DEJA POO

Nothing like sitting the side of the road, to see how quickly you can get bored and in my case it’s rather a fast process. In fact I have started this week’s blog from the side of the road about 80kms from East London. The reason is that the car I was travelling in on the way to an audit broke down, waited over 3 hours for colleague to bring a clamp (it was R3.50 clamp that popped off the air intake pipe into the turbo) and it put out so much air that cable ties, elastic bands and even part of farmers barbed wire fences could not assist………………….Hence the wait. Out of the hundreds of cars and trucks that passed us, only 2 persons stopped to see if they could assist not even the cops or traffic police stopped. So it’s nice to see that those two institutions believe in the “serve and protect ethos”………………….”Yeah right”.

Talking about Traffic cops I think I may have mentioned in last week’s Blog or the one before that it seems at they are becoming more visible. Well its definitely the case, because after the FIFA World Cup of 2010 all semblance of control on the roads seemed to have vanished faster than Seth Blatter chasing the next World Cup “pay day”.

Road blocks, speed traps,  patrolling of highways as well as weighing of trucks at weigh bridges seem to be the order of the day………….Some say it’s because they have been given guns, some that it’s because they have received a huge increase while others believe they have been imported from another galaxy, I for one have mixed feelings about this new development cause while I want order on the roads and vehicles that actually have brakes and steering wheels using the highways and byways , like most South Africans (and I tell students this in my safety lectures) we also like to be able to wind that bike or car up to over the 120 km per hour speed limit and overtake on the double white line “uphill on a blind rise”   after all that the South African way……………..we love laws and rules but hate to follow them.

I even saw a white traffic cop in Queenstown (which is a spot the white man and win a prize town in the first place) you can equate this  to seeing the Loch ness monster, Big Foot, an honest politician, Leprechaun or a Unicorn, it’s a rare rare sighting indeed.

I mentioned earlier that I was on the way to an audit when the car I was travelling in broke down, I forgot to mention it was my bosses car and the audit was for Transnet, seeing that we stared a day late I had to go on Wednesday “ all on my lonesome” to audit the Depot and yard that side and traveled up with Oom Danie and Lebu, two different sides of the coin one could not hope to meet. Both great guys, Oom Danie hanging on for 2 years to retire and Lebu and ex train driver who has been promoted to a Safety manager (even after he has managed to kill 8 people while driving trains) in his defence after listening to his stories none of them where actually his fault, it’s not like he drove off the tracks and rode the people down in a mielie field. Not many people realize that it can take a fully laden train between 1 and 1.5 kilometers to stop so if someone is lying on a track and you apply the brakes as you see them there is not much you can do to prevent from slicing that person in 2.

It’s sad however to see a once proud transport system into what is basically a delivery system for large corporation and have allowed the infrastructure to deteriorate so much that we now have to spend Billions of R to fix………”So let’s fuck it up, see that we actually need a rail transport system to get the trucks off the road and then use money we don’t have to fix it again”      

So what else has my awesome government been up to this week? Well here is my gem for the week, read this first and then I will comment.

Northern Cape premier Sylvia Lucas used her official credit card to spend R53 159 on fast food during her first 10 weeks in office, the Sunday Times reported. Lucas spent R26 565 on food in one month, according to the report. She was inaugurated as premier on 30 May. According to the Sunday Times, she spent R11 956 on food in Kimberley, where she lives in the official premier's residence, in August. Treasury guidelines stipulated that official credit cards were for "when the executive authorities are away on official duties outside the province". Between 16 July and 2 August, Lucas spent more than R2 000 at her local Super Spar, the Sunday Times reported. Lucas reportedly told the newspaper the shop was conveniently "close to her home".

"When we go out of Kimberley, we go to the Super Spar and we buy water and Powerade and cool drinks. We need Powerade for the energy, you know," she was quoted as saying.      "How would we have eaten if we didn't use taxpayers' money?"

WTF...........................she needs the energy so she can steal our money and make a mockery out of the accountability process…………..”Bitch”  

To make my blood boil even more, the ANC, the people who keep telling us that they are serious about crime and corruption and that they will not tolerate member who use taxpayers money, have come out in support of the Kentucky Fried chicken, finger licking thief by saying “she is only human” again my response is WTF, I don’t know about any other South African but I am just sooooooo sick of this shit, it’s time to vote these bastards out. 

So Romaine Poite  “can stick this in your baguette and smoke it”…… Cape Town - SANZAR judicial officer Terry Willis from Australia has removed a red card from the disciplinary record of Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis. Du Plessis was issued with a red card after receiving two yellow cards during the Boks' Rugby Championship clash with the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday.

