Review of the Blood Brothers at Pieter Toerien Theatre at Monte Casino
Heaven & Hell: The Evolution of God & Satan over the past two Centuries
What would happen if I were to discuss the concept of God and Satan with one of my ancestors at the turn of the seventeenth century? Would there be any commonality in our thinking in any form or would it merely be like two ships passing in the night? In this blog I have selected one of my forefathers by the name of Reverend Francis McCleland with whom I will engage in this hypothetical discussion.
Main picture: Would we even agree on such aspects whether God was a divine being with a human appearance or even whether it is a loving caring God and not as Leviticus implies, a vindictive God?
The Men who Built America – DVD
The chronicle of the rise of the Titans who built the key pillars of Industrial America
Rating: 5 out of 5
This History Channel documentary deals with the key individuals who single-handedly built the key pillars of Industrial America – steel, railroads, oil, finance & ultimately the motor car.
Prior to their rise, America which was recovering from the devastating effects of Civil War, was still not industrialised but within 30 years of unbridled capitalism, was converted into a worldwide power house & incipient super power.
In spite of their reputations as the poster children of uncaring capitalism, the motto should read “honour to whom honour is due”. Not to be held in thrall but rather as an acknowledgement of their achievements while recognizing their frailties. This quintet comprised Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller, JP Morgan & Ford. Their signature trait was an intense focus
Living the Rhythms of a Bush Life Part 5: Through Moremi & Chobe to Home
Through Moremi to Chobe
The bush odyssey was slowly drawing to a close, but before it did so, there was one more game reserve to visit: Chobe. This area nestled between Zimbabwe, Zambia & Namibia & was the focal point of the supply routes of the terrorist organisations fighting the Rhodesian government during the so-called bush war.
From a conservation point of view, what it is renowned for are its elephants; tens of thousands of them.
Living the Rhythms of a Bush Life Part 4: Into the Heart of the Okavango
Into the Heart of the Okavango
Rob had a clearly defined objective for the next five days: Drive aimlessly around the Okavango & view the game.
The itinerary would follow the diurnal rhythms of the bush: wake up before day break & view some lion kills, have breakfast, sleep over the hottest part of the day, have supper as the sun is going down & then do some more game-viewing & hopefully spot a lion kill.
Living the Rhythms of a Bush Life Part 3: Bain’s Baobab, The Mokoro Interlude & Starvation Rations
Bain’s Baobab
The next day was bundu bashing the whole way. We were heading to Baine’s Baobab. We would be at greatest risk on this day because if there were mechanical problems with the vehicle, we would be miles from the closest road let alone civilisation.
Baines’ Baobabs are a highlight for any visitor travelling this area of Botswana.
Living the Rhythms of a Bush Life Part 2: Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pan
Makgadikgadi
Our first stop would be Makgadikgadi, a vast wilderness of salt pans and rolling grasslands and an ideal stop over en route to the Okavango delta, Botswana.
That night we would not sleep under the stars as there were nocturnal animals that prowled the area. To get a feel of the extent of the salt pans, the next day we drove for hours on it before heading back to the Francistown – Maun Road.
Living the Rhythms of a Bush Life Part 1: Prologue & 10km Trip
Prologue
Rob Liemer might have been a Chartered Accountant & my boss at Barlows Heavy Engineering but his two loves in his life were the bush of Botswana & repairing Land Rovers.
Rob’s love of the bush manifested itself in his annual two to three week migration to Botswana. Being an accomplished motor mechanic, Rob did not take the road trip through Botswana but rather the bundu bashing route.
To mitigate the risks, he fitted his long wheel-base Land Rover will 500 litre tanks, water containers & storage bins that contained all conceivable manner of spares imaginable.
Racial integration: How are our children coping?
A Personal View – March 2014
An act that I witnessed during this morning’s 21km run through Sunnyside, the Hillbrow of Pretoria, made me contemplate what the state of racial integration amongst South Africa’s children really is.
I am convinced that a child is born colour-blind, not in the literal sense of being unable to distinguish the various colours of the rainbow, but rather how they are able to interact with children of other races without concerns about their race, religion or class.
China: The Two Long Marches Contrasted & a Third Required
A Personal View – March 2014
In China, the history & significance of the Long March is well known. But steeped in propaganda, the truth is not known to the Chinese people.
During the 1920s & 1930’s, China was a very unstable country. The Chinese Emperor Puyi ruled from 1908 at the age of 2 years old until his abdication in 1912 during the Xinhai Revolution when he was 6 years old. He made a brief appearance to prominence again when the Japanese appointed him Kangde Emperor of the puppet state of Manchukuo [Manchuria] after its capture in 1931. He then ruled until the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1945.