A Mammoth task, yet the Dodo thrives in Cape Town

For years I've waxed lyrical about the ‘poor’ driving habits of Cape Townians, which I still rate as undoubtedly the worst in the world.  Recently, a friend and fellow producer of fine alcoholic beverages, cider to be precise, had a rant about the shocking service she’d received from a service provider in the region, without even an apology from the management.  Well this is not unusual, although I'm not one to lump all service providers in this magnificent city together as poor.  Many are very good and a few even exceptional.  My retort to her however, was that I had just had a discussion with my painter, the same discussion I had with my electrician and my plumber some months back, suggesting that the best way for any service provider to differentiate themselves from the mass in this city (i.e. stand out from the crowd of competitors in their field), would be simply to arrive on time, as promised.  If not possible however for some valid reason, then a simple call to inform one is all that would be required.  That type of attention to service alone would set them apart from 90% of their competitors, without even having to quote on the job.  People can be very stupid at times, and it makes one wonder about the root cause.  Is it nature or nurture that is primarily to blame in getting us to this rather disappointing place in ‘intellect’ I wonder?

With that theme in mind, I have been reading with some interest about the recent successes in the genome sequencing of the woolly mammoth.  Having been fascinated with this prospect since I was a kid; perhaps I should have listened to my biology teacher Mrs. Dixon and the results of my aptitude test in Grade 12, and gone into medicine of some sort, ultimately specialising in the field of genetics.  But I didn't, and yet others have and have had enormous success in the use of stem cells and its incredible value in the pursuit of improving health in humans, in some cases before they are even born. 

Of course, as one would expect, some religions are vehemently against such ‘god-like’ interventions, but my response to that is simple. If one believes in a god the way some do, then surely ‘he’ gave the wisdom to the people involved enabling them to make some improvements and enhancements to ‘his’ somewhat questionable workmanship.  One just has to drive on the roads of Cape Town to realise that the Dodo is definitely not extinct, but in the genomes of many city drivers, as they tend to behave as if they have more than just one screw missing.  I suppose one could excuse the shoddy workmanship during ‘Creation’, as light had only been invented a few days earlier, and the effect on the eyes at the time, after a lifetime of darkness, must have been rather brutal.  After all, Ray Ban and Vuarnet sunglasses weren't invented until the 8^th day, I'm led to believe.

So with this US team already attempting to study the characteristics of the mammoth by inserting mammoth genes into elephant stem cells, perhaps there’s some light at the end of the long tunnel from Bellville to the City Bowl and surrounds.  At the risk of sounding sanctimonious, at least there may be hope that the many shocking drivers on Cape Town’s roads may now be captured (in cleverly devised ‘stupid traps’), and have the Dodo gene removed from their genetic make-up and replaced with a few fresh nuts and bolts.  I am going into this weekend feeling rather pleased at this notion, although it’s not likely to be in my lifetime, I know that there’s hope for human kind in the centuries to come.

For more info.. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-32432693

Certain UCT Students Poo-poo Cecil, yet choose to ignore Jacob - Where's the consistency in that?

Perhaps we're in a good space in South Africa when the most offensive issue facing students of the University of Cape Town today is a statue of a chubby old dude who donated all of his land to the City, including the very grounds of the current campus.  Sure, Cecil John Rhodes did come from an era of naivety and an entitled feeling of colonialist superiority. But so did King Shaka Zulu, although his rape and plunder of the Xhosa, Swazi, Pondo amongst others wasn't quite regarded as colonisation for some reason.  Merely a 'redistribution of wealth and women' perhaps?

I wonder however, which of the current protesters own children will one day give the same treatment to a statue of another chubby old dude who currently resides over the country, for very similar reasons, bar a few nuanced differences in terms of property dealings perhaps (i.e. one 'paid back the land', the other simply kept his)? Where is the consistency in that?

After all, rape and plunder are one and the same, black, white or beige..  And I thought UCT was a bastion of esteemed higher education.

For more on the story behind the comment:  http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-03-11-op-ed-the-rhodes-less-travelled-or-whats-in-a-name/#.VP_2PIgaKBZ

Wash your Humus down with a Martini and chill

Ok, so we spied a little, worked together with 'friends' on ‘weapons of mass destruction’ (sea to air and air to ground anti-tank missiles and a few nuclear bombs in the 1970’s and 80’s), and traded in oil and illegal arms during the so-called 'isolation years'.  It still happens to this day unsurprisingly, although perhaps not the nuclear bomb part, yet in a slightly different guise and perhaps less transparent a manner than one might hope.  But really, are these 'spy documents' really so shocking?  Perhaps to the naive and ignorant, however there's no country worth its salt, that isn't doing likewise.  Perhaps the only thing worth noting is the fact that the South African State Security Agency (SSA) is a little understaffed these days and that the information has somehow, embarrassingly gotten out.  Someone wanting a little extra retirement money perhaps?  Nevertheless, I have no doubt that their reward was safely stashed into a numbered Swiss Bank account, with a pseudonym of ‘The Spy Who Never Really Loved Us’ as the account ID.

Yesterday (Mon 23^rd Feb 2015), Al Jazeera and The Guardian exposed piles of confidential and top secret documents, allegedly communication links between the South African State Security Agency (SSA), Russia’s FSB (the renewed KGB), the UK’s MI6 (home of the real James Bond types), Israel’s Mossad (in my opinion the most effective ‘spy’ agency globally), as well as numerous other Middle Eastern agencies, amongst others. These documents supposedly cover correspondence between the various secret bodies between 2006 until the end of 2014.

Sorry to say, but I’m damn sure that this is a mere storm in a tea-cup, as it has been going on for years, and that’s no secret.  Anyone who served in Naval Intelligence during the ‘dark years’, will know what I mean.  Who we have been spying on, and why, may however be somewhat embarrassing, particularly to the ANC, who openly pride themselves in their friendships with countries the USA believe to be unsavoury bed fellows.  I’m not saying either is right or wrong here, as there are many contradictions and manifestations of propaganda in the making. Nevertheless, it may however expose a touch of ‘forked tongue’ when it comes to our ‘true friendships’. I’m not sure how our Iranian, Syrian, Egyptian, Lebanese, Libyan and other ‘mates’ will think of our close friendship and ties with the likes of Israel, when ‘we’ go all out publically to side with the Palestinians at every given opportunity.

What does it say about us?  Well, it confirms that there’s never a dull moment in being South African, that’s for sure, but more than that it says that we are merely diplomatic traders and associates of anyone who wishes to be our friends, or doesn’t.  Will it have any major implications? I doubt it, however it all depends on what sort of detail is revealed, and perhaps questions the motivation behind the leaks in the first place.  Who really wants to hurt whom?  I suspect it may be a plot to embarrass Israel more than South Africa.  Let’s wait and see.  

In the meantime, don’t forget to accompany your matzah bread and humus dip snacks with a dry Martini, shaken or stirred, as variety is the spice of life..