The Casual Observer

Political Correctness in Extremis

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 20 December 2014 0 Comment

The initial concept of Political Correctness was to preclude the use of gratuitous generalisations regarding races, religions, sexes and politics that contained a negative connotation. The use of these words is generally demeaning of that race or grouping and often unfairly categorises all members of such a group with the same degrading or humiliating appellation. With the principles now being extended into all facets of life, has the concept thwarted free speech or, as shown in the examples below, prevented the enjoyment of one’s own culture and way of life.

In tracking down feel-good stories for a blog, adjacent to one of these stories in the British Telegraph was an article on Town Councils in the UK which had banned the word Christmas as being too indicative of one religion and hence offensive to Muslims in their Communities. Their staffs were instructed to replace it with the words Happy Festive Season.

One Tiny Act of Kindness

By Dean McCleland in Inspirational, Miscellaneous Topics 19 December 2014 0 Comment

Sometimes one is able assist another person immeasurably even though that act of kindness was insignificant in itself. It might not have saved a life or been as dramatic as the rescue of an animal in distress, but that act of kindness could mean more than life itself to that recipient.

In this case it was a New York Taxi Driver who as an occupation is not normally known for their patience and tolerance. This incident probably meant more to this doddering old woman than anything else in the past ten years of her life.

Christmas: Restoring Faith in Humankind

By Dean McCleland in Inspirational, Miscellaneous Topics 19 December 2014 0 Comment

I was in the process of writing today’s blog entitled Mampara of the Year when I came across a feel-good story on the internet. I then changed my focus. Whereas I could easily write the article on the Mampara without even using the Internet, an article on good news stories, especially those that would resonate with me, would be a far harder task.

Many of these did – I admit – bring a tear to my eye. Imagine a world without caring people such as these. Human kindness is a virtue to be celebrated yet none of these people performed these acts of kindness for monetary or other reward. Instead the reward was visceral, an internal recompense.

Animals: Photos of the Aftermath of their New Year’s Binge

By Dean McCleland in Animals 18 December 2014 0 Comment

If humans can overindulge over the Festive Season, so can animals. Why should humans be the only ones who have a celebration over this period? I know that you think that I have imbibed something stronger than the Christmas Spirit. Just to dispel such notions, I would like to show you a dozen photographs that will attempt to convince you that animals indeed do imbibe. What they consume, I am unaware of, but whatever it is appears to have the same effect on them as it does to humans.

Main picture: A Polar Bear using a pool as an impromptu toilet bowl. If you don’t believe me, just look inside the pool! On second thoughts, do not!

The Essence of Africa

By Dean McCleland in Other Galleries 17 December 2014 0 Comment

Being close to Christmas, I have decided to adopt the not-so-serious approach. Furthermore it will complement the mood of the Silly Season. In this case, it is the idiosyncrasies of living on the wonderful but sometimes frustrating continent known as Africa. Many of you would have seen these photographs before but they are quintessential Africa and in many cases they are a representation of insouciant life of South Africa. What they indubitably do represent is man’s ingenuity in overcoming adversity. Furthermore it showcases humankind’s inventiveness in some instances and stupidity in other cases.

All however represent the Essence of Africa.

The Chronicle of the Journey into Terra Incognito

By Dean McCleland in Personal, Running 15 December 2014 0 Comment

This is a poignant tale of taking two novices through their first marathon. On 22^nd March 2009, two unwilling victims – Arnold Paikin and Johann Scholtz – were dragged through their first marathon. This blog chronicles the pathos and pain of that experience. The first half of the blog is my experience of that baleful race and the second is Arnold’s plaintiff riposte to an uncaring slave driver – that is me. Tell me which version that you believe. His or mine?

My version of that momentous day

Clearly it would not be terra incognito for me having already done in excess of 90 marathons & ultras. Contrary to expectations, I have a view that, despite having completed so many, one’s body is not designed to run that far; especially mine. The reason that I say terra incognito is that if one has never run a marathon before, one probably extrapolates from how one felt after a half marathon & imagines – wishful thinking really – that another 21kms cannot be that difficult. Surely not? How can it? What is not factored into that equation is that the body exhausts its glycogen supply after approximately 30kms and then one hits the wall. Apart from that, the body at that point is no longer making timid suggestions that would the mind please desist from such stupid behaviour but now throws a tantrum in the form of pain, blisters & generally becomes bolshie.

Animals experiencing Snow for the First Time

By Dean McCleland in Animals 14 December 2014 0 Comment

In order to celebrate the festive season I have decided to create a number of blogs of a less serious nature. I know that South Africa never has snow over the Christmas period but in the northern hemisphere snow is synonymous with Christmas.

The first of these blogs relates to animals experiencing snow for the first time. Their expressions are classics. Without the benefit of language, it is a visceral experience rather than being informed in advance what to expect.

See the sense of apprehension, wonderful and joyfulness on their first encounter. Their unbridled joy is a wonder to behold.

Electricity: Crisis? What Crisis?

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs 12 December 2014 0 Comment

Typical political spin. How can I tell? The new CEO of Eskom had barely put his feet under the desk and the denials commence yet again. What would the typical response of the new appointee in the private sector? In order to ensure that the sins of his predecessors are not borne by himself, he will perform a rigorous, if not over-diligent abd exhaustive cleaning of the Augean Stables. What is the politician’s instinct? A cover-up!

“Crisis? What Crisis?” was an iconic album by Supertramp in the 1970s. The cover of the Album shows a member of the band in a bathing costume reclining in a deck chair as if he was on Brighton Beach in mid-summer sunning himself. So far so good except that littered all around him are scenes of devastation.

Wild Animals: Sacrificing the Future for the Present

By Dean McCleland in Animals, Current Affairs 11 December 2014 0 Comment

South Africa has the scourge of rhino poaching but Asia has the canker of the plundering of their tiger populations. In a recent Time Magazine it states that 274 of a population of approximately 1700 have been killed over the past few years. At that rate, the chances of my grand-children being able to view tigers in the wild, is modest at best.

So far humankind has only been able to arrest the decline of one animal species and that is the whale. With the price of these animal’s body parts sky-rocketing – apparently it has increased by tenfold over the past five years – the supply of poachers has exceeded the demand.

Ferguson Missouri: What it illustrates to me about America

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

I have not followed this episode closely at all. As such I am unable to sit in judgment on this tragedy in any way. Whatever the culpability of each party, it is irrelevant but in my mind it offers some confirmatory views of American race relations in particular and American societal values in general.

Before the rioting a few weeks ago in Ferguson Missouri, I, like countless other people in the world, had never heard of the place. The closest that I had ever come to knowing a Ferguson was Road Running with the grand old running stalwart by the name of Alan Ferguson in his Joburg Harriers vest. But that is a story for another day.

Main picture: An alternative view from the other side of the fence