The yellow cards were issued in the 17th and 42nd minutes of the match at Eden Park, which New Zealand won 29-15. The judicial hearing was held via teleconference on Monday. Willis granted an application made by Gerrie Swart who appeared on behalf of Du Plessis, for an expedited hearing. The hearing was originally fixed for the Tuesday. At the hearing, Willis was assisted by former professional player David Croft from Australia. Submissions were made on behalf of the player and the video footage was reviewed. Willis found that the decision made by referee Romain Poite to issue a yellow card as a result of the tackle by Du Plessis on Dan Carter was wrong, as it was within the laws of the game.

Carter to his credit said he had no problems with the tackle. No further sanction was imposed on Du Plessis, however the second yellow card remains on his record for the remainder of the Rugby Championship. But I have just heard that the ref who will be in charge of the Bokke vs Australia game at Newlands next Saturday will be non other than, yes another fking Frenchman, he was a touch judge in the All black game, “did anyone say “dejavu”

News just in, the French army base  that is 5 kms from Paris Disney has had to be moved, it seems that every night after the fireworks display, the management had accept the surrender of the commander and his men.

Blog is a little late due to the fact that we spent the weekend at a place called Cannon Rocks about 135 kms from PE, nice place right near the beach which we took one windswept walk one before being sandblasted back to the flat. The weather wasn’t exactly conducive to the beach and bringing swimming trunks as well as snorkeling equipment was perhaps being a tad enthusiastic. Especially after the Cape had been hit with a cold front that brought snow and -3 temperatures. Saturday we took a drive to Port Alfred and Kenton on sea and had a squiz around. I can happily tell u that I am however the pool as well as table tennis champ in the family. But Steve (Gabby’s boyfriend, gave me a good run for my money). Sunday the weather was good and we had a lekker walk on the beach, it was a nice getaway. Thanks Tania xx

I see the Muslims (or perhaps I need to be politically correct and say “possible non-Christians”) have been at it again with “non- Muslims” being targeted at a local shopping centre in Kenya and over 30 being shot………………..”yes a peaceful religion indeed”.

 

So I told you last week that we had a new kitten but that we hadn't thought of a name for her yet. Well she is called Katy. She is as cut as a button and in less than a week she has stolen our hearts. The other 2 cats are not so enamored with her, but Mischief seems to be the one that

wants to get to know her more than Black cat does.    

Ok well that’s about it for the week. Tuesday is a public holiday here in SA , its Heritage day, better known as Braai day, so I am sure many a fire will be lit and a beer or two will be consumed.

Ciao

SPAD

Stand up and be counted.

The fact that the Corrupt, inefficient  and fucked up ANC government have told the Public protector Thuli Madonsela to drop her investigation of President JZ’s R208 Million rand upgrade of his “PRIVATE” Nkandla estate has put me over the edge as to my feelings for the present South African government.

I am sick of listening to people complain (myself included) about how kak the government is, how the local municipalities waste our rates and taxes, how the country is going to the dogs and then don’t do anything about it. So I have decided that I am going to actively get involved in trying to get this country back on the right track.

I don’t care what colour you are whether your Jewish, Muslim (non- suicide bomber types), Christian , a scientologist or even an atheist, I don’t give a shit if your rich or poor, university educated or only have a Standard 8 (sorry grade 10) I don’t give a shit are if you fought for or against the old SA government or if your conservative or liberal in outlook……………….All I care about is that we start to stand together and make the ANC and the local  corrupt, inept and fucked up municipalities to understand that the “free ride” on my as well as other selected taxpayers money is over and we “Demand” ( a word ANC supporters love to bandy about) accountability and good governance.

With that said I am going to start getting involved with local politics, if I want change then I am going to have to get off my ass and do something about it, I urge all that are complaining about the present state of affairs to do the same, we cannot just sit idly by and allow the country we love to slide into the pit of mediocrity.

Talking about accountability and good governance it would seem that the SABC (local TV broadcaster) has managed to “spend” 1 .5 Billion rand and not have any account as to what they spent on it “I smell a rat”

And as if the country’s farmers don’t have it hard enough here is another “Brilliant” proposal to really make farmers want to carry on producing food for the country, “seriously where do these cretins come from who even contemplate proposals of this nature? (Probably some asshole, who has never built up anything from scratch in his/her life and has a sense of entitlement because of the colour of their skin).

This from the Beeld newspaper: The possibility that farmers would be "encouraged" by the state to apportion shares in their farms to farm workers was worrying commercial farmers. The share option was contained in a proposed policy document of the department of rural development and land reform. It was suggested that a farm-worker with 10 years of "disciplined service" on a commercial farm would be entitled to a 10% share in the ownership of the land.

