Brighten up the sky.....................

Friday was Guy Fawkes night (5th November) did any one you know celebrate it?? as a kid in the UK it was a big thing bonfires, roasting “tatties” potatoes for those posh readers and lighting roman candles, jumping jacks, spinning wheels rockets fired from milk bottles and making mayhem. In the UK the adverts would be on for fireworks and one in particular sticks in my mind “Do you remember the 5th of November, brighten up the skies with Standard fireworks”…NO problems about traumatising cats or upsetting the neighbours because they as well as their pets where at the bonfire celebrating as well.

Guy Fawkes Night may be associated with merry making and nice and alluring fireworks but the truth is this event is commemorating a very sad event in UK history. This particular event only highlighted the embittered relationship between Catholics and Anglicans. It was the night when a small group of Catholics (fanatics) tried and almost succeeded in murdering all the high ranking officials of the Land during that time. Luckily the attempt did not succeed and the plotters were then hunted. Gay Fawkes last days were very bad. He died shortly after being captured. This event is just one classic example of irony and religions.

Must be Xmas season as the celebrity books are coming out.

One from a person who was supposed to be a role model to kids, but is in fact a dope smoking, wife beating, whore chasing cheat………….Surprise surprise. Herschel Gibbs book “To the Point “ already caused a stir before it was even released this week as it alleges that

Gibbs (36) shook the cricketing world on Sunday with allegations in his autobiography, To The Point, about sexual orgies, alcohol and drug abuse during some of the team’s tours. He also alleges that a “clique” made up of Smith, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and AB de Villiers causes division in the Proteas dressing room and makes it “impossible to develop positive team spirit”.

The other book is from ex Proteas coach Mickey Arthur
Johannesburg - The South African cricket team faces further controversy next week when former coach Mickey Arthur's autobiography is released, according to daily newspapers on Saturday. Arthur reportedly blames former international fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, who retired from international cricket this week, of accusing him of racism while he was in charge of the South African team. Also this week, the Proteas were rocked when batsman Herschelle Gibbs released his autobiography, entitle To the Point, which reveals sexual orgies involving other players and details his problems with alcohol and marijuana. Arthur's book, Taking the Mickey, is set for release on Monday

So Mr Gibbs and Mr Arthur I am sure your books will sell out (just in time for Christmas….shrewd move), not because people want to read about your thoughts on cricket or ??? but to read about your peccadillo’s or dirt slinging ……Really a pity especially for you Mr. Gibbs as you where a great batsman, awesome fielder (ok apart from the time you dropped the ball and basically lost us the World Cup, but then again Allen Donald forgot to run, so who to blame, who to blame)

It was not just H.G that has had a bad week it would seem that the President that was moulded in the image of JFK a one Barack Obama also has had a crap week.

Washington - US President Barack Obama faced a bleak political landscape on Wednesday after voters punished Democrats over high unemployment and a sluggish economic recovery, delivering a divided Congress in Tuesday's mid-term elections. Republicans pushed Democrats decisively from power in the House of Representatives and strengthened their ranks in the Senate, a result that could herald legislative gridlock when the new Congress takes power in January. Republican control of the House will weaken Obama in fights over the extension of income tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year and over efforts to pass comprehensive energy or immigration bills. "The ability of this administration to get major new programmes done was already limited. This just seals the deal," said Jaret Seiberg, policy analyst with the investment advisory firm Washington Research Group.Television networks projected Republicans would pick up at least 60 House seats, more than the 39 they needed for a majority that would elevate conservative John Boehner to House speaker, put Republicans in charge of House committees and slam the brakes on Obama's agenda. Charges levelled at Democrats. The Republican wins surpassed their sweep in 1994, when President Bill Clinton's Democrats lost 54 House seats, and was the biggest shift in power since Democrats lost 75 House seats in 1948. Republicans have portrayed Obama and his Democrats as big spenders who have recklessly run up massive deficits. The charge seemed to resonate with voters. "Our new majority will be prepared to do things differently," Boehner told supporters late on Tuesday.
I see that Julius “Baas ted” MALema and the ANCYL are looking to close down Twitter because there are “reactionaries” using Jm;s name to make him look like a fool……”Got news for you Julius, you managed that all by yourself” here is an article I copied from news 245

