, what Americans call 'self defense', in South African law rests not on perceptions of danger but on objectively viewed imminent danger to the person's self. Whatever Oscar thought: Reeva was no threat to him, it thus cannot be said to be private defence. Such is the view of long established and long enforced case law. The law can change, but that is what the law is as it stands.

Before we get onto the other factors, we must remember that in South African law: if you can foresee that it is a real possibility that something (an unlawful death) will result from an action, and nonetheless/recklessly proceed with behaviour risking that possibility (dolus eventualis), it is murder not culpable homicide. If the facts show you did not foresee that possibility but a reasonable person would have, then your actions are culpable homicide. A further aspect lies in that those heart strung jury arguments in the west do not stop a murder charge: they emerge in mitigation, even complete mitigation of all jail. It is not in dispute that Oscar shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp. It is not disputed that she was no objective threat to Oscar Pistorius. The only way he could be completely acquitted is based on temporary insanity in the form of 'provocation'.

So what are Oscar's team aiming at?

Either culpable homicide (what Americans call manslaughter), and maybe a year or three in jail if he is lucky.

Or Putative Private Defence (my bet would be on this).

Or provocation (from the French word for cause).

Culpable homicide:

- The law requires a warning shot prior shooting.
- A reasonable person would not have shot through a door without checking if it was Reeva.
- Shorter sentence, not murder but a competent verdict of murder.

Putative Private Defence:

- An established part of our law: applicable when a person believes they are acting in private defence but are not.
- This goes both for proportion of response and for factors which appeared true to the accused, but were objectively false.
- The accused is convicted of murder, but gets mitigated sentencing and possibly even no jail time.

Provocation:
- One must give medical evidence that whatever caused the actions was based on uncontrollable sane automation. This is to be done via medical evidence: since the Eadie case we use medical evidence to prove temporary insanity. A neuropsychologist might be the appropriate expert witness.
- Classic Provocation is no longer a part of our law since the Eadie murder conviction, as the Supreme Court of Appeal set forth at that time:

'[57] I agree with Ronald Louw that there is no distinction between sane automatism and non-pathological incapacity due to emotional stress and provocation. Decisions of this Court make that clear. I am, however, not persuaded that the second leg of the test expounded in Laubscher’s case should fall away. It appears logical that when it has been shown that an accused has the ability to appreciate the difference between right and wrong, in order to escape liability, he would have to successfully raise involuntariness as a defence. However, the result is the same if an accused's verified defence is that his psyche had disintegrated to such an extent that he was unable to exercise control over his movements and that he acted as an automaton - his acts would then have been unconscious and involuntary. In the present contest, the two are flip sides of the same coin. The judgments of this Court referred to earlier, as the highlighted parts of relevant dicta show, see it as such.

'[59] Whilst it may be difficult to visualise a situation where one retains the ability to distinguish between right and wrong yet lose the ability to control one’s actions it appears notionally possible.

'[60] The view espoused by Snyman and others, and reflected in some of the decisions of our courts, that the defence of non-pathological criminal incapacity is distinct from a defence of automatism, followed by an explanation that the former defence is based on a loss of control, due to an inability to restrain oneself, or an inability to resist temptation, or an inability to resist one’s emotions, does violence to the fundamentals of any self-respecting system of law. This approach suggests that someone who gives in to temptation may be excused from criminal liability, because he may have been so overcome by the temptation that he lost self-control - a variation on the theme: “the devil made me do it”. It is for this reason that it was suggested earlier that the use by Joubert JA in Laubscher's case, supra, of the word "weerstandskrag" was unfortunate. So too was the use of the word "drang" in Campher's case at 956 B, referred to in paragraph [32] of this judgment. These words suggest a resistance to urges or temptation. No self-respecting system of law can excuse persons from criminal liability on the basis that they succumbed to temptation. Against the fundamental principles restated by JM Burchell (quoted in paragraph [58] of this judgment) it is with respect, absurd to postulate that succumbing to temptation may excuse one from criminal liability. One has free choice to succumb to or resist temptation. If one succumbs one must face the responsibility for the consequences.