After 25 years of service, a worker would be entitled to 25%, and 50% after 50 years. No mention was made of what would happen when a number of labourers worked on the same farm for more than 10 years. The system would not be "enforceable" and farmers would be encouraged to "voluntarily" participate. An incentive programme would encourage farm owners to participate.

Annelize Crosby, legal and policy adviser for Agri SA, said on Wednesday that the policy did not make any sense at all. "If there is any remote possibility of forced compliance to this idea, it will lead to disinvestment and a sharp decline in agricultural production."………………..”Annelize, they don’t give a shit about decline in agricultural production they just want to fuck up what is there and have thousands of black farm workers owning 10% of nothing”, also they get paid Huge salaries for doing absolutely nothing, so they don’t care what the price of food is or petrol because they will just vote themselves a salary increase and our taxes will go up…………….”Time for change”

I have heard and read some weird stories before, but this one takes the cake. It seems another South African overseas has run foul “, or should I say fowl of the law” a certain Steven Cohen was arrested in Paris a few days ago and charged with Sexual exhibitionism. 

this is Mr Cohen, sand rooster attached to his penis.

This idiot or some call “eccentric artist” paraded around Trocadero Square facing the Eiffel Tower at 9.30am was clad in a bird costume, high heels and a live rooster tied to his penis. He decided to parade in front of a group of tourists while mimicking the movements of a chicken. Apart from the chicken costume he also wore feathers on his hands and head, high-heel shoes, hot pants and long, red gloves, Why did he do it ?? Well according to his lawyer he wanted to evocate (means to thank, yeah i had to look it up as well) his situation, shared between two countries, South Africa, his native country and France, where he currently lives." So now when someone asks you why did the Chicken cross the road? The answer will be “to get away from Steve Cohens penis”

Thursday afternoon drove to El and on Friday morning at sparrows I had to drive 211 kms to a place called Ncgobo and present SHE Reps for 16 students. Well what can I say about Ncgobo other than it may have been cute once, and that was a long long time ago. If the town was kak then the hospital was an eye opener and I know why there are action groups wanting the MEC for Health to get his ass kicked and why for once I agree with the Unions when they say that they want to force all ministers, Councillors etc use state hospitals to see how bad they have become “no more private hospitals for clinics for the elite”.  Must say its the first time that i have seen dogs running in hospital hallways or goat shit and urine in the halls as well,   

Drivers in that part of the world come in 2 modes “Kamikaze and Miss daisy”, you can usually tell who the Kamikaze drivers are because they sport either personal or government number plates. The Miss Daisy drivers have discovered that they can save money on petrol by driving really really really slow, I am talking about 40kms an hour in a 100 or 120 km zone and as you can imagine it becomes very frustrating and irritating for a “patient” person like me.

Having driven over a thousand kms the last couple of days I have seen a couple of real idiots (myself included) that have taken unnecessary chances in the traffic,  2 of the idiots where  young ladies who were in serious hurries to get to wherever and then there was this Fktard who I hope one day gets his ass kicked by some steroid enhanced, pissed off bodybuilder. I hope that Jesus love him because f he continues to drive like a twat then he is going to meet him real soon………………problem is he will probably take other innocent people with him.

I wanted to use the Triumph to get to the work but it won’t Frikken start, even bought a new battery (waste of money), tried yesterday to see what the problem is and took some of the bike apart to see if it was getting fuel (it seems to be) or if there is a spark, it did start when Steve and I pushed it but /cut out and after that when you try to start it (even jump start from the car) it just turns over and nothing………………”.wondering if I should rather just sell it”.

We have a new member of the family, a new kitten called ? (Haven’t named her yet) She is really cute and full of energy and has put the other two cats noses out of joint, especially Mischief who by the look on his face can’t quite believe that we would dare bring another cat into the house.   

So last week we beat the Aussies, but this week we lost 29/15 against the All Blacks. The Eden park venue has not seen the All Blacks lose their since 2004 and we have not won there in 92 years……………I did not see the game but it would seem that it was controversial with the sending off of by some French Ref of Bismark Du Plessis who received a second yellow card for tackling the kak out of Dan Carter. Seems that the northern refs feel that tackling hard is no longer allowed in the game of rugby. Or perhaps Bismark had not read the little known IRB law 625 bc iii that states “No player is allowed to tackle an All Black player cleanly and real hard in front of a partisan New Zealand crowd – violation of this law is a Yellow card from an incompetent French Referee”

Tomorrow I am away for a week with my Boss to go and do an audits. Well that’s about it for today, have as great week

Ciao

SPAD

  

Bad ass Biker

One of my favourite series has to be SOA (Sons of Anarchy) – “why”? Well if I am honest, I suppose that like many others that ride motorbikes I would in fact like to be an outlaw biker or a 1%er as they are also known by normal society. While the series itself probably does “glorify” the outlaw biker lifestyle and crime, I enjoy the story-line as well as the bikes and yeah I suppose you do imagine yourself as a Jax Teller or one of the other “men of mayhem”.