Johannesburg - Twitter users were in stitches on the social networking site on Thursday morning following the news that ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema wanted to close it down. Tweets kept rolling in by the minute, with international news websites such as BBC, also picking up on the story."Julius Malema wants to shut down Twitter?" Hahahahahahahahahaha, best joke4 2day," several users commented in reply to a post by 5fm radio jock Gareth Cliff. "Today is create a juju malema account day... do it... you know your red sockes (sic) want to.... lol!" user EarleneBSmith said. Garethdv added: "ANCYL to close down Twitter... They truly are a bunch of gifted individuals!"ImpersonatorsAnother, kerryannerogers, pointed out grammar mistakes in the African National Congress Youth League statement: "In fact ANCYL statement called for 'closer of Twitter' following 'cretation' of fake accounts. Was that so we'd know it was the real Malema?" The ANCYL said on Wednesday it would call for the closure of Twitter if the social network administrators did nothing to stop Malema impersonators. "We will look at ways of stopping this... Even if it means going to the police," spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said. A search of Malema on Twitter reveals 12 users including Julius_Malema, JMalema, Julius_S_Malema and jujumalema. Of the 12 users six bear the picture of the firebrand youth leader. The impersonators continued their work on Thursday morning. One user, named JujuMalemaOZ, offered black empowerment "tips".'Terrified'"Julius Malema empowerment tips#10 Friends = comrades, badguys = Agents, opposition = cockroach and Jonny walker = yebo yes! "Julius Malema empowering tips#9 Agents are everywhere, use a helmet to block brain scanners, no need for me, no brain to scan," the post read. Another impersonator, called julius_m_jnr, wrote: "Trying to help Daddy find the Pedi word for 'satire'... Any help plz, how do I explain it to him? #malema." "Funny We may just have found the ANCYL's weak spot. They're terrified of Twitter. Let's ALL start fake Julius Malema accounts!" Someone else suggested

News from Europe is that Greek terrorists are sending their Xmas presents early to avoid the seasonal rush.
European counter-terrorism officials were on high alert this evening after suspected Greek terrorists unleashed an unprecedented two-day wave of parcel bombs targeting embassies in Athens, international organizations and foreign leaders both in Greece and abroad. By tonight, at least 11 letter bombs had been detected in the Greek capital, one addressed to Nicolas Sarkozy and eight to the embassies of Bulgaria, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Chile, the Netherlands and Belgium. Greek police said international postal and parcel services would be suspended for two days. In Berlin, German authorities destroyed a bomb addressed to Chancellor Angela Merkel. The package was sent from Greece two days earlier by UPS delivery and resembled the Athens parcel bombs, according to German interior minister Thomas de Maizière
Sport this week/weekend was interesting

New Zealand Beat England (as expected) 26 – 16. Australia beat Wales 25 – 16

Proteas lost the 4th one day test against the Paki’s and this now leaves the game on Monday as the decide, “A final if you will” and we all know how well the Proteas do at winning finals. Sri lanka beat Ricky Ponting’s men again going 2-0 up in the 3 game series, the first game Sri Lanka where down and out but a huge record 9th wicket partnership saw them win. Ricky Ponting as pointed out to me by Ryan has taken the Aussies from number 1 to number 4 in the world rankings. The Warriors lost big time on Friday, not doing to well without their Protea players

The Game however that everyone was worried about was the Boks vs the Irish and what a game, but before I get into that I need to make a observation, Yesterday Ryan and I where at the Golden Duck Sports bar and as the SA national anthem came on Ryan and I stood to sing (as we are proud South Africans) most people sat. What hit me though is that after 16 years of Nkosi Sikelele Africa not many white folk know the words and generally hum the tune until the Afrikaans and English verses come on and then sing with Gusto. But the younger generation don’t even sing the anthem that I find disheartening, but anyway onto the game

Many, me included expected two things to happen in the game

1) We would lose
2) Bakkies would be sent off

Neither happened, in fact Bakkies was very low key and just did his job, Ruan Pienaar also did a pretty good job, I think the refereeing (as in the NZ/Eng game) was atrocious with no consistency, we where in control for most of the match except the last 10 minutes where we nearly managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory as Ireland went from 23-9 to 23-21(and it was only the upright that kept the draw at bay) The Boks controlled the last few minutes and wound down the clock for a hard fought but well deserved victory, I unlike Helium do not believe that now we have beaten the Irish we can win the World cup, it’s a platform for us to build on and with 13 A team Boks on the injured list a good effort.

The penultimate GP of the season the Brazilian GP has not started as yet but the pole position was taken by Rookie Nico Hulkenburg of Williams who have their first pole position since 2005, 2nd on the grid is Vettel, followed by Webber, Hamilton and Alonso.

Well that’s about it for this week next week I am training and wil l be going to Mossel bay with Ryan and the Boss to attend a client function and to present the environmental play to those clients. Office is busy this week with 3 classrooms full so will be a lekker week.

Have a great week

S.P.A.D

The days of disco and motorbikes

The roar of Harley Davidson Motorbike engines is audible even though I can just see the first outline of the pack on the near horizon. Heavy metal, leather and chrome. As they come into town – the distinct “potato potato” sound of the exhausts sends parents looking for their children, dogs barking and windows vibrating in their frames. The ACDC song TNT pops into mind ‘Lock up your daughter, lock up your wife, lock up your back door and run for your life…………………”

These are people you don’t want to mess with. A gang of leather clad outlaws that remind me of movies I watch of the old West. Just near me they park their metal steeds and one after the other switch off their engines (the silence is almost disconcerting) and prepare to dismount, scuffed and road worn leather boots kick out side stands like flick knives and as the desperado’s shake off the dust from the long trip. I am in awe and speechless as I wait on my Chopper bycicle, not sure if i should sat or pedal like hell to get away.