'[61] The time has come to face up to the fact that in some instances our courts, in dealing with accused persons with whom they have sympathy, either because of the circumstances in which an offence has been committed, or because the deceased or victim of a violent attack was a particularly vile human being, have resorted to reasoning that is not consistent with the approach of the decisions of this Court. Mitigating factors should rightly be taken into account during sentencing. When an accused acts in an aggressive goal-directed and focused manner, spurred on by anger or some other emotion, whilst still able to appreciate the difference between right and wrong and while still able to direct and control his actions, it stretches credulity when he then claims, after assaulting or killing someone, that at some stage during the directed and planned manouevre he lost his ability to control his actions. Reduced to its essence it amounts to this: the accused is claiming that his uncontrolled act just happens to coincide with the demise of the person who prior to that act was the object of his anger, jealousy or hatred. As demonstrated courts have accepted such version of events from accused persons.'

(S v Eadie (196/2001) [2002] ZASCA 24 (27 March 2002))

So, if Oscar's team can prove temporary insanity due to extreme fear: then he is in that scenario, acquitted and off the hook: for the murder itself: the problem is proving medical sane automation/ temporary insantiy. However that is not his likely intent. His likely intent is mitigation. Or change of law.

This article does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice, approach a competent legal practitioner with knowledge of your facts.

Tuesday 11 March 2014

'No woman should die' from diseases like 'pregnancy and birth'? #NorwayToUN

In a tweet targeting, faith based organisations, a woman lambasted pregnancy and birth. She says that no woman should die due to pregnancy, or birth. She then puts the blame for these 'maladies' purely on the religious who believe pregnancy and birth to be something good. Norway to the UN, has retweeted this woman's views. The woman's Women Development Organisation, according to her twitter bio, is linked to UN Women in Norway. Norway to United Nations, follows her account.

Note well, she does not say no women should die during birth, or due to complications, she says no woman should die due to pregnancy and birth: i.e. these are treated as the cause of death itself, by Norway to the UN and the woman they retweet!



The woman's profile:






Norway to the UN:




What lakh means. What crore means.

Those who like myself like reading news from every part of the globe, might have come accoss the word lakh. It has the same meaning as the Hindi word: लाख ('Lākha'), which means 1 00 000, and from which it gains its meaning. Crore, from Hindi करोड़ ('Karōṛa'), meanwhile means 100 lakh or ten million. It too comes from Hindi, both words come from Sanskrit.

Thursday 6 March 2014

David Cameron has lost the Tories a billionaire backer: for pushing homosexual 'marriage'.

The UKIP, might hide its dislike for homosexual activities,with a blush and 'clarification' here and there. The Tories have had a similar problem hiding their Christian members, who might have supported the existing homosexual civil unions, but opposed gay 'marriage'. Gay 'marriage' has of course lead all of Britain's Catholic adoption agencies (focussing on the most vulnerable hard case children), to have to shut down or give up their identity. The Tories had always been seen as a bit of an ally to religion. Their opposition to Catholics (the largest religious group in Britain), has backfired, according to sources of the Daily Mail.

LifeSiteNews puts it thus:

'One of the UK Conservative Party’s biggest donors is reportedly pulling his funding after the party created “gay marriage” last year. The billionaire banker, philanthropist and arts patron Michael Hintze is “fed up” with the liberal leanings of the current Tory leadership, reports the Daily Mail.

'Hintze, a Catholic who has helped the Vatican restore valuable art works by Michelangelo, has donated at least £1.2 million to the Conservative Party and given loans of at least £2.5 million more since 2005, according to estimates by the Daily Mail. The paper reports that Hintze is calling in the loans and has thrown his support into UKIP, “just as the party needs a fortune to pay for next year’s General Election.” The report did not specify that Hintze would be switching his financial attention to another party.

'In November, several other large Tory donors pulled their support of the party and defected to UKIP, which has a policy endorsing same-sex civil unions. The Daily Telegraph reported that among these was Stuart Wheeler, who had donated around £4 million to Cameron’s party. Wheeler is now the treasurer for UKIP and has thus far donated about £300,000 to his new party.

'In April the Christian Institute reported that several members of an elite Conservative group of donors who had donated £50,000 a year to the party had also defected to UKIP. Among these was the entrepreneur Adrian Buckley who said he was also disillusioned, adding that Cameron’s “obsession with gay politics is a nonsense.” Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, at that time confirmed that “five or six” former members of this group are now contributing to UKIP.'

(LifeSiteNews | 'Report: UK Conservative Party loses billionaire donor over ‘gay marriage’ push' by Hilary White at 5th March 2014 12:16 EST)

Wet coal, load shedding and rolling blackouts...

