A Notice From The Queen to the Citizens of The USA

By Dean McCleland in Jokes, Opinion Pieces 0 Comment

To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In light of your failure to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up ‘revocation’ in the Oxford English Dictionary.)


Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy).

Your new Prime Minister, Theresa May will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded.

A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

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Consequence of Showmanship

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Other Galleries 0 Comment

Of course the real reasons for this fatal crash will probably never be known but all the evidence points to the fact that an act of showmanship was the probable cause of this gruesome accident.

The proud owner of a new car was killed with three of his neighbours’ children when his car was sliced in half when he crashed while taking them for a drive to show off his new wheels.

The 39-year-old man’s 10-year-old son was also in hospital fighting for his life after the accident on a curve near the Dros restaurant in the Mpumalanga city of Middelburg.

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Ring side seats at a lion kill

By Dean McCleland in Animals 0 Comment

Thursday night was one of those nights when one despairs about South Africa. Before the 5km Randburg Harriers Time Trial, I listened to the action in the Houses of Parliament. Fortuitously it was question number six; the issue relating to Zuma and Nkandla. It was less a reasoned discourse than a puerile series of inane points of order. It was South Africa’s very own impromptu soap opera at work. If it were not so serious, it would be entertaining, but it is indicative of paralysis and lack of leadership that pervades South Africa in general and the ANC in particular.

Abject failure abounds. South Africa is trapped in a quagmire of corruption, ineptitude and kleptocracy with Zuma leading the pack. Zuma might not be well qualified, having only a standard three certificate, but he is extremely astute. The sum total of his response to the EFF as they fulminated against him having benefitted from the Nkandla upgrades, was to calmly state that the matter is in the hands of the Parliamentary Select Committee.

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Investing for Retirement: A Personal Odyssey

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Financial Matters 2 Comments

For most of us in full time employment, the major source of pension income will be derived from one’s Employer’s Pension Fund. Together with some additional investments in one’s personal capacity this would previously have been sufficient to derive an adequate pension. This assumption is no longer valid for a number of reasons.

The genesis of this disconnect was the introduction of Defined Contribution Pension Funds some 20 years ago. Previously most employees contributed to what was known as a Defined Benefit Pension Fund. In terms of this arrangement, the retiree would be paid a pension calculated on the basis of 2% per every year employed times by the average salary over one’s last x years of employment. For most employees, this would equate to approximately 70% of their final salary. Combined with their private savings, this would ensure a pension of at least 80 to 90%, a fairly comfortable retirement without having to agonise over one’s financial situation.
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Unusual vehicle modifications

By Dean McCleland in Miscellaneous Topics 0 Comment

These photographs are prime examples of backyard mechanics at work. Most are extremely functional modifications that are fit for purpose whereas others are probably hazardous to the user’s health. Without fear of contradiction, I would wager that none have gone any further than the prototype stage.

Quite frankly I am not sure whether I would actual drive in some of these vehicles as I am not sure what else has been modified.
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TE Lawrence: Was he an Accidental Hero?

By Dean McCleland in History 0 Comment

Born in an age when class and status in life preordained one a priori to a particular station in life, Thomas Edward Chapman aka Lawrence of Arabia rose above such strictures to become universally acclaimed and renowned for his exploits in the Arabian Desert, Transjordan and Mesopotamia. How was that meteoric rise possible for somebody so taciturn, ascetic and iconoclastic in outlook?

Much of which is known about TE Lawrence is discerned from his autobiography entitled The Seven Pillars of Wisdom which I have never actually finished reading in spite of various attempts. Many accounts of Lawrence’s exploits and ordeals are at odds with one another. In broad outline and Lawrence own sang froid attitude have been attested to by many colleagues but Lawrence will forever remain an enigma where one is never able to grasp the real man with any certainty.

Main picture: Thomas Edward Lawrence in traditional Arab garb

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Killings Most Vile

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 0 Comment

Hardly a day goes by in South Africa with poachers not decimating our wildlife especially our rhino. Also in their sights are lions; the most depraved aspect of which is the so-called “canned hunting” where specially bred lions are shot at point blank range. In this case, the majority are foreigners, usually wealthy Americans. These “heroes” can be seen posing as they celebrate their killing of this majestic creature. Both types of hunting are as vile and depraved as the other. They represent base motives which should no longer be tolerated if we are to call ourselves civilised.

Before I cover today’s shocking news in this regard, let me tell you about the killing of black bears in Ely, Minnesota, USA. The Discovery Channel presented a program on the senseless killing of these bears which were part of a study into their behaviour.

Main picture: This is what poachers did to Hope the Rhino in order to obtain the maximum amount of horn which consists of benign keratin

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Can the World really cope with an additional 200 000 people per day?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 2 Comments

Rampant population growth coupled with increasing longevity, begs the question whether unchecked growth is still possible given the human’s voracious appetite for resources. Has a pivotal moment been attained when the rate of consumption, wasteful use of resources and the befouling of the environment in concert with population growth culminates in dire consequences for humanity?

Just take your utility bill and consider what 200 000 more people will mean in terms of just two resources: water and electricity.

Main picture: A lignite power plant contaminates the air with its emissions

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