A different view on current affairs & history
I was conflicted with the title – whether to call it The Power Behind the Drone or The Power Behind the Moan – after all, Harry changed from a bloke to a woke with mommy issues. He has become exceedingly boring in the process, spouting baby psychobabble at the merest whiff of a TV camera and patting his shoulders with crossed arms to deal with his emotions. Only Woody Allen can make more money out of his neuroses.
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Was the concept of herd immunity just a will o’ the wisp conjured up by fearful governments to give people something to hang on to until a vaccine could rescue us, or another example of bad advice given by medical professionals?
When Britain entered its third wave late last year, double vaccination rates there were approaching 80% yet their infection rate far exceeded previous waves. The upside was that hospitalisation and death rates were lower. The anti-vaxxers touted this as proof that, while not producing genetic modification (yet), vaccines didn’t work either and were just a profit-making venture by a vague group of people trying to control the world. The cynical amongst us explained it by saying that all the vulnerable had already been killed off in the first two waves. The few sober Brits who weren’t catching up on their pints at the pub attributed this high infection rate to the relaxed restrictions. Still others stated that the Delta variant was more infectious but less deadly. Whatever the truth, it didn’t bode well for the idea of herd immunity.
What about South Africa? With Christmas approaching, less than 25% of South Africans were fully vaccinated when the Omicron variant hit. This caused a frisson of excitement under the doek of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, our resident Grinch. Her dear little heart was doing flick-flacks at the thought of cancelling Christmas again and closing beaches. Unfortunately for her, some cool heads prevailed and she was left to fumigate herself in a dark corner somewhere. The Omicron variant proved to be far less deadly than previous variants and only caused a minor flirtation with draconian measures. But again, what was the truth. We definitely couldn’t claim that vaccines were responsible for the lower death and hospitalisation rates. The cynical view that the vulnerable had already died has some truth. While SA only boasted around 90,000 dead – lower than the UK – the real figure was more likely around 150,000 as calculated from the excess death rates. The discrepancy is easily explained by the chaotic state of SA’s health system that can barely dispense an Aspirin in some places.
So what is the truth? My qualitative assessment of vaccines is that, if all the vulnerable had already been killed off before, then ICU’s should see a distribution of 25% vaxxed patients and 75% unvaxxed if vaccines didn’t work. The reported experience has been that ICU patients have almost exclusively been unvaxxed and therefore vaccination must confer a large measure of protection against the worst outcomes. But what about herd immunity? Like the zero Covid strategy of New Zealand and China, I don’t think it’s achievable. After all, have we ever achieved herd immunity against fast mutating viruses like the common cold or flu. The answer is a resounding no, so why should we buy into this notion that the politicians, (ill)advised by their medical professionals, assuaged our fears with. I think that Covid-19 is something that we’ll have to learn to live with
Amongst the earliest inhabitants of Port Elizabeth, was a group of Muslims foremost amongst whom was one, Fortuin Weys, of which the following has been written:
But the most famous entrepreneur was a Malay, Fortuin Weys, whose house was among the first to be built in Port Elizabeth, and who became one of the wealthiest residents of the town”.
The first mosque to be built in Port Elizabeth was the Grace Street Mosque to serve the growing Muslim community which previously had to travel to Uitenhage for Friday prayers. Hence it is the oldest mosque erected in Port Elizabeth. Another mosque, in close proximity to this one, would later be built viz the Strand Street Mosque
Main picture: The Strand Street Mosque. To imagine the scale of the building, imagine that a fully-grown man would only take half of the height of the front door.
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Port Elizabeth, like so many South African towns, suffered severe water shortages as it developed rapidly during the 19th century. Given the fact that the supply from the Frames Dam on the Shark River was inadequate, an additional dam had to be built post haste. Despite the urgency of the matter, it still took from took from the 28th June 1865 when the first petition was tabled in Parliament until 1877 id est 12 years later, before the Port Elizabeth Water Supply Act of 1877 was passed.
