In-complet(e) Human Being...

What South Africa can learn from the Brexit referendum

2016-07-12T14:59:00.001+02:00

Many stories have been written in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum. Too many about the resultant hangover most Brits felt the morning after (not that that is unusual). The plummeting pound and the beating taken by the global stock market aside much is to be gleaned from such the event and subsequent fallout.

With pending elections here in South Africa, in August, and America, in November, a few lessons can be learned from the recent poll in the UK.

But before I get into that, here are a few things I have noticed about politics in general at the moment.

Somehow we have slowly drifted to the right, the mostly self righteous, insane, xenophobic right. (The world has changed okes. We actually could be pretty much be a few countries instead of hundreds - we share brands, culture, currency as a standard of exchange - so to hell with borders).
As a voting populace, we have wandered into political Neverland - self serving, social media driven (no social media is not thought leadership or even good research), never a thought spared, more than occasionally xenophobic and generally weird (yes America, think the "Donald")
Somehow we have allowed our politicians to run riot - financially and politically - with all things of our countries. As much as the Remains appeared boring and predictable, the Leaves totally lack any morals or a plan. Oops. In South Africa we tolerate blatant state capture and a routing of the countries coffers in the name of one man - and his mates. In Russia, Vladimir rules the roost. (Frankly I feel like moving to Cuba right now - well maybe not).
We have really become swayed in our principles and values by the simplest of things. The number of hoaxes perpetuated over Facebook for a decade stands as testament to our fading ability to actually think for ourselves.
Sadly, racism is all but rife. It is far from dead and instead has reared it's ugly head from the siesta it had in the heady days of Nelson Mandela and the, then, new South Africa.

So. What for the elections in August.

Make an educated vote.

There was a belief that the referendum in the UK was trending towards Remain. But it is evident that some voters voted contrary to what they believed to be true - that regardless of their Leave vote, Remain would win.

Find some credible information and read, read, read before you make your cross. I know it's hard given Hlaudiville etc. But at least try and find something to guide your vote. Just because you voted DA before doesn't mean they are the right choice for the country - although my personal feeling is there are no alternatives.

The ANC have serious issues too. And if they are not brought in line, they will continue deeper down the rabbit hole.

Established politics and political parties have almost entirely disenfranchised themselves. Our politicians have discredited their parties and themselves in most spheres, parties and regions. Every party has its skeletons. But some really do manage to work in spite of their politics.

If your municipality works, have unqualified audits, you have working sewerage, electricity and believe your rates go to where they are needed then support the party running the show (Cape Town - as much as it works for those who have, it is still not working entirely for those who don't - so don't be quite complacent yet - but it is better than most).

Be educated, read and read more.

Every little bit counts. One municipality working, one city working means that others making educated votes can slowly change every other municipality, region and in the end the entire country into a South African enterprise worth working and living in - for everyone - regardless of country of origin.

Don't be suckered by sweet talk

Every promise the Leave movement made seems to be a lie. Many unsubstantiated "truths" were bandied about to justify a Leave vote - and the subsequent fallout has been earth shattering. The Leavers have not stood up to be counted in the aftermath and the quitters have shown an extreme lack of - dare I say - backbone. That's what happens when you don't believe your own garbage.

As South Africans we expect the food packages and other things for our votes as sweeteners. We vote for change knowing nothing will change and hoping that everything will. We vote without conscience. We vote with misdirected loyalty.

Your vote matters

Yes it does. And so does the vote of everyone around you. In South Africa we tend to abstain entirely from the process in the hope that our non-vote shakes our party out of their insanity. The truth is the less of us that vote, the more the hardliners and loyalists get their way - because they will never not vote.

Every vote matters. Every single one.

The only way we can really force a change of heart and mind is to vote. Regardless of who you vote for, the bigger the turnout, the stronger the message.

Sure, the politicians will take that as a vote of confidence if they win, but it is your first step towards being a true activist for our nation.

The August vote is significant for our fledgling nation

So it has been more than 20 years since liberation. I has been a winding and, at times, frenetic ride. We have been through ups and downs together and it is time we made a stand. We still have high unemployment. We still have rampant poverty. We have insecurity, crime and corruption.

But we are South African. That means something right? We have made it this far and need to hold our politicians accountable. Otherwise they will just suck us dry. They are our public servants. Voted in to serve us as the nation - regardless of their political preference.

I for one, am sick and tired of politicians - irrespective of their role - expecting us the voting populace to be subservient to them. That is not the way this works.

So here's the deal. Make your mark. Make it count. This August vote is one of the most significant in our short history as a multicultural and awesomely diverse country.

Make it count.

Bureaucracy killed the IT star

2014-08-27T11:52:00.000+02:00

This was originally posted over on my LinkedIn profile...

Every now and then I find time to reflect on the state of my chosen industry. And I suppose it is appropriate to do so as my 25th year in IT tails off to its end (along with my existing contract).

When I started out back in 1989 PC's were a novelty, Token ring the rage and mainframes pretty much dominated the playing field. The software we worked with was predominantly developed in house and I still had hair - none of them grey.

I don't believe that there has been any other industry that has been so readily and so rapidly globally adopted. Who would have predicted back then that smart devices in all shapes and sizes would have become so integral to our lives - fridges with screens and internet connectivity were science fiction.

With any rapidly growing industry the peripheral services are quick to spot the opportunity to make a living from it. IT in general and software development more specifically have drawn more than its fair share of attention from all avenues and entire industries have flourished because of it. Software methodologies, project management, audit, sales, pre-sales etc. etc. have all joined the fray, but at what cost to a rather humble, creative endeavour.

I love writing a piece of software. I have written or designed many in my career. Sometimes for fun, mostly to earn a living. And during this time I have noticed a substantial increase in attention from those who wish to have a stake in the final product.

Now more than ever there are architects, business analysts, project managers that want designs, documentation and code reviews - don't get me wrong there is place for all these things - and more than focusing on the quality of such underlying artifacts are more concerned with just having them and being able to tick the boxes.

This bureaucracy is more evident in large business where COBIT, ITIL and other audit processes are the order of the day. And it is these onerous, pen pushing meddlers that are killing the IT star.

I have met a couple of real IT stars. Development gods are few and far between. These are the creatives who can work magic in code. Many of them have forged their own paths outside of corporates for this very reason. Some of the younger, up coming stars have no intention of getting "real" jobs and are forging their own trails - but I think that is a discussion for another post.

Real developers should be cared for and tolerated (they often have interesting idiosyncrasies - like their peers in the ad industry). More now, than ever before, good software (think of all that cool stuff in the App Store) is required and to do this we need great developers, unfettered and unleashed. This is not a real engineering discipline, but a creative and so we need to give a little more - to ultimately get more.

The art of avoiding project compression

2014-08-27T11:50:00.001+02:00

This was originally posted over on my LinkedIn Profile...

"Compression" is a noun. It is an act, for example in an engine - "the reduction in volume and increase of pressure of the air or combustible mixture in the cylinder prior to ignition, produced by the motion of the piston toward the cylinder head after intake" (from Dictionary.com).

I use this definition as it is the most appropriate one that describes my experience of most large scale programs in large companies. In this case resulting in an explosion that forces the piston away and turning a drive shaft to drive the vehicle forward. Unfortunately the resultant explosion, in the context of a project, has nowhere to dissipate to and kills all the project team members in the immediate vicinity and often the project or program itself - those that avoid personal injury are usually on another floor - maybe due to their level in the organisation or are protected by Teflon suits (says he tongue in cheek).

Fuel enters the chamber

In most large projects everything starts off rather swimmingly. A project manager is appointed, the project board is established, a general scope is determined and a budget figure magically appears (not to be confused with anything reasonably realistic). A deadline is given (and it is immovable as it has already been written in blood into the execs performance contracts and incentive multiples). And then a "small" team is assembled to flesh out the plan a bit more (I put small in quotes because the bigger the organisation the larger the committee). The plan is then hammered out in earnest. Probably cutting into the first 20% plus of the timeline / budget - because the stakeholder pool is so big and because everyone wants to make sure they are cut in on the deal. And from there on, things just go pear shaped. The budget escalates significantly as the workload is unpacked - while in reality it will only cover about 60% of the project but no one admits it.

First stage Compression

At this point your project resources enter the fray. A loose band of business and systems analysts, testing resources and IT architects traipse in. The first phrase usually uttered is "you want us to do what? And by when? Why did you not consult us when you were setting up this "plan"?".