I suppose that when we “don” the gear and start up the bike we enter another persona, one that says “I am the man, don’t fuck with me”.  The leather cut  may have  your club patch on the back as well as other patches that show the bike you ride, your view on the world as well as pins that show what rally’s you have been to or band that you listen to, hell some guys even wear patches that show their political persuasion. This together with the half gloves, helmet, a pair of cammo pants and attitude are meant to make you look mean and tough, the dentist, nursery school teacher and accountant become “outlaws” for a few hours . Does it work? Well let’s be honest on some it does, but the majority of weekend warriors are about as scary as if you where to put Barney in all those accouterments.

So what or who should I say, are outlaw bikers and why do they wear the 1%er patch and are they really as bad assed as we and law enforcement think and they are?  

   

Around 1905 the first motorcycle clubs in the States were formed and in 1924 the American Motorcycle association (AMA) came into being and they branded any non-affiliated clubs ‘outlaws”, now we have to remember these “outlaws” between the 1920’s and 1940’s were in fact harmless groups of young girls and boys who just enjoyed riding bikes and wanted to escape the monotony of riding alone. This they did by riding in groups and taking part in motorbike races. If the 1920’s saw the birth of the outlaw Biker it was not until after world war two that the outlaw biker came of age and this occurred in 1947 in a sleepy little Californian town called Hollister that was forever immortalized by the movie “The wild One’s” with Marlon Brando playing the lead role of Johnny . One of this movies and cinema’s famous line’s is “So what are you rebelling against Johnny”?................. To which Johnny replies “Whadyya got”   

The image of the modern “outlaw biker” was formed in Hollister when a few bikers behaved badly, that compared to today’s standards would be seen as tame.  It reads like a normal weekend rally, burnouts, drags in the street, too much drinking, half naked women and a few broken windows. This weekend of “mayhem” was taken up by Life magazine and blown out of all proportion. The AMA also wanted to distance themselves from what had happened at Hollister and in statement said “’Ninety nine percent of motorcyclist are law-abiding citizens and

the actions at Hollister are a result of outlaw motorcyclists and non-motorcyclists”  

Those bikers that saw themselves as the “outlaws” quickly called themselves the “1 percenters” and it was between the late 40’s and 1960 that the main one percenter clubs formed namely the Hells Angels, The Bandidos and the Pagans.  

The photograph and story on Page 31 of the July 21 edition of Life magazine had middle class America gasping in shock at the large drunk biker sitting on his Harley with a beer in hand and dozens of empties littered around his bike on the pavement. The photo just out of interest sake as “staged” with the dozens of empty bottles placed around the biker’s feet to maximize effect (this was confirmed by 83 year old Gus DeSerpa). That single black and white photograph published in what at the time was America’s most respected magazine probably altered the image of biking as well as the Harley Davidson motorbike forever. From that instant motorbikes and those that rode them were associated with chaos and evil. The truth is that a minor incident was sensationalized and while petty incidents did occur it was not the “barbarians at the gate” scenario as it was and has been made out to be.

While many who attended the weekend probably did have plans to raise a little hell, we have to understand what “raising hell” meant in the late 1940’s. To give you an idea as to how a “prospect” (new recruit who wanted to join a bike club and earn his colours) would be initiated, here are the cruel and harsh tests that prospects of the Boozefighters (seen as a hard-core biker and Outlaw club in 1947) had to endure

·         Get drunk at a race meet or cycle dance

·         Throw lemon pie in each other’s faces

·         Bring out a douche bag  where it would embarrass all the women (then drink wine from it)

·         Get down and lay on the dance floor

·         Wash your socks in a coffee urn

·         Eat live goldfish

·         When drunk have the president of the club shoot beer bottles off you’re had with a .22

 

Not exactly rape and pillage type of acts that one would expect from an “outlaw gang” or that one would envisage a dangerous biker club making their prospects endure or commit to become a “patched member”, hell and apart from the shooting of bottles from one’s head, I think the initiation into the local rugby club is probably harsher than that these days.   

There are numerous accounts of what happened that weekend at Hollister, and depending on who’s account you have read you will either be aghast at the carnage of the bikers or say to yourself “seriously” . Sourcing information on the incident from numerous sources here are some of the myths, facts of that weekend as well as the  incident/s that coined the phrase “1 percenters” .

