Opinion Pieces Archives - Page 31 of 43

Bill Cosby: From Chastened to Defiant

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 5 December 2014 0 Comment

“Not Cosby. Anybody BUT Bill Cosby!” The Breakfast Drive Presenter, John Robbie on 702 Talk Radio, almost willed a different outcome to a fairy tale gone rotten. Strangely I totally concurred with him. Somehow there was no way in which I could accept that Bill Cosby could have perpetrated such vile deeds. Why did he do so and why did I not believe that he was resort to such acts?

A number of such scandals have erupted recently, mostly decades after the event. The Bob Hewitt and Rolf Harris cases spring to mind. Then of course there is the on-going saga of the Catholic Church where literally hundreds of men had now come forward and exposed their friendly priest to be a paedophile.

The 1908 London Olympics

In many respects the Olympic Games prior to WW2 were vastly different from those held today. Largely without any sponsorship and definitely no TV coverage, these games were not lavish affairs. With only 22 countries participating in the fourth of the modern series of Olympics, most of the contestants were amateurs with full-time careers outside of sport. This Olympics broke a number of records including that of being the longest at 187 days.

From a personnel perspective and interest to me relates to the marathon or more precisely the distance thereof. The original distance was 25 miles but it was amended to become 26 miles in order that they could commence at Windsor Castle. It was amended again at the request of Princess Margaret so that the start could be beneath the windows of the Royal Nursery. What was so prominent about the Nurseries that the distance had to be extended.

Music Sales: The Pandora’s Box Dictum in Action

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 3 December 2014 2 Comments

Undoubtedly technology is a wondrous thing which has improved humankind’s lives immeasurably. As is it wont, its effects are never exactly as anticipated thereby creating new complications. The technologies unleashed upon the music business have created their own predicaments and conundrums.

The original forms in which music was delivered to the plebeians was extremely user unfriendly. Both the record and the reel-to-reel tape were cumbersome and unwieldy pieces on equipment not suited for use in moving vehicles and carrying with one to the beach.

Main picture: The mainstay of consumer music until the mid 1980s, the extremely cumbersome and fragile vinyl record.

Hitler: The Measure/Mismeasure of the Man

By Dean McCleland in History, Military History 30 November 2014 0 Comment

Hitler is a byword for evil, racist cant & totalitarian rule. Is this an accurate assessment and does it reflect his philosophies over his whole life or did his psyche steadily become more morbid with age? What was the effect the Bomb Plot in July 1944 on his mental condition? Did it exacerbate these attributes in any way? In spite of the unending drama as the Third Reich rapidly sunk into the abyss after Stalingrad, how was Hitler still able to hold sway? Finally, were his acolytes so in awe of Hitler, and for what reasons, that their natural instincts did not forewarn them of the impending disaster?

These are merely an arbitrary selection of the litany of unanswered questions that I possessed regarding Hitler. Without any doubt, these issues have occupied my mind for at least four decades. Finally Ian Kershaw’s opus magnum entitled eponymously, Hitler, has finally shed light on all these aspects. As I did not have sufficient time to read the full unabridged 1550 page version, I will confess to reading to an abridged version which only comprises a modest 969 pages instead. The journey and wait was well worth it. Continue reading

Learning how to become a Good Citizen in the New South Africa

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 16 November 2014 0 Comment

Until Saturday morning after the 21km race at the Kolonnade Retail Park near Sinoville in Pretoria, I never realised what the requirements were to be a good citizen in the New South Africa. My understanding has always been that the main prerequisite was that as long as one accepted all South Africans of whatever race, religion or gender as equals then one was automatically classified as a good citizen. But then Nigel rudely disabused me of this puerile notion.

After this encounter, upon reflection I now consider myself a slow leaner in this regard. When I cast my mind back, I can now recall numerous incidents where I was mystified by the new social, moral and ethical code that was being imposed seemingly by society at large rather than by legislation.

Four famous Paintings: Their Story: My View

By Dean McCleland in Opinion Pieces, Other Opinion Pieces 11 November 2014 0 Comment

Art connoisseurs will probably be mortified by my untutored tastes and ignorant views but in truth I possess no appreciation for art especially where it bears little resemblance to reality. In contrast to this, art aficionados are able to divine a whole substrata of implied meanings from the brush strokes, the colours and the textures whereas I view a painting as a literal impression and not by some figurative interpretation of what is being viewed. Interesting as their observations might be, they are of little interest to me.