The management and board step in to explain the consequences (without mentioning their incentives) to allay the fears of said resources and explain why the date is cast in stone - competitive edge etc. etc. And mostly the resources commit to the deadline. They already feel the pressure building but the pep talk (read sword of Damocles) is sufficient to ignore it.

Second stage Compression

The work progresses well. It's all the easy stuff now, the tough stuff and boring bits are left for later - you know, reporting, testing and so on.

Then we hit a snag of sorts. The product owner changes the goal posts a little. Not the deadline silly. The actual product our beavers are building (he no longer wants a dam, it is now a breakwater facing the North Sea.) No fear, say our intrepid resources, lets just relocate the dam - and as things go it seems like a good idea at the time. But it will cost a little more because it needs to be higher and wider to be able to hold back the waves. Only about 40% escalation in costs. The board approves it on condition that the deadline is still met. Our beavers are beginning to sweat blood and it's time for the whips to come out. Just for show of course.

Just in time, the beavers managers re-enter - left stage - and mention the need for a possible phase two (or three or four). They promise to meet the deadline as long as the project manager convinces the board of the need to eject some stuff. It works and relieves the pressure somewhat - phew.

The problem with this is that we now have a small hole in our cylinder. And through this hole, a raft of other "non-critical" deliveries are ejected over time to keep the pressure manageable - often secreted away by the team and often without the knowledge of the project management.

Third stage Compression

At some point, unfortunately, the piston passes the hole in the chamber. Things hot up on the project. There is no escape now. The deadline rapidly approaches and our team has delivered - something anyway - project management tick their boxes. Our testers begin testing. The pressure is almost too much to bear now. The testers may or may not expose inadequacies in the delivered solution but more often than not are encouraged to gloss over minor issues and flaws.

Finally the project is implemented. And...

Ignition

...all hell breaks loose. The clients are unhappy. The product owner livid. The board shocked...those in the immediate vicinity are vaporized - generally our poor little beavers.

Usually, before ignition, the project manager jumps ship because they saw the writing on the wall. A new project manager is brought in to mop up.

In the aftermath, the management and board wipe the dust and ashes from their faces and start thinking about how to keep their precious bonuses intact. Some senior executives may even take other roles in the organisation to avoid the fallout.

The crank shaft turns

The mess ironed over, most organisations initiate a secret remediation project and the dead and wounded are quietly medevaced from the scene. No harm done.

Sadly this is an all too often occurrence on large over-resourced projects - it is increasingly evident in recent years.

There are just too many stakeholders (with too many interests - depending on how the company is structured - think profit centers) and too few leaders who are willing to take accountability for the outcome - because of all the moving parts and fingers in the pie.

Avoiding the inevitable

It is very difficult to avoid this scenario in large projects. We are too familiar and used to the traditional approaches to project management. And sometimes a larger project is unavoidable.

I have worked on very large projects and have always tried - in principle - to follow a more agile approach. So here's my checklist for tackling a big piece of work.

Get an exec who knows what needs to be done and is willing to stand by the team who will ultimately deliver the goods
Create a team who know their sh*t - too often we accept mediocre resources because they are available. Do not compromise.
Be honest - break down your deliverable's into phases - they do and must exist - you don't need everything right now. Also it's easier to get the funding in chunks as you complete stuff and show it working.
Apply your backlogs and test continuously against the requirements.
Don't fret when things change - that's life.
Ask the hard questions at an early stage and throughout the life of the project.
Sometimes "No" is a good answer.
Keep it real. There will be times when things go wrong and you need to change direction or work longer hours. But if you are properly managing your project you will see the compression happening well before you get smoke in your eyes.
Never, ever underestimate the power of the undertone - keep your finger on the pulse of your team members - they know sh*t.

This way everyone has FUN, does great STUFF and the product owner gets what they want - and more - and, of course, the customer is thoroughly tickled.

Industrial Revolution Revisited...and why the Digital Revolution is still puttering around

2014-01-20T17:27:00.003+02:00

The Industrial Revolution brought about significant improvements in manufacturing, But resistance to it was felt throughout the modern world at the time. "Machine Breakers" - usually those endowed with technical skills and / or labour resources - felt threatened by new technology and ran riot, breaking any new technology that threatened their income. These people, generally, were known as "Luddites".

The Industrial Revolution started out in the textile industry in Britain. Previously, to produce fabric, the raw materials were processed by co-operative workers - most likely a family who were given wool or cotton to process into thread or yarn. The yarn could then be taken to another co-operative who were skilled in knitting or weaving to produce the final product.

The "automation" of the spinning and fabric manufacturing process allowed many more unskilled labour to be used to produce what was previously done by specialists and on top of it this happened in a factory, conveniently located in a central place - where previously the raw material had to be distributed to a number of these small co-operative family businesses - it could now be delivered to one place.

But with the advent of factories and the influx of unskilled labour, came all the associated societal ill's. Unskilled labour were poorly paid, health care and labour law were non existent. Living and work conditions were atrocious - with child labour (some starting in the cotton mills as early as 4 years of age) rife and working hours of between 14-16 hours or more a day.

So how is this so different from the modern Digital Age we find ourselves in (other than the fact that children in most western nations are no longer a source of cheap labour). The work hours for those at the coal face of this digital revolution have not changed. What is starkly different though is the fact that technology - previously the domain of large corporations - is now in the hands of the common man in the street. At the advent of large scale adoption of computers, there were only a few hobbyists that had access to very basic computers that they could program and use to balance their bank account or write a very basic game. Today, however, we all charge around with the omnipresent and omni-connected smart phone, eyes down on the glowing screen with millions of apps to choose from that improve our tooth brushing techniques, balance our cheque book for us and entertain our children while we wait for a table at a restaurant.

What worries me is not the ever present connectivity but more how we really use it - more particularly in the service of our clients and even more so in large corporations to service our clients.

The truth be told. We are still at the beginning of the digital revolution. While some industries have made huge in roads utilising technology to its fullest, these are largely in the entertainment sector. When have you last seen a earth shattering change in the word processor or spreadsheet app? Has your banking app or administration system really changed that dramatically in the last 20 years? Probably not. And what is it you really use your smart phone for? Phone, email, gaming and instant messaging. Yip, that is probably as far as it goes.

So what is wrong?

1) C-Levels are still baffled by technology and the so called technologists behind it. They've been burnt as well too often than they care for.
2) There is a fear and resistance to too much automation - among the work force and management. (And I think a bit of healthy suspicion with regards to too much data - Think Snowden and Assange). This is early stage revolution resistance and was there in the Industrial Revolution too.
3) Hiding stuff in a program (a black box) means that it may open my complex job to less skilled workers thus making me redundant - so keep it complex.

There is a vicious cycle at work here. Computers and the software that run them can bring enormous freedom. Freedom from a desk in an office with filtered air and half dead plants. You can communicate face to face from anywhere in the world with anyone else and most of this is possible now. But the revolution needs to help unwind a number of preconceived and deeply entrenched beliefs that our employers still hold on to.

Sure, the digital revolution holds promise, but it is still puttering along and all of us just need to give it a little more gas.

Elevated Bicycle Pathways - part 2

2013-12-30T13:00:00.002+02:00

It is really cool when you see something on the web that confirms you were onto a good thing. In April this year I wrote about the space above railways and the opportunity to build elevated bike paths over said railway lines.

This morning I came across this article about London who plan to do just that. Build elevated bike paths along the same routes that trains take. London's railways were originally built for steam trains and therefore follow a gentler contour allowing for an easy ride to work.

Now I am not naive enough to think that someone just took my idea. Ideas are a dime a dozen and are often had by two or more people in different places simultaneously. And good on old Boris (or the design companies involved) for not thinking this idea to be too wacky. Because this is how we move ahead.

Now lets if they can implement it. Already a cycling charity is concerned about the wind factor at 30 meters up (jeez, its flattish and a little wind wouldn't do too much harm) as well as concerns about how steep the access ramps will be...don't they get it...this is a public service - you'll have a fitter population - and anyway what is cycling without a little headwind and uphills.

Honestly, we don't want Pat McQuaid...sorry Pat...

2013-09-17T17:25:00.001+02:00

And neither do the UEC that represent the European cycling scene. Just the UEC alone gives Brian Cookson 33% of the vote in the upcoming election on the 27th September. Ooh to be a fly on the wall for that one. Gives me shivers.

