MTHOKO QUOTES

A quick lesson for Barnes the Boss

2023-07-07T00:00:00.004-07:00

Barnes "The Boss" really enjoyed stepping on the throttle pedal whenever he got on the highway. His exquisite blue Aston Martin was an engineering marvel and had little to no regard for speed limits.

It so happened that on one of these speedy drives, Barnes the Boss saw a mechanic walking next to the highway, trying unsuccessfully to hitch a ride. He thought for a moment that he should pull over and offer the exhausted man a lift, but he quickly reminded himself that no greasy overalls were going to spoil the plush interior of his Aston Martin. Barnes the Boss stuck his head out of the window and shouted, "So long grease monkey, unfortunately offering you a ride will not benefit me in any way but it will cost me in terms of time and money at the carwash!" He then sped off into the concrete jungle.

It was exactly two kilometres later that Barnes the Boss felt the Aston Martin begin to stall and lose traction. It eventually came to a stand still and would not start. A stunnned Barnes was at a loss of audible words though in his mind, he swore at the car for causing him such embarassment. Who had ever heard of an Aston Martin breaking down on the highway?

Barnes the Boss had his stress compounded by the fact that he was very far away from an Aston Martin workshop, so getting assistance was going to be a difficult task. He opened the hood of the Aston Martin to try to figure out what the problem was. Suddenly his mind flashed back to the mechanic that he had passed along the way and had been rude to. Regrettably, he wished that he had not seen a grease monkey of no value, but a human being that was not too inferior to ride in his car. Maybe, just maybe, he would be getting help if he had not been an arrogant jerk.

As he looked over his shoulder in exasperation, he spotted the tall blue overall-clad figure of the mechanic approaching him. His face lit up as he anticipated assistance. He greeted the artisan with an embarassed grin and begged him for help. He apologized for his uncalled for verbal vomit, but the mechanic kept walking and said that an Aston Martin could only be fixed by someone who specialised in that brand of sports car: "Sorry, I am not trained to work on that brand of car. Call an expert."

As the mechanic strode away and eventually got a lift, Barnes the Boss glanced at the bag that the mechanic was carrying. It had on it, the famous wings that made up the Aston Martin logo.

Suddenly Barnes didn't feel like the boss that he had always thought he was. School was out already, the life lesson having been quickly learnt.

The Takealot Mother's Day what-what scam

2022-05-01T13:37:00.053-07:00

I was not going to say anything but the burden has been so heavy on my heart since last week that I cannot be silent any longer. Two Sundays ago, I had an influx of messages from several of my Whatsapp contacts inviting me to click on a very shady looking web link. I did not cooperate in that regard but I am told this link which went viral, was exactly what I warned it was - a scam! Please may my beloved friends who entertained the scam, help me to understand a few things 😊

I come in peace when I ask, "where did you all get truck loads of guts to click on a link as dodgy (shady doesn't quite cut it) as www.wp20.ru ? I need some of that bravado! 🤔😀

On second thoughts, you do not have to answer that one. Let's settle it by saying that it's me who is not brave or adventurous enough! However, do help me to understand this other question.

Once you had clicked on that heinous link (more suitable adjectival descriptions now come to mind), and you saw that takealot.com was said to be running a promotion, did you not remember that the company is named by its URL, takealot.com ?! Shouldn't this have automatically alerted you that if the web page that you were on was not takealot.com then you were not on Takealot but on a fake page and therefore on dangerous territory? 😳

Well that question above might also be difficult to answer, so let's leave it as well. Let me ask something less complicated. Have you ever heard of a big and reputable company running a marketing campaign that is not found on their official website and is not found on radio or television, but only exists on forwarded Whatsapp messages? Is it logical that they would need one to forward a link to several contacts as a condition to qualify for a gift? Next time, mark that as an obvious red flag that someone wants your cellphone number and the numbers of your contacts for the purpose of selling that information to marketing people or else for hacking and/or pishing purposes!

Fine, let me drop those complicated questions too. Here are two simple ones. Do you know that there is no such thing as a "free lunch," and that such offers of "free" gifts must be avoided? If you do not know, you may read my other post on Facebook on this same issue.

Ah well it seems there is going to be a challenge in getting the most basic responses, so let's scrap the whole idea of questions. I will just leave you with a tip: If another message is sent with a similar looking URL, or claiming that you stand to win freebies, walk away. Actually, don't walk but run! Run for dear life as fast as your legs can carry you!

Adventures of Johnny John and a bribe hungry Johannesburg traffic cop (Part II)

2021-04-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

Good readers, those of you who read yesterday's Part I of The adventures of Johnny John and a bribe hungry Johannesburg traffic cop are probably keen to know what became of Johnny John, the unfortunate motorist who was busted in chaotic Jozi traffic by a Johannesburg Metro Police officer for driving on a lane reserved for buses.

We read about how the officer confiscated Johnny John's licence and demanded a bribe if he was to spare Johnny from a hefty fine and / or arrest. We read of how Johnny John gave in to the demand, pretended to fetch the money from his car (yet he had it in his pocket), paid the bribe and got his licence back. Soon after bribing the officer, Johnny John asked for a refund of his money. Many of you are wondering if Johnny John had a can of spinach tucked away somewhere which he gulped away so as to get a new burst of courage or if his conscience settled for a fine and / or arrest. What is going on in Johnny John's mind and how will the officer react to this unexpected twist of events? I shall not keep you in suspense any longer. Remember to share the link to to this story with other motorists on your social networks.

"What was that young man, what did you just say to me?" bellowed the traffic officer. Johnny John could have sworn at that very moment that the cop's face was turning purple and little bubbles of foam were oozing out of the mouth. With a straight face and calm voice Johnny John repeated, "Please may I have the money that I have just bribed you with, I am somewhat in a rush and I need to go." Johnny John checked his cellphone, as if to confirm the time. Just then an sms tone pierced the electric atmosphere and Johnny John's attention was diverted back to the cellphone. When he looked up, the officer was making his way out of the vehicle, ticket book in one hand and handcuffs in the other. " Ever spend Christmas in a jail cell? Not only am I going to make sure that you spend the rest of the festive season locked up, I am going to make sure that a large portion of your bonus goes into the city's coffers. You should have just given me what I asked for, that was a small price to pay in contrast to what you are about to pay, you little swine!"

Johnny John thought of reminding him that according to Pigspotter and his 30thousand Twitter followers, traffic cops were the swine. He however decided against triggering a possibly violent physical attack. He asked if the officer wouldn't love to read the SMS that he had just recieved. Puzzled, the officer glanced at Johnny John's cellphone and saw a delivery report. "That sir is the delivery report of an MMS that I have just sent to a friend of mine. You see when I said I was going to collect money from my car, I was actually going to send this MMS. It is a voice recording of you demanding a bribe from me. The time that you saw me fiddling with my phone, it was not really because I was nervous, I was ensuring that I record every single bit of your evil deed. If you really have to charge me for using the bus lane, go ahead and issue me with a traffic fine, do not fund raise for your Christmas party at my expense. Oh by the way, I know you just want to grab my cellphone and smash it the ground, that is why I have sent an MMS to my friend who is currently next to his computer, waiting to post it on You Tube, Twitter and Facebook, as well as email it to the Independent Complaints Directorate and your superiors. I am going to make a celebrity out of you yet, officer dearest."