All accounts that I have read at least agree one vital point and that is, the incident occurred on 3-6 July 1947, after that some of the “facts” become a little blurred, sensationalized or adapted so as to influence the people that would be reading that specific magazine article, police report or  which politician was looking for re-election.

Probably the first Myth that needs to be addressed is that the “riot” was the doing of the Hells Angels, this is not true as the Hells Angels were only founded in 1950 in a dusty town called Fontana in San Bernadino - California.  The truth is that it was a local bike group called the Booze fighters who instigated the trouble.  

  

There are two stories as to how the name Hells Angels was chosen, the first is that they named themselves after a B-17 squadron the 358^th – of the 303 USAF bomber group that had been based in the UK during the Second World War or that they named themselves from the 1930’s Howard Hughes movie “The Hells Angels” either way the Hells Angels would establish themselves as the ultimate Motorcycle club.

One of the first questions that I asked myself was how did thousands of bikers end up in Hollister anyway a little town of 4500 people 420 kms from Los-Angeles in the first place ?

Through the 1930s, Hollister, California hosted an annual 4 July gypsy tour event. Gypsy tours were AMA authorized racing events that took place all over America and were considered to be the best place for motorcyclists to converge, the annual event consisted of motorcycle races, social activities, and lots of partying, as is the norm at most motorcycling gatherings today. In Hollister, the event itself as well as the motorcyclists were always welcomed, especially because Hollister was a very small town (Who’s main claim to fame was garlic) and the rally became a major event in its yearly life, much like Daytona Bike Week or Sturgis in the USA Today and as such became an important part of the town's economy. Due to World War II, the rally was cancelled, but re-organized for 1947.

So why did the 1947 racing events in Hollister become a problem? What was the catalyst that brought this little town to the world’s attention?  Well one of the reasons was that the numbers of people attending rose dramatically with estimate’s ranging from 3500 - 4800, again depending on who’s information you believe. I don’t believe it was the numbers that was the problem, it was the attitude of certain attendees, as well as the popularity that the motorcycle had gained between 1941 and 1947 . What some people forget is that after WW II as was the case in subsequent wars the USA was involved in, those veterans returning found it difficult to re adjust to civilian life that they found monotonous and yearned for adventure and an adrenaline rush, they found it in the motorcycle and the camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts which probably also reminded them of their days in the service.

Many American men who may not have been exposed to the motorcycle prior to the war learnt to ride them during the war and this saw the popularity of motorcycling and its danger/excitement growing dramatically, with thousands of new members joining bike groups or clubs after their return home. 

Those 2 factors saw a record attendance at the 1947 event with enthusiast coming from all over California as well as the USA. Motorcycle groups that attended also included newly formed groups, such as the “pissed off bastards of Bloomington”, the Market street Commando’s and the Galloping Goose motorcycle club.

Also we need to remember that about this time young men and women were beginning to not only doubt but also question their elders, as well as challenge their values, morals and any established institutions of authority. Young people were looking for a reason, any reason to rebel.

 

While motorcycling today has become more popular with women, many owning their own bikes, back in the 40’s there were numerous women only clubs with the biggest being the Motormaids. In fact the Motormaids have maintained an AMA club charter for more than 60 years and while certain Outlaw motorcycle clubs may lay claim to a slightly longer lineage, they have experienced at least 2 organizational identity permutations during their tenure. The Motormaids have maintained a singular identity as well as an overall governing structure since their inception and can lay claim to be the oldest established motorcycle club In the world. It was reported that at least 200 leather clad Motormaids rode into Hollister to watch the races and participate in planned events.   

Initially all were welcomed into the town and its bars and restaurants but there were just too many people for the infrastructure and those that could not get food or drinks started to look for other amusements and started to cause trouble. Drag races in the main street, throwing empty beer bottles out of windows, as well as fighting, both inside and outside the bars became the order of the day. Accommodation became a problem with bikers having to sleep on the sidewalks, on people lawns and in some cases farmer’s haystacks.

The number and the unfamiliar behavior of the attendees was just too much for the 7 man Hollister police force to handle and even threatening to use teargas and arresting as many drunken men that they could did not deter the men and women from enjoying themselves.

So how bad was it? Here are accounts the event seen through the eyes of a journalist, the local police a city Councillor as well as the local bike group, the “Boozefighters”.

Shortly after the weekend 2 stories were published in the San Francisco Chronicle with titles “Havoc in Hollister” and Hollisters bad time”. Both stories described the events to readers as “pandemonium and “terrorism” and while in general the articles did not actually lie about the events in Hollister the perception that they portrayed to readers was one of negativity towards motorcyclists. Here is an extract from one of those reports. “State highway patrolmen were called in to assist in imposing an informal martial law in downtown Hollister to curb the riotous behavior of an estimated 4000. Almost 60 persons were injured, three of them seriously. Several more arrests were made and a special night court session was convenes to punish those charged with reckless driving and drunkenness”. It was however the article published in life magazine (a major American publication) that brought the “riot” to the nation’s attention.  