Now, Pat is not one to lie down either. His legacy is littered with clashes with ASO (who own the Tour de France amongst others), his association with Lance Armstrong as well as attempts to change the UCI constitution without consent of the management committee. And he was, to be honest, in his day a reasonable bike rider. Sadly, the dictatorial approach does not sit well with the electorate - we hope - and 27 September may just be a good time to say goodbye - again - we hope. Thankfully his home union also have not promised him a vote - Umm Pat, I think it is time to say goodbye too.

Cycling over the last few years has managed to regroup itself to a certain extent. And we'd all like to believe it - I think.

But then again I thought that maybe the majority of South Africans would have seen the light in the last election and vote Jacob Zuma out, but that did not happen either. But it's coming and so I believe that we may finally see the back of dear old Pat.

Short and sweet.

The other important day is tomorrows release of IOS7. Then I will start worrying about the election.

If only Zimbabwe had oil...

2013-09-11T20:51:00.001+02:00

I know that someone, somewhere has had the same thoughts and put them down. Not that Peter delved too deeply into the analogy, but simply suggested that the world - particularly the US - make take a different line if old Bob had some of the black stuff.

So why then did the US take on Afghanistan? Because there was a perceived Muslim threat and the fact that it was thought that they were harboring our favorite terrorist poster boy Osama Bin Laden.

And Iraq - ah, the black stuff. Sudan: perceived terrorist threat. Etc. etc.

So if Bob had some gas - and I am sure he does considering he is an old fella now - then I am sure this travesty would not have lasted this long. Sadly I don't believe, at this stage, that there is an alternative government in the wings. It is difficult to find anyone with the experience or those that do, are unlikely to be unsullied by 33 years of Bob's rule. And those who have tried before the formation of the MDC did not last long.

But if Bob had oil, there would also be a danger that his buddies in close geographical proximity would probably also defend him more readily which could pose a problem for any invading force - if only a temporary set back. Diplomatically this support would be a disaster for international relations.

But you know what, it sucks. It just shows how politics and "international relations" are so toothless, useless and utterly void of true character. The problem is that a hard line suits nobody. Because the reverse could apply if the UK or France or even the US did something the international community did not like. So they all pussy foot around the "minor" felonies that small dictators commit and rather rage against the others where there is a semblance of support from the majority of other countries - majority rules...no risk...

If SADC and my own dear president would do anything to put Bob on the right track it would be a start. But dear Jacob has yet to take his hand out his pants and foot out his mouth.

Sad, so sad.

Information Technology Sucks - admit it

2013-09-04T21:31:00.002+02:00

Sure you have cool applications on your iPhone, iPad and your Galaxy Tab and they allow you to do mundane things like tweet, write a document and send an email, but that is really where the state of technology is at present. I have spent 20 years or more in the industry and my opinion is that we have gone backwards.

Why? Because there are fewer "real" technologists out there. Or in simpler economic terms the demand has outstripped supply.

In a number of recent discussions - with people I consider to be knowledgeable - the consensus was that there are probably only 3000 real techies in Cape Town. Now that may seem a lot, but when you consider that the big financial services companies employ probably 3000 IT folks between the 3 of them you can see that we have a problem. And that is just in Cape Town with a population close to 4 million people. How does anyone else get anything done? How the heck do systems keep running? Mostly because those 3000 "real" IT folks are spread thin across commercial, non-governmental and educational institutions.

This means that most corporate institutions have less than 10% "real" IT people in their ranks. Sure that is only a guess because some may be privileged to have a whole lot more if they pay well and present the appropriate challenges we were all destined for.

Funny thing though...companies and other IT consumers (government etc) spend an inordinate amount of money on IT. Why? Because they think it will make things better, more efficient, without having a cooking clue what they are buying.

Because your business analysts are straight out of college (or wherever the hell they come from) there is absolutely no understanding of the business you're in never mind what a business requires.

Then there is the fact that as business we believe that in order to compete with our peers that our technology has to be sexy. The fact that sexy does not exactly equate to being better hardly makes a difference, but the fact that it has more fancy widgets does. And widgets take time (I have spent a week just trying to get CSS to present a link - with fancy fading - over a background image - and I think I know a thing or two about CSS).

What scares me more is that C-levels are dumping huge amounts of cash into IT for no return...

Really!!! How much real work did you get from IT last year? How much governance krap did you have to deal with? Compare the two and see how much real value you got. As I guessed... Not too much.

What happened to the "Nudist on the late shift"? Po Bronsons part documentary on the evolution of IT in the dot bomb era perfectly described real IT folks.

My feeling is...

lets return to the heyday of technology...without the doctors who think they can start an IT company...
write code like it was meant to last a lifetime...and stop chasing the latest version (look how long the combustion engine lasted)...
technology is not a silver bullet to increasing profit and reducing cost...unless of course it is written into your corporate culture...
find the geeks, the hard to manage but genius techno's...who understand...code and piss in the wash basin...

I love IT, but just hate the way that every maverick, lazy MF has made a place for himself in what is essentially a creative endeavor...

CSA vs PPA. Now here's the rub...

2013-08-08T13:17:00.001+02:00

I just read the Pedal Power Associations affidavit in respect of the tussle between CSA and the PPA. I think that we are missing something here though. The affidavit largely concerns itself with the failing relationship between the two parties. PPA arguing that they wish to retain jurisdiction over their events without the necessary sanction of CSA and to carry on as they have long before I even got my first bicycle. And I kind of agree with that sentiment. But...times have changed, the sport and South Africa have changed considerably since 1976.

Back in the good old days as I was just discovering the joys and freedom of riding a bicycle at speed with Lawrence Whittaker (our then esteemed leader), Lloyd Wright, the Simpson brothers, Paul Dalton, Jon Doig, Vernon Davis and Matthew Ferguson - among others, racing around a haphazard "criterium" circuit in Constantia or doing time trials up Constantia Nek, we were blissfully unaware of the development of EPO or its impact on professional cycling. In fact, watching a final sprint in one Rapport Tour, we innocently believed in "Pan y aqua" of our own cycling legends - even though in retrospect amphetamines were already in prolific (and of source secretive) use in the local pelaton.

The Pedal Power Association, formed around 1977, and then know as the Western Province Pedal Power Assocation or WPPPA for short (hardly) was our local club and also organised the Argus Cycle Tour which now is called the Pick n Pay Argus Tour.

I entered my first "Argus" in 1982 and as testament to the PPA my results are still available online:

Although unspectacular, I survived twice in 3 years totally smitten with the biggest race you could participate in anywhere and thanks to the PPA and the Cycle Tour Trust the race is still here just with 35 times more competitors.

The PPA has grown over the years and is the largest (I stand corrected) representative of cycling interests in the country with a membership of over 18,000 cyclists.

Cycling South Africa is, however, the official government sponsored (via SASCOC - the SA Olympic committee) vessel and so represents the interests of the country and is also answerable to the UCI and WADA in its various capacities as upholder of the UCI constitution, organiser of UCI sanctioned events (that may or may not include UCI points) and as policeman for anti-doping (along with SAIDs).

Now here's the rub as I see it.

CSA need to fulfil their obligations to the UCI and WADA. The UCI has made it clear that licensed riders may not participate in non-sanctioned events - most likely as of next year. Call it governance, call it whatever, but the need to stop licensed riders from racing in non-sanctioned events is a question of money. That's just it. Non-sanctioned events essentially would not contribute to the federation at all. Non-sanctioned events could also not apply the basic public liability insurance requirements and would possibly not apply the requisite anti-doping regimes. And not pay calendar fees or license fees either.

But, the PPA do pay over license fees to CSA every year for their members and by implication you - as a PPA member - become a licensed rider and must therefore adhere to the CSA constitution and rules.

The money problem is exacerbated by the fact that PPA run at least 5 lucrative events during the racing season and a host of other smaller "fun rides". However, and where I see CSA champing at the bit to get their hands on some, is that the PPA have full discretion where and to what to allocate the returns from these events. And I guess CSA want some. Which is why they persist in threatening the continuation of - in particular - these 5 events.

I don't think that the intent is particularly insidious, but if the financial failure of ASA is anything to go by, a little more cash flow would hardly be a bad thing for CSA in the long run. Whether or not, the Argus or Double Century would continue to be successful under CSA's tenure is certainly something for debate.