The rest is history. Needless to say, Johnny John got his refund and declined an offer of an additional "refund." The traffic officer traced Johnny John through his car registration number and since then has been making regular calls to Johnny John to ask if he needs help with renewing his driver's licence, car registration or anything else traffic related. He says he really would like to help Jonny John because he knows how long the queues at the traffic department offices can become. Johnny John has said several times that he does not need anything from him, that his justice has been served, all is forgotten and the officer should relax. It seems though that he is likely to be on the apologetic officer's speed dial list for a long time to come!

The internet doesn't forget

2020-11-13T21:28:00.003-08:00

Last year, while presenting to a group of young people in Wesselsbron in the Free State, I did a simple illustration to demonstrate the practicality of the saying, The internet does not forget and to stress the need to exercise care when we post online.

I whisked out a memory stick and shared my PC screen onto a larger screen so that they could see me transferring some pictures and documents to it. I erased all the newly saved files, leaving the USB device at zero megabytes of storage and then boldly declared that I could retrieve the deleted files. True to my inward prediction, someone shouted, "Not so fast, please format that USB stick!" I could see the gleeful expressions on their faces as I silently complied under their intense scrutiny. Those looks clearly said, "Let's see you recover them now Mr Internet-does-not-forget!"

I then scanned the USB device with some simple recovery software. It was set to deep scanning mode and so took a while to scan and that turned out to be a real test of patience for my young audience. As the magnifying glass rotated in what seemed like endless repetitions on the projected screen, it became increasingly convincing to the lads and lasses that whatever I was trying to do was not going to work. However, after this "eternity," of waiting, the files were eventually recovered, leaving many a mouth agape! It was an amusing moment for me as at that point I had established the right context for me to go ahead and drive three key points home:

1) Deleting something from your cellphone, tablet, computer or other device, does not necessarily mean that you have also erased copies that might still remain on either the hard storage or on the cloud. If a mere memory stick can withstand the brutalities of deletion and formatting, what more of information that has been saved and at times replicated across unknown and remote servers scattered all over the globe?

2) Deleting those nudes or other inappropriate social media posts, does not guarantee that screenshots were not taken and shared unknown to yourself or that your friends have not shared your post across different social network platforms e.g from Tik Tok to Twitter, then to Facebook. The more your content is shared to third party social networks (owned by different companies with different storage points), the less ownership and control you have on your content.

3) Always remember that social media companies do not really delete what you post. What we consider as deletion, is not really removal of your content on their side, but more of restricting it's public visibility. In the terms and conditions of many social networks, they state that they do not take responsibility for residual copies of deleted content

Indeed the internet does not forget and that is something that we should never forget. My youthful audience certainly will not be forgetting this sound truth anytime soon!

Overcome technophobia and normalise technophilia

2020-10-12T03:35:00.021-07:00

A few years ago, I was part of a Whatsapp group meeting where a vote was taken and a decision was made online about an important organisational issue (hooray for hand and thumb emojis! ✋👍👎🙋). There was opposition to the meeting's outcome by some who felt that a Whatsapp meeting was an abomination. These people lobbied for the resolutions made at that meeting to be declared null and void, even though it was accepted that convening a physical meeting had been unsuccessful.

Fast forward to four or so years later and online meetings are here to stay. In a post-Covid-19 world, the convenience and cost saving benefits of online meetings that many have now experienced, will render this method of meeting popular for a long time to come.

Some former technophobes have had their moments of repentance and have since happily embraced the convenience that comes with digital communication. I belong to yet another organisation whose members are located in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, The United Kingdom and the United States. Since its inception in 2018, those members of this organisation who are based in Africa, have met in a physical setup only once and the rest of the meetings have been cyber engagements. Over the past two years, our group video calling platforms have varied from Skype, to WeChat and Zoom and currently, Microsoft Teams is the medium of choice. The good old Whatsapp group, needless to say, is still in the picture for text and voice notes.

Does this mean that virtual meetings, especially in this Covid-19 era, have sent physical meetings to the proverbial trash can of history? Not at all! There are many limitations to online meetings and some things are best tackled in face to face encounters, but there remains no doubt that meeting online has become much more popular, while physical meetings have declined in prevalence. Not only have meetings gone digital, so have university graduations, church services, parliamentary sittings and other proceedings that we never suspected would evolve so quickly.

Technophobia, which is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as, “the fear of using technological devices, such as computers,” certainly has no place in these times of the, “new normal.” The fear of engaging in virtual meetings is mainly driven by a lack of knowledge and unfounded suspicions towards anything new. If we are able to operate our cellphones, decoders and other household gadgets with relative ease, we should be able to operate most of the gadgets and applications that have arrived and have become comfortable in our world. For you to also get comfy, all you need to do is ask a friend, colleague or family member for a crash course and also remember that YouTube tutorials are always at your service. Let us normalise responsible and wise Technophilia (embracing of new technology) when it comes to meetings.

Do we need to splash our romances on social media?

2016-09-29T03:28:00.002-07:00

Seeing as social media behaviour is on my radar screen of late, let me take this opportunity to present another trend that is now rife on social media. This is the incessant splashing of lovey-dovey posts about one’s undying love for their partner as a way of showing just how high the levels of romance are in a relationship.

The question tends to come up; does the world at large need you to tell them after every two minutes, just how much you love your husband, boyfriend, wife or girlfriend? Is that not for your partner to hear and for the rest of the world to observe and note without being told? While I certainly do not see anything wrong with the occasional appreciation post, it does become over the top at times.

It has been said that such voluminous outbursts are a desperate attempt to paint a false picture of blissful romance where it does not exist, or if it exists, to exaggerate its potency, leaving us with a much inflated picture of the relationship. There is sometimes a fear (especially when it comes to new relationships) that if things go wrong, those pictures and declarations of love will lurk around cyberspace long after the relationship has ceased to exist.

Another school of thought however sees this behaviour as a commendable sign of commitment. It is viewed as a bold declaration of not being ashamed of your partner and a reaffirmation to them that you are willing to shout out your endless love from the rooftops. This opinion deems it necessary to post endless Instagram photos of yourself smooching or tightly embracing your soul mate as a way of marking off your territory and deterring anyone who might want to encroach that territory. It says one must not be negative and anticipate a failed relationship when things are at their rosiest.

Whatever your point of view is, I think it is important to realise that the line of demarcation does become somewhat blurry at a certain point and motives for daily public displays and expressions cannot be simply categorised into the two spaces mentioned above.

At the end of the day, even if we sometimes question the genuineness of relationships that are continuously splashed on social media, we have to live and let live and wish the parties involved the best of wishes.

