Dean McCleland, Author at The Casual Observer

TV Resolution: What is the State of Play?

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

Most of us have only recently acquired HD TVs when a vastly improved new standard UHD – Ultra High Definition – was announced. This new standard offered double the resolution of HD – 3849 x 2160 pixels. The picture quality of these TVs is so stunning that even if one stands less than a metre from the screen, no pixilation can be seen. In fact I have stood less than a centimetre away and no pixels are visible. Just when I promised myself to indulge in one if I ever had to win the Lotto – the US’s version has a prize of $430 million this week – I read the following headline: Samsung vs LG: the battle of fake and true UHD TVs. What does that mean for us?

Main picture: A Samsung 105in curved UHD TV currently retailing for R 285 000

Rating General Montgomery: A Further Rebuttal

By Dean McCleland in History 3 January 2016 0 Comment

The blog “Rating the Generals of WW2” has certainly stirred a hornet’s nest. Firstly Luigi admonished me for neglecting General Slim of Burma. This unintended omission confirms that both the 14^th Army and its Commanding Officer are now forgotten, true to their namesake, The Forgotten [14^th] Army. In this case, a peremptory mea culpa and honour was satisfied. Not so in the case of Montgomery. After publishing Blaine’s rebuttal on my rating, I then used the right of reply to question the speed of Montgomery’s advance from El-Alamein after crushing the Axis Powers. Blaine has taken umbrage with my interpretation of Montgomery’s “ponderous” advance across Cyrenaica & Tripolitania in Libya. The essence of the dispute is whether Montgomery was rightly cautious and considered or whether he was ponderous and unimaginative. Whereas Blaine favours the former interpretation, I favour the latter.

Main picture: Montgomery and his adversary Erwin Rommel, both vainglorious and publicity seeking

Breakthroughs and Innovations during 2016-Non-polluting energy

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 1 January 2016 1 Comment

Many magazines including Time and Popular Science list their choices of the best innovations for the year. Time Magazine has just released theirs. Whilst many of them may be classified as innovative none will significantly improve the lives of the majority on earth. None are particularly earth-shattering nor do many inspire my imagination. My list of breakthroughs and innovations for 2016 is not a prophesy but rather a wish-list. Instead they should be transformative second order changes. This blog deals with the intractable problem of non-polluting power.

Main picture: 1000 years temperature versus CO2 readings Continue reading

Hitler: The Formative Years

By Dean McCleland in History, Military History 30 December 2015 1 Comment

From around fourteen years of age – no precise age can be determined – Hitler started experiencing delusions of grandeur. He wanted to become a world famous painter. More insightful into Hitler’s character than this fantasy, was the fact that he scorned the notion of having to earn one’s daily living. Being a loner he seldom had friends. To use an expressive modern term, Hitler was an odd-ball, the archetypal non-entity, the little grey man who blended into the background. As such, detailed records and acounts of Hitler’s youth are sparse at best but whatever is extant all points to an eccentric misanthropic youth. What was Hitler like as a child and why did he develop these surreal notions about life?

Main picture: One of Hitler’s water colours

Hitler’s Wunderwaffen: The Horten Stealth Bomber

By Dean McCleland in Military History 29 December 2015 0 Comment

The origin of this article was pure serendipity. First I came across an article about National Geographic producing a documentary on the Horton Flying Wing which the Germans were designing at the end of WW2. In spite of their abhorrent social policies, I have a grudging respect for their technology which was pivotal in the development of the next generation of military equipment.

I then searched for the equivalent documentary which I own but produced by The History Channel. After reading the review which Amazon ranked as the best one, I was impressed. The sentiments accorded exactly with my thoughts – 100%. Then I searched for the name of the author. Under the heading Excellent Overview of Advanced WW2 German Aircraft Designs was the date of the review – 16^th June 2008 and then the author’s name – DF McCleland! No wonder I thought that the reviewer was spot on

Main picture: The Horten Ho 2-29 Flying Wing Continue reading

Rare Historical Photographs

By Dean McCleland in Historical 29 December 2015 0 Comment

Of these 50 historical photographs, I have personally only seen half a dozen previously. Hopefully you will also find these as interesting as they offer an insight into how our ancestors lived.

Main picture: Locals carrying a Rolls Royce in Nepal in 1950

General Bernard Law Montgomery Re-Assessed

By Dean McCleland in Military History 28 December 2015 0 Comment

My original Blog entitled Rating the Generals of WW2 arose in response to an emailed query by Blaine. This blog attracted a slew of replies and comments some of which can be read on the Comments Section under the relevant blog. The three most note-worthy – of which this is one – is a rebuttal of my comments and rating on the generalship of Bernard Law Montgomery. This excellent re-assessment is by my brother Blaine who obviously has time during retirement to read all my blogs diligently as he should be doing. His points are detailed and well presented. Herewith is the full unabridged reply by Blaine.

Main picture: Montgomery and his American rivals – Bradley and Patton

South Africa at Sunset

By Dean McCleland in Landscapes 27 December 2015 0 Comment

Dawn and sunset must be the two most enchanting times to be in the bushveld. The magical colours combined with a sense of expectation, a primeval spirit redolent of eons in the past subsumes one within the tranquillity of the age-old bush. The menacing unmistakeable roar of a far-off lion, the deadly grunt of a hippopotamus or the trumpeting of an elephant in the foreground all form part of the bush life.

Restoring our Faith in Humanity in 2015

By Dean McCleland in Inspirational 24 December 2015 0 Comment

Mercifully for South Africans, it has not been a year filled with overwhelming tragedy. Rather it has been a year when the shameless deeds of the political elite and their patronage clients have cast shame on the citizens of this fair land. From Nkandla to the crony enrichment scheme proposed by Dudu Myeni of SAA, moral turpitude has been exposed at every turn. The selfless actions of Nhlanhla Nene gave South African pause to reflect that a few – too few perhaps – are prepared to act without fear or favour in South Africa. Even though this act is widely regarded as worthy of the highest recognition, Nene will not be the subject of this year’s award.

This is the season of the year to celebrate a random act of kindness. This selfless act is an inspiring story of compassion, the more so when the benefactor need not have been as magnanimous or generous.

Victory as a Yardstick to Rate the Generals of WW2

By Dean McCleland in Military History 24 December 2015 0 Comment

Many measures can be applied when assessing the performance of Generals. One could focus on strategic or tactical competence. Maybe success is another. What about race or sexual orientation? My judgment was based on competence conflated with a 21^st century concept of human rights. The blog Rating the General of WW2 elicited a number of comments of alternative ratings. This was one from an old hiking friend Malcolm. After presenting Malcolm’s view, I will critique it.

Main picture: Based upon victory as being the measure of greatness, Eisenhower was the greatest general of WW2

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