Dean McCleland, Author at The Casual Observer

The Fish River Canyon Hike: August 2006

By Dean McCleland in Hiking, McClelands 31 January 2016 0 Comment

As 2016 will be the 10^th anniversary of this hike which from a personal perspective was noteworthy in that I hurt my back so badly on the descent on day one that it ultimately culminated in my 2^nd back operation a few months later. As a commemoration, I have elected to reprint / re-issue the two blogs on this hike as one blog: The Report Back and the irreverent – or maybe that should read irrelevant – awards. Of the 9 of us who completed this hike, Walter Baumgartl has since passed on, long before his allotted time.

Main picture: Fish River Canyon – Viewpoint at the Start. Naturally the only way down, is down Continue reading

Is my Dog Racist?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 30 January 2016 1 Comment

Am I being paranoid but in the wake of the recent spate of accusations of racism being levelled at various individuals even for the non-racist actions in some instances, I decided to apply the principle of risk control and mitigation. To do so, I closely monitored the members of my household. Then it dawned on me. One of the closely knit McCleland clan was a closet racist, albeit subliminally. I was aghast. After assiduously training my children to treat all humans as equals and never to despise them, I had forgotten about my dogs. What am I to do? Surely I will bear the burden of responsibility for this omission?

Main picture: The possible miscreant – Dog L – enjoying herself not on the beach but in a pond at Delta Park. No littering was allowed during the making of these photographs. In addition the litter was placed in the appropriate recycling bins

My Rocket Scientist Brother: How the Mind Works

By Dean McCleland in McClelands, Other Personal 29 January 2016 0 Comment

By 11 years of age, I was reading the newspaper from cover to cover. In addition with my limited pocket money I did not purchase comics like the rest of my friends but magazines such as Look and Learn. I was enthralled with the world that opened up. What finally caught my attention was the part work by Purnell entitled The History of the Second World War. Even though Blaine was only 9 years old, he had to listen to my expounding on all these issues – the Holocaust, the rabid racist Nazis and of course their wonder weapons. Initially it was a monologue but soon Blaine would contribute. What was fascinating partly in retrospect was how his mind worked compared to mine. This is that story.

Main picture: This Guy Fawkes was not going to have a huge straw Guy Fawkes or an even bigger bon fire. Rather being Kentron engineers, it might not be a guided missile but at least it was a potent rocket. Talk about taking work home with you.

My Rocket Scientist Brother

By Dean McCleland in McClelands, Other Personal 27 January 2016 0 Comment

Perhaps it is not common knowledge but my brother can validly be awarded the sobriquet of “rocket scientist.” Certainly as regards intelligence it was indubitably true but definitely not in the nerdish dilettantish sense. What was it like to have a brother who was four years younger than one oneself yet who was nonetheless intellectually one’s superior?

Main picture: This is a huge drawing that Blaine did on his bedroom wall. It was so perfect that I always wondered why he did not do more sketches or drawings
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Why is there an Epidemic of Heroin Overdoses amongst the American Middle Class?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Health 22 January 2016 0 Comment

Outside of America, the mindless stupidity of heroin addiction, that is currently ravaging the white Middle Class, is a relatively unknown phenomenon. Even the Presidential hopefuls are being intensively interrogated about their plans to remedy the situation. Teenager-dom is a turbulent period in youngsters lives and experimentation is the norm, but why is there is sudden spike in heroin addiction in the United States?

Main picture: The final humiliation

What happened to the Hippie Culture and their Social Revolution?

By Dean McCleland in History 20 January 2016 3 Comments

Perhaps two concepts more than any other encapsulate this revolution – free sex and drugs use. Intriguingly why did a rabidly anti-establishment cultural revolution arise when America was flourishing? Foremost it was due to the fact that during the 1960s and 1970s there was deep-rooted social discontent amongst the youth of America. Perhaps there are four reasons germane to this discussion. Did the experiences of all hippies conform to the expectation that all hippie communes operated on the same modus vivendi or were their members’ experiences unique to each commune? What happened to the offspring of these commune members? Did the revolution have an impact on society in general or did it metastasize and influence it in a myriad of ways which now form part of the establishment’s soul.

Main picture: A vivid evocation of the quintessential hippie lifestyle

Rarely Seen Moments of US History

By Dean McCleland in Historical 19 January 2016 0 Comment

This series of historical photographs is certainly exceptional. From a slave auction place, circa 1870 to a snapshot of New York in 1887 looking more like modern day Mumbai with telephone wires strung from every pole. I am curious about the slave auction place being dated as 1870 because slavery was abolished at the end of the American Civil War in 1865 unless this is a remnant of that event. Another of the insightful pictures of a bygone era, is a photograph of an opium den in America as it is evocative of the opium scourge in China itself during this era.

Main picture: An opium den in San Francisco, 1900

Will the Latest Proposals to Reduce the Carnage on the Roads Work?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 18 January 2016 0 Comment

After the shocking increase of 14% in the number of road fatalities this Christmas season to 1755, the Department of Transport is proposing to re-classify all road traffic offences to Schedule 5 of the Criminal Procedure Act, the same as murder and rape, thus making it more difficult for people to get bail. In effect by delaying the granting of bail by up to a week, the alleged guilty parties are de facto being punished. Firstly is this constitutional and secondly will this amendment actually improve driving behaviour? What unintended consequences will ensue?

Personal experiences: Why South Africa is failing?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 8 January 2016 0 Comment

I could dwell on all South Africa’s major ills such as an incompetent ANC or Zuma’s single-handed attempt to detail the South African economy. Alternatively I could lament about other ailments such as Zuma’s friend Dudu Myeni’s bid to insert some crony into the Airbus deal at a cost of R1.6 billion to SAA. No. Let me rather rail against my everyday experiences which indicate that all is not well in sunny South Africa.

Main picture: This surreal walkway recently installed in Cape Town, South Africa, creates a meandering, aerial path that allows visitors to stroll through the treetops. The steel-and-pinewood Kirstenbosch Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway begins on the forest floor, gradually sloping upward and eventually elevating guests to a spectacular vantage point above the canopy.

Inimitable Repartee

By Dean McCleland in Other Miscellaneous Topics 7 January 2016 0 Comment

Winston Churchill was renowned for this sharp wit and quick retorts. In fact I have even written a blog about Winston’s most famous come-back lines. Aside from Churchill, I also appreciated Ronald Reagan’s self-deprecating retorts when challenged by an opponent. All of these are well known. All share one characteristic. They will surely deflate the menacing tone of an opponent.

Main picture: Vintage Winston Churchill

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