Dean McCleland, Author at The Casual Observer

Insights into the Past

By Dean McCleland in Historical 14 April 2016 1 Comment

The past always seems so idyllic, so serene, and so sublime. The reality of day to day life is more prosaic, more challenging and far crueller. For instance the use of horse and carriages raises a number of questions. Firstly consider the welfare of the animals. In ancient and not so ancient wars, more bemoans the tragic loss of human life but what about that of the animals especially the horses. The movie The War Horse puts the atrocious treatment of horses during WW1 i.e. only a century ago into perspective. But what about another factor which had to be born with equanimity by the population especially those residing in the cities – the streets caked with horse excrement!

Main picture: A Normandy Beach landing photo they don’t show in textbooks – Brave women of the Red Cross arriving in 1944 to help the injured troops, WWII.

Fools and their Money ……

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Financial Matters 13 April 2016 0 Comment

I was reminded of this maxim last night whilst listening to Xolani Gwala’s show on 702 Talk Radio. The topic under discussion was the collapse of the MMM Global Investment in most countries in which it operated. Despite this, the South African operation remained open. It was at this juncture that I recalled the adage regarding fools and their money. Incredulously a female listener disputed the fact that the SA operation would collapse like their foreign counterparts. Xolani was unsuccessful in attempting to convince the caller that if all the operations used the same modus operandi – that is acted as a Ponzi Scheme – then the local operation was bound to collapse as well.

Main picture: Uncle Charlies. The rest of the pictures are in the same vein ie South Africa of the 1970s and 1980s.

Will Sylvester the Wayward Lion be Reprieved?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Nature & Animals 31 March 2016 0 Comment

Animals always draw the short straw in their interaction with humans. Sylvester the Lion is merely the latest in that long line. What was the National Parks knee-jerk reaction? Sylvester must be killed. This attitude prevailed until such time as the chorus of opposition became too vociferous. At that point, euthanasia became one amongst an array of options such as relocation.

Main picture: Sylvester the Lion is at large again after once again having escaped from the Karroo National Park. So far he has alluded all attempts at capture.

The 52km Rhodes Mountain Race – Saturday 12th July 1997

By Dean McCleland in McClelands, Running 26 March 2016 0 Comment

The Rhodes Mountain Race has to be amongst the toughest and most unusual races in South Africa. Restricted to 80 entrants, the one aspect that makes it unique is that this is known for its snow. Run from the hamlet of Rhodes on the Eastern Cape side of the Drakensberg Mountains, at the 32km mark it passes Tiffendal, South Africa’s only ski resort. The selection of the date was deliberately made to co-incide with the likelihood of snow.

On my first attempt, I was not to be disappointed as the snow was at least a metre deep at the top.

This is the story of that odyssey together with John Mostert

Main picture: Between Mavis Bank and Tiffendal. Underfoot it was mushy with melting snow and slippery mud

Bitcoins: A Real Currency or a Chimera?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Financial Matters 24 March 2016 0 Comment

According to the shrill emails received and the rants by Max Keiser on RT’s economic program on DSTV, the solution to currency crises is the adoption of a virtual or a cryptocurrency – call it what you will – such as Bitcoin. Seemingly immune from government and bankers manipulation, they are a secure method to bypass government control. Will this “currency” ultimately supplant traditional currencies or will it be a chimera? Won’t the criminal element combined with human greed, folly and venality ultimately prove its downfall?

Giants Cup: The Voodoo Returns

By Dean McCleland in Hiking 11 March 2016 0 Comment

My initial reason for doing the Giants Cup trail last year was to ascertain whether we were fit enough to hike the Fish River Canyon this year. We only completed the first days hike to the Mzimkulwana Hut.

I re-booked the trail for this year hoping for an improved performance.

Minister of Defence: “Exiting Pilots Stole Air Force Planes”

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 1 March 2016 0 Comment

Do government representatives and Ministers take us for fools? Either the reasons that they provide for non-performance are not factual or they are farcical. Perhaps they operate on the principle that South Africans are gullible. There have been a number of such preposterous claims lately that require rebutting including the one that pilots who are resigning from the South African Air Force are taking their planes with them!

Main picture: Pilatus PC-7 turboprop trainers

Robert Hamilton McCleland: With the Pioneer Column to Rhodesia

By Dean McCleland in McClelands, Other Personal 18 February 2016 0 Comment

In line with my philosophy of using The Casual Observer as a platform to propagate my views concerning the events in the world, I also wish it to become a repository of the articles on the McCleland family. We are fortunate in having a printed family history entitled The Reverend Francis McCleland: Colonial Chaplain to Port Elizabeth 1825 to 1853. Hopefully this is the first of many such articles but for that to materialise, I require information on the family from recipients of this blog.

The first in the series highlights the achievements of Robert Hamilton McCleland who was a member of the Pioneer column which occupied Mashonaland in 1890

Main picture: Robert Hamilton McCleland from the Draaifontein Collection

Would these Adverts get past the PC Police Today?

By Dean McCleland in Historical, Other Galleries 15 February 2016 0 Comment

Probably our grandchildren will have the same response when they view our adverts or even movies such as Star Wars. It is highly likely that the Beatles will sound tinny and David Bowie will look nerdy. They will possibly be amused at rap, wondering why an artist would talk through a song instead of singing. Ironically shoulder length hair for men will probably be in vogue again as well as bell-bottoms.

Main picture: How can the PC Police claim that this advert is sexist. Rather it displays concern for the welfare of one’s wife. Surely!

SONA 2016: Zuma does not Deserve our Respect BUT……

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 13 February 2016 0 Comment

Again Zuma has underwhelmed. If there ever was an occasion when the President needed to issue a clarion call, a rallying cry, to the citizens of South Africa, it was SONA 2016. But he failed dismally. With dubious moral and intellectual credentials, I had lowered my expectations but even those low standards could not be attained. Does that not reflect the malaise in South Africa? Despite Zuma’s dismal performance was the farce not exacerbated by the EFF’s childish behaviour?

Main picture: The action during SONA 2016 was on the streets of Cape Town

The Opinion Pieces are an eclectic bunch on current affairs & history often with a human interest aspect. The Movie/DVDs reviews are mainly on documentaries with a smattering of movie reviews.

Author: Dean McCleland