The danger of liking "Likes" to the extreme

2016-09-28T02:57:00.000-07:00

So you have received over two hundred comments and countless likes for your latest posting on Facebook? Surely that means you have finally arrived in the world of celebdom, right? Wrong! In case you were not aware of it, there is a still a long way to go before you can begin to even sniff that ever elusive celebrity status.

It is always sad to observe people attempting to derive their sense of self-worth and self-esteem from social networks. Clicking the “Like” button on your post might mean that I like or relate to your post, but it does not necessarily mean that I like you and will be asking for your autograph when I meet you next. At times, I might like, share or retweet your post because others are doing so and I feel compelled to follow suit. The possible reasons are so many that it really does not make sense for one to allow an over-inflated ego to carry him or her into the undesirable realms of vanity.

Remember that social media is another world and that world is poles apart from the earth that we dwell in. What you see on your screen is not always what you get in the real world. Not all your online “friends” or “followers” are real friends; you do not even know some of them personally, for crying out loud! What we all need to do as we surf the web and get connected with each other on the various networks, is to always have a sound thinking head on our shoulders and firm feet on the ground.

Put in simple terms, let us value real life interactions more than we value cyber encounters. If that is not done, we are in serious danger of losing true loved ones as we endeavour to accrue empty virtual relationships.

The practice of -isms must fall

2015-12-18T01:20:00.003-08:00

The furore that is currently making headlines over South African president, Jacob Zuma’s autonomous and shocking decision to fire Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister and replace him with an unknown, David van Rooyen, has made me do some thinking. Linked to that fiasco is the public outrage that has been unleashed on Zuma, namely the #ZumaMustFall campaign and that too, got me thinking hard.

What is there to think about, one might wonder? This is an obvious case of the evil forces of cronyism and favouritism taking centre stage in government and an indication of clear abuse of presidential power. It is therefore no wonder that many folk are hot and bothered in the collar. Well the thoughts that are churning in my head have to do with wondering just how much of cronyism, favouritism, nepotism, racism, tribalism and other “ -isms” are out there. We often attribute these undesirable practices to government departments and government officials.

Do not be hoodwinked though to think for a minute that the private sector is clean of such ills. It is not a lie to state that some of the most corrupt and underhanded dealings and deeds are found in the private sector, in small companies, large corporations, as well as NGOs (who on paper are the embodiment of transparency). What Zuma did to Nene, is what scores of corrupt and power hungry managers and employers do every day in the corporate and non-governmental worlds. They hire and fire willy-nilly, based on discriminatory “-isms” without considering qualifications, competence, experience and other factors that are in the interests of the organisation.

Huge sums are diverted to the personal coffers of company administrators at the expense of shareholder’s dividends. Other millions are rerouted away from the tax man through complex tax evasion tricks masterminded by accounting wizards. Price fixing cartels are created by industrial giants to eat away at the consumer’s pocket. Workers are exploited and abused and yet they continue to toil in silence for fear of losing their jobs.

Why then is it that we hear mostly about the incompetence and mismanagement of President Zuma and his government officials and very little of what happens in the private sector? The answer lies in the number of stakeholders. A company manager probably has to account only to the board of the company and to a lesser extent, the shareholders and unions. This number is very small in comparison to the millions that have a say in the affairs of government by virtue of being tax payers. If a company is headed by its owner, accountability can be close to non-existent. Unlike the voting populace that has strength in numbers and can easily march to the Union Buildings, employees of private concerns are often overcome by the fear that they can be easily replaced or victimised if they dare voice any dissent publicly.

Unions are not always able to expose and fight against these evil practices. Perpetrators of unethical “-isms” often go scot free as a result of these challenges. This should not be the case, and I personally believe that anyone who heads an entity, be it a charity, an NGO, a government department or country for that matter, should always be made to account for his or her actions of governance. Even where it may seem as if there are few or no available options of redress, remember that there are always options. At times just exposing bad governance is enough to keep it in check. The practice of “-isms” must fall and everyone has a duty to stand up and play their part in this noble and necessary fight.

Snake eating church - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge

2015-07-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

Just when we thought we had heard it all when news spread not so long ago that “Prophet”Lesego Daniel of Pretoria was making members of his congregation eat grass and drink petrol as part of worship, along comes his crony, “Prophet” Penuel Mnguni with his diabolical gospel that requires congregants to consume live snakes which apparently will turn into chocolate in their mouths!

Who or what is churning out these false prophets (Yes I said it) and how are they able to convince people to participate in such grossly cultish acts in the name of Christianity? I believe and state without reservation that this is the work of he that is mentioned in Revelation 12:9 as “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world…” No wonder a snake was chosen out of all the creatures, Mnguni is glorifying the symbol of his master! Our Lord summed it all up when he lamented through the Prophet Hosea that “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6)

It is tempting to reach a conclusive judgement that the followers of these cult leaders are greater nincompoops than the “prophets” themselves and deserve whatever comes their way because they should know better. It is a fact though, that in this world where people are looking for divine solutions to the many earthly problems that befall them, it is possible to be caught up in such situations if one is not well grounded in reading the scriptures. Biblical prophecy warns us that in the last days, false prophets and false will be many, some will perform great miracles and through them, the ancient serpent will mislead God’s people just as he did in Eden (Jeremiah 14:14; Mark 13:22).

The only solution for the erstwhile Christian to survive these torrid times is to pray without ceasing and study the word of God carefully under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Never rely solely on someone else’s knowledge of the Bible. We need to read for ourselves! It is also of utmost importance for those who have read and understood the real word of God to evangelise and study the Bible with those that have not yet read for themselves. It is not a sign of unfaithfulness or lack of faith to cross check in the scriptures, what your pastor or priest preaches to you. Within the Bible lies the litmus test that will reveal the level of truth coming out of their mouths. Remember the Berean Jews who we are told in Acts 17 checked if the gospel of Paul and Silas was true? It is of utmost importance to do that without becoming overly sceptic of course.

I urge all truth loving believers of the Bible to take a stand against these evil men who are dragging the name of God in the mud. Let us stand up and allow God to use us to preach the true word of God. Nothing less is expected of us.

The Great Commission (Matthew 28: 16-20)

(Also in Mark 16:14-18)

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Who will win the Uber taxi war in South Africa?

2015-07-13T04:01:00.001-07:00

The way that the taxi hailing app, Uber, has been received so far in South Africa by the taxi industry seems to be in line with the resistance experienced in France, the UK, the USA and many other countries. The meter taxi operators in the South African cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town are up in arms with Uber and are not having any of this “new-fangled nonsense” in their backyard.

Just as the Luddite movement in early nineteenth century Britain reacted to the Industrial Revolution's ushering in of new machines in the factories (Violent protests and mass destruction of the new technology), we see similar patterns of response taking place today.