Eskom has once again announced load shedding... and no it isn't a weight loss course: it is a euphemism to cover up that all it is: is designed blackouts, where people are left without power, so others can have it.

Eskom used to blame 'wet coal' for blackouts. Really, what it was, was government linked employees giving out jobs to incompetent people. Those who were competent lost their contracts, for incompetent replacements in Eskom's obsession with race. Eskom also greedily aimed at short term profits, selling South African power to various countries, and encouraging high power consumption businesses such as aluminium smelters to use the South African grid. The government of course has spun the incapacity of the grid to deal with consumer and industrial demand as a positive sign, that growth in electricity requirement had far outpaced their own predictions. They said the same about the roads, although South Africa spends far below the standard required to actually upkeep and expand infrastructure per GDP. Wet coal, Eskom would claim: didn't burn.

Of course it does, but it was the excuse when new BEE contracted firms didn't deliver coal. Similar excuses emerged for not upgrading the power network. Articles have been written about the government being in bed with coal mines, so far a foreign press have it. Others have written how South Africa bungled its nuclear deals for untried technologies which would take years to have any positive effect. The fact remains, the government placed incompetent people in charge of the electrical grid.

They semi-privatised for the sake of doing so, and then let profits guide the important agencies of the country. Telkom, is in disarrays. Eskom is meagre and a shame for South Africa. SANRAL has privatised the Gauteng highways, SABC should be bankrupt, SAA, is a drain on the economy. All of these were once well groomed services. All have been privatised into black business empowerment programs, which really are a front for ANC allies. So, when your power goes out due to load shedding, remember this: you are the load the government has chosen to shed, the responsibility they took off of their own shoulders, and gave into the hands of unscrupulous businessmen, who just so happen to fund certain political parties.

It reminds me of what my Environmental Law lecturer, a black gentleman from Zimbabwe, said to our class. The government department fired or forced out their white employees, for BEE. They then hired on the same white employees as consultants at private rates, because the people who were given their jobs for policy, were unable to fulfil their duties.

The courts have affirmed recently that if BEE allows less competent people to get jobs merely for their skin colour, that this goes against the Constitution. More than that, it perpetuates the background against which many of those euphemistically termed 'previously disadvantaged' (read: non-white) South Africans, remain disadvantaged: because the economy is stifled, and service delivery comes to a halt. Perhaps if the most competent got the jobs in government, and her affiliates, rather than government affiliates, and the like, there would be no rolling blackouts.

Instead, the government is even now boasting of how they continue to add thousands of people to the national electricity grid, when it can't manage those already on. Perhaps in 20 years if the ANC is still in power, we will each get electricity one day a week, as they continue to expand access to the grid, but not the source of the power we need to consume: electrical power plants.

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Bishop Olson avoiding explanations... questions he should answer...

Mystery is the centre of the mass, and the epicentre of the Catholic religion. Few words utter sounds of more mystery, than those uttered in Latin. Latin is a beautiful and popular language, especially among Catholics. Unfortunately, much as some governments frown upon the elitism of a university education or advance program mathematics, a deep hatred of the use of hundreds of years of tradition, of Latin, has hit many parts of the Catholic Church. Those who despise additional education, and frown upon higher education.

The present scenario, mimics those recently seen and heard of. Those putting down the Latin mass, give no explanation, and then their supporters go about spouting rumours and saying no one can really know. The Latin Mass is a valid and allowed form of the Mass, Benedict XVI has insured such. Nonetheless, it is one subject, where any snuffing out, seems to happen in a shroud of unholy mystery. One is almost reminded of the unspoken accusations a religious group once made of Michelangelo. They never stated the alleged crime.

Once again, the public are starved of information, as yet another Traditional Latin Mass is penalised for God may know what. I struggle to attend English mass, I like the Latin mass although it is not often offered in Johannesburg. Over in another country, the Church is again the scene of a crackdown, and yet again we are not afforded the reasons. Patrick Archbold has written a letter to Bishop Olson, asking questions a good lawyer might. He has permitted my reproduction of his email to the bishop in full. I might note Patrick is a faithful Catholic, and a voice often quoted upon the internet.