 

A report from a city councilman to a newspaper reporter states the following…….. “Luckily, there appears to be no serious damage to the town. These trick riders did more harm to themselves. 3 motorcyclists had been seriously injured. One man suffered compound fractures of his right leg when struck by a cyclist swerving to avoid another rider spinning circles in the middle of the street. By early Sunday morning, the nearby hospital had treated 50 bikers for abrasions and broken bones”.

A police officer called the rally……….. “The worst 40 hours in Hollister history” and gave a brief version of events from the Police perspective. “Saturday afternoon it got a little out of hand and I remember some people tossing bottles onto the pavement, and riders spinning circles (today called donuts) in the street with their machines. The guys weren't vicious but they were drag racing up and down”.

After the last biker had left town and the dust had settled the city fathers of Hollister debated long and hard on whether they should ever allow another 3 day rally back into their community and if they did could they keep the rowdies under control. The tow chief of police resigned 48 hours after the weekend riot. The city fathers decided to reduce the event to one day, which effectively killed the event and after 1947, no hordes of bikers raced through Hollister or attended races at the local racetrack.

Did the Boozefighters, the local bike club established in 1946 and who are  generally acknowledged as being the people that instigated the “riot” realize that that they would rip an enormous hole into the social fabric of America? I don’t think that they did. I think that they just wanted to have some fun, ride their bikes fast, dance and drink. One of the members caused the most visible and memorable events of the Hollister weekend by riding his Indian bike into Johnny’s bar, the truth is that while Jim did in fact ride his bike into the bar and leaned it against the bar counter he did not crash it into the bar and when asked to move it away from the counter and put it against the wall he complied.

So while in the day they were regarded as outlaws and they liked to let off steam, partied heavy and occasionally got drunk, got jailed for speeding and had the occasional bar fight, none of the original members were ever put in jail for a serious crime like murder or drugs.  

 

So the Riot in Hollister as you can see, while for the time was a huge  problem to authorities and most Americans it was in fact nothing more than a glorified drunken binge that saw a few windows broken a few arrests made and a few injuries from riding bikes like hooligans, not bad if you think that thousand had descended on the town. It was thanks to the press that the events of that weekend was blown out of proportion and Hollister as well as the weekend’s events became part of biker folklore.

Stephen Dunkley

8/9/2013

Port Elizabeth

Sources

·         Wikipedia

·         Mammoth book of bikers

·          Various articles from internet  

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Time to trade in the Blackberry ?

Born in Nkandla, South Africa, on April 12, 1942, Jacob Zuma was elected president of South Africa in 2009. In 2007, he won the presidency of the African National Congress, which he joined at an early age in 1959. Zuma served as deputy president of South Africa from 1999 to 2005. He is a controversial politician, involving himself in several legal scandals associated with corruption and racketeering. A polygamist, Zuma has 20 children.

They used to call John Gotti (head of the New York Gambino crime family “the Mafia” ) the Teflon don because any charges brought against him would never stick, it would seem that JZ went to the John Gotti school of management as while scandal is able to attach itself to JZ like shit to a blanket, he  seems too have the life of a cat, as the charges either go away or get swept under the rug. So let’s look at the history of our president who in most countries would not have a) been allowed in public office and b) never elected as president.

·         The Government arms deal that was seen to be corrupt by most normal taxpayers was eventually investigated by a Special Police Task team that the then President Thabo Mbeki had set up called the HAWKS Jacob Zuma as well as other He and other members of the government were investigated when financial irregularities were discovered. Initially cleared in a 2001 report on the matter, Zuma ended up facing corruption charges, but those charges were dropped in 2003. 

·         JZ Was charged with rape in the Johannesburg High Court on 6 December 2005. The accuser, Zuma's deceased friend's 31 year old daughter, was known by Zuma to be HIV Positive. On 8 May 2006, the Court dismissed the charges, agreeing that the sexual act in question was consensual. During the trial, Zuma admitted to having unprotected sex with his accuser but claimed that he took a shower afterwards to cut the risk of contracting HIV. This statement has been condemned by the judge, health experts, AIDS activists and the public in general.