I like William Newman, I have known him for quite some time and have no doubt that he wants to do the right thing for South African cycling. But for now I hope that PPA succeed with the court action.

Pat McQuaid and Robert Mugabe. Two peas in a pod.

2013-08-05T14:15:00.001+02:00

I guess Pat and Bob must share a beer over the weekends discussing their similarly insidious election processes. They probably even video link in our own Zoom-Zoom from his home in Nkandla where their collaboration extends to changing constitutions in order to ensure smooth transition between elections and retention of the status quo against all better judgement and contrary to the electorates wishes.

Actually, all this feels a little like a scene from a Borat movie. The dictator spewing forth, his minions running about obeying his every command - however contrary to our humanity they may be. Pat seems to be a little low on minions though, where Bob still has the army and most of his government on his side. Pat McQuaid's move is tantamount to Tanzanians putting Jacob Zuma up as a candidate for a Namibia election...

A friend of mine, Paddy, recently wrote about corporate psychopaths and all of the above mentioned characters fit the criteria to a tee. Pat has tried to change the UCI constitution to favour his re-election even though it is patently obvious to the rest of us that this political maneuvering is so blatantly self serving. Similarly Bob's chums wanton disregard of the term "free and fair" have, at least "peacefully", ensured an enduring Zanu-PF victory to the chagrin of the rest of the free world. While Jacob simply eradicates challenging elements from within the ANC - again with blatant disregard for the intelligence of the electorate.

Clearly - given the results of the Zimbabwe elections and the surrounding logistics and incidents - the psychopath hardly bothers with logic. In most democracies around the world it is possible to vote at embassies outside that country. Not in Zimbabwe - particularly considering that most of the opposition live in South Africa at the moment - as refugees no less. Secondly, a good 10% of the voters roll were dead people - but then again, maybe the movie "World War Z" was actually "World War Zimbie" instead of "Zombie" - and most of the dead electorate had died a long time ago and were not all 114 years old.

For Pat, it is a little more challenging. But these folks are quite ingenious to say the least. Just change the constitution by yourself. There is an old saying - "it is easier to ask for forgiveness that permission". And maybe that was the best route to follow for our current UCI president.

So what do these gentlemen in have in common that we may have not noticed before...???

Image courtesy of AFP (2012 - I believe)

(Excuse the bad photoshop...time...but other than the Vulcan greeting???)

The last 47 years of the Tour de France in Numbers

2013-07-22T16:26:00.001+02:00

I was intrigued by Svein Tuft and in general about how the Laterne Rouge fairs overall when compared with the winner. And instead of just taking the last 10 years tour data into account I took the numbers since 1967 - because that was the year I was born in. Forty seven years of of data is statistically significant - if I remember my stats lecturer correctly (the magic number being 31 - correct me if I am wrong).

The Laterne Rouge is the guy who finishes the entire tour with the longest elapsed time. He is also the guy who manages to get through just ahead of the daily stage time cutoff - particularly during the tough mountain stages. One of the infamous bearers of this title was in fact Philippe Gaumont.

The fastest tour was in fact in 1998. The average speed of the winner was 41.77 km/h versus 40.37 for the Laterne Rouge. The attrition rate in the pelaton was almost 50%. Interestingly 1998 scores on a number of data points. The last place finisher was nearly one km/h faster than any other last place finisher. And Lance was still on medical leave. The high attrition factor is partly attributed to the withdrawal of the Festina team due to doping accusations and the arrest of Willy Voet.

The longest tour was in 1967. At 4780 km, the race winner still managed an admirable 34.92 km/h and only 67% of the pelaton managed to complete the race. Strangely there was only 0.59km/h difference between winner and the last placed rider.

The 2013 race - of 47 years - is only in 43th place on distance alone at a measly 3403 km's. But the 2013 edition is only 2nd to 2003 in terms of the average speed difference between 1st and last place with a huge 2,05 km/h gap bettered only by the 2003 race where the difference was a whopping 2.22 km/h and the greatest percentage difference too at 5.74%. In contrast the smallest was 1.72% in 1967.

The slowest average speed for the winner was in 1973. The winner averaged only 33.68 km/h but it was the 5th longest tour since 1967. And managed to whittle down the starting 132 riders by 34% to only 87 who completed the race.

The average distance over the last 47 events is almost 3800 km with not one tour over that after 1998.

This years tour ties with 2010 it terms of the least number of riders dropping out or missing cut off at only 14.6% attrition. It is just a stab in the dark, but it may indicate a cleaner pelaton and a more level playing field. Either that or some folks are too scared about glowing in the dark on the TdF and have managed their medicines more carefully. It is hard to suppress the sceptic within. I want to believe.

Strange, but true. Every Lanterne Rouge since 1996 would have beat Greg Lemond in a head to head if one takes their average speed into account. In 1989 one of the greatest TdF's I ever watched ended in a 8 second margin for Greg vs the "glowing" Laurent Fignon. Greg's average speed that year was 37.49 km/h. The lowest average since 1996 was in 1997 where the last placed man managed only 37.59 km/h.

Svein Tuft managed to average 38.5 km/h which means that other than a handful of races prior to 1994 he would have been first in all bar 5 tours between 1967 and 1994.

Numbers can be manipulated to prove anything you might want them to. Technological advances bring us part of the way to explaining the progress over the last 50 years in cycling. However there is more to this than meets the eye. The tours have become progressively shorter, training methods have improved significantly, bicycles are just better than they were 50 years ago and we have bikes for specific disciplines too and different setups for changing race profiles. Sure, we have better drugs, but we also have better recovery regimes too.

A new dawn for South Africa

2013-07-16T08:51:00.001+02:00

Andile Mngxitama raises some notable points in his article in the M&G. Whether or not you think that the EFF (Julius Malema's new political platform) can pull off a coup in next years election aside, it is clear that as a nation there is a need, a necessity, for a clean slate. In previous blogs I have talked about "Enough" as a measure of sufficiency and that we all have the opportunity for redistribution to enhance the lives of others less fortunate. We have these "burdensome" dependents largely because of greed - materialism - if you like. The very corruption that blights our countries break and initial rise from the ashes of apartheid is born of greed. And it dwells, as Andile says, in every corner - political and corporate - of our lives.

The fact that South Africa remains a bastion of inequality is in itself reason enough to seriously consider hard edged redistribution. But we are all flawed. There are few - over the last 20 years - that have stood against the rooting of the castle. I can think of only a few who have put their very lives on the line to out the truth - Andrew Feinstein, Paul Holden and Hugh Glenister to name only a few who took on the Arms Deal. The rest of us are mostly commenting on news sites - mostly under absurd pseudonyms and hardly exposing ourselves to risk other than sheepeling along with the rest of the trolls. The kind of protests regarding service delivery, the secrecy bill and e-tolling are only the start - if Egypt and Brazil are anything to go by. And, yes, it is scary, but if we are not careful it could very well explode on our own doorstep. Hiding our heads in the sand - as South Africans are so prone to do - will not protect your from getting your bottom shot off. In the heady days of apartheid, the locals were kept isolated in mine hostels and townships. There were pass books and very little of the rioting ever spilled over into Whiteville. Now we are one nation, protagonists are everywhere and there is nowhere to hide - not even behind your electrified fences and high walls.

I don't believe that EFF is anything more than Juju's wet dream. But many of the disenfranchised may not see it with such critical eyes. Although his support may be limited to the largely unemployed youth who have nothing to lose and everything to gain, they still have a vote and one that is equal for all. Beware - a beast is rising, however slowly. Malema is not one I would place on a pedestal as the epitome of squeaky clean leadership, but once the EFF is instituted it would be easy for more credible leadership to come forward to run the show. The power and exuberance of youth over the veiled, apathetic and frustrated minds of the rest of us would something to behold. There are enough unutilised votes out there to make the status quo quiver in their pants.

My own thoughts race ahead to a South Africa where everyone is better off. There is world class health care for all, unsurpassed education and we all have a house with a bit of land to grow weeds, vegetables and a patch of grass. A South Africa where public transport and government works. Crime on the decline because there is no need to steal from another. Everyone has opportunity to learn, to work, to grow old and be happy.

Utopia realised.

But Utopia has been denied us all. Slowly and surely over the last 20 years the dreams, the hopes of a nation have been eroded by greed. Where the world once used South Africa as the benchmark for positive change, we are now just another African nation gone wrong. And maybe its wrong to limit it to Africa alone because there are countries all over the world that have fallen foul of the same corrupt fate.