This is the first memory that I have of motorbikes and the reason that I ride bikes today, but let me take you back…………………If you where the average standard eight schoolboy perhaps the one thing that played on your mind the most in those years was “will I be getting a motorbike” and what would it be. Why was this so important some of you may ask, well a “fifty” was more than just a mode of transport it was my passport to “coolness” it was a teenagers equivalent of a Ferrari 308GTB for some fifty something “poser”. It represented many a teenagers first uncertain steps to manhood and freedom; visions of fast bike and loose girls clouded the mind.

My first bike was not a brand new “out of the box” Suzuki RG 50 or a green Kawasaki AR 50 (the green one was cool) but a second hand “in the box” Honda SS 50, seriously it cost a princely R50 00 and comprised a frame, three checkers packets as well as a box full of parts, the money having been earned working in a local steakhouse, (but that is a story for another time).

To say I was disappointed when my dad took me to collect the bike is an understatement, his words “it’s a project that will not only bring us closer together but will let you understand the engineering of the bike” had no meaning as my immediate dream of donning a open face helmet and a pair of goggles seemed to disappear faster than you could say “Freddy Spencer” (who was the eighties version of Valentino Rossi) the two nights I spent polishing wheel spokes was almost enough to put me of motorbikes forever, but I am proud to say that my dad persevered and while I watched TV he not only got the bike running but it looked almost new, it was not quite as fast or cool looking as the other bikes mentioned, but it was the most beautiful piece of machinery that I had ever set my eyes on. Not that I knew how to ride it and if you had a dad like mine, “everything had to be done properly or not at all”, so it was of to the local field and after a few hours of shouting, swearing and crying, (yes I am not ashamed to admit that my dad cried) I was able to keep the bike in a straight line and change in to second without falling off, or crunching the gearbox in to oblivion.

Roadworthy was a breeze, but then it was the big test of getting a learners licence, now in those days the traffic cops looks were menacing and I am not sure if it was because of the uniform (big black boots, black jolper pants tucked in to the boots, khaki shirt and an a official/amptelike cap) or the fact that none of them could speak the queens English very well, or in some cases at all. I remember one particular officer telling my mom after she had parked the wrong way in a one way street (in her defence we had only been in SA for about a month) “ R lady you’s R not in England now hey”, my mom re-payed his kindness of not giving her a fine, by riding over his feet about a month later, while he was performing traffic duties on a road near our house, it was the first time I had seen a traffic cop break dance, but with my mom driving a large Ford Taunus, it would not be the last.

As luck would have it my moms favourite cop was the gent giving and marking the learners test and I have to say even in the early 80’s Rooineks where still not the flavour of the month in Vanderbijlpark, in fact I think we where still being blamed for the camps that Kitchener had set up in the early 1900s that saw so many innocent women and children (black and white) die unnecessarily. It was therefore with great trepidation that I paid my five rand, had my eyes tested and was ushered in to a room with about thirty other pimple faced short haired 16 year old hormones on legs. If I remember correctly the exams where a tad easier than the current K53 and one question that sticks in mind was. “You are allowed to stop at the side of a national highway if”

a) You want to take your dog for a walk
b) You have an emergency breakdown
c) You want to have a picnic

As you can see the questions where tricky and that was probably the reason that twenty-four of the thirty failed the test, “really hard those multiple-choice exams”. I arrived the traffic department on a bicycle, but with a motorbike at home that could do 80kms an hour “with a tailwind down a mine shaft” and now some brain dead government official had given me a licence to ride it on public roads. I was now officially one of “the Manne”. 80kms an hour is fast especially if you have been riding a bicycle most of your life, but once you get used to that heady speed you start looking at ways to get more speed out of the machine, the easiest and cheapest method was to find the longest downhill stretch that you could, open the throttle and lie as flat on the bike as possible, with this method it was possible to get it an extra five to seven kms per hour on the clock, “I know I also used to wonder, why did they put 100 kms per hour on the speedometer if it could not get anywhere near that”.

Most of my friends looked at ways of permanently “souping” up there steeds, ideas included adding additives to the petrol, like cooking oil and methanol to converting the engine with cylinder heads being ground, sprocket ratios being changed, and fairings being added. None of this really helped, but we did it anyway.

One thing for sure is that during those years the different manufacturers where able to create a bond and a loyalty between themselves and there customers many an argument was had about which bike was the best, I was a Honda man and took a keen interest in Super bikes (the CBR1100R was doing well) and the Grand Prix series, with Freddy Spencer being the man. I must say that the Disco era was a lot kinder to bikes than cars as to me the Bikes from the late 70s and early 80’s are almost iconic.