To a certain extent, it is understandable that when one’s livelihood is at stake, extreme measures are taken to defend it. There is need for a reality check, however. While the traditional taxi operators in Johannesburg, Cape Town and elsewhere in the world where Uber has entered have the support of government and the unions in their hostility towards Uber, the hard truth is that the growth of any technology that is efficient and cost effective to stakeholders, cannot be inhibited. The fact that this phone app has grown to a 41 billion dollar business empire is proof enough that it is here to stay and if current players want to stay relevant, they need to catch up with the times and see how they can align themselves with the evolving and technologically driven business world.

Uber itself has attacted competitors worldwide such as Lyft, Didi Kuaidi and Google who have come up with their own versions of ride sharing and e-transportation services. We need to kiss goodbye the romantic images of waving down a yellow cab on the sidewalks of New York or whistling for its black equivalent in the streets of London. Soon, the practice of having to unsuccessfully negotiate the hefty fares of cab operators at Johannesburg’s park station will be over. The frustration of phoning taxi companies and waiting for ages for a taxi to arrive will soon be history too.

Despite a few negative incidents, mobile apps such as Uber are generally offering faster, cheaper, safer and more reliable ways of securing a taxi ride. Features such as driver ratings by passengers mean that the old adage “The customer is king,” might just get a breath of fresh air. With time, we should see the Ubers of this world transforming not just the meter taxi industry of South Africa, but also it's notorious commuter minibus taxi (“Kombi”) counterpart.

We can easily predict what the reaction of the lot at the infamous Noord Street taxi rank will be; rowdy and violent. Years ago, many traditional shop owners in the townships of South Africa when faced with competition from Asian immigrants who set up more competitive shops in the townships, chose to react by burning and looting the competitors’ shops and harming them physically. They however failed to reign in on the Asians who have now dominated the township retail industry. Had the local shop owners opted to find ways of becoming more competitive and emulating the methods of the new market players, many would still be in business today.

Violence and intimidation are therefore not solutions when confronted by a business threat. Both the meter taxi and “Kombi” operators need to become proactive by studying the competitor’s business model and poising themselves to fit into the emerging scheme of things. Passengers will also have to come on board eventually as the momentum builds up towards techno-based transportation.

One hopes that as the “App Revolution” continues to unravel in many spheres of our lives, we will witness solutions that bring better services in clinics, hospitals, municipal offices, government departments and a host of other places where service delivery to the public is currently overpriced and totally lacking in quality.

Dear Markham Store

2014-12-23T12:38:00.002-08:00

Unsolicited Markhams Store Card

Dear Markham Store

When beginning this post, I was tempted to title it: An open letter to the overzealous Markham marketing department. I then thought twice and discarded that heading because of the negative connotations that the term, “Open Letter,” has acquired of late.

In South Africa, a trend has developed within the last year or two, whereby public figures rush to the tabloids to attack their rivals and adversaries through these so-called open letters. I do not want to go that route and begin a war of words with you on the blogosphere, akin to the recent Ntsiki Mazwai – Fikile Mbalula madness. Such letters are in very bad taste and this letter is certainly not written in bad taste and should not be painted with the same brush as the spate of nasty open letters that are being splashed in the press.

Before I get to the nitty-gritty of this correspondence, may I humbly request that you pass on the contents of this letter to your clothing retail buddies at Truworths Man. If possible, may you please also pass it on to other companies like Direct Axis and Vodacom, who use the same ambush tactics that you use. I will be drafting similar letters to them soon, but it will not hurt for you put them in the picture so that when my letters arrive, a foundation will already have been laid.

Please note, Markham store, that I value your position as a leading player in the retail of men’s clothing in South Africa. That however does not mean that I am doing cartwheels to celebrate the card that you sent to me in the post. Apparently I can use that card to activate a pre-approved Markhams account. I am flattered that you have done some checking up on me and have concluded that I am credible and worthy of being one of your account holders.

Do take note as well, that whenever I have bought something from one of your outlets, it has always been for cash. This is not to be taken personally; the truth is that I have never in my life bought clothing on credit and I do not intend to do so anytime soon. Sending me plastic cards with my name printed on them, is only useful to me in keeping my bank cards snug and firmly fitted in the card compartment of my wallet.

I hope that you understand my unwillingness to fall victim to the avaricious whims that you and hordes of other retailers seem to develop during this festive time of the year. It is sad that when one buys a newspaper during the Christmas season, there are more pages of advertisements to be read than there are of news. I am sure that you have found other people who are more amenable to your marketing gimmicks.

Be rest assured that you will continue to make a killing without the paltry instalments that you would have fleeced from me, had I taken you up on your offer. I am certainly not awash with funds. That is why in the few instances where I have had to apply for credit, I have declined to have my personal details added to the National Consumer Database. Someone, somewhere obviously ignored my wishes but now might be a good time for my wishes to be respected by you and your other cronies.

I trust that you will consider the contents of this letter and I look forward to continuing as a cash paying customer in the future.

Regards

Far from gullible consumer

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A sobering thought about the Oscar Pistorius trial

2014-07-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to read about yet another twist in the Oscar Pistorius fiasco. While reading this article on how a video clip has surfaced which shows a nimble-legged Oscar running with relative ease on his leg stumps contrary to his defence’s argument, I pondered on a sobering thought. As millions of us wake up daily, to devour with obsessive greed and curiosity, the latest titbits of news and information from television and twitter feeds, the people directly affected or involved in the Oscar Pistorius trial, wish that they could wake up to a day free of the court room stress and drama.

Reeva Steenkamp’s parents and other family members have to wake up every day to face the man responsible for snuffing out their loved one’s life. It must be an excruciatingly painful ordeal that we, the peanut gallery will never fully understand. Oscar himself is a jittery bundle of nerves as we have observed during his cross examination and the thought of going to prison for the rest of his life must keep him and his family awake at night. Imagine wishing that you could turn back the hands of time but being jolted into the stark reality that you just cannot.

Judge Thokozile Masipa and her assessors are not spared from the agony either. They need to ensure that they examine the proceedings with a fine tooth comb in order not to miss out on critical evidence or proceedings that might lead them to make an erroneous judgement. The pressure must surely be on; the world is watching after all. Speaking about pressure, both the defending and prosecuting advocates and their legal teams are in the thick of it. To the public, the battle of legal wits might seem to be a fun and entertaining South African version of LA Law, but believe you me, Advocates Barry Roux and Gerrie Nel both have mammoth tasks ahead of them to successfully secure the acquittal (Roux) or prosecution (Nel), of Oscar Pistorius. Professional reputation and ability are at stake and I would not be surprised to learn that the lawyers on both sides, have lost some weight and their hair is much thinner and greyer than it was before the trial. The average spectator however feels that they are earning a fortune for their efforts and therefore do not deserve any sympathy. Let us not forget as well, the witnesses who have had to take to the witness stand to be subjected to intense and sometimes traumatic grilling by the lawyers.

