My money vision

Every now and again I entertain a vision of a step that can lead to a perfect world for every one, all races, all genders all religions – for everyone.

Today I see in my mind’s eye how the gap between rich and poor narrows until everybody has enough money to enjoy a life to the full.   Whatever that person individually decides he wants to do – he will be able to perfect it.

I see people respecting public property and the environment because it belongs to every body.   Every one should be able to sit in a quiet corner in a park to meditate, feeling safe and  without vagrants using it as a nest or to see bottles, condoms and cigarette buts lettering the place, They should be able to smell the fragrance of flowers and not the urine of the one who used it as a toilet last.

I see the money draining from people and organizations who use their riches purely for selfish purposes and it enters the hands of people who aim to make the world or their environments a better place, but then I realize that that is not the right vision because most poor people would use their income, no matter how much it is, on enhancing their personal lifestyle only because they have not yet developed within themselves the compassion to help other or they Have not yet realized that we are one humanity and what we do (or not do)  in life has an impact on everyone.

So I need to alter my vision to include education for those who will be receiving the narrowing-gap money on how to utilize it to empower not only themselves, but also their families and environments.

We need to be careful how we visualize for our poverty relief visualizations may well be causing more poverty because  if a nation is self centered, which may be our own nation, we may wish ourselves into poverty.

It is like the Christian praying forgive my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me.   He may just as well be praying.  Do not forgive my trespasses because I hate that bitch or something.


Of wat praat ek alles

Damaged goods people

Children, in many African and other third world countries grew up with warriors or militant leaders as role models. They are damaged goods in any society. They can only envisage a struggle for survival. For many of them the notion of fighting for freedom became their life’s purpose. In some cases, as little children they could strip and name the different components of a gun before they could recite the ABC.

Their childhood dreams were to possess real guns and when they grew up and joined a gang or a militant group, the guns they dreamed about just got bigger and more powerful. What is the purpose of possessing a gun, if they did not have an enemy to fight, so they made enemies? The object was to kill real people.

Some of these damaged children managed to work themselves up to leading rolls. Some became ministers of parliaments and other even gained authority to lead nations.
They soon declared enemies so that they could strengthen their armies and produce bigger guns and faster planes. The toys of war exceeded their wildest imaginations. They see not the suffering and hunger of their people while they sat behind closed doors strategising their next move on the enemy.

Some even tried to unite the continent in one big army against the rest of the world. Damaged goods they are, creating more damaged children so that the wars can continue.

We all need to find ways of removing the imprint of war making, racism and division from the African DNA

The citizens of Africa need to heal their inner child. Africa needs to have positive roll models and positive goals.

African people need to hate the gun and see it as an instrument of poverty and suffering. They need to learn to focus on unity, rejuvenation of the land, the prosperity of the community and above all they need to strive towards PEACE..

Of wat praat ek alles

Dis my reg, dis my reg, dis my reg vir wat ek veg.

The bottom feeders in humanity are rising against the big fish.
Many of the worlds nations are either in a war situation or are experiencing strike action.

We are entering an era when those who have been suppressed up to now are demanding equal opportunities in life.

I was reading about a domestic worker who does not only have to financially support her own children but also the seven children of her sister and brother-in-law who both passed away; I presume they had aids.

We should all hang our heads in shame that we are so busy chasing our own wealth that we neglected the education of the “want them to disappear” people who live in tin shanties at the borders of big cities.

• Every citizen should have the right to know his or her aids status.
• Every citizen of the world should know the importance to be informed about aids.
• Every citizen should understand his or her responsibilities regarding this condition.
• People with aids should be encouraged to take birth control measures in addition to using condoms.
• People with aids should not have intercourse with non-infected people even if they use condoms.
• No child should have to grow up without parents.
• No child should have to look after younger siblings before they had a chance to enjoy a natural childhood.
• All children should have the right to have a suitable education, love, support, shelter and food.

Child abuse and neglect is a cancer in humanity.

Those should be basic human rights.

Of wat se ek alles

Another chance.

All over the world the waterways have been contaminated and stripped from its life-force.
We humans are polluting the very essence of life on earth.

These latest floods are as if Gaia , the earth, is having a bath. A big clean-up.

She is sitting at the local heavenly spa having a nice sploosh splash to rid herself of all the toxins we have been depositing in her waterways.

Lets just hope she is not having a good massage and a rough and tumble afterward.

In Noah’s time when the earth had a good soaker, he built an ark for humanity to survive.

Two of each, strolled in on the gangplank .

