Category: Rants

On fixing what ain’t broke

I’m human (for those of you who were wondering), and like most humans, I’m not completely comfortable with change.  We like the familiar.  That’s why we invent traditions and customs – to ensure future generations do things the same way as us so that we don’t have to change.

However, along with a significantly smaller proportion of the world’s population, I also recognise the need for change.  As stated previously, without change we run a big risk of stagnating.  Blindly adhering to tradition is usually more damaging than not adhering to tradition at all.

But, and this is a big but, change for the sake of change is pointless, causes unnecessary stress and just makes life difficult. Continue reading “On fixing what ain’t broke” →

Car Troubles – Chapter 2

I hate mechanics.  Okay, that’s not fair.  I don’t hate all mechanics, just like I don’t hate all lawyers and all journalists (though I’m pretty sure I still hate all politicians).  But I absolutely despise those mechanics who install sub-standard parts and who tell you they’d checked something when, in fact, they hadn’t.  (Of course there are also the ones who charge you for unnecessary work, by I haven’t had the pleasure of a run-in with one of those yet.)

mechanic
Click on the picture. You won’t be sorry.

I take good care of our vehicles.  I never skip a service and if something major breaks I replace it immediately, even if it means that month’s budget has to be adjusted.  I replace tyres before they reach the point where I’d get a warning if pulled over and make sure the shocks are in good condition.  I regularly check oil, water, brake fluid and tyre pressure and after our last episode I place the bakkie‘s battery on a charger once a week if I’m not driving it much. Continue reading “Car Troubles – Chapter 2” →

On what happens when someone too clever for their own good watches Doctor Who

I wasn’t planning on posting anything today – I’ve noticed the traffic on WordPress is quite slow on Sundays and I’m afraid my next big masterpiece gets missed.  But when I stumbled onto this article I felt I had to write something before the sense of indignation left me.

In short, the article is about a book entitled Doctor Who and Race, which “…says the BBC programme is based in attitudes ‘that continue to subjugate people of colour’”.  That’s right.  Apparently Doctor Who is racist and classist. Continue reading “On what happens when someone too clever for their own good watches Doctor Who” →

On Beliebing

No.  I’m not a Belieber.  Most definitely not.  The first time I saw a video of his on television a few years ago I wanted to throw something at the TV.  It was a case of instant, primal dislike as I have only felt a few times in my life.  I didn’t even know who he was then.  I’m only writing this because he’s performing in SA tonight and I read something about the performance on a news site this morning on which I felt the need to comment.

So, what can be so hair-raising that it would make me give free publicity to the Bieber? Continue reading “On Beliebing” →

On Facebook, Friends and Birthdays

I had an interesting experience yesterday:  it was my birthday and I received more congratulatory messages from companies of which I am a client and organisations to which I belong than from friends and relatives.  The only reason, as far as I can tell, is because my birth date is not visible on my Facebook profile (call me crazy, but for some reason I think it a bad idea to post personal details on public websites; you may call me paranoid, I call it good common sense.) Continue reading “On Facebook, Friends and Birthdays” →