Given the above realities, most of us probably do not give a whale’s fin about what all these people are going through. We shall continue to watch, debate, judge and conclude, right until Judge Masipa hammers her gavel for the very last time. Feeling a twinge of disappointment and maybe resentment that our source of entertainment has gone, we will then seek other incidents of other people’s misfortunes to satisfy our insatiable lust for news and drama. Maybe it will be the Shrien Dewani case or maybe some other case that has not yet come to see the light of day. The ones involved and affected in the Oscar case, will on the other hand get on with their lives, hopefully free from our intrusive and invasive eyes and comforted at least by the fact that it is finally over.

__________________________

Verse of the day:

Psalm 34:8

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Bad supermarket vibes

2014-01-12T09:42:00.002-08:00

You are walking in the mall or in the street, minding your own business (or at least trying to), when you suddenly spot that person that you kind of know. What do I mean by, “kind of know?” Well this is that person that you have never really got to converse with in great detail. It could be that neighbour from years ago, who would never really smile at you or greet you in the expected neighbourly fashion. It could also be that old school mate who you have always shared some twisted rivalry dating back to twenty or more years ago. It could be that colleague from work that has never really been able to tolerate you or vice-versa. In yet another scenario, this might be a distant relative who thinks that he or she is much better than the rest of the family.

Anyway, whoever this individual is, he or she also steals a glance at you and looks away. You inch closer to each other and it becomes clear that there is no detour for either of you to escape that much dreaded moment when you will have to talk to each other. You pretend to be focused on some random product on the supermarket shelf and your foe fiddles away on the keypad of a cellphone; “chatting” with some non-existent contact on an imaginary social network.

Finally the moment of reckoning comes; you both cannot pretend not to be aware of each other’s existence any longer. Sooner or later embarrassment must prevail over pride and that is when both of you look up, stare at each other and with fake surprise, you loudly proclaim how good it is to meet each other. Bear hugs are dished out and plastic smiles are flashed. All of these shows of affection are as fake as the hairs on a faux fur jacket. After a few more minutes of torturous small talk, you part ways and promise to meet each other soon for tea or lunch. In your warped minds you size each other up for the last time and part, each with the most spiteful of thoughts and feelings racing within. Your brain and mouth are at clear odds; the poor organs are puzzled by the glaring disparity between thought and word.

Such is life. When a lion meets a kudu face to face in the wilderness, there is no fake friendliness. The lion roars and gets ready to pounce and the kudu does not need to be told that it should dash for dear life. The two animals’ relationship is clearly defined and both know where they stand with each other. Unfortunately when it comes to us humans, what you see is often what you do not get. We walk around with a lot of animosity for others and we think that the best way to deal with this garbage is to hide it, not get rid of it! In spite of our pompousness and superiority complex, in the final scheme of things, we really are a sorry lot.

Not so welcome birthday greetings from Vodacom

2013-08-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, another birthday came and went. By nature, I am not one prone to celebrating birthdays with pomp and fanfare. The plan for my birthday was to just lie in and at the most, indulge in some cake. Well, I went ahead and did exactly that while reading the many happy birthday messages sent by family and friends telephonically and via social media. It seems however that Vodacom South Africa had a surprise for me!

This unexpected surprise was a happy birthday sms. For the eight or so years that I have been a customer of Vodacom, this was the first time that the company has ever wished me a happy birthday. Was I impressed, happy and proud to have this corporate giant send me their good wishes on this day? In all frankness the answer is NO.

Now before you lambast me for being an egoistic ingrate who ought to be more appreciative of a good gesture and a kind word, please bear in mind a couple of things. The first one is that this sms is a standard one that was probably sent to thousands of other subscribers on that day. The sender was probably some automated computer program and besides entering my name and details onto the system, there is little chance that there was any other human element involved in dispatching this communiqué. Asking me to be all smiley and touched by a message sent through a piece of technology is really asking for too much.

Many by now are aware of the ongoing court battle in which Nkosana Makate is suing Vodacom for a slice of the mammoth earnings that the cellular giant has earned through over the years via the Please Call Me service. Makate says that he invented the service in 2000 when he was still a Vodacom employee. Vodacom insists that the idea was the brainchild of Mr Alan Knott-Craig, the current CEO of rival company, Cell C and the man who at that time was their CEO. While it is the job of the courts and not mine to decide who is the rightful brains behind the Please Call Me concept, there is something in this case that has exposed Vodacom as an arrogant bully with little appreciation for those that put them where they are. They admit that even if it is proven that Makate is right, they will not part with a single cent. The message there is clear: If you are our employee and you do something extra to your normal call of duty, we will not value that effort and will not be willing to recognise or reward that effort.

As a consumer, I have often pondered as to whether Vodacom and its cronies, (the likes of MTN and Cell C) actually give a goose’s beak about us, the people who contribute towards their bulging coffers. The high tariffs we pay for calls, data and smses do not seem to correspond with the high incidence of dropped calls, irregular network coverage and slow internet connections. The special deals such as the free extra data “Night Owl” promotions are designed to discourage us from utilising them. Not many will sacrifice their much needed sleep to remain awake from 12 midnight until 5am as a way of benefiting from the promotion. Talk of the Power Hour promotion (free one hour call) and nightmares of massive network congestion crop up. New contract plans such as the Vodacom Smart Light package are presented as affordable contract deals, when in fact they are guaranteed cash gobblers.

Unfortunately, as long as the South African government does not give the country’s communications regulator, Icasa, more power to force these cellphone companies to lower their rates, we will continue to pay through the nose for services that are very affordable in other countries. As long as consumers do not engage in some meaningful consumer boycott or other form of resistance, the Vodacoms and MTNs of this world will continue to give us poor and expensive service. South Africa will continue to be ranked 36 out of 40 countries in Africa in terms of cellular service affordability. As for me, as long as this daylight robbery continues, Vodacom shall excuse me for not being too particularly thrilled at receiving their birthday wishes.

A great lesson to learn from Vuyo Mbuli

2013-05-20T13:31:00.001-07:00

As thousands of SABC viewers in South Africa as well as the rest of Southern Africa reel in shock over the untimely death of TV and Radio personality Vuyo Mbuli, one clearly detects a deep sense of loss. Unlike many other celebrities who are appreciated at surface value, Vuyo Mbuli made his mark as a news presenter who made a real difference in the lives of his fans.

How did he pull this off? Simply by taking his work seriously and being warm, friendly, likeable and knowledgeable, he managed to win the hearts of a multitude of viewers. The SABC 2 Morning Live News Broadcast is not the only news option available to South African TV viewers every morning but because of the dynamic combination of Mbuli and his co-presenter Leeanne Manas, Morning Live has over the years developed into the most popular morning news bulletin in South Africa and even beyond the borders.

Vuyo impressed with his multi-linguism, his famous "Sharp-sharp" signing off statement, his bright smile and wealth of knowledge. All of this was done with great ease which left one with a strong suspicion that the man was born in front of the cameras. While life will have to still go on and the Morning Live show will also have to go on, we can take the opportunity to pick up some life tips from Vuyo Mbuli. You do not need to do mammoth things to make a difference in people's lives. Vuyo did what he knew best and he did it well. He put himself in the shoes of the masses and his interviews dealt eloquently with issues pertaining to the plight of the masses, including the ordinary man in the street. Smiles beamed on people's faces every morning because of the warmth and charm that he exuded with ease.

