A different view on current affairs & history
The CSAR existed from 1902-1910 and was well-known for its extremely luxurious suburban and main-line trains which were generally regarded as the most well appointed in South Africa and compared well to the best in the rest of the world. One of these four A-17’s was named the Pongola and became car No. 146 in 1911, and saw service until 1926 as a type A-17.
Main picture: Dining car of the Pongola 146 in its heyday
Main picture: Al “Scarface” Capone
What could be more innocuous than a handshake? Not a special handshake, but a conventional handshake where the only contact is between the two hands. Well, using the pretext of being anti-Islamic, two Muslim brothers have objected to shaking the hand of their female teacher.
This has resulted in numerous educational department rulings & reversals as this issue wends its way through officialdom and ultimately the Courts in Switzerland.
Main picture: No handshake exemption for Muslim pupils, Swiss canton rules
Main picture: If officials awarded Lance Armstrong’s 2005 Tour de France title to the next fastest finisher who has never been linked to doping, they would have to give it to the 23rd place finisher.
Most of these facts were unknown to me. Clearly I cannot enter any TV quizzes anytime soon.
Main picture: The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia, at just 1.75 sq. miles/4.53 sq. km and a population of 49 people.
Society holds priests and other arbiters of human behaviour to a higher standard than normal humans. So when their behaviour does not conform to these standards, the disbelief and interest is all the greater.
So it was with two clergymen of St. Mary’s Church half a century apart.
Main picture: Rev Francis McCleland
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It is not just the fact that the Chinese can manufacture their goods cheaper than the Americans, but it is also how slickly and cheaply the logistics system operates. One aspect of this chain, are these monster container ships.
All of these photographs display the tranquility of nature through its reflections on the water.
Albert Göering, the brother of the infamous Herman Göering, was diametrically opposed to everything that Herman represented. What is unknown is why two siblings could be so different in outlook yet experience the same privileged upbringing.
Main picture: Albert Goering in 1936
Some years ago I first received an email claiming that these stunning photographs were only found in a Brownie Box Camera recently. The photos are real but the astonishing claims made were a figment of somebody’s imagination.