It is time to reinvent ourselves. To take ownership of our country. "Government - you work for us. President Zuma, you are a public servant and we pay your salary so stop pinching from the till and get on with the job you were voted into by your people - the people of this nation".

Deep inside of me where the light still shines and the scepticism does not penetrate, I think that people like Andile really have a point and maybe Julius does too - or at least the espoused values of the EFF does. Where only truth exists in my deepest place I want to believe that there is a great future ahead of us in South Africa but there may be a great upheaval before this can happen. Sometimes before you can finish the puzzle you need to break it up a bit, you need to start again - taking only the good stuff with you. And it may hurt to get there but it will be worth it.

More of Enough is Enough

2013-06-28T11:15:00.004+02:00

A fundamental error we have made in South Africa is that we expect government to solve all our ills. When we because a democracy all those years back the poor expected houses, land distribution, elevation out of poverty but delivery was slow and has been for the last 20 years. Most of the stop - start can be attributed to bad workmanship (possibly due to inadequacy of the allotted contractor), tender abuse and bureaucracy.

My "Enough is Enough" rant from the other day got me thinking more about where to go from here.

In so many aspects of our lives we are dependent on others.

A large majority of us depend on a company (owned by someone else) for employment. Sure your skills are useful to someone if you have had the benefit of a good education and in turn for all you studying you may be able to secure a job. Our continued employment and stream of income is dependent on our ability to deliver the thing or skill we bring to the party but largely relies on the performance of the company we work for. If the company is managed by others with an agenda different to the perceived objective of the company - then you're damned to go down with it too.

If, on the other hand, you are unemployed, poor, you depend on the state to support you - whether through grants and state medical facilities, handouts, portable flush toilets etc. Then you are in dire straits. Your outlook is bleak.

In both scenarios, you are at the mercy of another. Think about all the folks that worked at Fidentia (whether they were at the mercy of the regulator or Mr Brown). Think about the babies that die in state hospitals unnecessarily.

Sure, there are times when you need another person to help you. When you're sick you go to the doctor or when you need food you go to the supermarket. But this is more about taking the initiative yourself for the other important things in life.

Being dependent on government means that government must grow to supply an ever increasing number of services and in turn we get a bloated government that requires more tax to fund itself. But also when we relinquish ownership and control we also hand more power over to that organ. Take for example - basic education - in South Africa for those in need, education is significantly subsidised by the state. Because of this our education, the curriculum and content has become the responsibility of the state which in turn has resulted in a reduced standard of education.

Take unemployment. Sure, some people don't take it lying down, but most live off government grants and become a ward of the state. The tax bill has to go up to create departments to administer this and pay the benefits.

Or even electricity supply - Eskom, under a deal with government and municipalities, supply a certain amount of free electricity to the underprivileged. All of this cost needs to be absorbed by the paying consumers. And because we don't really do enough - individually - to supply our own electricity, the increased demand means that we have to fund - collectively albeit - Eskom to be able to produce more.

Enough of the examples. What I am suggesting is that we all need to take on more responsibility. We need to do more for ourselves. If everyone took the time to split recycling and deliver it to the depot. If everyone with the means did something to generate their own electricity. If everyone without a job were to try and create their own employment (easier said than done). If everyone with the means and a business created one new job opportunity a year. If we all were just a little more respectful of other road users and took the time to help the traffic flow a little more freely - or rode a bike to work - or took the train and at worst just bought a smaller car. Slowly, car by job by kilowatt we would make a difference in our town, suburb, city and the world. Materialism and not socialism or capitalism is the enemy. Invest in the future and not in immediate gratification.

I recently read an article on mindfulness. We need to be more mindful of everything we do, every action, every word we say. We may have to take a few steps back, contemplate our path before we move forward. No matter who you are, you have the power to change the world.

Maybe it is just middle age, but I watch my kids, I see there noses turn up when they get shoes that aren't cool or branded. It bothers me that I may have been part of the problem. I watch how little they eat (in terms of variety) and how much wastage there is. There are others with no food I tell them, yet that is only a fleeting reminder that we live in a obscenely unequal world.

Enough is enough. Find your enoughness, if you have 5 computers at home give one away to someone who needs it more than you. Swtich off lights when you leave the room. Do something, do anything, because everything you do makes a difference. Find your enoughness, if you have food left over from dinner - take it to work - or give it to someone without.

Find out what enough really is.

Kenny Kunene - a new sort of South African hero

2013-06-26T15:34:00.000+02:00

Who would have thought that Kenny Kunene - the sushi king and hardly a moral, upstanding example to our children - would garner as much support as he has in the last week for an eloquent open letter to Jacob Zuma. Comment trolls aside, I don't believe that many stories in on line newspapers have received the number of comments that this one simple letter or bylines have. It is simply astonishing.

As the ANC implodes a number of other characters - like Ronnie Kasrils - have waded in to the fray with their own take on the challenges facing the ruling party. Obviously the ANC have retaliated with weak rhetoric that on the one hand suggest that one man (Kenny) is trying to sow division in the leadership (that is already there) and at the same time downplay this but also suggesting that legal action might be necessary. Duh? If Kenny is no threat then just leave well enough alone.

Kenny has just expressed succinctly the frustrations we all have. Long live Kenny.

The Worlds obsession with Growth

2013-06-20T14:50:00.001+02:00

I read a great article in M&G this morning by Khaya Dlanga. Khaya warns the government of the impending revolt that may result from continued misdelivery, corruption and the general lack of upliftment of the poor whilst the rich get richer.

What got me thinking though was the browser URL of this piece - "2013-06-19-khaya-dlanga-dear-anc-leaders-enough-is-enough" - and the converse for those trapped in poverty while Pretoria burns money on all and any indiscriminate thing (think Nkandla, ASA's huge bill for a sports awards ceremony, the Arms deal - that appears to be unravelling somewhat etc. etc.).

Enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights are the rights to

"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services"

Amongst other things including security, political freedom, etc. etc.

In Khaya's article he mentions that South Africa is the most unequal countries in terms of wealth in the entire world. What? How did we get here?

I believe that the problem lies with our obsession with growth, the word itself suggests expansion, upping some infinite ante, greed at its worst. Our corporates are continually chasing more sales. Our government wants growth in tax revenue, GDP etc. etc. "Banking the bank less" to make more profits and bigger bonuses for big fat executives.

When is enough, just that, ENOUGH?

Every time some greedy oil executive board increase the price of fuel there are the inevitable increases in products downstream and every time we justify these with the increase in input costs. It's like we are on a huge treadmill that just keeps rolling on. The rich get richer, the poop inevitably poorer. It is a never ending cycle unless you step off the band wagon and say "enough".

Maybe it takes just a few people saying that they have "enough". No, I am not falling for another cellphone upgrade scam and by the way the Office Suite I have on my laptop does more than I need it to and maybe I can just hang on to the computer I have because it is good enough. And that fancy car is just not required.

It takes a lot of cajones, but it sure would take some pressure off the pressure cooker we find ourselves in.

Hugh Macleod used to talk about "living frugally". It does not mean forgoing all luxury, but it does mean living within your means. It means not having credit cards and spending the banks money.

I recently helped my son with his studying. He was learning about the San and Khoi people of Southern Africa. The San had no concept of ownership and it was not until the Khoi herders moved in that the idea was introduced. Sure they lived at the extreme of frugal, but they certainly lived with few rules and no law at all. This was also because they lived in such small groups that you pretty much knew who stole your bow or shagged your wife - and justice was most likely swift.

With the Khoi arriving with their cattle a new model for society was introduced. The chap with the most cattle was the boss. A further enhancement came with the influx of farmers who added to land ownership to their cattle endowment. And that is pretty much when the rot set in.

Now we live from paycheque to paycheque. Most of our income is devoted to managing our indebtedness to banks and the balance to buying more stuff we don't really need. Materialism is distraction from having to deal with our real issues. But one day the earth will just say "Bugger that" and shut down and where will all our stuff be then?

Who flung dung and other mysteries

2013-06-19T17:50:00.002+02:00

The wee (um poop) story that occupied last weeks news was the poop strewing ANCYL comrades who targeted municipal buildings in Cape Town. Now while I have some sympathy with the folks who have to use these new portable toilets...and new being the operable word...there is the fact that these hygienic units replaced far more unhealthy pit toilets. So it baffles me why now - particularly considering that the Western Cape has only 373 of the country's 88000. Unless of course it is just for a couple of individuals who want to rekindle their waning popularity with their own organisation. Sure there is the frustration within the ANC with the fact that the Western Cape is getting things right - even if delivery is somewhat disrupted by a bunch of potty mouthed dimwits.