The biggest lesson to learn from Vuyo is that one does not need to go and spend millions on humanitarian projects or to engage in outrageous publicity stunts to gain respect and appreciation. Being your good, friendly and committed self is more than sufficient to touch people's lives. No one else can be better at being the good you than you! Do that and others will follow in your footsteps and in their own special way, they will also touch the lives of others. Go on and try some of that Vuyo Mbuli magic. It is a legacy that surely must live on!

Goodnight and sleep tight officers!

2012-10-10T10:41:00.001-07:00

Do you not just love these pics of our beloved SAPS officers catching up on their beauty sleep? If you do not, please soften that hardened heart of yours and try to appreciate the fact that even our darlings in blue are entitled to the occasional snooze now and again. The fact that sleep presents itself to them during working hours is besides the point!

The more I view these photos, the more I get a warm, tingling feeling in my inner self and so should you. In this world of let downs, it is refreshing to know that while I am fast asleep at night, there are brave men and women out there risking their lives to fight crime, protect me and extend the long arm of the law to where it is most needed. What makes this even more special is that this amazing service is all done in their dreams!
Forgive me if I stain this blog post with a tear or two, but this is all so touching and heart warming. Maybe someone high up in the government needs to talk to the Police Commissioner and the Minister of Police about furnishing all police stations in South Africa with beds for our crime busters to rest their well fed but aching bodies. I am not suggesting expensive, queen sized beds; just simple, inexpensive but comfy single beds will do.

Hopefully if beds are introduced, our aunty above will no longer be at risk of falling over her chair or straining her well built neck. To show our appreciation for the great work that SAPS officers such as these do for us, we need to give something back to them as a community. I know many of you are already generous in your bribes which I am sure go a long way in maintaining their upkeep. Money however is not everything. How about forming singing groups in your neighbourhood to sing lullabies for the officers on duty in the wee hours of the morning at your nearest police station? That way we can play our part in supporting the "Great crime fighting dream!" To my dear SAPS officers, I can only say sleep tight my dear friends, do not let the bugs or the Independent Police Investigative Directorate bite!

Crime is here to stay because of you!

2012-04-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

I was chatting recently to my brother-in-law when he related to me the story of a cleaner at a car wash in Johannesburg who recently helped herself to R20 000 that she found in the glove compartment of a car that she was cleaning.

What cheek when you consider that the owners of the car were seated close by, waiting patiently for her to clean their car. The story has a sad ending. Although the couple realised upon entering their car that the money was missing, it became their word against the cleaner’s. Miss Car Washer had already stashed her loot somewhere (probably with the connivance of her colleagues) and when the police were called, their hands were tied because there was no proof that there was ever R20 000 in the car! The thief did not turn up for work after that day and one hopes that her ways catch up with her in the near future.

I am sure there are numerous tales that rival or exceed this one in terms of highlighting the criminal element that is now rife within our communities. We hear of such stories so often that our first reaction is to pour blame and ridicule at the victims, in this case the people whose money was stolen. Many of us probably feel that it was a stupid and naïve act to leave a large amount of cash in the glove compartment when it is well known that nobody should be trusted. We have little, if any sympathy. That line of thinking which I am also guilty of implies that criminals have the right to pilfer and loot from hard working and honest folk and the onus is on these folk to make sure that they avoid the criminals. This warped mentality likens criminals to lions in a game park. The lion is known to be dangerous and therefore the responsibility is on the game viewer to exercise caution when touring the game park. I say today that the two situations are not the same and it high time that we stop blaming the victims and declare war on the law breakers.

We have allowed ourselves to become such victims of crime that we have developed some tolerance towards it. Is at any wonder therefore that crime levels are so high and continue to soar? As long as we hear people making statements such as; “At least he only took the cash from my wallet and did not go off with my bank cards and identity documents; then we should know that the high crime rate is here to stay!

An African Android Revolutionary - Viva Verone Mankou!

2012-03-21T00:49:00.001-07:00

Verone Mankou, the designer and creator of the Way-C tablet

Unsavoury as it might sound, we as the African populace tend to suffer from a “past issues” syndrome where we harp on about how we have been under developed, disadvantaged, disunited, misgoverned and impoverished by that terrible monster called The West. We spit with lightning speed and with great contempt at the many culprits which range from Cecil Rhodes, George Bush, Uncle Sam, The United Kingdom, France, Holland and others guilty of imperialism. We point fingers of accusation at the Atlantic Slave Trade and the exploitation of our resources by Anglo American and other multinationals. Insults are hurled at the World Bank, IMF and the United Nations, those wolves that come to us disguised as caring lambs.

All these accusations bear some validity and cannot be dismissed as lies, but we tend to forget one crucial guilty party that ought to feature high on the list: We the citizens of Africa! Although our memory of past injustices suffered centuries ago is vivid, a sudden bout of amnesia hits us when it comes to the more recent role that we have played in suppressing our own upliftment. While we have the vision to design and build the plush Hollywood style mansions that sprawl the leafy suburbs of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Harare or Lagos; when it comes to designing our own technology, manufacturing and processing plants, we moan at how we do not have the means to do so. We cry about the way the Bretton Woods institutes through their lending policies; have a vice-like grip on our economies. This is despite the fact that a sizeable chunk of our resources finds its way to funding civil wars, overseas holidays for our political leaders and of course, fat Swiss Bank accounts.

It is against this sad background that Mthoko salutes an African warrior, who has taken a huge step to fight the true battle of African economic liberation. A man who has decided that he will not waste time whining about how bad the Western World is, but will take steps at beating them at their own game. In the true style of a great mind, this man has realised that the issues of Africa will not be solved in comfy conference rooms and board rooms of political summits and meetings. Instead he has taken his battle to the drawing rooms and workshops of his own backyard.

Thumbs up to Verone Mankou a 26-year old from the Congo (Brazzaville) whose company VMK, has produced the Way-C Android touchpad tablet, Africa’s rival to the iPad. Currently on sale in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire in the Congo, this affordable device (US$300) is set to make an immense contribution to the world of technology, especially that of Africa.

There are very little or no global product brands that originate from Africa and the Way-C is the pioneer that we need to give us that much needed wake-up call. Mankou could have chosen to find fancy work overseas at Apple, Nokia, Samsung, Ericsson or other electronic and telecommunications giant. Instead he chose to invest his time, energy and effort to the uplifting of his nation and continent. He is not interested in playing for the giants, but would rather play with, if not against other giants.

The Asian giants such as China, Japan, Singapore and India have long woken up to the realisation that it does not pay to lament about the bad past. Africans need to realise that they have more control over their destiny today than they ever had before. We need to realise that we are a talented people who have the creative and intellectual capacity to be producers and supply other continents with our home grown products and ideas. While our technological capacity is not where it should be, this is no excuse for us to sit on our laurels. Partnerships can still be made with those that have the means, but on equal and non-exploitative terms. Verone Mankou has demonstrated that it is possible to beat the odds and stamp our African footprint. Viva Verone!