The Honda lasted (if you can call it that) until matric and Tania can still remember me visiting her at home on the bike, that at times would not start and I would have to run up and down the road to try and jump start it and pray on the way home that it would not stall, not exactly “Leader of the pack stuff”

In those days after school the cheapest mode of transport if you had started work was a motorbike with many people going from a 50cc to a 650, 750, 1100 or even the huge 1300 with many a friend hurting themselves and writing the bikes off due to them being ridden like a 50cc (something that you could not do). I went from riding a Honda SS 50 to a Suzuki GT 185 and after I had been knocked off by a truck near Kyalami Ranch that necessitated a number of stitches and a new bike I bought my pride and joy, the Shaft drive Honda CX 500C , I loved that Bike and looked after it like a new born baby. Tania and I went everywhere on that bike and although I had a couple of accidents on it, (side swiped by a car, me hitting back of a car and a taxi hitting the back of me) it was a awesome bike…………..Then bought a car and I sold the bike, not to own another for a number of years and then I bought a 1981 Honda CB750F That I managed to wreck on Robbers pass during a Redline Motorcycle Rally, I had it fixed, chopped and changed but again did not ride it as much as I should have and sold it.

It was not until a good number of years later while living in Clarens that I bought a Chinese scrambler to use around the village (called it the LEGO bike as everything snapped off it, “not on it”, but it did the job) I was then lucky enough to acquire a BMW 650 Dakar and loved that bike as it allowed me to explore the area on as well as off road. I then swapped it for my 1996 1200 Triumph Trophy (the Exocet missile on wheels).

I often wonder how many of my friends and teenagers of the early 80’s still ride today, hopefully all that left the biking scene when they got married and had children are riding again today. Today I alternate riding a 150cc big boy retro scooter for the traffic in Port Elizabeth or the 1200 Triumph Trophy that when I need to clear the head I take out of the garage and head down a coastal road and as I ride I often think back to the day I first set eyes on those men and women, the impression they made and the gift they gave me. My mother always used to tell me “never judge a book by its cover” so when you see a leather clad biker don’t turn and look for the nearest exit, walk up say hi and you will be surprised at who that person really is and how friendly they actually are.

Why Socialism does not work

What a profound short little paragraph that says it all....

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my friend, is about the end of any nation.”
You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931

What is Socialism? Some of you may be asking, well the uncomplicated answer would be the following

1) “A political theory or system in which the means of production and distribution are controlled by the people and operated according to equity and fairness rather than market principles.

2) “A political movement based on principles of socialism, typically advocating an end to private property and to the exploitation of workers”

So ladies and gents let it never be said that the diaries of a village idiot are not educational

So how was my week what did I get up to??

I trained this week and must say was not the best training I have experienced. I have not assessed their papers yet but from just glancing over the papers late Friday afternoon I have a feeling that a few of the have not made it, which really pee’s me off because as a facilitator you put so much effort into training (well many of us do) and try and guide students with regards what could be coming up in the assessment (short of giving them the questions or the answers) and they still either do not listen or don’t care. When people fail I feel like I have failed because those people that have sat in front of me for 3 days surely must have taken something in and learnt at least something. Contrary to popular belief you dot get found competent and get issued with a certificate for just attending. You do in fact have to put some effort in the process and actually a) listen in class b) do a little homework or revision work.

Not far from where I was training is the ‘informal trading” part of PE, with many PE residents saying you should not walk through there as it’s dangerous. Well over the one lunch time I decided to take a walk and see for myself, I don’t know if its because I lived in Clarens for so long but I never feel out of place or threatened in an area like this, in fact I find the opposite to be true, I enjoy the buzz and the chaos that seems to touch everything, the smells and the colours, I mean where else can you see a dude with a shopping cart filled with bread competing with cars and taxi’s to get across a traffic light, where else can you see a traditional Sangoma shopping at a Dischem, where else can you see people selling pots ,pans, potatoes and lounge suits on the pavement?. This to me is the 3rd world South Africa that also makes the country what it is, some people hate it and feel that its dragging us into the abyss, but I think its part of the countries makeup and I have always believed treat people like would want to be treat you and rarely do you pick up a problem. You also need to be streetwise and keep an eye on your six (behind you) so that you do in fact not become a victim of crime.

This weekend was also Rugby weekend with the EP kings playing the Puma’s at home on Friday night to win a place in next seasons Currie cup, well it was not to be the first round was drawn 36 all but on Friday the Puma’s won 48 – 29 but what a night, the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium was packed to the rafters with EP supporters and the vibe was electric, Vusi one of my colleagues at work has never been to a Rugby game before in his life so he joined Ryan and I at the game. We had awesome seats behind the posts and the “ever shy” Village Idiot managed to start a Mexican wave that went round the entire stadium 4 or 5 times (not something you get to do every day). Ryan and I went by scooter and took us 15 minutes to get home , while some people where stuck in traffic for a couple of hours………….”That’s why we ride scooters”