It was easy back then.
Could you imaging the selection process in South Africa.
350% black, 30% colored and a pinch of white for democratic reasons with some freeloaders on the roof and while the hoards hang onto the sides while marines shoot rubber bullets at them.
Anyway, the rainbow is to be a sign that the earth will never take deep sea diving lessons again. Mind you it did not mention a 75% color coded rainbow. So perhaps we are still in for it. Perhaps the Biblical rainbow sign means that ‘we better paint our rainbow nation good’ or else!

According to Biblical reference its next trick is a fire walk for purification.

It’s not an ark we need to build but a space ship.

I believe someone on the Internet is selling land on the moon.
That may be a good idea if it comes with a return ticket and if animals are allowed.

Personally, I shall rather live on Venus, the planet of love.

I think I shall stake my claim on a nice spot near the ocean with some large trees and peace, peace ….. not a beggar and burglar in sight.

Venetian plots are free. I am the estate agent down here. Just stake your Internet claim.
There is a selection process. Potential buyers must have hearts full of love and no thoughts of hatred and revenge in their minds.
I shall ask my Uncle Google to do a scan of Venus so you can select and cyber-plant your love-pole to mark your spot.

Of wat praat ek alles.

Doggy poop - what to do with it.

My dog made a soft poop on someone's lawn the other day. I did not know what to do because I forgot the plastic bag at home. Even if I had a plastic bag, how does one scrape a soft poop from the grass? It will take forever. We shouted at the dog but it was a matter of “If you got to go, you got to go".
So I walked on pretending I did not see it and hoped no-one was looking through the window and spotted me as the culprit. The right thing would have been, possibly to write a note of apology and leave it in the letter box, but that will only cause a temporary irritation to turn into a longtime memory. Once you put a face to a poop it burns into your memory bank.
What to do with the poop once you collected it is the next problem. We have no doggy poop bins on our doggy trail. Some people just dump the plastic bags on the field and other throw it into the storm water drain to clog up our beaches and wetlands.
I was thinking of getting one of those plastic, washable gift bags especially to be used as a dog poop bag.

Photograph: Storm-water draining into Rietvlei. Feb 2010

I was reading somewhere that someone suggested we make electricity with it.

Of wat praat ek alles

Perhaps I should start a ‘what to do with dog poop' forum; but then again, it is only me and Bible and the occasional visitor using the forum.

Ag man! Dis lekker in die Army,

Original post from the white-granny blog

When I lived in Australia, my father used to send me some Afrikaans tapes which he recorded from the radio.
When I worked the 9-5 shift the traffic from our home was first gear and stop all the way to work.
A 10 min journey took an hour.
It was the best time.
I used to make flask of coffee. Put my vehicle in first gear and drove it like an automatic car.
No gear changes. It was a straight road so there was no need to turn. Just stop and start.

I rolled down the windows (No crime in Brisbane in those days)
Poured my coffee;
Spread the newspaper over the steering wheel. (No cell phones back then)
Then I turned the tape recorder on and listened to my Afrikaans songs while I read the newspaper and drank my coffee ……… and drive.

Here is one of those songs from Chris Blignaut (I think). I am not 100% sure of the words.

I shall have to scratch my old Chris Blignaut tape out somewhere.

—————————————————————-

Ag man! Dis lekker in die Army,
van Tempie tot Grootfontein!
In ‘n ratel op Otavi,
of hoog in ‘n bos aeroplane.
‘n Rang wil ek nie dra nie,
net ‘n R1 hier styf langs my sy.
Ag man, dis lekker in die army,
en ‘n troepie die wil ek graag bly.

Een Woensdag het ek ge A-wol
Die rugby offisier was vies
toe laat hy my pale toe leapard crawl
en ek word vir die DB gekies
‘n rang wil ek nie dra nie
net ‘n R1 styf teen my sy
Ag man dis lekker in die Army
net’n troepie wil ek graag bly

As jy van die kos dalk siek word,
wat jy innie army kry.
Wees bly dat jy daarvoor betaal word,
hulle moemit jou danger-pay.
Ek spaar dit en vergeet dit,
in ‘n bank en daar lê dit doodstil.
En as ek uit ge-clear het
oop ek wat ek begeer het,
dis ‘n ding wat hier onder my brul.

Koor
Ag man! Dis lekker in die Army,
van Tempie tot Grootfontein!
In ‘n ratel op Otavi,
of hoog in ‘n bos aeroplane.
‘n Rang wil ek nie dra nie,
net ‘n R1 hier styf langs my sy.
Ag man, dis lekker in die army,
en ‘n troepie die wil ek graag bly.
As my pa wil dan sal ek hier bly!

---------------------------

The song in this post is about voluntary army training in order to protect the country against terrorism.