Patrick said:

'Dear Bishop Olson,

'My name is..[Introduction Redacted]

'Pursuant to your actions vis-à-vis the prohibition of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite from taking place at the chapel of Fisher More College, I have the following questions:

'What problem is this prohibition intended to remedy?

'Is this prohibition the least restrictive measure possible to effect that remedy?

'What consultations, if any, were held with the school to avoid such actions?

'Are there clear criteria or actions set out which, if followed, would allow for the restoration of permission for the public celebration of the EF at Fisher More College?

'Since the offering of the Extraordinary Form is key to the mission of Fisher More College and is a particular attraction for many of its students and their families, is it of concern to you prohibiting the EF may undermine such attraction to the school and thereby precipitate its demise?

'Since no public communication regarding this matter has been issued by your office, is it your position that the prohibition of the ongoing public celebration of the mass in the Extraordinary form does not require a reasonably adequate public explanation?

'Pursuant to the rights and restrictions spelled out in the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, could you please cite the canonical authority you relied on to implement the prohibition of one form of the Roman rite?

'As this matter is of significant and legitimate concern beyond the campus of Fisher More College, any further information you could provide relevant to the questions above would be greatly appreciated.

'Sincerely,
'Patrick Archbold'

Facebook to launch drones over Africa!

If you wanted to escape Facebook by logging off, there is bad news. Facebook is in talks to buy Solar Power Drones manufacturer: Titan Aerospace. The solar powered drones hover on wings, powered by a basic electric powered propeller: in the upper atmosphere, near the orbit of near earth satellites. The drones, can stay up there for five years. Facebook plans to supply basic internet to those without it via internet.org. The move puts Facebook in competition with Google who have created Loon balloons for that. The drones can stay up far longer than Google Loons. Both companies are competing to create brand dependence among those not yet exposed to their product lines.

She offered him 1 000 $ and a 'f*ck', to kill her lawyer Fiancé

Jessica Strom is a 33 year old woman. She is possibly heading for a more than a mild breakup, after she offered a former classmate of her's, an aircraft aviator: ONE THOUSAND US DOLLARS, and sex 'and whatever', to assassinate her lawyer fiancé on her behalf. Jessica said her fiancé, John Schellpfeffer, did 'bad things' to her and others, and that she would kill him herself, but that she would be an obvious suspect. When asked why she wouldn't just leave the lawyer, she said there could be too little satisfaction in that. She wanted him gunned down.

Jessica is a mother of 3.

'Though the pilot had declined the hit solicitation, Strom asked him to think about it overnight. But, she warned, “Don’t tell anyone about this. I don’t want to have to kill you too.” The man subsequently contacted cops and agreed to record a meeting with Strom.

'As first reported by the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, Strom assured the man that the murder would be “easy,” noting that, “I would do it, but I can’t, I’d be the first one they’d come after.”

'Though he had initially asked for $50,000 to kill Schellpfeffer, the informant told Strom that he would settle for $1000, adding “It’s better than nothing, I guess.” Strom replied, “And some sex!” At some point after the killing, Strom told the informant that she would meet up with him and “pay you and fuck you and whatever.”

'Before separating, Strom told the pilot, “If you chicken out let me know, okay?” She added, “Because otherwise I’ll set it up with someone else.”

'Strom’s home was raided by police Thursday night and she was arrested for conspiracy to commit first degree murder, which carries a maximum 60-year prison term.'

(The Smoking Gun | 'Woman Offered Sex, $1000 For Fiancé's Murder' by staff at MARCH 3, 2014)

The Economic Freedom Fighters are refusing to pay the Electoral Commission to register them as a party...

Julius Malema knows a lot about his arch enemy, capitalism. He was recently put up for sequestration, and perhaps symbolically, his communist Economic Freedom Fighters, wear red, the colour of his finances. For decades now: if you want to stand for election in South Africa, you have to pay a deposit, which you get back after you pass a threshold of voters. My grandfather paid that deposit when he opposed Apartheid in Welkom, the final time he stood for office, he got enough votes to get his deposit back.

The system is designed to prevent fly by night dangerous registrations which might also make voting cumbersome by filling up lists. Malema, is seeking a court to do away with the 'capitalist' system of deposits... That Court is the North Gauteng High Court, in Pretoria.

Below: a post by Business Report.


