Politics blech

I lost hope in politics and politicians along time ago, but something needles me about South Africans and their naivety that politicians are a different class of scum in SA compared to more first world countries. The level of entitlement politicians expect is equally breathtaking here in old Blighty. Apparently, taxpayers should pay for elected officials' moats! Every week there is a new story, where moral relativism in all its shining revulsion is exposed - this week our dear Nadine Dorries feels vindicated that she isn't a cheat, just dishonest and lazy. Glad she can hold her head high again and keep her job! Things here aren't that different to SA when it comes to politics - we even have our own squashed arms deal corruption enquiry too, just like at home!

There is one major difference though - level of press intrusion. For all the exposes that come to light in the press, they are more often than not the result of insider tip-offs with ulterior motives. However the general public tend to believe in the hawk-eye ability of the press to uncover rot in government. But if it weren't for 'pesky' leaks, the government and security forces have control of flow of information to the press - could you imagine a story like this taking 3 months to reach the national press in SA? Its hardly any wonder the ANC wish to reign in media freedom in SA - they know the true score overseas. They're also counting on the ANC kollectiv not to betray their comrades by leaking info to the press. They'd probably be more successful than in the UK where Whitehall is non-partisan and handles its own agenda through the press - no such situation exists in SA where civil servants who don't toe the line get the boot.

Nevertheless, Gareth Cliff feels he can make a difference - He can't really and just unwittingly signed up for ANC spin, but at least his objections are rooted in sanity. Unlike Helen Zille , who seems to think SA needs austerity like the UK - well that's one way to hasten revolution I guess, just not the type people expect. I understand objectors to the ANC need a viable alternative to root for, one with support in numbers. But in the absence of an ANC government, surely people would realise that this woman would warm the heart of Darth Vader - is the need for effective opposition reason to suspend principles of humanity for? Hmm, its easy not to have hope for politics then!

The Sundays (on a Monday)

I love Youtube for too many reasons to list. But one to highlight is the giddy nostalgia that takes over when you rediscover a song you previously had forgotten from another time - kinda like when you find a old photo in the pages of a book you haven't touched in years.

Give or Take

Trying to get my head around an assertion insisted to me recently: Each person is either a giver or a taker only, and he/she cannot be both depending on the person and/or circumstance. Normally I am sceptical of such binary arguments, doubly so when it comes to complex unstable human behaviour, but I haven't fully dismissed this one as tosh yet (98% there).

Most people like to think of themselves as more of a giver-type than a taker-type, well in my experience anyway. Most takers never consider such classifications or if they are out and proud takers, I've managed to place sufficient distance between myself and such people (generally after getting burned...). Then you get people who think they are givers when in fact they are actually takers, because their true (subconscious) motivation is borne out of self-need/want rather than concern for the other party, and all action stems from that.

Ultimately I think the statement is trite, but it disturbs me for other reasons: If one can only be classified as a giver or taker, which would I be? A few years back, I would have confidently have said giver, now I'm not so sure. I think I used to give much more than I took on balance - I made it a life choice because I believed if everyone strives to live with that ethos, society would improve by leaps and bounds plus one should live by example - how naive and dumb I was. I definitely give less now as I have grown more grumpy and cynical, but I am also so self-reliant (bachelor hermit life), I still take very little. I'm not sure if my level of giving has dropped below my level of taking (in rough terms of course) - that disturbs me. This could potentially trigger a midlife crisis or summin', but regardless I seriously need a value system audit. Should probably also figure out how I got here so these needs for massive realignment don't sneak up on me in future...

(100% there now: assertion is crap, lol)

Jonathan Franzen

I don't like Jonathan Franzen.

I was told I would *love* The Corrections and I didn't - it was over hyped melodrama with an unoriginal plot done many times before in many better ways. Ah, the great American novel by the great American narcissist novelist - Even Oprah can't keep her hands off him. Needless to say I won't be reading Freedom, because that doesn't seem like freedom to me. But the hype continues (best author eva! book of the century!) and doubt sets in, so I read the digested read. Yup, sounds like Corrections Part 2. Still I feel like the only person on the planet that doesn't care for him.

While all the people that are meant to know whats what in the what vomit love and adulation for his drivel, I'm left scratching my head... until this morning : Franzen snubbed!

Its really more than just schadenfreude - It like a correction (haha) in collective critical judgement. The line that warms my heart is '"...the instructions to judges were to ignore "outside chatter" and "just to look at the books."' Which then raises the question of the incestuous bubble world of writers, publishers and reviewers loosing sight of whats good and whats written by their pretentious friends: How many actual good books slip through the system because of this?

Ok, its schadenfreude too.

Groundhog Life

I really should blog something, but I taste like lemons and smell of despair. In my former life in my former land, I'd stand under the shower for 20 minutes for renewal. The limescale infused hard water prevents that from being effective here.

And as always I'm not really sure what I am doing. Its not for the greater good of mankind, or even for me, but we persevere onwards. One day I will cross the great abyss from good thought to good action, armed with a zillion strategies from self help books and piecemeal tips picked up along the way.

Any day now... sooner would be nicer than later though :p