And the poop certainly does not stop there.

Seems that old Juju is trying to revive his dismal political career. No while I don't deny that dear Julius has a point about his old cadres, my career advice to him would have been to not poop in his own backyard as as a few of his old mates have said, just kiss and make up with the ANC. Bad move Juju. Maybe you're just ahead of your time.

And more poop to talk about is the Pedal Power Associations spat with Cycling South Africa. OK, truth be told this has been dragging on for quite sometime now, but really okes - sort it out. Cycling in South Africa has a dubious past. There have always been political issues within the sport - from the reign controversial Chris Willemse. I believe that William Newman and his team really want to do the best for the sport, but that said, there are still some things that need to be sorted out with "clubs" like the PPA that hinder progress - much more than R75 per annum license fee because it doesn't stop there.

On a positive note, poop can be used for good too. I read some ancient articles recently regarding methane production and was left wondering why these well established methods are not being used to solve more energy crises that we face. My friend, Glen, told me about his recent visit to a farm in Malmsbury where the water is heated exclusively by passing pipes through huge piles of animal and, dare I say - treated human dung.

So with all the poop flying around, it is a wonder our ANCYL members haven't found a better use for the stuff than poring in on the steps of buildings in Cape Town.

The state of the nation...

2013-06-10T15:25:00.001+02:00

Maybe I should call this post "What musical references can I find that most eloquently describe the poop we're in"...

After my rant earlier this week, I realised that I lost most of you with all that corporate IT stuff.

In today's post I return to my roots...South Africa, politics and our own apathy to do anything about the current state of affairs, mostly because we've become desensitised due to the apparent inability of the courts, the police, protesters and the government itself to stem the tide of crime, corruption and incompetence in those structures.

"Bastille: Pompeii"

Matt, my 10 year old, introduced me to this song a few weeks back. It's more than mildly addictive. What struck me most about the song is underlying theme. We all know the story of Pompeii, a city at the foot of Mount Vesuvius that was wiped off the map when the mountain finally blew its top in 79AD killing 16,000 people.

For me, the song could just as well be about South Africa (and maybe it is). The second verse"We were caught up and lost in all of our vices in your pose as the dust settles around us" may as well be about the addiction to money easily earned by corrupt individuals and Nkandla like scandals. And the chorus "But if you close your eyes, Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?" could very well be the refrain of the electorate because in mosts cases we sit back and just accept it.

And sure, most of us are singing "How am I gonna be an optimist about this?"

"Kongos: Hey I don't know"

I've got to hope that our dear president has heard this song while driving in a blue light patrol somewhere as he peers out the window on country he rubbishes in favour of enriching his buddies while they prop him up - in the luxury to which he has become accustomed. But as his journey takes its course and the song progresses that the crown he wears becomes a little heavier. It is unfortunately apparent that he is just a "pawn" and we do ask ourselves where are all the heroes are because we need them badly now. Especially if there are any left in the ANC itself - however unlikely that seems.

"Tears are shed, a shame

I should have known

The crown weighs heavy

Heavy as I sit back in my throne

I say hey, it wasn't me

I'm just a pawn

But the devil's not into details

Where have all the heroes gone?"

"30 Seconds to Mars: Up in the Air"

I can only hope as the trip progresses on the road back to Nkandla that JZ may feel a little guilty. I hope that in his heart he may see the end is near and that:

"A thousand times I tempted fate.

A thousand times I played this game.

A thousand times that I have said today, today, today."

And that maybe today, he will call it quits and fight against the corruption he helped create because at some stage his conscience must get the better of him.

"Muse: Supremacy"

Now while we hope that our sumpreme commander and his comrades / co-conspirators would see the light, the truth is while you're coining it at the expense of your minions, a time may come when (and I think it has already started with service delivery protests) your minions will rise up (hopefully using a ballot and not a cricket bat) and depose you. Because our freedom is a fantasy and at every turn there are indications that it is being eroded even futher...and it may just be time to destroy your supremacy Mr Zuma...

"Wake to see

Your true emancipation is a fantasy

Policies

Have risen up and overcome the brave

Greatness dies

Unsung and lost, invisible to history

Embedded spies

Brainwashing our children to be mean

You don't have long

I am on to you

The time, it has come to destroy

Your supremacy

Supremacy"

Never a truer word

The time is coming for South Africa. We are at a critical juncture. Not since 1994 has there been a more significant time for South Africans to stand up and be counted. The 2014 elections are as important as the referendum in the 90's.

Time to stand up and be counted...

Information Technology Organisational backlash - been waiting for it...

2013-06-05T11:51:00.001+02:00

Since the advent of the computer as a tool to assist business, the perceived value of IT in business grew. More particularly since Dot-Bomb the reliance and dependence on IT inextricably linked to the successful functioning of almost any business. Technology is also a integral part of each and everyone of our lives.

I have consulted to a number of large corporates over the last 20 years and have witnessed the upsurge of technology as "silver bullet". A solution to all our woes.

What concerns me more is that the IT organisation no longer view themselves as just another service to the business, but also as the make or break of any given business to scale and beat the competition into submission. And here's the rub: IT hold most businesses by the short and curlys. Instead of technology enabling business to do awesome things we have managed to introduce onerous bureaucracy (often referred to governance) and controls that stifle the very innovation and rapid advancement expected from technology.

Technology is still "black magic" to most executives. C-level and general management, and I am generalising, struggle to turn on their laptop. Making serious technology decisions is left to the geeks that run the show - and on the techies advice, businesses find themselves committed to exorbitant, extensive contracts that cost an arm and leg. Measuring the value of such investments is often monitored by the same people that introduced it (so do you really trust those figures?).

Much research has been done in the last few years regarding technology projects and implementation success. Almost all large projects that drag on and on and consume huge resources fail. Oh your IT's exec's will never tell you that, but it is true. So why the hell do we still invest millions in IT...it is because we love the magic and the promise.

In general I see IT organisations that have grown too large and unwieldy - and pretty much have too much say in what can and can't be done.

We dump enormous amounts of cash into the IT black hole and are kept hooked, like druggies, with dreams of big data, ipads, ubiquitous access and devilry. Barely getting a sniff at what can really be done, but it's enough to feed the technology habit / addiction. If you are a businessman, does that not bother you? You are being held ransom by your own addiction for techie stuff and are in fact feeding a monster that one day will bite you in the soft bits.

The technology chaps were one a bunch of geeks who wore white coats and you could keep them in the basement. But because IT has become such an integral part of any functioning business everyone with a stake have come out of the woodwork to cash in on this dependence. The auditors, the hardware sales people, the developers, project managers etc. etc. have reorganised themselves to come and collect their piece of the pie, sometimes even creating stuff to make the pie even bigger - think COBIT, ITIL, etc. etc. And all this because these service organisations spotted too many gaps and an opportunity to make bucks.

In the old days, when the programmers wore lab coats and punched little holes in cards, the industry was small and only real geeks ran the show. Over the next 30 years, technology became more accessible to the masses, university courses for Computer Science were introduced, then Microsoft Certifications and finally "Learn to program in 21 days". Open Source contributed even more to the ubiquity of programming tools by making them free to all. Now this in itself is not a bad thing. This made technology and development tools available to those who have the aptitude to be great programmers, but never had the opportunity. But there are many others now in the industry who barely pass for programmers, but are running and programming mission critical systems - if only to feed the need for more and more cool digital stuff.

In twenty plus years in the industry - mostly with large corporates - there are but a handful of people who I think could program my rocket to Mars and that I would trust to do it properly. If you're happy to accept anything less than that for your customers (and most of you do already) then expect the monster to eat you alive - particularly with our insatiable appetite for more tech.

The problem is that this has snuck up on us over the last 20 years or so. Companies where technology is successfully implemented and IT folks carefully reigned in are where the management and executives understand and use it (think Steve Jobs). Mostly our C-levels tolerate IT because things kinda work and they don't really get their hands dirty. Your tech is as much part of your product nowadays than the widgets your sell. Particularly when you are in the service industry or selling intangibles like investments and life insurance where technology is the face on your product.