Monday 3 March 2014

Picture: Monstrous Snake Eats Massive Crocodile!!! #Australia


In a five hour struggle, phtographed by several individuals in Australia, a snake has seemingly wrestled, and consumed a crocodile. A witness told Australian Broadcasting Corporation, that after it had done so it was even worse, seeing the shape of the crocodile inside the serpent.


See more:


Internet Meme: Vladimir Putin Riding rodeo on a breached Great White shark, wearing a kitten mask... #Ukraine #Crimea

What is tougher than Putin? Surely not a Great White Shark, is the answer of the internet. From the people who brought you Putin riding on a charging Bear, a breached Great White Shark, with Putin riding rodeo (and with it the further adaption of adding a terrible thing: a cat mask!)







And less appealing, the person who added the photoshopped kitten mask, explains their passion for such a feline masking activity:

Here Putin with a kitten mask is swimming:

Sunday 2 March 2014

More than half a million Ukrainians flee the country... for Russia.

675 000 people have fled Ukraine, mostly from the East and South, seeking refugee status in Russia.

This is according to Russian authorities, and encompasses refugee movement from Ukraine in January and February.








Russian authorities cited fears of lynchings and guerilla vigil ante movements. Russian leaning territories have requested Russian assistance in insuring peace and security. Violent riots in Ukraine, orchestrated largely by an opposition figure then behind bars, started when the country backed out of a trade deal with Europe, for more lucrative options in Russia.







Ukraine's 'Parliament', acting with power not yet given back to it by the president in exile, purported to remove the president from office, declared him a criminal, and has banned the use of minority languages.









Russian leaning Ukrainians have been vocal, supporting the nation of the grand bear:





Mobs still control the streets in much of Western leaning parts of Ukraine, which reportedly are also the poorer parts of the country. Even without an East-West confrontation, Ukraine is in dire straights.












If the Russian move is genuine, they will follow their movements in Georgia, where troops were mobilised to stop ethnic cleansing of minorities by an EU allied government. Russia claims her troops are there merely to protect minorities. The many refugees fleeing the Ukrainian chaos, suggest that Russia has made her moves to prevent further catastrophe.If however, Russia were to enter territories not occupied by minorities, the R2P type of argument for intervening in the failed state of Ukraine, is less potent.

Hat Tip:

RT | '675,000 Ukrainians pour into Russia as ‘humanitarian crisis’ looms' at March 02, 2014 13:18

http://rt.com/news/ukrainians-leave-russia-border-452/

Democratic Alliance takes a leaf from the EFF, Berets are in this political season... French notice Helen negatively

Helen Zille may not overly like the Economic Freedom Fighters of Mr Julius Malema, but she is not beyond copying his copying of the French:



Helen recently got into a brawl with a journalist she accused of being in the pocket of the Economic Freedom Fighters. Unfotunately for the Democratic Alliance, Helen Zille allows herself to be drawn into arguments, or even to start them in an instance. Helen Zille is a former journalist, known for taking on the Apartheid government. She was a member of the radical left wing feminist Black Sash movement. Her recent taking note of Carien Du Plessis, for alleged biased reporting was seen all the way in Paris, France, where the Beret is most famous as a commonly worn headgear.







So what caused the notice of a government sponsored French media outlet which likes to focus on Southern Africa, and broadcast terrestrially in many nations?









So which journalist?
















































Saturday 1 March 2014

EU: Dear Mr Putin, your are a 'very strong and beautiful man', and we in Europe 'Hail' you as 'Emperor of Europe'?

The Daily Telegraph's Tim Stanley, has penned a most wonderful letter for Europe to send via post to Russia's Putin. Unlike Barack Obama warning that there would be costs to Putin invading Ukraine (Even Russia knows ammunition cost money), this faux European letter which we could not quote in full due to copyright, is a beautiful thing... almost as beautiful as a shirtless Putin riding a bear...