On Saturday the Sharks played Western Province for the Curie cup and it was a “I don’t really care who wins” game for me but have to say that The Sharks outplayed WP much like WP did to the Cheetahs 2 weeks ago. They played WP at their own game and must say that I like Patrick Lambie and hope that he can do as well in a Green and Gold jersey. Speaking about Green and Gold the team to play Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England and the Barbarians from November the 6th has been announced and must say think is a well balanced squad there are a couple of players that I feel are unlucky not to be picked and we still have a number of regulars out of action that where not considered for the tour with Fourie du Preez to me being the one player we will miss. Its vital we get to beat the Irish in the first game as this will set the tone for the rest of the tour a Grand slam would be nice but to be honest as long as we beat England at Twickenham then I will be happy. I presume many Saffers will be dressing up waving the flag and shouting for the Boks on the tour, at some stadiums it may even feel that they are at home with the amount of Green and Gold that will be on display. So I suppose we need to say thanks to all those Saffers that have made the sacrifice to live in Europe so that they can in fact give the Boks support on this tour.

Tania’s veg garden is really doing well with Spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, parsley as well as a number of other vegetables and herbs.

Can’t get used to the amount of accidents that you see as well as traffic lights and stop signs etc that have been mowed down by “Whacko’s behind the wheel.” On Saturday on the way to Ryan’s to watch the Currie Cup final I must have missed an accident by 5 minutes.

Sunday the weather was better than Saturday so Tania, Gabby Stephen and I went to the beach for a picnic, decided to go to Sea view about 15 kms away. Also popped in at Kini Bay (where the poor people live) ad spent a little time there, Gabby Snorkelled a little bit and we saw a Humongous Jelly fish, seriously big.

Well have a great week and don’t for get to shout for the Boks against Ireland next Saturday.

Ciao

S.P.A.D

saving petrol , saving money

Petrol prices continue to fluctuate meaning that car travel is taking a larger portion out of each of (Y) OUR salaries.
Simply paying a bit more attention to your car can reduce these costs.

Purchase your petrol when it's coolest outside such as in the early morning. Petrol becomes denser in cooler temperatures. Since petrol pumps only measure the volume - and not the density - you'll get better overall more for your money by purchasing petrol when it is cool outside rather than in the heat of the day. Religiously check your car's tyre pressure each month (make sure to purchase a good-quality dial-type gauge for yourself -- pencil-style gauges and the ones mounted on the air hose are unreliable according to surveys).

Tyres that are under-inflated reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 3% for 0.1 bar (2% per pound) they are under-inflated. Under-inflation also causes premature tyre wear giving your tires a shorter useful life. Also be careful not to over-inflate as this will also cause premature and most likely uneven wear of the tyres which means you’ll also need to replace them sooner,
Slow down and drive at the lawful speed limit. Cars use about 20% more petrol driving at 110 kilometres per hour than they do at 90 kilometres per hour.

Avoid using air-conditioning whenever possible. Air conditioning reduces fuel economy by 10% to 20% depending on your car’s engine size, etc. Use the air ventilation system instead,
Don't drive with open windows or sunroof when travelling at high speeds. Open windows on the highway can reduce fuel efficiency by 10%. It's much better to use the ventilation system,
Remove roof racks and other items that make your car less aerodynamic when they're not being used. Leaving them on only makes your car less fuel-efficient and costs you money.

There is no need to let your car idle. Even on cold mornings, cars don't need to idle more than 30 seconds. Newer cars are designed to be driven almost immediately and letting your car idle is a waste of gas. It's more efficient to turn off your car and turn it on again than to let it idle for more than 45 seconds while waiting. Remove all the excess weight from your car. Many people use their car boot and back seat as a storage space adding unneeded weight. This unnecessary weight reduces the car's fuel efficiency by about 1% for every 45 kg.

Use cruise control whenever you can, especially on highways. By maintaining a steady speed, you will improve your petrol consumption. The next time you are in the market for tires, consider radial tires. They can cut your fuel bill by 2-3%. Check your filters and catalytic converters regularly, especially if you drive a lot in areas with a lot of dirt roads and / or windy conditions. They should be kept clean. Dirty filters increase fuel consumption by as much as 10%.

Use premium multi-grade oils to save on your fuel consumption and be sure to change your oil regularly (refer to your car’s manufacturer’s instructions) taking the driving conditions (dirt roads, etc) into account. Fill your tyres with Nitrogen: Used in Formula 1, Military Aircraft and even the Space Shuttle, being inert (cannot catch fire or explode), it is the safest best possible tyre gas, Tyres inflated with nitrogen run between 10 and 15% cooler – cooler tyres means tyre life is extended by up to 20%, migrates slower than air through the tyre wall, so tyre pressure stays constant for longer, you can still fill up tyre with air as an air and nitrogen mix will not damage your tyres, cooler tyres are on average safer tyres.

