The Casual Observer

South Africa’s Future: Utopia or Dystopia

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 12 June 2014 0 Comment

What does the future hold for South Africa under continued ANC Rule?

Firstly before any hand-wringing commences, let us review the economic and political situation in South Africa on the release of Nelson Mandela from incarceration after 27 years.

South Africa was increasingly assailed by many forms of sanctions. The economy was on a downward death spiral. Technically South Africa was bankrupt and could not meet its obligations. This dire position had been caused by the withdrawal of foreign lending to South Africa. It was only the introduction of the innovative Financial Rand which prevented the total withdrawal of all foreign currencies. In spite of this financial sleight-of-hand, the situation was precarious with demands on the Treasury unsustainable.

USS New York: Ship Built from the World Trade Centre

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 11 June 2014 0 Comment

Made from the Remains of World Trade Centre

The USS New York, the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, is the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named after the state of New York. New York has a crew of 360 and can carry up to 700 Marines. It is notable for using a symbolic amount of steel salvaged from the World Trade Centre after it was destroyed in the September 11 attacks.

Dementia Exercise

By Dean McCleland in Miscellaneous Topics 9 June 2014 2 Comments

This is a good exercise, let me know if you get all four correct. Do not reply if you miss one or more.

“No fair peeking”

I WANT TO HELP YOU USE YOU GRAY MATTER, SO YOU CAN DELAY DEMENTIA…

Fallacies of Infallible Leadership and other such Fables

By Dean McCleland in Current Affairs, Opinion Pieces 9 June 2014 2 Comments

Mandela and the Struggle – A Contrarian View

Was Mandela a saint? “Hell no!” I would argue against that assertion but then Mandela conceded that fact on numerous occasions himself so I am in good company.

Then why was Mandela sanctified, beautified and deified all in ten days? Even the Pope cannot achieve such miracles

Or more controversially, should he have been commemorated at all?

Zapiro – The 2012 Editions of the Sunday Times

By Dean McCleland in Fiction, Jokes 8 June 2014 0 Comment

120122 — Backup plane for Jacob Zuma published in Sunday Times on 22 Jan 2012

The World’s Most Beautiful Places

By Dean McCleland in Miscellaneous Topics 8 June 2014 1 Comment

Appenzell Switzerland

Citylights Shining at Dawn in Hong Kong

Dolomite Mountains Italy

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs Colorado

Hallstatt Austria

Rush Hour Venice Italy

Skyline of Sydney, Australia

St. Anton at Arlberg Tirol Austria

Sugar Loaf Mountain Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

This Day in History: 6th June 1944 – D-Day

By Dean McCleland in History, Military History 8 June 2014 0 Comment

The largest beach landing in history

The 6^th June 2014 represented the 70^th anniversary of the invasion of Nazi occupied Europe and has widely become recognised by the generic military term known as D-Day or the first day of the attack. Hence D+1 would be the second day et cetera. Due to this conflation, the term D-Day in common parlance is synonymous with the landing on the Normandy Beaches.

As a tribute to the men who fought and died there, on every tenth anniversary of the battle, paratroop veterans would parachute into Normandy. On the 60^th anniversary, ten years ago, this practice was abandoned due to the superannuation of the veterans being a minimum of 80 years of age. On this anniversary, ten years later, one brave solitary soul, a Scotsman, Jack Hutton, elected to show that he was made of sterner stuff and represented all those still alive but now too fragile to do so.

Saving a Whale at Great Personal Risk

By Dean McCleland in Opinion Pieces, Other Opinion Pieces 7 June 2014 0 Comment

Sometimes an attempt to save an animal places the rescuer in great personal risk. This is one such case.

From a personal perspective, Man has unilaterally usurped the rights to the sea and all its wealth and abundance. Through its determined and mindless efforts at overfishing, places all marine animals in jeopardy. Furthermore humankinds’ thoughtless deeds endanger species and in this case, the life of a giant of the sea.

This act of human kindness appeared on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle some time ago. It told of a female humpback whale that had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

My Comrades Debut and Swansong, all in one Race

By Dean McCleland in Personal, Running 5 June 2014 1 Comment

Standing amongst the throngs on a chilly May morning in Pietermaritzburg waiting for the starting gun, one is both inspired and in trepidation in equal measure. One banishes the thoughts of pain awaiting one and attempts to focus on the result: utter jubilation and delight at being able to conquer ones mental and bodily constraints.

My Running Redux

By Dean McCleland in Personal, Running 3 June 2014 0 Comment

The Journey from Searing Back-Pain in late 2013 to Running Races again in Respectable Times

Last Saturday’s [31^st May 2014] 10km race entitled The Great Race produced an eponymous result for me: a great race. After battling for 6 months to run even something as short as a 10km race without leaving me almost comatose, finally I experienced a running redux.

A redux means to be brought back or to arise but it does not imply or denote any religious connotation like a resurrection but rather an activity that occurs in some non-religious manner.

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.