Watch this video clip about Verone Mankou

What you might not have known about the Malema effect

2012-03-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

Julius Malema expelled from the ANC

The last nails of the casket of Julius Malema's political career seem to have been hammered and all that is left is for the ANC to bury its wayward son. His foes are probably celebrating and breathing sighs of relief, while his diehard fans strategise on what to do next. Friend or foe, have you stopped to consider the not so obvious ways in which the era of "Malemarism" changed the world?

First of all, news bulletins and newspaper headlines became something of a national interest. It is without doubt that his feather ruffling comments, uncouth outbursts and verbal assaults on journalists lured many to take a more active interest in following the news. Stop and consider how many school children might have benefited from improved literacy levels, thanks to always reading articles, tweets and status updates about Juju. While his personal endeavours in the matric examination room were not exactly successful, it is very possible that Juju has single handedly assisted many students to read and therefore has helped to boost their literacy.

Needless to say, our "Dear Comrade" managed during his tenure as South Africa's chief entertainer, to create a boom in the media and entertainment industries. Where would comedians like Trevor Noah and Loyiso Gola be without the rich comical fodder for their shows? Would the likes of Third Degree presenter Deborah Patter have enjoyed high ratings, were it not for their interviews with the likes of Malema? Think as well of the job opportunities created for journalists, photographers and news readers. Imagine the high sales of newspapers giving the latest scoop on this "champion of the poor," and you will realise how the news and entertainment world might be about to hit a slump! Even party and event organisers are likely to weep at the loss of their main crowd puller at their functions.

Speaking about industries and job creation, the legal and law enforcement industries could also be adversely affected. With the departure of Julius, a time will come in the future when the Hawks will be hard pressed to find other dubious tender deals and family trusts to investigate. His security entourage will soon have to hang up their dark suits and dark glasses, or else look for employment elsewhere. The lawyers of pressure group Afri-Forum are probably biting their nails, wondering if they have lost the lucrative clientage of Afri-Forum and other civic groups engaged in legal battles against the axed ANCYL leader for his hate speech.

On the economic and political front, what is to become of Floyd Shivambu, Sindiso Magaqa and the rest crew that rode on the Malema band wagon? Through dubious dealings with Malema, some of these so called “youth” have been able to secure lucrative government tenders and live the high life under the pretentious title of “entrepreneurs.” Some thought they were climbing the political ladder as they piggy backed on Juju. Is it back to the drawing board or on to the rubbish heap for these ambitious men who have just had candy snatched from their mouths? Who knows, they might just be forced to do the ghastly; an honest day’s work and display basic manners!

As you either bemoan or celebrate the the ANC’s axing of Malema, you must admit that many moons from now, the world will look back and say: "Hate or love him, Juju was a character and a half whose name shall be etched in the history books!"

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An interestingly unique profile picture

2012-02-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

You have probably seen many weird profile pictures on the social network that you belong to. I wonder though if you have come across anything like this before. I will confess that it is the first time that I have seen a picture of this nature. Weird might not be the right word to use, maybe I need to say that it is interestingly unique. If I were to add a caption to this picture, this is what I would write:

Life's Directional Crossroads

What caption would you write dear reader?

Aquaplaning and Hydroplaning- Words I learnt the dangerous way

2012-02-11T12:19:00.000-08:00

Had it not been for an incident last week in which I lost total control of my car and was saved only by the protective arms of God from a serious accident, I would not have learnt two new English words; Hydroplaning and Aquaplaning. I have always known hydroplanes as fast racing boats and aquaplanes as water skiing boards pulled by fast boats. I never imagined that a moment of danger would culminate in me searching for and learning the verb forms of these words.

Last Thurday I woke up to a cool and beautiful morning, thanks to the light but continous rainfall that had begun during the night. I drove slowly to work, partly because of the wet road, and partly to enjoy the beauty of the raindrops falling gently on the windscreen. As I got to the last of the two traffic circles (roundabouts) that I drive through on a daily basis, I stopped to give way to traffic that was already in the circle. I then proceeded into the circle and headed straight towards the first exit. That is when the drama began.

Suddenly the car lost direction and veered to the left. There was nothing I could do to get it back in line! The steering wheel suddenly felt light as if it had no connection with the wheels. It might as well have been one of those toy steering wheels that you find on supermarket trolleys for little children to play driver while their parents push them around the shop! After several seconds of turning the steering wheel, the car then slid to the right, crossing the right lane towards the right edge of the road! By that time I had let go of the accelerator, stepped on the clutch and was applying the brakes gently. I came to a gentle halt by the extreme right side of the road and that is when the panic set in. My heart raced as I realised that had there been cars following closely behind, there would definitely have been a horrible crash. I then proceeded at a snail's pace to my work. Although I had regained control of my vehicle, I was convinced that there was a steering fault.

Hours later, a technician did a check on the car and confirmed that all was in order. The cause he said, was a phenomenon called Hydroplaning or Aquaplaning. The reason that I had no control over the car was because the wheels were not touching the road, but were resting on a layer of water and oil that separated the wheels from the ground! That explained why despite the fact that I had not been speeding, I had lost control. Due to the fact that there is a busy truck stop and taxi rank near the circle, a lot of oil and diesel is washed onto the road when it rains and it becomes a dangerous zone for drivers.

While I thank the Almighty for his protection, and I ponder on what can be done to make the authorities act upon this dangerous spot, I cannot help but heave a sigh of the relief and happiness that I did not lose much, but gained in terms of beefing up my word power. Who knows where and how you will add the next new word to your vocabulary?!

A valuable lesson from Thaba'Nchu (The Black Mountain)

2011-12-14T02:33:00.000-08:00

I recently spent a week in Thaba'Nchu in the Eastern Free State. Close to Lesotho, this little, laid back town, with a lovely view of "The Black Mountain," gave me the chance to be away from the maddening crowd. It also provided me with an unexpected lesson in inter-racial and inter-cultural relations.

During that week, I worked closely with a white teacher/farmer from Ficksburg and black university students who hail from within the area. It turned out that the white man spoke impeccable SeSotho with the correct accent. The Sotho youth could only open their mouths in amazement as this English man conversed with them in deep SeSotho and even quoted proverbs that many of them could not understand. While they spoke the modern, colloquial version of their language, this man spoke the formal, undiluted version that they probably associate with their grandparents and other elders.

Interesting as that experience was, the lesson that I learned goes beyond knowing that some white men are fluent in SeSotho. He is not the first or the last to do so. Back home, I have met white people (such as legendary Zimbabwe and international cricketer, Heath Streak) who speak fluent SiNdebele and I have met black people who speak Afrikaans as well as Jan Van Riebeeck probably did. My lesson was that we all need to know more about other people and other cultures. Even if we will never speak their languages, it is imperative that we open our hearts and minds to understand other people's ways, beliefs, and backgrounds. Here in South Africa, there are too many racial and ethnicity based stereotypes that contribute to making the term "Rainbow Nation" a laughable fairy tale. Coupled with ignorance, the combination becomes lethal fuel for racism, ethnicism and xenophobia.