Given the fact that there was a paucity of suitable engineers in the Cape Colony, the first priority was to obtain one overseas.
This blogs covers the work and life of this respected but frail engineer.
Main picture: John Hamilton Wicksteed
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The provision of water to Port Elizabeth from the Van Stadens River, 35 km west of the town, was first mooted in 1862. This was an ongoing process of development, the Upper Van Stadens Dam with its intake weir, filter beds and caretaker’s cottage being completed in 1893. Construction continued early in 1899 on the provision of a pump house, with engine and pumping weir, about 3 km downstream from the Upper Dam complex.
The Van Stadens Waterworks also played a significant role as Port Elizabeth’s main water supply during the Anglo Boer War (1899 – 1902). British reverses on both fronts during the ‘Black Week’ of 9 -15 December 1899 caused alarm and as a result, Port Elizabeth had decided to form a Town Guard in February 1900 to protect them.
Main picture: Fort at Van Stadens River
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During the first 50 years of its existence, Port Elizabeth did not impress the new arrival. It was dusty and treeless with a barren and bleak hillside being rather uninviting and unwelcoming. Unfailingly these arrivees to Port Elizabeth would describe the town in rather negative insalubrious terms. It was only with the planting of trees on the Hill and St. George’s Park that the town discarded its inhospitable mien. Interestingly after finally leaving the town, they were extremely complimentary of the town and its people especially praising its enterprising zeal.
A number of such recollections have been gathered into this blog.
Main picture: The Landing Area
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By the 1860s the public’s demand for a reliable and adequate supply of water was vocal and persistent. In 1866 the Council mandated a Committee to investigate whether the flow rate from the van Stadens River would suffice for the town’s water need. In spite of clearing all the hurdles, the Council prevaricated. In 1874 it announced a new ploy: purloin Uitenhage’s supply. What’s not to like about that suggestion?
Main picture: Aerial photograph of the Nine Eyes of the Uitenhage Springs [Bob Binnell]
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Victory in war has many fathers but defeat is an orphan, is a truism of war. I wonder which of Putin’s Generals will see out the year, or Putin for that matter. Another truism is that the first casualty of war is the truth. That saying has been attributed to a variety of people ranging from Aeschylus around 550 BC – “God is not averse to deceit in a just cause” – through the more verbose Dr Samuel Johnson in 1758 – “Among the calamities of War may be justly numbered the diminution of the love of truth …” – to many others who got close to the modern cliché.
In the case of Russia’s attack on Ukraine the distortions of truth, the unashamed peddling of falsehoods and the ridiculous inversion of facts started long before the boundaries were actually crossed. In fact, they started before when Russia actively assisted Ukrainian separatists annex two regions in the east of Ukraine. Not all the whoppers in the cartoon are his, but, since he is the puppet master, they can all be attributed to him. It’s like classical paintings where experts find it difficult to distinguish between, say, a Rembrandt and one from the school of Rembrandt.
Whilst not the spittle-flecked rants of Hitler, anyone who has seen his rambling TV diatribes connecting dots from all over the place must wonder about his state of mind – no wonder Zuma and him are mates. Perhaps they are not cynically constructed lies but merely the product of years of KGB-trained delusions and old-school Soviet paranoia writ large.
The Putin created or orchestrated sea of lies seems to be largely successful within Russia with the population being force-fed this diet in the state-controlled media and regulated internet access. Behind the scenes, the sea of lies, which was part of the DNA of the old Soviet Union to ensure survival of the nomenklatura, created the delusion for Putin that the army could walk through Ukraine in days and wrap it up before the West got all precious about it. That didn’t work out so well and now the lies concern the extent of the military losses as the wily Ukranians have picked off Russia’s inept army – death by a thousand cuts. They are now desperately scrambling around to secure their few territorial gains and securing the odd cow shed before possibly claiming victory on the holiest of days, 9 May – the day Germany surrendered in WWII. Actually, they had surrendered to Eisenhower the day before but Russia did not recognise that so it had to be re-enacted.