'Dear President Putin,
'We are writing with reference to your recent invasion of Ukraine. I'm afraid that we do not believe your ambassador's claims that this is a friendly military exercise to help Ukraine suppress a gay pride rally. We also do not believe the claim that the Crimeans welcome the invasion in the hope that it means Stephen Fry will boycott them, too.
'This is an unacceptable breach of Ukraine's sovereignty and unless you reverse this policy, we will be forced to take action. Please note that we have considered this matter very long and hard.
'The crisis was first discussed at a gathering of the Foreign Policy Committee in the beautiful spa town of Baden Baden. After two weeks, and 8 million Euros, they issued a 356 page report that found your invasion to be in violation of several EU rulings on heath and safety. They also noted that the Russian army is lacking in both diversity and wheelchair access. The matter was then referred upwards to the Environment Committee, who warned that military action could leave a sizable carbon footprint. Next, the report was passed to the Promotion of European Dairy Products Committee, who expressed concern that the Russian Army might be unaware of the unique creaminess of EU milk: European milk is the best in the whole wide world. Finally, the European Commission held an unprecedented emergency meeting (ie before midday when most of the commissioners are still super hungover) and decided to request politely but firmly that you withdraw your troops as soon as you might like to. Failure to pretend to do this will result in the following penalties:
'- Russia will be added to the Eurozone'

(UK Telegraph | 'Ukraine: that EU letter of protest to Putin in full' by Tim Stanley 1st March 2014)

Read on fair maidens!

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100261757/ukraine-that-eu-letter-of-protest-to-putin-in-full/

Vladimir Putin has called upon the Russian parliament, the Duma, to send troops into Crimea

Vladimir Putin approaches the Russian parliament, asks them to send the troops into Crimea, Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin has called upon the Upper House of the Russian parliament, the Duma, to send troops into Crimea report France 24, the television wing of AFP. The move to ask permission has distinct differences from the approach in America where presidents often just go to war. It was not an unexpected move given the strategic land mass of the Crimea, in Russian safety and security considerations.

Sending in the troops likely follows the objective Russia had in Georgia, where troops were sent in to halt shocking ethnic cleansing by the nation allied with the European Union. Russians and ethnic Russians in Ukraine have asked for Russian protection, and the leader of Crimea, has asked for Russian protection of their people. The Crimea, has semi-autonomous status, and is where Russia's Black Sea Base is located. If Russia wanted to cause an economic collapse of Ukraine, it would need only refuse to allow the usurper government to buy gas on credit from the Russian petroleum network. Some Russian politicians have promised Crimea that Crimea would not be a part of such a move.

Sacns Editor Marc Aupiais, placed the spotlight on weak American arguments, which put events in Russia's favour:







Others couldn't find Ukraine to comment, and were clearly stuck in the cold war world map:



Not all are happy about the move to ask that troops be placed in Ukraine's autonomous Crimea, especially among those who support the Western objective to end Russian strategic advantage in Ukraine:





Sarah Palin has not been taken by surprise, she saw it coming from her windowsill in Alaska in 2008:




Our first source on the news was France 24:



Palin could see Ukraine confrontation in 2014 from her window in Alaska in 2008... just you ask her!

Sarah Palin isn't letting a good opportunity for bragging about her prescience... go to chance.

Russia has not invaded Ukraine... just yet (it likely will, but has not yet), but is merely possibly deploying troops to protect civilians of Russian ethnicity, or its black sea base... either way, Sarah Palin surely predicted not only the riots opposition would insistute to push the agenda of the Europe linked parts of Ukraine... no... she predicted the Russian response. Just ask her... she will tell you so!


Oscar Pistorius makes sure to highlight PDA with Reeva Steenkamp, just 10 days before he slaughtered her.

Oscar Pistorius was certain to give a tip of one hundred Rand (8 Pounds) to staff at a Woolworths grocery store. Giving any tip at a grocery store is by norm something strange. The tip the soon to be killer left, made the staff certain to remember the event. Close Circuit Television footage was now taken from the store's security circuit. In the footage the lovers show public displays of affection, demonstrating a physical sexual relationship. Reeva Steenkamp had had intimate pictures taken for an unnamed lover as a Valentine's day gift. The gift was unopened at the Pistorius house on the night he shot her down. Oscar has claimed that he thought it might be a robber in the bathroom, when he shot four times through the door.

On the night of the shooting, Oscar is said to have been watching pornography. His Valentine's gift of saucy pictures of his girlfriend was unopened. Instead, the man who showed such public affection and intimacy 10 days prior, seems to claim he did not check if Reeva was next to him, but took a gun and shot at some noise behind a locked bathroom door, without much regard as to who might be behind the door. The effort Oscar made, breaking convention and societal practice and giving Woolworths staff on that specific day, such a large sum of money, could also suggest something much darker. Some might suggest it shows premeditation, at least if Oscar did not commonly give such sums of money out to grocery store employees.



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