We need to get rid of wrong notions such as: All Xhosas and Zulus are stubborn, all Zimbabweans are Shonas, all West Africans are Nigerians and are drug dealers, all Sothos eat horse meat, all Afrikaners are racist, all black people are noisy, true Tswanas are only found in Botswana, Vendas are all dark skinned, all black people who speak English are not proud of being black; the list is endless. If we erase them from our minds, it will dawn upon us that we are more alike than we are different. We will realise that in any culture, good values are the same. We also need to realise that learning more about other people and adopting the good aspects of their ways does not mean that we become lesser members of our own cultural societies. The Sotho speaking white son of Ficksburg is not a lesser English South African because of his knowledge of the ways of the Sotho people. He is more enlightened and enriched. Surely that renders him superior to many of us!

Jacko and Dr. Murray- Who's Bad?

2011-11-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

True to our predictions, Dr Conrad Murray has been found guilty of killing Michael Jackson by administering to the Pop icon, heavy dosages of the powerful theatre anaesthetic, Propofol and anti-anxiety drug, Lorazepam. With some states having already de-registered this latest version of Doctor Death, Dr. Murray’s medical career is not looking bright at all. Hopefully for his family, he has made enough "stash" as a celebrity doctor to secure his financial future. He has options though. An autobiographical publication and maybe offers for movie rights will surely lurk close to him in the corner of some Californian jail cell.

Anyway, let us get to the heart of this blog post. Michael Jackson's family have from day one, laid the blame for the death of the King of Pop squarely on Dr. Murray's shoulders; So have the icon's millions of fans worldwide, as well as Los Angeles County deputy district attorney, David Walgren and the jury. Is this entirely true and fair? As much as I also adored the musical genius of Jackson, I emphatically say, "NO!"

What some of my fellow star struck and emotionally scarred fans forget is that, "He who pays the Piper plays the tune." The issue is not that the dosage was too and high and therefore fatal. It is not about whether the overdose was self administered by Jackson or by Murray. The fact that Jackson knowingly took the drug outside of the walls of a hospital theatre means that he shares an equal if not greater blame than his doctor does. It is shockingly naive to think that "Doctor Death" was paid a whooping $150 000 a month to just pump anything he wanted into Jacko's anatomy, without Jackson having any awareness or say in it all. MJ did not become a singing and stage performing sensation from being stupid and clueless. It is therefore best to scratch that notion from our books of blame.

I am not at all suggesting that Murray should have been left to go scot-free. On the contrary, a four year sentence (possibly under house arrest) could be rather lenient for this Grenada born medic who shattered the Hippocratic oath and ethics into smithereens. My qualms are with the manner in which most people have conveniently forgotten that the illegal activities of this doctor were financed by Jackson himself. I have a problem with the insinuation that prior to his death, Jackson was a healthy, bouncy, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed individual who had no long history of addiction to prescription drugs.

Overdose or not, Propofol had no place in Jackson's body and Murray certainly did not put a gun to Jackson's head for him to take it. Our airwaves will never be the same and our TV sets will probably never again display the same levels of dazzle that we witnessed in the days of Thriller, Bad, and Heal the World. Sad as that may be, let us not allow our emotions to cloud our judgements. One needs to think objectively when attempting to answer the question posed by one of Jacko's own songs, "The whole world wants to know, who's bad?"

For History not to judge us harshly in the future, we need to write down suicide as the cause of Michael Jackson's death on the very same page that we record Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter verdict.

Breaking News: UN bans Please Call Me SMSes

2011-10-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

Please Call Me messages to become a thing of the past

Breaking news: World leaders at a UN Convention have passed a resolution to fast track new laws in their countries, banning the free Please Call Me sms service that many of their cellphone network providers offer. The new laws will compel network providers to remove this service from their systems and in its place implement a Please Call Me - It's an Emergency sms system.

Under the new system, subscribers will only be able to send free messages asking the recipients to call them back only if it is an emergency. Should it be found that there has been an abuse of this service and there is no emergency, offenders will face punitive measures that range from hefty fines, lengthy prison terms and life bans on cellphone usage.

Briefing journalists on what motivated this unexpected resolution, some of the UN General Assembly leaders pointed out that an undesirable breed of Please Call Me fanatics had developed and these needed to be culled before their mutation spread and became a worldwide plague. People with sufficient credit to call their friends and colleagues or with sufficient money to buy it, were resorting to Please Call Me's to avoid spending money. The unfortunate recipients of these call me requests were calling back only to discover that they were being taken advantage of. It has been declared a gross violation of human rights to prompt people to spend their airtime credit to call you, yet you are the one who needs their assistance and should therefore be the one calling them.

The alternative Please Call Me - Its an Emergency system, will ensure that only genuine and important Call Me requests are sent. Analysts see the proposed punitive measures as a sufficient deterrent to ward off offenders. As news spreads of these new worldwide developments, cellphone users have been reported to be at either the high echelons of jubilation or the lowest depths of disgust, depending on whether they are victims or offenders.

For further information on the implementation of these laws in your country, contact your communications department or mobile network provider.

Blackberry saga reminds us that we are not robots

2011-10-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Blackberry internet outage came and is now history. The silly jokes at the expense of the hapless Blackberry users have circulated at viral speed worldwide and they have also subsided. People's blood pressures have sky rocketed and normalised again. At the end of it all, one stark question still stands glaringly, awaiting an answer. How were we able to survive before our smartphones, tablets and notebooks?

One is reminded through this Blackberry Saga, of the panic attack that was triggerd by the fear of known as the Y2K millenium bug. It gripped humanity on the eve of the 1st of January 2000. All awaited with bated breath, hoping against all hope that the ushering in of a new century would not lead to a global crash of computer systems. This week's Blackberry debacle has proved once again that man is now a slave of technology. Who can bravely stand up and claim that he is master of technology and is not at its absolute mercy? No siree, few can honestly make such a proclamation. What we need to do now and again is take breaks from Skype, Gtalk, Twitter, Blackberry Messenger, Facebook, Whatsapp and the host of other applications that we use to get in touch. Let us make a deliberate effort to communicate via a good, old fashioned sms or to make a normal telephone call. Let us park our cars and walk to the shops and let us handwash our laundry now and then. Switch off your computers and TV sets once in a while. Why do all of this?

The reason is simple: to remind ourselves that life is not a Science fiction flick in which we rely on some gadget, program or application to live. We need to remind ourselves that we invented this technology, it did not invent us. We are not robots, we are human! If Hagar the horrible, Tarzan, Asterix and Fred Flintstone could survive in the olden days with the most primitive and bare necessities, there is no logical reason why we cannot. Think about it, should we not go back to the basics?