·         Shabir Shaik's trial was the subject of intense media attention due to the involvement of several high-profile members of the South African government. Though Shaik claimed that his financial dealings were legitimate, on 30 May 2005, the Durban High Court handed down its final judgment. He was pronounced guilty of corruption for paying Zuma 1.2 million Rand (US Dollars185,000) to further their relationship and for soliciting a bribe from the French arms company Thompson-CSF, as well as guilty of fraud for writing off more than R1 million (US$154,000) of Zuma's unpaid debts.

More recent disgraces surrounding our President would be. 

         The Deaths of 13 SADF ember in the Central African Republic, who were in that country to supposedly support democracy, but may have been there to keep a despot in power or keep the “thieving rebels” from stealing the diamonds.

·         The building of a residence, sorry make that a Village with taxpayers money for over 200 million Rand, commonly known as Nkandlagate and seen by many as a “typical SA scandal”, I suppose that how used we have become to JZ and his shenanigans.

·         The most recent shit to try and stick to the blanket was his apparent involvement with the Gupta wedding with a Government report that was released implicating President Jacob Zuma in a scandal over a plane chartered by rich friends of his which landed at a military base without proper permission. The presidency and Zuma's ruling African National Congress (ANC) have denied demanding landing permission for the flight carrying nearly 200 guests for a wedding. But a diplomatic protocol chief Bruce Koloane said he acted "under pressure from No. 1", a direct reference to Zuma, the report said. Koloane has been suspended and not spoken on the matter. The government report said he used deception to obtain military landing permission. Opposition members of parliament charged that the Gupta family at the centre of the affair and whose companies have employed two of Zuma's children in high profile roles, was wielding undo influence over Africa's largest economy. "There is a widely held perception that when the Guptas say 'jump', the president says, 'how high?'," David Maynier, an MP with the opposition Democratic Alliance, said in parliament.

There is a quote that goes “you don’t have to love your government to love your county” and it’s so true, the ANC led by this man has managed to put a dent in my love for South Africa and to be honest I don’t like it.  The R is worth shit, every month there is a petrol price increase that in turn fuels inflation that in turn is seeing workers making outrageous wage demands from employers, that in turn puts a further dent in investors’ confidence, it’s like a never ending circle.  But do they care? “Not a Fuck”. The new wealthy  and elite (read former struggle “hero’s” and friends of the government)who have benefited from BEE legislation and tender deals, drive their fancy cars, break laws with impunity and laugh in the faces of hard working South Africans.

What absolutely mystifies me is that while so many people complain about how shit the ANC government are, they still put an X next to “Ninja Turtles” face come election times ,when the members of parliament “show their faces”  promising houses, electricity, jobs and with a new T shirt and a free chicken lunch, the masses go on their merry way to vote the ANC in to power and the masses then spend the next 4 years demonstrating, burning tyres, destroying government buildings due to the fact that the ANC have not delivered on its promises “yet again “……………….I mean WTF you have to some kind of stupid to keep voting for a government that does not give a shit about you.

There is a joke in South Africa at the moment that 95% of the population are employed in the Iron and Steel business, some of iron, but most of them steal. Well it would seem that we can add  going on Strike It seems that everyone and his brother has decided to go on strike the last, Platinum miners, Gold miners, construction workers, metal workers, SAA, municipality workers and the traffic department in PE, textile industry seems to be on the way and the list just seems to get longer. In the past the Unions representing the employees would “demand” a 10% increase and the employers would start at 5% and then through “good faith” negotiations end up at 7.5%, the singing and dancing would stop and workers would go back to work.

These days the unions say we want 50 or 60 % increases, certain categories of miners are wanting 150% increases……………”Are the fked in their heads” ? you can’t negotiate on numbers like that, “it’s ludicrous”.    I have to admit though that the government’s 6% inflation indicator is KAK, and this is what employers jump on the, inflationary increases. Inflation has to be way higher because they took, electricity, fuel and a couple of other items out of the “basket” that is used to determine inflation. Electricity has gone up on average over 20% a year for the last 3 years, insurance policies and med aid contributions go up by at least 10% yearly, fuel has gone up at least 13 % since January and food is increasing at an average of 14% a month at the moment, so inflation is actually way higher, employers need to take this into account when making increases. It also makes we laugh when your company boasts of its huge profits that all the employees have contributed to, yet still offer below inflation increases, quoting government figures.      

The petrol price already at a record high looks set to increase either further and hit the already overburdened consumer another blow to the groin. The price is determined by a number of factors including the oil price, exchange rates, levies and taxes………..but hey news just in is that the price will come down 5 cents (yes 5) in September but in October we can expect a MASSIVE increase as the R/Dollar exchange rate due to strike action etc etc as well as the sharp increase in Oil prices (due to a possible war breaking out between Syria and the USA, seems even the French are keen to get involved with this one as well.