Be aware what your car is costing you:

According to the Automobile Association of South Africa a petrol passenger car with a purchase price of between R 125,000 and R 150,000 travelling between 20,000 and 25,000km per year with an engine capacity between 1500 and 1800 at a fuel price of R 5.00 per litre costs on average R 2.33 per kilometre travelled. This means if you travel 30 kilometers (you’ll be surprised as to how quickly it adds up), that trip costs you R 70.00.

The above takes all factors into account such as maintenance, tyres, etc. The reason that you do not see the above spend on a daily basis is that some costs like the tyres, maintenance, etc are deferred costs, so plan and limit your trips to a practical minimum.

Ensure that your car’s insurance is up to date:

Investigate all insurance products that is offered in the market place such as “pay per kilometre” (if you are not driving a lot), “insurance for women drivers”, etc., it is important to insure your car to the correct value for your peace of mind, but to over-insure costs you money. Check your car’s retail value at least on a yearly basis and adjust your insurance value (insurance companies tend not to do this for you and you can understand why – bigger premiums means more money for them).For South African readers, go to www.standardbank.co.za and click on the vehicle finance link. Then choose car value estimator under Calculators. Follow the steps – it is easy to use.

The Mullet "No not the fish"

No I am not talking about the fish that you find swimming along the South African coastline but that awesome hairstyle that some of us either sported back in the day when we had hair (well especially me) or we knew of someone that felt they where really “cool” with this particular style

For those who may have been in a coma or asleep for years the mullet is a type of haircut, in which the hair is long at the back of the head (usually at least the shoulders), but much shorter on the top, front, and sides of the head. The result looks like long hair from behind, but short hair from the front. In the United States the mullet was trendy in the 1970s, 1980s, an' early 1990s, although in different forms - plain and spikey in the 70s/often bouffant and blonde highlighted in the 80s; the style has on account of the early 90s, become the subject of ridicule in some circles. A common description of the mullet hairstyle and its versatility is "Business in the front, party in the back".

Rednecks who shop at Wallmart and people from the far East of South Africa (Benoni, Springs etc) are possible candidates these days to sport this style.

Not the 9 o clock news

So feeling a lot better this week as to where I am and what I am doing with my life I tackled the challenges for the week head on. This week I did hazardous chemical as well as Noise Induced hearing loss training at a local based (but is an international pharmaceutical company) Its always nerve wracking when you are presenting something for the first time as not only do you need to show the students that this is “Not” the first time you have done this, you also need to be able to answer any possible questions and have an answer or solution even if you do not know the answer, otherwise you are “Scr$%#d”. Must say I do enjoy the challenge and I have learnt so much over the last 6 months that its not even funny

Friday was the NOSA Client Function and it was pretty good, Bus trip to a wine farm they are starting just outside Jeffery’s bay called Cob Creek where we had a wine tasting, a corporate magician who was also the funniest person I have seen for a long long time………that alone was worth the trip, but the food was out of this world, I had a fillet steak that melted in my mouth, you just had to put the knife near the meat and it sliced through it, probably the best Steak I have ever had in my life and having been in the hospitality industry for over 25 years that is no mean feat, as I have tasted many a good steak. the SAMTRAC student of the year was announced and no I did not win, although I was one of three that scored 94.5% for the course, being a NOSA employee I could not win it, but I got something better (A full time job with a growing company an awesome boss and staff) so I really cant complain, just wanted you to know that I am not as “Dof” as I look.

Gabby has started to ride again at a local stables and is loving it, she really s such a good horsewoman and I am glad tat she has decided to get back into it, even her boyfriend Stephen has started to take it up and had his first lesson on Saturday, according to Tania and Gabby he is not bad, I was not there as the lesson was at 8am, weather was overcast and drizzling and I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and stayed in bed watching a movie on the computer about Islamic terrorism, its called ‘Traitor” and it’s a very good movie. Gabby has also started to play the guitar again with her Uncle Ryan very kindly loaning Gabby his 12 string guitar. so as you can imagine the house is sooooooooo quiet …….’NOT”

Cant wait for Summer days as I am really getting gatvol of the crap weather we are having at present, want to start wavesking and snorkelling again. I will put money that on Monday and Tuesday weather will be great and start turning on Wednesday again so that its crap for the weekend.

The Eastern Province Kings drew 36 all with the Puma’s in the fist leg of the two game play off in Witbank on Friday night so this Friday coming the 2nd leg will be a winner takes all game, may just go and watch, if the Kings do get into the Currie cup then we will have teams like Sharks, WP, etc coming to play here which will not only be a big boost for the Nelson Mandela bay Stadium it will also be great for us here in PE. Seems the Protea’s also got there act together on Friday night and crushed the Zimbabweans in an International 50/50 game winning by a mere 279 runs. Ferrari won the Inaagral Korean GP and with 2 races left and 50 points on offer its going to be interesting, must say this season I have not watched one GP, just not seemed to be the hype there was the last few years……Drivers standings are Alonso 231/ Webber 220/ Hamilton 210 / Vettel 206 and Button 189 (don’t care who wins as long as its not Hamilton or Button. Team standings are Red Bull 426 / Mclaren 399 and Ferrari 374

A couple of good jokes have emerged since the Blou Bulle are not in this years Currie Cup final

1) Pretoria has got a housing shortage after the loss to the Sharks, why you may ask ? Well it seems that all the Blue Bill supporters came down to earth

2) There will be a new death penalty introduced by the government……..they make you wear a Blue Bulls jersey and you “Die of shame”!!