More worrying is that parttime stage-extras like South Africa are genuflecting to Russia by ignoring the facts and perpetuating the deceptions. Even more worrying is that the dictatorial China, the world’s dominant country in a decade or so, is just one small step short of actively siding with Putin and is parroting the notion that America caused it all. According to the hoary old communist playbook, it’s all about America trying to establish hegemony over the world. In the years of the Cold War, it was by means of the arms race, star wars and propping up tinpot dictatorships. Today, it’s Apple, Twitter, KUWTK and McDonalds (they have a lot to answer for).
Maybe the answer is simpler – he needs the big whoppers to make up for his small size.
The large dwelling at the S-Bend on the road to Humewood was erected in 1894/5 for the Harbour Manager, RH Hammersley-Heenen, resident engineer and general manager of the South African Railways. When first built, the house had a beautiful position next to rocks and sand and close to the sea. It was only with the construction of the breakwater in the 1920s, that the beach expanded as sand accumulated against the obstacle.
Main picture: House given the Welsh name Lanherne
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We have become inured to the sight of decrepit Pontiffs being trundled out onto the Vatican balcony probably held up by a steel brace on wheels hidden by their baroque robes. It was hard to tell if they were sentient or dead. Such a sight confronted rock fans – some as young as 50 – for the sell-out final concert of Genesis on the 26th of March. With a combined age of 214, the O2 Arena in London was appropriate as it looked like Phil Collins needed O2. Thank god all the musical instruments are wireless these days so we wouldn’t have the embarrassing sight of Collins with his walking stick tripping over a cable and doing his hip in on his way to his chair on stage. One could palpably sense the tension in the audience – will he make it. He was like Capt Tom Moore who got the world to follow him during lockdown as he zimmered framed his way across his garden 100 times. To the audience’s relief, Phil made it to his chair. Many rockers of old used the microphone and its stand as a supporting act. Who can forget Freddie Mercury imperiously colonising the stage with his phallic half mic stand. Phil Collins also used his mic stand as a supporting act but more in the walking stick sense.
Whilst not the greatest fan of Genesis and Phil Collins, it is difficult for me to gainsay his influence. He is one of only three musicians who have sold more than 100 million albums. The others are Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. There are many others in the Rock and Role of Geriatric Honour Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.
At 78 we have the spritely Rodger Daltrey Who still sings My Generation. I’m not sure if it’s the Beat Generation anymore or rather the retirement home and false-teeth-glue generation. I think it’s time for This Song is Over. Also at 78 we have Jagger whose sensuous child-bearing lips will soon become drooling lips. What about the sylphlike Debbie Harry and her bewitching lips? She is now 76 and while her lips can still do a stage act all on their own, she is not quite so sylphlike and performs as Platinum Blondie. Robert Plant is 73 and it is a competition between the Stairway to Heaven and the #MeToo movement catching up with him and sending him to prison for sex with underage groupies, a perfectly natural Rock and Roll phenomenon of the time along with loads of drugs and eccentric behaviour. Then again what has changed.
Among the real oldies, we have Cliff (over the hill) Richards, the Peter Pan of Rock. Unfortunately, he is a wrinkled Shadow of his former self. Joining him on 81 is Tom Jones who used to wear pants so tight that you could see if he was circumcised. Now It’s Not Unusual that he has to wear a strap on, sort of like a bodybuilder’s or a ballet dancer’s posing pouch. We also have a relative youngster in Paul McCartney at 80. He is now Sir Paul or perhaps Sore Paul, what with his cranky hips, but still manages to headline at Glastonbury.
What have we got to look forward to? What about a snappy Goodbye to U2 at O2 – Bono is a pensioner at 61 after all. Or maybe Cher (75 going on 42) appearing in her gilded Botoxed plastic sarcophagus at Las Vegas. By the way, when will Boy George drop the boy bit – he is 60 you know.