The Casual Observer

Routine and Normal has all but disappeared

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 19 September 2016 0 Comment

South Africa is being rent asunder. The sound of previous certainties & the ANC’s moral high ground being ground underfoot, permeates discourse. Stories of malfeasance abound, with the drip becoming a torrent. Abuse by the ANC is no longer vented against the “racist unrepentant whites” & the “white opposition” but reserved for their former comrades in arms & ANC Cadres.

As a bystander in this open warfare, it would be a gripping yarn if one were lazing at the spring poolside cogitating the meaning of life, but this is our life, South Africa’s future that is being trashed.

Will this morph into the “new normal” with a dysfunctional state with all the pigs snouting at the trough?

Main picture: All of these photos illustrate irony at its best

Best Photo ever Taken

By Dean McCleland in Other Miscellaneous Topics 19 September 2016 1 Comment

Many websites rate this as the best photograph ever taken. The reason for this award is that apparently it took the photographer months to capture the perfect shot. If you are still confused why the cognoscenti would award it this accolade, turn the screen upside down and look for yourself.

Do you now concur with the experts or not?

Why Donald Trump is so wrong

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 18 September 2016 2 Comments

Egotistical, bullying and bombastic behaviour are three traits that do not endear me to a person. In an instant, my hackles rise and I am repulsed; such is my disgust. Even a profound message is muted by my intense annoyance. Nobody wants to be assailed by the arrogant, haughty & vainglorious attitude of somebody who disregards one’s opinions and is dismissive of one’s viewpoint as if they are the font of all wisdom.

Besides this, Trump lacks a basic understanding on most issues. At best, his knowledge can be categorised as superficial. One may be critical of his opponent, Hillary Clinton, but the one aspect that one cannot criticise her for, is a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand.

Yet, this is the man who could soon be the leader of the free world, with his finger on the nuclear trigger.

Main picture: Donald Trump at his ascerbic best

After the War was over

By Dean McCleland in Military History 15 September 2016 3 Comments

Victory in Europe Day, generally known as VE Day, was the public holiday celebrated on 8 May 1945 to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces.

The war might have been over, the rebuilding of shattered lives, buildings and infrastructure could only now commence. Finally, it was a time of retribution for the vile deeds of the Axis countries both in Europe and in the East.

This blog is a pictorial representation of the issues that had to be addressed in this brave new world.

Main picture: A Japanese man amid the scorched wreckage and rubble that was once his home in Yokohama, Japan

Even the Nazis could not prevent a Rugby “International” from being Played

By Dean McCleland in Military History 13 September 2016 5 Comments

White South Africans are addicted to rugby. Whether it is as a player or a spectator, through trying experiences I have learnt that this relationship may not be tampered with, as these rugby addicts cannot resist the lure of the game. Soccer might be endowed with the sobriquet “The Beautiful Game” but rugby is definitely the macho man’s game. This fact is attested to when the South African POWs during WW2 arranged an “International” Rugby game in a German POW Camp. It is a matter of record that in spite of most of the items required to hold an authentic rugby match were not readily available, ingenuity and improvisation were the mothers of invention.

As if to confound their critics, this game was held in Stalag IV-B conforming to the dress code and rules of the games. It was that spirit that embodies the game.

Main picture: Springbok Rugby Team at Stalag IV-B in 1944. Back row, left to right: Oehley, Van Huyssteen, Kaplan, Timm, Coetzee, N. Hinds, Boet Wessels, Heydenrych, Youngleson, Foster, Chapman, Rahl. Middle row: Fabricius, Moore, Ackermann, Major Ochse (medical officer), Fiks van der Merwe (captain), Katzeff, Van der Westhuizen, Ritchie, Hultzer, Zietsman. Front row: Marais, R. Hinds, Sephton.

Only in South Africa

By Dean McCleland in Other Miscellaneous Topics 9 September 2016 1 Comment

None of these photos require a caption as they are all self-explanatory. Not all of them were taken in South Africa as some were taken north of our borders. Once one leaves the metropolises, the real Africa intrudes. The target audience of this blog is those who never leave the malls or their housing estates as these photos capture the essence of what is means to an African as we all are.

Perhaps this blog should have been entitled, “Getting to know one’s fellow Africans”, or maybe not.

The Reverend Francis McCleland – A Life of Service

By Dean McCleland in McClelands 6 September 2016 1 Comment

In order to celebrate the bicentennial of the arrival of the first McCleland to South Africa, I decided to compile a history of my ancestor. Fortunately, he was instrumental in the erection of the first church in Port Elizabeth, St Mary’s Church. In addition, his house at Number Seven Castle Hill was proclaimed a National Monument in 1965. This has provided a starting point in uncovering of the real person concealed behind the cassock.

Main picture: St Mary’s Church after being rebuilt in 1895

Should South Africa still drive on the Left Hand Side of the Road?

By Dean McCleland in Other Miscellaneous Topics 2 September 2016 2 Comments

In the latest edition of the Heritage Portal, Peter Ball presents a concise, lucid and fascinating account of the history of why and how the various countries in the world elected to drive on which side of the road.

With the majority of the countries driving on the right – 161 – versus 75 on the left, would or should there be standardisation to driving on the right.

Main picture: Map of the world indicating which side every country drives on

The Wonder of it All

By Dean McCleland in Inspirational, Running 1 September 2016 2 Comments

Last night was magical. Many of the residents of Pierre van Ryneveldt Park in Centurion lined the streets, gathered in knots around sizzling braais. Without a whisper of wind, we ran two laps through the streets beneath a star impregnated sky.

What more could one want from life?

Main picture: The road through Death Valley, USA

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Russell Road Methodist Church – 1872 to 1966

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 31 August 2016 0 Comment

Russell Road Church, though not the original home of Methodism in Port Elizabeth, is the Mother Church of those now extant. The first Methodist Church was erected in Queen Street in 1841, on the spot where the settlers had pitched their tents, and where the Reverend William Shaw, standing upon a rock, had preached in the open air.

Main picture: Russell Road Methodist Church