I see that Xmas decorations and advertising have been put up in a number of shops at various shopping malls, Xmas seems to get here earlier every year, Woolworths are taking some flak about there decision not to sell religious magazines in their shops, this seems to have made a number of people cross and threats of boycotts etc seem to have Woolworths rethinking their decision. I don’t buy religious magazines myself but if I did would I be upset that Woolworths did not want to sell magazines of my choice? Hard to say as you get extremes or believers in all faiths the extremist in this case have said they will boycott and picket the shops, extremists from other religions may just call for a Jihad and blow shit up. The question I want to ask is if you don’t want anything religious in the shop/s then are you going to market Easter and Xmas to get people to buy in your shops??

A good friend of mine in Clarens has had some great news, her boyfriend has just landed a great job that means she will be leaving Clarens and living in Harrismith 90kms away, Really happy for them both as they are a great couple and deserve to catch a break….Well done to you both, Tania, Gabby and I are really chuffed for you. Seems that Meatbomb is so busy theses days all he does is work and sleep and with Steelwings coming up in a couple of weeks time, he will be working even harder, but some good money will be made, so that always makes up for the long hours and lack of sleep.

So what other news in Clarens, well it would seem that baby fever is in the air, seems that everyone and their brother is preggers or about to release a rug rat. Some are happy some are surprised and some just plain aghast at what awaits them. Remember if you don’t want to have a child then “hou die koekie toe”. I also hear that the Speckled Bean is not going to be a monthly magazine anymore but a quarterly magazine as its not economically viable according to the owner to run it monthly anymore, however from sources in Clarens it would seem a former editor and good friend has decided to start a new magazine called “In Clarens”………… “I must say a well thought out and catchy title” and has stolen all the advertisers (as I say this is from sources in Clarens) so it would seem you can make money from a magazine otherwise why would a new one be starting ??. The Mountain Post newspaper also seems to be doing ok”……….S.W.T.F. Many people are saying that this Speckled bean will be the last....End of an era.

Clarens is now complete and any new restaurants that want to come into the village will never be able to compete with the new concept that has been brought to the village, Last years tourism village Marquard must be kicking themselves that they did not come up with this culinary concept, as I am sure Jamie Oliver and Nigella are. It’s a Vetkoek and Milkshake cocktail Diner / lounge/ plekkie, Yeah I know……I was like WOW “what a frikken concept” Should make Millions of Zim Dollas.

And now “NEWS FROM OUTSIDE SOUTH AFRICA”

1) Paris - Workers opposed to a higher retirement age blocked access to airports in Paris and around the country on Wednesday, as hooded youths smashed shop windows amid clouds of teargas outside the capital. Riot police in black body armour forced striking workers away from blocked fuel depots in western France, restoring fuel supply to areas where pumps had run dry, after weeks of protests over the government proposal of raising the retirement age from 60 to 62. (The French have always been lazy sods)

2) London - Queen Elizabeth II was not spared the British budget cuts announced on Wednesday, with her spending slashed and grants to the royal family frozen. The royals have dramatically scaled back their expenditure over the last two decades but felt the bite of finance minister George Osborne's austerity measures nonetheless. Osborne told parliament that the sovereign had agreed to a 14% drop in royal household spending in 2012-2013, while grants for official travel and palace repairs would also be frozen in cash terms. The way the royals are funded will then be completely overhauled, he added, with a single grant replacing the various strands of her state income, replacing the "civil list" arrangement that has stood for more than 250 years.

"The household obviously has some challenging times ahead, like any area of government but we welcome the announcement of the sovereign support grant as a modern, transparent and simpler way of funding the head of state," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson told AFP. The royal residence said last week that Queen Elizabeth was "acutely aware of the difficult economic circumstances" facing her subjects. (Apparently they are facing the challenges head on as they are cutting back by not having a Christmas party at Buckingham palace this year; Yeah as usual it’s the workers that get stiffed)

Well that’s about it for this week but before I go a couple of priceless observations

I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: - 'No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.'

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Money can't buy you happiness ... But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.

- Spike Milligan

Have a great week

SPAD

M .L. .C

Ever sat back and wondered “where the F%$k did my life go and what have I actually achieved? Well I did and to be very honest at nearly 50 years old I did not like what I saw, putting me into a 2 week “funk” that had me questioning why life had been so harsh to me, why had I been singled out as the 1 person in the world to lay this crap on, for the first time in my life I have started to realise that I am mortal and that I will die one day and a number of things that I want to achieve I have not, it also does not help that I am starting to feel my age and that my eyes are starting to deteriorate……It sucks.