Main picture: The Night watch by Rembrandt van Rijn

Where women are prohibited from Driving

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 10 November 2014 0 Comment

Where in the world would females be prohibited from driving or a whole host of restrictions placed on their doing so? Does this country understand that this is the 21^st century? What about the concept of human rights?

This country is Saudi Arabia. Within this bastion of the ultraconservatives, women only possess the rights of a minor. Even a woman’s minor children have more rights than they do. In most circumstances, the permission of a close senior male family member is required before they may perform many tasks. Failing that, they may defer the decision to the minor male family members.

My Past is Another Country

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Other Personal 6 November 2014 3 Comments

Notwithstanding the fact that I still reside in sunny South Africa, however the country of my birth has changed irrevocably since then. It has been refashioned to such an extent that it is no longer the same country that I remember as a callow youth. This alteration is more than a racial voting issue as the very fabric of society has been rendered asunder. This blog addresses these modifications and assesses whether they were for better or worse as the marriage in 1994 to the New South Africa was consummated.

Main picture: With my cousin Marilyn & her two boys circa 1976

The Tapestry of Life

By Dean McCleland in Inspirational, Landscapes, Other Opinion Pieces 4 November 2014 0 Comment

Have you ever considered why life is not a bland monotone? Imagine for a minute if it were. How boring would life be! Rather it comprises the strident highs of a tweeter and the thumping lows of a bass. It is the opposites and their interaction that makes life sweeter.

Switch on one’s favourite melody and close your eyes. Let the sound flow over and through you. One is enraptured by the interplay of the various components – the lead with its highs, the bass with its lows, the keyboards with its melody and the drums with its beat.

Main photograph: A bamboo forest in China

Marilyn Monroe, the Showgirl, and Colin Clark: A Romantic Interlude

By Dean McCleland in History, Opinion Pieces 2 November 2014 0 Comment

Who one may well ask is Colin Clark, a nonentity, and many years Marilyn Monroe’s junior and what was his relationship with her in 1956 so shortly after her marriage to Arthur Miller?

Two superstars of the day, Marilyn Monroe and Sir Laurence Olivier both had designs on becoming even more famous. In both cases it was to highlight their versatility by also becoming famous movie stars. Marilyn had become an iconic model and singer and Lawrence Olivier a stage actor especially in the Shakespearean mould but both desired more accolades and had pretensions of being famous movie stars.

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.

Category Archives: Opinion Pieces

Bill Cosby: From Chastened to Defiant

The 1908 London Olympics

Music Sales: The Pandora’s Box Dictum in Action

Undoubtedly technology is a wondrous thing which has improved humankind’s lives immeasurably. As is it wont, its effects are never exactly as anticipated thereby creating new complications. The technologies unleashed upon the music business have created their own predicaments and conundrums.

Hitler: The Measure/Mismeasure of the Man

Learning how to become a Good Citizen in the New South Africa

Four famous Paintings: Their Story: My View

Where women are prohibited from Driving

Where in the world would females be prohibited from driving or a whole host of restrictions placed on their doing so? Does this country understand that this is the 21^st century? What about the concept of human rights?

My Past is Another Country

The Tapestry of Life

Have you ever considered why life is not a bland monotone? Imagine for a minute if it were. How boring would life be! Rather it comprises the strident highs of a tweeter and the thumping lows of a bass. It is the opposites and their interaction that makes life sweeter.

Marilyn Monroe, the Showgirl, and Colin Clark: A Romantic Interlude

Who one may well ask is Colin Clark, a nonentity, and many years Marilyn Monroe’s junior and what was his relationship with her in 1956 so shortly after her marriage to Arthur Miller?

Undoubtedly technology is a wondrous thing which has improved humankind’s lives immeasurably. As is it wont, its effects are never exactly as anticipated thereby creating new complications. The technologies unleashed upon the music business have created their own predicaments and conundrums.

Where in the world would females be prohibited from driving or a whole host of restrictions placed on their doing so? Does this country understand that this is the 21st century? What about the concept of human rights?

Have you ever considered why life is not a bland monotone? Imagine for a minute if it were. How boring would life be! Rather it comprises the strident highs of a tweeter and the thumping lows of a bass. It is the opposites and their interaction that makes life sweeter.

Who one may well ask is Colin Clark, a nonentity, and many years Marilyn Monroe’s junior and what was his relationship with her in 1956 so shortly after her marriage to Arthur Miller?

Where in the world would females be prohibited from driving or a whole host of restrictions placed on their doing so? Does this country understand that this is the 21^st century? What about the concept of human rights?