The thought that comes to mind is that many things that is normal during war time, becomes crime during peace time.

The enemies of war become your friends of tomorrow.

So why do people not just skip the fighting and resolve their differences.

At least you will have more chance of living out your life to the full.

Of wat praat ek alles?

The land of Croatia?

I thought I would start my "June - best webcam research" and came across this link.
One never know when one stumbles upon a video game or whether something is real on the internet.
I realize real or not - I know as little about Croatia as what most foreigners know about South Africa.
I bet you, by the end of this month, I shall know everything there is to know about this place.


I just have to find out if the town is here on earth or if it is one of a number of new lunar suburbs.
Perhaps we can start a white Afrikaner state there?"
Of what praat ek alles

Whatever here are a few links:

To enter Croatia a driver's licence, an automobile registration card and vehicle insurance documents (including Green Card) are required.

(sputnik supplied?)

In case of rain please adjust speed to conditions on wet roads.
Driving with headlights is obligatory during both day and night.
Mobile phones: Use of mobile phones while driving is not permitted
Maximum permitted amount of alcohol in blood: 0.0 per mill!
Use of seat belts is obligatory.


Http://www.accommodationincroatia.net/travel.phpe



I decided to consult Wikki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatia) and she said. Sorry no apartheid here.
They do exist on earth.

Dear Mr. President,

Dear Mr. President, (Original post from http://grannypolitics.iblog.co.za/)
It is still a freezing cold winter morning outside.

It is early still. The time that people leave their homes to go to work.
A woman walks past my window. She looks like someone’s mother.
Her skin is drawn and her young face is wrinkled like that of a woman twenty years her senior.
She is thin. Her legs are bare and her bare feet are inside thin damp shoes. A thin sarong (for a skirt) covers the lower half of her body. A worn, thin, long sleeved faded sweater covers her upper half.
Under her arm she clutches a bag that met its last owner.
She walks as brisk as she can because it keeps her body warm so she can not feel the cold …….
So she can not feel her tummy aching for food. So she can not remember sending her children off to school without something to eat or drink this morning.
Her eyes scan the houses for one that looks friendly. One that may give her a job this morning.

The vision of getting some money to buy soup bones, maze, bread and beans to prepare a meal for her family tonight keeps her going. She can see her children filling their tummies and laugh a joke …… and dream about a better tomorrow. The one president Zuma promised.

She disappeared down the road. I reach out for my cup of tea and wonder what I would put on my toast this morning, honey or marmalade.

Somewhere far away, our country’s leaders are recovering from indigestion brought about from the rich breakfast they just indulged in. They have a full schedule. Many important decisions to make. There are the issues of the mines, the strikers, the economy and the upcoming summit. Yes, there are lots to deal with before lunch.

See how many days until
We reach our goal to MAKE POVERTY HISTORY by 2015

(http://sites.google.com/site/unityinafrica/)

Of wat praat ek alles

Extreme de-clutter

Last year I would hear of someone emigrating from South Africa on a weekly basis.
Up to before the elections, recently, I am hearing about friends returning to South Africa.
The reason for the return is that they can not find jobs overseas.
One person said that the crime issue is one thing, but what use is safety when one is unhappy.


Emigrating and then returning, is a very extreme way to get rid of clutter.

Read the words of THE GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME here

March 2009 best Table Mountain webcams

(The original post is from http://white_granny.iblog.co.za/ )

This month’s White-Granny “Best Cape Town Webcam” award goes to two websites.

I can not decide which one is the best

You may vote in the comments section of this blog if you wish.

This month there is a toss-up between

The MAC website at
http://www.cape-town.at/webcam.htm

And our best maintained Milnerton Lagoon webcam and other great webcams:

http://www.kapstadt.de/livecam.htm

They are both great sites and give the visitor value for their click.

_________________________________________________________________

Other great live webcams:

http://www.xplorer.co.za/local/webcams/index.html

http://www.alltravel.co.za/webcam/

http://www.sanparks.com/

Parasitic behavior of doctors and medical aid schemes

The heading of the newspaper article reads: "Plan to replace doctors' ethical tariff comes under fire"

It was proposed that as from April patients sign a document agreeing that they are prepared to pay a doctor more than the medical aid is prepared to charge. This means that people struggling for money will have to suffer their illness and possibly die, or go into dept.

It may also mean that we may have to join another medical aid fund to pay the amount the doctors do not cover. Already I have to pay my doctor fifty rand upfront every time I visit her even if it is only for ten minutes to write out a script, she would then claim from the medical aid scheme what they are prepared to pay for the treatment.