First let me say that I did realize that I am blessed with an awesome wife and daughter as well as wonderful family (most of them like me) but when it came to where I was at this time in my life and what I wanted to be earning as a salary then I believed that I was so far of course that not even a compass will bring me back. Did that piss me off did it make me angry, Hell yes.

Makes me angry and frustrated because I really have only myself to blame for being in this position. I was not astute enough to realise that being in the hospitality industry as a mere worker ant and not as a business owner was only making other people rich and not myself. At my age I should be at the top of my career earning a decent salary having nearly or fully paid off my house and planning overseas trips with my wife and daughter, not counting every penny I am spending, dreading watching the news and reading the papers as there may be reference to price increases and new levies etc.

Made me angry because I believe that I have worked FRIKKEN hard in my life and that I am reasonably intelligent (I have written a book, and I won the weakest link) yet people that have not been as concentious regards work ethic as I in the workplace or are not as intelligent (well that’s a subjective opinion) or have not got the neccersarry qualifications yet can waltz into high paying jobs with company cars and all the perks…………”Its not fair” So for two weeks I let this eat away at me and make me angrier and angrier, affecting my family, my work and my health

I had two choices, go an buy a red sports car with a silicone filled accessory, or I could build a bridge and get over myself, must say the car and the accessory where tempting but reality kicked in a) I cant afford a Sports car and b) I cant afford a silicone filled accessory or the consequences when Tania catches me so I bought hammer , nails and a few bits of wood and got over it. That’s not to say I wont get depressed again in the future, but I have realised a number of things.

1) I have great family that Love me (well most of them) and will not let me fall to far
2) I have the ability to crawl back after climbing up the hill and then sliding down again
3) I have proven to myself and many others over the last few months that if you put your mind to anything you can achieve what you want
4) Those dreams that I have will come to fruition because of the above 3

So I have to become the best at what I do, I need to focus and ensure that I learn from past mistakes and remember that we cannot all be Rich, Pretty and Famous , some of us can only be Pretty.

So on the sporting side it would seem the Proteas have the measure of Zimbabwe, but must say “Bobs” Boys are doing ok and not allowing themselves to get a hiding. The Sharks pipped the Bulls yesterday in a close 16-12 semi final and WP “Klapped” the Cheetahs 31-7 in the other. So next weekend its Sharks vs WP at Newlands for the final and the last time the Sharks played WP in the final at Newlands they lost, so lets see what happens. The Bok tour to Europe is coming up with games against Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England and the Barbarians, My wish is and I really hope that our South African compatriots enjoy watching the Boks in their adopted country and enjoy dressing up like a South African for the day (and I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart.)

I was reading the other day that there are over 8 000 000 sex slaves in the world at present and its growing (many are also children).now that is shocking but was even more surprising is that during the slaving period 1502 - 1853 some 9 – 12 000 000 slaves landed in Foreign climes, this does not include those that died on way from villages, I holding cells, on ships on way to new land. While I am not saying that this number is trivial it actually pales into comparison with regards the amount of Slave trade that goes on in this modern era, and Slavery was abolished…………Really

Starting to find face book boring, or maybe its just the fact no send me messages? Will give it a while longer and make a decision if going to keep up with it or not, initially it was new and fun, but lately just find it “BLAH”

You see some weird stuff in PE, here are a couple of photos, The snail may look small but it was the size of half a brick, “Seriaaaaaaas”.

I am of the belief that future babies born in this world will be born with a cell phone in their hands and mixiting their new mates who have also just been born, my daughter never seems to have the phone out of her hand and is not just mixiting 1 friend but a number of friends at the same time, this is while she is eating supper, watching a DVD and using face book. When I was a kid , face book was when you fell asleep reading Treasure island and the book fell on your face, mixiting was when you helped Grandma mix the batter or the icing for the cake she was about to make because she had sent a letter 3 weeks ago to friends who had replied and Gran had received the letter in the post the day before to say that they would indeed like to visit and have a natter over cake and tea (Very spontaneous in those days).

As kids you where allowed to ‘If you where lucky” allowed to make a call on the phone once a year (usually on your birthday) and even the to dial the number you needed forearms like Arnold or Sly and fingers that could take the pressure of dailing the numbers, later on if you where really fancy you had a tough button phone (so futuristic)

Spoke to me mate Meatbomb today, always good to have a chat to Mark, he is doing great and really enjoying the challenges that The Brewery is sending his way. Jeanelle is also ecstatic because the Sharks are in the final, hopefully next week she is still smiling.

well here are a couple of funnies for you and then its away with me for another week, keep safe and be good.

Paraprosdokian/sentences

A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect.

1) Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
2) War does not determine who is right -- only who is left.
3) Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
4) A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. My desk is a work station.
5) Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish
6) I always take life with a grain of salt... plus a slice of lemon... and a shot of tequila.
7) You're never too old to learn something stupid

S.P.A.D