(Not) A SMAC in the Face #60: Braking Brad

By Blaine McCleland in Jokes, Other Miscellaneous Topics 0 Comment

Normally SMAC’s contribution to the world is a combination of being irreverent, zany, cynical and acerbic, and so the overarching title, A SMAC in the Face, is appropriate. 

But just to prove that SMAC can also be nice, normal and straightforward, this SMAC is a tribute to an up-and-coming SA sports star and all-round nice guy, Brad Binder.  He has been living on the edge in that insane sport of motorbike racing at the highest level where his uncompromising approach to cornering naturally led to the title – Braking Brad.  Hopefully it will also lead to a world title soon.

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The Saga of the Generator

By Dean McCleland in Other Miscellaneous Topics 0 Comment

Having been told by an employee at Coastal Hire that I had won a generator for hiring a submersible pump to remove the flood waters from my property, I was naturally elated. Finding the persistent load-shedding debilitating when one depends upon constant power, I had resolved to purchase a fairly sizable one to overcome this annoyance factor. As the generator would of sizable proportions being an 8 kVA, I arranged with the builder who was on site repairing all my flood damage to provide me with a quote for a generator room.

I was the most fortunate person alive as I was receiving an expensive present. Not only was it exactly what I wanted but it would save me at least R26,000.

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The Military Mind

By Blaine McCleland in Other Miscellaneous Topics 0 Comment

The SADF process, that so many white South Africans endured against their will, wasn’t such an aberration after all.  The military mind is the same no matter where you find yourself.  What made me rediscover this?  It was this article on the coup d’etat in Myanmar.  I am not talking about the coup itself, although I believe most Generals have wet dreams above usurping power, it was the picture that invoked suppressed memories from 40 years ago.

I’m talking about the distinctly non-military white wall tyres on this APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) in Myanmar.

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Debunking Graham Hancock’s Claims

By Dean McCleland in Other Miscellaneous Topics 1 Comment

Graham Hancock is a British writer and journalist. He is known for his pseudoscientific theories involving ancient civilisations, Earth changes, stone monuments or megaliths, altered states of consciousness, ancient myths, and astronomical or astrological data from the past. 

Normally when I watch a master magician or mentalist weaving their spell over the audience, my mind is sharply focused not on the outcome of the act but rather the manner in which the performer is duping the audience. For me, Graham Hancock is no exception.

Main picture: Graham Hancock

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What happened to the Union Defence Force after 1948?

By Dean McCleland in Other Miscellaneous Topics 0 Comment

1948 was a defining moment in South Africa’s history. The advent of National Party rule on the 26th May 1948 and the defeat of the United Party under the venerable leader, Jan Smuts, who had served with distinction with the Boer forces in the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899 – 1902), would open a veritable Pandora’s Box of ill-considered measures such as the segregation of the Union into tribes.

Most notable was the effect on the Union Defence Force which had fought with great distinction against the Nazi forces arrayed against the Allied nations. What they did to this once brave and proud force in the name of Afrikaner Nationalism was a far cry from what one expects of nation building.

Main picture: Frans Christiaan Erasmus, National Party politician and Minister of Defence from June 1948 to 1959, who was at the forefront of efforts to remove English speakers members of the Union Defence Force

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The economic effect of Covid-19

By Blaine McCleland in Other Miscellaneous Topics 0 Comment

If one doubts the terrible economic consequences of the disease, then these Nasa photos will jolt you out of your complacency.  They show the amount of Nitrogen Oxide in the atmosphere which is primary due to the usage of motor cars but also any industrial process that burns fuels at high temperatures.


The first photo overs a period in January before lockdown – voluntary as well as involuntary – and the second covers the period after it has taken effect.

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Renewables Footprint to Meet Energy Requirements

By Dean McCleland in Other Miscellaneous Topics 0 Comment

A TED Talk about the reality of renewables set the cat amongst the pigeons – in my mind at least. Most people are unaware of the energy intensity of fossil fuels vis-à-vis renewals whether biofuels, solar or wind power which means that the facilities to produce the latter are so much larger.. Furthermore, renewables such as solar and wind power are subject to the vagaries of the weather as well as the diurnal cycle. These factors confound the issue of reliable 24/7 power  requiring alternative energy sources such as batteries, open [or closed] cycle gas turbines or pumped storage schemes to meet such shortfalls.

Main picture: The future blight on the landscape. Wind turbines on all available land in windy regions

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