There’s a fascinating article on the spread of happiness in the New Scientist, reprinted this weekend in the Sydney Morning Herald. It seems that the notion that one should choose one’s friends carefully holds more truth than we might have imagined. For it seems that phenomena as apparently ephemeral as happiness — or as weighty […]
2009
Posted inGeneral
A state of heart
I see Moammar Gadaffi, the leader of Libya, has weighed in with an op-ed piece on the raging Israeli-Palestinian crisis and you can read it in full here. In it he argues for a one-state solution — “Isratine” — which he argues, “would allow the people in each party to feel that they live in […]
Posted inGeneral
Super 14 preview #2 of 4 — the ‘friendlies’ in SA, OZ & NZ
1. Stormers vs Saracens The Stormers ran in six tries in their 43-33 win over the English tourists Saracens in the international friendly clash at a sweltering Newlands on Sunday afternoon. 26 000 spectators turned out to watch the nine tries. Scorers: Stormers: Tries: Sireli Naqelevuki (2), Gcobani Bobo, Schalk Brits, Luke Watson, Joe Pietersen. […]
Posted inNews/Politics
A political party is not a business
I have watched with mirth these last ten years as all of the political parties in South Africa have become more corporatised. Naturally they have retained their reliance on donor funding and political donations, and have not found a way to become self sufficient, either financially or organisationally. However, in a business the entrepreneurs provide […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Eight bells toll for Dali — Snuki to follow?
The SABC Board has decided to part ways with its suspended group chief executive officer Advocate Dali Mpofu who has vowed to fight the decision. The purported grounds for Mpofu’s dismissal being his failure to implement decisions taken by the board. The question that immediately springs to mind then is how soon will Snuki Zikalala […]
Posted inGeneral
The aggressive South African patriot
I used to fight a lot with the South African expats I encountered online. I hated their obsession with bad news; I hated their self-righteousness, their thinly veiled racism and “told you so” attitudes. Once I wrote a piece on expats for the Sunday Times which found its way onto most of the expat forums […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Black Zimbabweans cracking Shanghai
“Hey Rod … how you doing, man?” comes the affectionate voice at People’s Square metro. I turn in surprise to see Cleto standing there, that familiar, huge grin on his face with all the perfectly white teeth, a pretty black woman next to him. It is amazing how in Shanghai, a city of ostensibly 20-million […]
Posted inGeneral
On the brink of a 2010-induced revolution?
The international focus on South Africa’s preparations for the 2010 World Cup usually intensifies with major events – like the 2010 Preliminary Draw and the Olympic Games – or with key dates. And so it is with January 26, which marks the 500-day countdown to the start of the quadrennial showpiece of international football. It […]
Posted inLifestyle
Want to learn a language in bite-sized chunks?
It’s the beginning of the year and, if like many of us (me included) you’re brimming with enthusiasm to take up 20 new hobbies, you might want to learn a language. Before you sign up for an expensive language class (the buffet option), why not try out the snack table? What am I on about? […]
Posted inLifestyle
Those dreaded words, ‘however’, ‘unfortunately’, ‘I’m afraid’, ‘alas’ …
“Dear Rod Thanks for your proposal on the above title [Cracking China]. The sample you sent is very interesting and entertaining and I enjoyed reading it. However, it is not suited to our area of publishing. As a university press, we do focus more on academic texts rather than popular ones … ” (What’s wrong […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Democratic Alliance proposals for electoral system are a cut above
The proposals submitted by the Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille at a media briefing in Parliament on Wednesday offer, in my humble opinion, a vastly improved electoral system with which to safeguard South Africa’s fledgling democracy, reduce cronyism and limit the number of passengers that parties are able to carry into an election. They are […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Great expectations: Can Barack Obama deliver, or will it be politics as usual?
This week’s Talkback question on the Mail & Guardian Online: Great expectations: Can Barack Obama deliver, or will it be politics as usual?