George W Bush made a few important comparisons in his speech just before the weekend. Reading his speech, I find it hard to understand why people who describe themselves as “liberal” (or, for that matter, “democrats”) are so implacably opposed to the Bush Doctrine.
2007
Posted inNews/Politics
It’s Boksburg, not Baghdad …
After watching this video for the fifth time it stops being funny and starts becoming very worrying … Of course, we shouldn’t be too worried, though — it’s not like beauty-pageant contestants run the most powerful country on the face of the planet (even if they can’t quite place themselves on a map). Surely American […]
Posted inLifestyle, Tech
Talking vs Facebooking: Who’s better off?
If I hosted a dinner party for my 10 closest friends, the topics of conversations would undoubtedly include the expected ones: crime, the three Ms (Mbeki, Manto, Mugabe), the dollar, need for holidays and our kids’ lives. But here is what we would not be talking about: Facebook, Twitter, blogs or Web 2.0. And believe […]
Posted inGeneral
Talking vs Facebooking: Who’s better off?
If I hosted a dinner party for my 10 closest friends, the topics of conversations would undoubtedly include the expected ones: crime, the three Ms (Mbeki, Manto, Mugabe), the dollar, need for holidays and our kids’ lives. But here is what we would not be talking about: Facebook, Twitter, blogs or Web 2.0. And believe […]
Posted inMedia
Times hijacks New York Times
It’s Sunday. And there’s something wrong. Very wrong. I’ve got my coffee, my newspaper and the couch all to myself. But where the hell is the New York Times supplement? They’ve moved it to the Times … on a Friday. You have got to be kidding me. This means that only Sunday Times subscribers who […]
Posted inGeneral
The agony of analysing politics
I thought the time had come for me to do something a bit more analytical than a report on my weekend at Oppikoppi, my views on Facebook friendship, nudity in small-town America and angst about my cyber-footprint. President Thabo Mbeki’s firing of Deputy Health Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge seemed like fair fodder. Everyone else was doing […]
Posted inGeneral
Okay, so the president isn’t superwoman!
It is important, in any democracy, to have a series of checks and balances on the executive. An important segment of these safeguards is the media, from whom the people seek both information and guidance. It is just as important that these “safeguards” don’t lose sight of the bigger picture: South Africa, 13 years after […]
Posted inSport
SA vs Scotland: Nervy signs for the RWC
I’m no rugby tactician and I don’t follow the game off the field much, so I must confess that I take things at face value. At face value, what I saw last night was a South African team that spent most of the night defending against Scotland and taking some heavy tackles in the process. […]
Posted inGeneral
2010 World Cup FAQ for tourists
In order to assist those interested in coming to South Africa in 2010, herewith a comprehensive FAQ (frequently asked questions). FAQ South Africa: Where’s that? How well do you know Egypt? We would suggest a flight to Cairo, stop over and then a scenic African drive south. Your best bet would be to hire your […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Reality sometimes trumps democracy
America is fast learning that idealism is not always capable of being translated into a working reality. Moreover, as in the case of Iraq, the medication is killing the patient and the doctor. Democracy when prescribed to the Palestinians brought about a resounding victory for Hamas in their elections. Radical Islamic parties also showed strongly […]
Posted inGeneral
Out-of-body experiences are now a reality
Scientists have taken an old wives’ tale and turned it into a reality: volunteers at the University College London actually underwent an out-of-body experience. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/aug/24/2 The impact on our daily lives could be incredible. A person whose mind is operating outside their body could be the scientific find mankind has been waiting for. Anyone? If […]
Posted inLifestyle
Least religious countries also the healthiest, says survey
Phil Zuckerman has released a chapter in the forthcoming Cambridge Companion to Atheism that lists the least religious countries in the world, and concludes that “high levels of organic atheism are strongly correlated with high levels of societal health, such as low homicide rates, low poverty rates, low infant mortality rates, and low illiteracy rates, […]