I was in Richards Bay this week for a couple of days, it was hot with a Capital h 32/33 degrees. I had to do work at the Richards Bay Coal Terminal, also managed to pay a visit to Durban Harley situated in Umhlanga Rocks. I had to laugh as I decided to have lunch at a pub that had a chopped Kawa 900 cruiser (looked pretty good) saw the gent sitting at a table, so walked up said hi and asked him about the bike (as bikers do), his reply after lowering the shades with his finger was “I am having a quite drink”………….translated for non-bikers “fuck off I don’t want to talk to you”. This “OUTLAW WANNABEE” sitting with his arms folded, shades on with a rebel Bandanna  blue (yes blue) Cammo pants tucked into biker boots with a large knife tucked into the outside of the right hand boot, is called “boom boom”. How did I know that, well the upper rocker above the ever seeing eye patch on the back of his cut off denim jacket, said so and the fact that some really old lady walked up to him and called him Boom Boom. I think he thought of himself as a Rebel because his bandanna had a rebel theme, his tank protector on the bike was a Rebel motif he had a rebel patch on the back of his cut off denim jacket as well as a Rebel flag on his helmet (that was actually a SADF tank helmet).

Now if you go out riding with the “gang” then yeah part of the whole “I’m a biker” thing is to dress the part, I mean what’s the point of riding a Bad Ass Bike if you look like an accountant, or a nursery school teacher, the trick is to get the accountant and nursery school teacher to look like a Bad Ass Biker’s, but sometimes the look and the actions can make you look like a “doos”……………..but hey I am sure he felt he looked the part and as the saying goes “whatever floats your goat”.

The department of education are seriously considering enforcing a “learn a 3^rd language (African) in school policy, but this will mean an extra hour of school a day for students, grades 4 – 12. A company did a survey and I am printing the results here and will comment on a couple of things after

School pupils are in favour of longer school days to learn a third language, a survey by Pondering Panda found. “It was found that almost three in five learners (59%) felt that this was a good idea… [that] the school day be extended by an hour for grades four through 12,” spokeswoman Shirley Wakefield said today in a statement.

The company conducted cellphone interviews with 2 906 pupils between the ages of 13 and 24 across the country in August. Thirty-three percent believed it was a bad idea, while nine percent had no opinion on the matter. Wakefield said the survey was a clear indication young people were hungry for learning.

“Pupils have also shown their enthusiasm for learning a third language, once more showing their support for the education department’s proposals.” The survey further found black and coloured pupils were more interested in learning science and maths than a third language. “If a mandatory extension to the school day was implemented, 56%… said they would rather spend the extra time learning science and maths. In comparison, 38% favoured using the time to learn another language.”

First of all 24 year old in grade 12 (the old matric)…..seriously? but what really flummoxes me is that they say 59 % feel that it’s a great idea ( no school kid I know thinks an extra hour of school is a good idea) to learn an extra language but then it goes on to say that of that group 56 % of them would rather use the time to learn Science or Maths (subjects that we seriously need kids to get interested in as well as spend extra time learning) and 38% say they would favour learning another language………………..So is it just me or do those people that supplied the survey figures need to go to extra maths lessons?

What about extracurricular lessons or activities at school, those kids will now finish close to 5pm and then have to still do homework and what about those kids that don’t have the aptitude for languages, to me it just seems it a government way of getting white kids to learn an African language at the expense of proper education and if you’re going to make kids stay an  extra hour at school then make it a subject/s that will benefit the country, its economy and its citizens, learning an extra language will not.            

Rugby this weekend was rather slow with the 4 Nations not seeing any action, only Currie cup action with WP drawing 31 all with the Lions. With the Griquas losing 40/22 against the Cheetahs and the Bulls losing for a 2^nd week in a row against the Sharks.

Talking about the 4 Nations, The Boks will depart on Saturday night for Brisbane to face Australia on September 7 at Suncorp Stadium, a venue where they have never won before, and then jet across the Tasman Sea to Auckland to take on World Champions New Zealand on September 14 at Eden Park, a stadium they last won at in 1937. Knowing that the odds are against them and keeping in mind the Boks' patchy history away from home in the competition,  Coach Heyneke Meyer has challenged his team to prove their doubters wrong and come back with not one, but two victories on the tour……………… I hope that they prove me wrong but cannot see the current Bok team beating either Australia or New Zealand (especially away from home)

Oh, apart from the heat in Richards bay i did get to see a sight that u don't always see when u go down to the main tourist beach..........................A shipwreck, yeah this picture is of a ship that took on coal at RBCT and then got caught without engines in heavy seas. it was dumped on a sandbank and after a couple of days broke in 2. luckily no oil leaked  
     

 Well that’s about it for this week

Ciao

SPAD