I could go on and on because I come from a time when programming was an art form (to some it still is) and a substantially creative endeavour.

But the message here is to business. Get involved with the IT decisions - IT cannot be trusted - well not entirely. I see CIO's being appointed - not because of their IT savvy, but because they are good "cleaners" - employed to sort out rabid IT runaways. I see projects getting enormous budgets without solid business cases and then asking for more bucks and, somehow, miraculously the savings also increase keeping already tenuous business cases afloat.

Just get involved. We only find it difficult to ask the hard questions because technology is still alchemy to most decision makers. Sorry, but outside of the IT industry, if you are just a user, most folks are still amazed by geeky stuff.

You see, the problem is that the industry has made us expect software to be buggy to the point that when you car computer fails you tolerate it. There is always "phase 2", but you see that would not work if it was an aeroplane - or Elon Musk's rocket to Mars.

IT in big corporates should prepare for a very cold winter soon. Your users are more demanding, they are more savvy than they ever were. We, the IT organisation, are bloated, greedy and in desperate need of a good diet and exercise.

I have been waiting for it for a long time. The time is coming where your CEO may just turn round and say - "NO". Be prepared because we - in IT - all deserve it.

Is doping in sport systemic?

2013-05-20T09:51:00.002+02:00

I recently read a post about "Systemic Lawlessness in South Africa". In the article Isamail (the author) suggests a definition of a systemic problem as "A problem is systemic when it occurs in more than one place almost simultaneously". This mornings Cape Times ran the story about the Two Oceans marathon winner who tested positive for steroids. A cycling friend, tongue in cheek like, referred his followers on twitter to the story on IOL with his own comment "those pesky doping cyclists..." knowing full well that another sporting discipline was involved.

There is obviously a precedent has been set by us "pesky cyclists" and this cannot be denied, but we are awfully naive to believe that cycling alone is complicit in the emerging doping scandal. No, definitely not. But it is easier to ignore the fact that doping is rife in most professional sporting disciplines.

In another tweet on Friday from a well known triathlete, she mentioned that she has not been tested in months.

As mentioned in previous posts on the subject we know that Drug Free Sport in South Africa operate on a limited budget. Athletes by far out number the available, qualified testers. SAID's is based in Cape Town while the many athletes under their jurisdiction are geographically spread across the entire country which makes testing more expensive and prohibitive in some cases. The biological passports of many cyclists are bare and this by implication means that there are no blood passport trends to speak of and most sporting disciplines have yet to adopt similar systems to track wayward competitors.

So either we don't take it seriously enough to fund our anti-doping or, more insidiously, we really don't want to fund them sufficiently in case they bring down the whole house of cards.

You be the judge...

Elevated Bicycle Paths in Cape Town

2013-04-30T13:24:00.002+02:00

I have two sons. Matthew (10) and Julian (9). Matthew loves his bike and would sorely like to ride to school which is only 3km's away. The route is fraught with dangers any respectable parent would not consider exposing their child to. And this got me thinking...ooh that's dangerous.

I rode to school from about grade 5. If my bike was broken then I caught the bus if I hadn't spent the bus money on tuck. I am sure that even in the late apartheid era my mum would still have freaked had she known that I had wondered home alone. My round trip took me from Constantia through the back roads of Plumstead up Wynberg hill, past the Wynberg Military base and along Lover's Walk to the high school, the junior school took me through Chelsea Village and along Aliwal Road. All in it was about 4km's. And time wise significantly faster than catching a train or bus.

Today the roads are far more congested. You have to deal with taxi's and buses and lots and lots of cars. Not a place for a cyclist. And even though Cape Town has a number of cycling lanes, many of these are still just a painted line away from the vehicle lanes and we know what most motorised road users think of that...

A number of cities around the world - particularly London - have indicated more than a passing interest in established overhead / elevated bike lanes. Elevated bicycle paths are particularly good where there is little road real estate to use for regular bike lanes and where there are areas of high risk for cyclists. But they cost money and as usual involve a whole load of stakeholders some of which view it as elitist and others as a drain on their profits. In London for instance, Boris Johnson's bike lanes have become known as "paint on the road" because they end up being used as parking for cars and delivery vehicles.

We have a number of existing "paint on the road" lanes as well as dedicated walk / ride lines like those alongside the Liesbeek river (the latter linking through from Rosebank to Observatory) and the bike lanes from Table View through to town amongst others. Early plans for the changes to the main road from Muizenberg to Fishhoek included cycle paths on railway real estate. So this got me thinking. The main railway routes have overhead electrical cables that are held aloft by rather large steel structures. What if the elevated bicycle paths were perched on top of these with regular off ramps at stations. What if a gate with a trail tag (NFC chip installed with a preloaded amount - the technology is already in use with Gust Pay) was used to enter (pay) and exit the paths. The overhead paths could link to existing paths to get from the main route onto lesser arterial routes to other places. The R1 entry could be used to partially fund the overhead routes and corporate sponsorship could fund the balance (maybe in 1km sections similar to those I saw in LA a few years back - for cleaning and verge maintenance you could put up a small billboard). Because it would only be bicycles and foot traffic, the load on these structures would not be too much and so the construction costs would be reasonably low - I suspect.

Just my two cents. But worth serious consideration. I for one would then be able to ride with my kids to school and they could make their own way back in the afternoon on a clear stretch of bike path with only a measly diversion on public roads with little traffic to get back home. Mum would be happy and I would be less stressed by the hectic drive to work / school each morning. Would be fit and happy instead of fat and stressed out.

Should I take the blame for the apartheid legacy? Or is is time to honour the past by moving forward and changing the world of the future?

2013-04-18T12:53:00.003+02:00

I read Pierre de Vos' opinion piece in the Mail and Guardian on Tuesday with a heavy heart. I was a tome of great length that boiled down to almost nothing other than a pitiful, guilt ridden "us whiteys are all to blame whether it was colonialism or your grandparents, your parents or the racist family dog that barked at black people". ~~Strangely the article has vanished from the M&G website entirely. Which is also not strange because it was a nicely written puddle of slop.~~ Correction, the article in question can be found here.

Apartheid was and remains one of the most evil, self serving inventions of our time (for those of us born before 1994). It is lumped in their with empiricism, colonialism, capitalism, socialism and all other "ism's" as human constructs that benefit the few and suppress and exploit everyone and everything else. Whether that be people, animals or resources like land and the mineral deposits beneath that land. The "ism's" allow a few to prosper because of their friends in high places, the laws that they helped shape that only the lowly common folks abide by or the bullying tactics they use to ensure their own wealth and increase thereof.

I previously wrote about the richest people and how just a portion of their enormous wealth could alleviate much of the worlds poverty. The Nats were bullies of the worst kind, so was Hitler. Stalin was a bully and George W. too. What we know from school yard bullies is that they are weak minded and spirited individuals who seek out others of similar ilk to rain wrath upon the rest of us. These people tend to have low self esteem - so low as to feel threatened by others intelligence or physical prowess or even skin colour. In apartheid the bullies in power ensured that the black masses were essentially enslaved. Their power, even in numbers, was essentially nullified by a bullying political system, hard line police and a military complicit in every way.

Sure, the part I played for or against apartheid was insignificant. I never hurt anyone directly or otherwise. My part was mostly a silent one and sure, not speaking out is an active one. But that was 25 years ago. Life has changed, and until my ID book was renewed I a few years back, it still had the "referendum" stamp in it and I know what I voted for. I voted for change. There, I said it. Because I knew and believed then, as I do now, that oppression cannot be tolerated in any form.

In 20 years so much has changed for many of us. Apartheid is gone from the law books, but its effects are still felt throughout society. And it is not government who are entirely to blame for this state of affairs. Big business, cronyism (another "ism"), apathy, and all the other common ills take centre stage too. Although I feel, greed in general has been the greatest hampering factor to poverty eradication. Allowing this state of affairs to persist in untenable. And this apathy or fear of authority figures is a major factor enabling this. This fear of authority can be traced back to apartheid as well as being a product of all our cultural heritages. I remember growing up feeling nervous of the police, my teachers, the principal and anyone in government. They were the authority figures that always gave me the willies and so much more for anyone on the other side of the pass laws. My god it must have been awful.