I am a sixty year old woman, and my medical aid covers me for pregnancies, prostate cancer, miscarriages, and a host of other problems I do not need coverage for at this stage of my life.
If medical aids cover individuals according to heir needs, perhaps patients have the necessary coverage for their health requirements.

Paying into a medical aid scheme should mean peace of mind when one is ill. At this rate it is more viable for the majority of people to just put that money into a bank savings account for the purpose to use it only for medical expenses. If the employers will agree to pay their portion into such a bank account also, it would be a better option for most people. Then they can just join an emergency hospital and accident scheme for peace of mind.

Medical aid schemes should look at what they pay their executives and see if the money drain does not lie there. How much does the executive earn compared to the doctor? Who works the hardest? What does the patient deserve? Both the medical aid schemes and the doctor should serve the patient. Currently they both function like parasites sucking the patients' emotional and financial health.

It is time that companies learn to create a balance between the payment of executive staff, the profits the company incurs and the service they provide.

Ladies turn

Today I do not have one political opinion in my head.
Ziltz!

• COPE IS COPING

• THE "ANC" IS "LOOK & SEE" what their next blocking move is going to be.

• The lady politicians are sitting on the sideline and waiting for the boys to kill themselves OR each other.

So everything is hunky dory in "The Days of Our Lives" in the live South African political soapy.

We are starting to get more Google hits than Mugabe.

Perhaps the girls should group together and form one strong united party with a strong name. They should have a good chance of winning the election as one team. A name like TOP should do it "The One Party"

Of wat praat ek alles.

Happy to keep our bokkie emblem

Shame! Die ou Springbokkie kyk so na sy maat vanaf die een skouer en die Protea van die ander.

The split of the Springbok emblem away from the Protea symbolizes what is happening in South Africa on all levels.
However splits can heal.
A different approach from government can heal that divide and unite South Africa (And the Springbok emblem) again.

This can even form part of an election speech. We are used to empty promises. It can win a few hopeful votes. (Or loose them) I mean, there are some South Africans who like to vomit on wildlife.

If we were under Zimbabwean rule, the Springbokkie would have been "poer" in his "happy glory".

read about the Bokke have Flower power

Geriatric dilemma 23-09-2008

Geriatric dilemma 23-09-2008

One does not swap an old diamond for a new pearl.

At my age life is so short. It changes so quickly. One does not get an opportunity to appreciate the tools of modern comfort that passes one by, like the various electronic equipments, that goes out of fashion before we can figure out how to use all it's functions.

The diamond I refer to is my old computer.

Things like, flash drives (What is that?), blue tooth and I think there is a red eye somewhere on this electronic monster too baffles me. I read about it in the computer magazines, but I have not used them yet. This blue-toothed red-eyed monster is now also using an ipod, which, in my mind, is like a commode used by a sick person.

It is all too complicated for my geriatric mind to grasp. Unfortunately, upgrading is imminent. To utilize the latest features in both Google and Yahoo, I have to upgrade. Previously I remained contented with the older versions of the new applications, but now that my husband was forced to buy a new camera after his old one got stolen, I have to upgrade. His camera pulls it nose up to my geriatric electronic conglomerate.

Old people like to use things that work and provide the service they require. Young people like bigger and better.

I had this little windows 98 computer setup for since 1999. Together we anxiously watched the Y2 crash turning into a tjookie. Midnight 2000 came and gone and my computer, and everyone else’s, never blinked a screen.

When the memory got full, I added another 40g memory. When I needed to create web pages, I added windows 2000 professional to run concurrently with my Lotus. Every time when I updated my cameras, I gained more editing software.

I transferred and copied all my work from my 1997 computer, which had on it much older work. Work that was downloaded to a tape drive from my first Amstrad 64 (1985).

Since 1999 I fed this computer daily.

It is my photo album.

Will I get the same value for money in one package – Windows Vista on the cheapest laptop on the market?

My Old Faithful runs Office 2000 Professional, Lotus, Imaging and scanning software, a scanner, old cheap dot matrix printer, and the host of other uploads that makes my computer input enjoyable.

I love the ease of data manipulation in Lotus, which is the word processor I use for my drafts. I then transfer the data to office prior to posting it.

The two packages work together on my computer like twins.

I am like an old person clinging onto the old VCR instead of using the new home theater system.

I guess the reason why I do not have the much needed computer equipment is not so much because I do not have the money to get one, it is because I dread the change. I dread giving up my good old friend, my little small screen 98 slow computer.

I am used to surfing the net and knitting cardigans at the same time.

I am used to pop into the kitchen and make a cup of coffee while my photos download to Photobucket.

Should I swap this old diamond for a new pearl?

Can a new pearl shine like an old diamond?