Have we lost our way in school sport, to a large extent I believe we have. Why? I will attempt to illustrate why. I have for many years heard this phrase, high performance, it worried me then and it still does. How can we slot a 14-year-old into a high-performance programme when the maturation and […]
2011
Posted inMedia
Will tweet for Crocs
Crocs shot of the day It’s amazing where a blog entry will get you. A little more than a month ago, I wrote about Crocs here on Thought Leader. Why, I wondered, did everyone hate Crocs? Why the need to be seen to be hating the brand? It struck me as rather theatrical, a form […]
Posted inGeneral
Education in a world of forgetting
How does one conceptualise the contemporary educational terrain regarding the challenges it faces in the new century, especially in so far as it is inescapably situated within the broader cultural landscape of 21st-century globalised society? The first thing one should note is that what the Frankfurt School called “technical rationality” is still being given priority […]
Posted inLifestyle
My unfortunate weakness for Interesting Men
I have a weakness for interesting men. Sadly, 90% of the people I meet — male and female — are horrifically boring. I’d imagine they’d say the same of me; one person’s fascinatingly entertaining friend is another’s eye-stabbingly dull social chore. But the problem remains that I find it very hard to find men who […]
Posted inNews/Politics
The accidental politician who would be leader of the opposition
When challenged on the absence of black faces in its leadership, the Democratic Alliance loves to boast, that it is “growing its own timber”. In other words, it claims there is no window dressing, only the slow nurturing of future giants. As it turns out, the DA’s blackwood forest is more hothouse than maturing plantation. […]
Posted inGeneral
AB injury an opportunity for Proteas
Gary Kirsten’s plans for the coming international cricket season have been soiled somewhat by injury. AB de Villiers, the newly minted ODI and T20 skipper, picked up a hand injury during a practice session with the Royal Challengers Bangalore and will be out of action for between four to six weeks after undergoing surgery. That […]
Posted inGeneral
eCommerce in SA
Subsequent to a talk we gave recently on the state of eCommerce in South Africa, it made sense to collate some of the key points of the presentation into a single infographic. Of particular interest to me, was the fact that while retail growth in SA is currently around 6%, online retail growth is more […]
Posted inGeneral
Dubai, a desert apartheid
By Jared Sacks The glittering city-state of Dubai is the modern Babylon of global capitalism, with one of the highest economic growth rates and per capita incomes in the world. Boasting two of the largest malls, the largest man-made island, the tallest building, and the only self-proclaimed seven-star hotel in the world, it is Las […]
Posted inGeneral
The eCommerce revolution – like it or not it’s happening
If you have recently spent any time in the UK or US, you will no doubt be aware of the vast difference in eCommerce between SA and those countries. In statistics, the difference is made clear: in 2010, UK shoppers spent £58.8 billion ($92 billion) online, while South Africans did a paltry R2 billion ($254 million). Even accounting for […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Dalai Lama’s visa delay shows up SA leaders’ moral bankruptcy
It was wonderful to see those two old pals and rogues, Archbishop Tutu and the Dalai Lama in a photo on the front page of the Mail & Guardian online, September 27. Excited, I thought they had met up in South Africa. Alas, it was an old picture and the story made it clear that […]
Posted inGeneral
Black liberals’ big DA-lemma: Race, ideology and breaking ranks
Who does Lindiwe Mazibuko think she is, running to become the DA’s new parliamentary leader? Let’s face it: the DA is not considered a white party just because of its history. Its liberal, economically right-of-centre ideology is also a large part of the problem. The truth is, if you vote left of centre in South […]
Posted inLifestyle
Sticks and stones: I’m learning from personal discrimination
“So nigga-boy, what you doing in China?” said the taxi driver to me, a smile on his face. “I am teaching,” I muttered. “What do you teach, nigga-boy?” “English.” “English??” His smile turned into a big grin. “You mean you can speak English – nigga-boy?” “Yes I can,” I retorted, fixing a smile on my […]