But here were are today with a handful of scary bills that our political goons are battling to bring into law. The secrecy bill we are all afraid of as well as the business licensing bill gazetted last month all hail back to the heady days of John Vorster and PW...one to protect those who choose the red pill and venture down the path of self service and the other to potentially protect big business by providing a number of new loop holes to explore to subjugate entrepreneurship. What we all know is that we need more small business in SA. We need more employment and not less.

So, should I take some of the blame for apartheid. Hell yea. I grew up in a nice white neighbourhood, went to a good subsidised government school and scraped into the workforce just ahead of the 1994 elections when whiteys still had some priority. That priveledge is still enjoyed to some extent 20 years down the road because of the head start I was given. But it is time to start building a future free of greedy hands dipping into the bucket destined for the poor among us. We need jobs for everyone. "Work for all" as per the Juluka 1983 album title. We still don't have that but the intent appears to be there. I cannot forget what was done to our fellow human beings, and the feeling keeps growing inside me that we need to shed off our apathy and build a nation worthy of praise and envy from all the world. The past is done, there is no changing it. The future is unwritten and open for change. But we have to ensure that those with the purse strings are kept to order. Being a politician or government employee or big business CEO does not proclude you from your basic humaness or your obligation to your fellow human beings - ever.

Remember the past, embrace the future.

MTN Nationals Tulbagh 2013

2013-04-16T13:21:00.003+02:00

The 3rd event in the MTN National MTB series was held this last weekend at Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh and what a pearler of a day it turned out to be.

Matt (my 10 year old son) and I rode the short 20km fun ride. Although the route was flat (450m of climbing in total over the 20km's) it was varied and in some sections made me think of Roubaix as the area we rode through must have been a flood plain at some time and was littered with round, polished, fist sized sand stone rocks which made me long for a dual suspension bike. There was a single section of about 2 kms of single track through heavy bush which left me wondering if I had not got lost because you could not see another soul. We completed the course in just over an hour at just under 20km/h and then settled down for the obligatory cold drink (read beer for me).

The venue was fantastic, the weather sublime and the company excellent. As the other races completed (there was a half, full and ultra marathon of 103km's at the same venue) we were joined by Pinner Munnik (who had to pull out because of flu) and his girlfriend, then our old chum Swen Lauer and finally the entire Cannondale Blend team of Charlie, Darren and friends. Charles had just cracked the ultra in 4:04 give or take leaving everyone else to eat his dust.

All in all, a fantastic day out with my "lighty".

Old chums united...Swen and Matt

Why is it so hard to "Do the right thing"?

2013-04-12T12:17:00.002+02:00

You're driving down the road and out of the corner of your eye spot two "bergies" fighting. Immediately you feel the need to intervene - which is the right thing to do - maybe, but you don't do anything and drive on. Maybe you hoot because someone else in the same predicament did. It's a question of sociology, of character and conviction. And there is a growing body of bright people who are trying to understand why there is such a conflicting internal dialog in us all - some paths lead to intervention while others do not.

Malcolm Gladwell's books deal with some of these questions by suggesting that our built in biases partly determine the outcome of these critical decisions. Our prejudices are determined by our environment, upbringing and possibly internal genetic programming. And we can certainly override these.

Obviously there is no "black and white" when it comes to the "right response" to any given scenario. Firstly in a violent situation, like the example mentioned, like your own personal safety, then there is the bias that "well these okes are probably drunk and it's probably what they do every day with or without my intervention" (which I find difficult to reconcile). The inner conflict is overcome by fear of getting involved - because once you are in, you can't just walk away. Once you're in there is no way out because you have invested some of yourself, possibly a inbred fallout from my white, colonial heritage that is the guard against getting too involved.

Now lets consider a different example.

You are a school first team rugby player. Your participation at this level has always been somewhat tenuous because you're a little smaller than your fellow players and this makes your inclusion in the team a little borderline. Your coach suggests "supplements" and a more time in the gym (worst of all he brings up all the emotional stuff "the honour of the school", "our great track record", "we've never lost" etc). You're 17, impressionable and desperate to stay on the team and you know full well what "supplements" he is suggesting.

The "Right Thing" is to say "thanks, but I would would rather play in the 2nd team".

If decisions were this easy then life too would be easier and we would possibly live in a better world. But life is not easy and decisions even more so. Our rugby player should know the difference and it most likely takes quite a bit of introspection and will before he overrides the internal conflict and succumbs to the will of the coach.

Strangely or not, the less life threatening, particularly if there is no direct personal consequence (like sending soldiers to CAR while you're sitting in a plush office in Pretoria), the easier a decision becomes yet not without conflict and a multiplicity of factors and influences.

The further we are from the consequences of a particular decision the less we question and probe. Large corporates often fall foul of this type of decision. The Right thing is so far from the decision makers mind that is crowded with thoughts of which option would improve the prospects of a better short term incentive or worse.

Our character is undermined by every decision we make when it is not the right thing to do. And sure we can all argue that there are many "ways to skin a cat" but the "right thing to do" often takes a lot more thought, more information and much more character. Doing the right thing and making the right decision is what builds our character. And a better character makes it easier and easier to do it right the first time. Is that too much to ask? In our world we have tolerated duplicity and half decisions for too long. In our own back yard, here in South Africa, our lives are affected daily by decisions by people with an agenda other than to do the right thing and this in turn drives a culture, we don't want or need. deeper into our national conciousness.

Why? Because doing the right thing is not easy and never will be. But if we are cognisent at every decision to remind ourselves what is right then maybe, just maybe we can all be part of a new revolution.

Sign the Change.Org Petition to abolish Rule 1-2-019 NOW

2013-04-08T16:25:00.002+02:00

In my last post I mentioned that Matt and I rode the Simonsberg Classic on Sunday. At said event were a number of Elite CSA (presumably UCI) licensed athletes who had obviously not read CSA's contribution to the above mentioned rule or decided to simply ignore it. Gratefully either of these options meant that we had a few top athletes present.

Now should the UCI rule remain it could mean that many of the non-sanctioned events that take place every other weekend would just fizzle out, leaving out of town venues with no MTB event to speak of because of the lack of entertainment value that comes from having some serious MTB bike meat about.

Sure, there are reasons to ensure that your local event should be sanctioned. I mean there are pages of rules about the presence of medical staff and appropriately qualified route designers and race commissaries. And all of these good things lead to - presumably - safe and successful events. But we all know that this is not neccsarily true as some unsanctioned events are just great.

The petition can be signed here. Go ahead and do it now.

I am all in favour of racing snakes coming to ride unsanctioned events for whatever reason they want, be it to subsidise their income or just make an appearance in support of local small races. Thats mountain biking for you. We love to ride our bikes - anywhere, anytime.

Pennypinchers: Simonsberg Classic 2013

2013-04-08T12:02:00.001+02:00

The Wine Cellar behind the main compound (no reference to JZ)

Matt and I took part in the 15km Simonsberg Classic on Sunday, 7th April 2013. The event was held at the Rustenburg Wine Estate just outside Stellenbosch. The weather was perfect - cool enough without rain, but as it had rained on Saturday the route was firm and fast. The organisation was fantastic and contrary to the new UCI ruling re unsanctioned events, we were treated to the presence of some notable athletes in the 45km race.

Rustenburg was a perfect choice of venue. It is one of the oldest wine farms in Stellenbosch with a history dating back to 1682.

Without much competition on the local MTB calendar I expected more riders in both the 45 and 15km events but am not surprised considering the aforementioned UCI rule. Pity, because so much effort was evident at the race venue.

Winners cruising in over a rather spectator-less finish line

Feedback from mates who rode round the Simonsberg in the 45km event are indication that it was a stunning but tough ride. The route was altered slightly this year from the original 51km route and crosses 24 private properties. This is pretty much the same course covered by Stage 6 of the Cape Epic this year and is challenging to say the least. The winning riders completed the course a little behind schedule in 2:29 and is probably testament to the general toughness of the terrain. I will not mention the winners here for fear of retribution for the riders from CSA.

Matt and I charged around the short course in just under an hour and although is was not particularly technical - mostly jeep track - the final climb (apparently added to fill the 15km) left most except the toughest riders to push their bikes.

I have to say that this was one of the best events I have attended in terms of organisation and catering in the last year. The event was slick, the beers cheap. A bike park with security was provided for all entrants (although they did run out of bike tags).

The farm cat was the star of the show though. Licking his bits in the middle of the finish chute only minutes before the finishers arrived.

We will definitely be there next year. Hope the cat survives too.

The boss of the farm licking his bits on the finish straight