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Why does the ink cartridge often cost more than the printer?*
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If a turtle does not have a shell, is it naked..... or homeless?
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If light travels faster than sound, does that explain why some people appear clever until they speak?
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If poison expired, would that make it more poisonous?
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Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but has to check when you say the paint is wet?
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Why is phonetically spelled with a ph?
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If we were not meant to have late-night snacks, why is there a light in the fridge?
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Welcome to our Safrea newsletter, where we deal with some of life's most pressing issues. Enjoy!
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* Printer ink is the most expensive liquid in the world... $2 380 per gallon, or R10 693 a litre
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Watching Home Fires (Amazon Prime) is quite an education in how an entire world is faced with an inevitable crisis with an uncertain outcome, and how different people cope and adapt. The story itself is about the women left behind in a small English village as their men go off to the Front during World War 2, but the theme is also largely about facing massive challenges and changes while still trying to hold on to some semblance of normality.
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What makes it even more apposite to our current earth-shaking pandemic is the fact that the War is never shown, and rarely spoken about. We only see men catching the bus to join the army, and the women trying to fill the gap they have left behind. This makes the war the same kind of invisible and unknowable enemy as our current pandemic.
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The women in this show have no idea how the war will turn out, whether their men will return home, whether their way of life will crumble, and so they continue with sometimes-trivial activities, sometimes major adjustments, sometimes the right or the wrong course of action.
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It is rivetting - beautifully shot, wonderfully acted, intelligently-scripted.
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And, like most very good shows, leaves a lingering impression, makes you think and wonder. This - a world in turmoil - has happened before.
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Kicked upstairs: how to show you care during Women’s Month and help a pal
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What do you do when you would like to get rid of a member of your team but can't? Kick her upstairs where she might do less damage and give her a raise. Welcome to cadre redeployment in KZN. PLUS Black Coffee in takkie drama
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From this issue, we will introduce a Governance column, a City Watch, where we will highlight governance issues in cities and towns.
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* Durban's previous mayor, Zandile Gumede, was fired by her party, the ANC, for lack of service delivery (and not the massive corruption charge hanging over her head). Not a moment too soon. However, the new city government is not doing very well, either. As of the beginning of lockdown, the Durban Metro had approximately 2 000 water leaks across the city that the municipality had no resources to repair. This was admitted to an oversight committee. Five months later, the estimated number of water leaks has risen to more than 3 000. Fresh, potable, scarce, expensive water bubbling out of roads and pavements because the local government is cannot fix the leaks.
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* Competition is fierce for the South-African-Roads-With-Most-Potholes title. The Western Cape loses badly, with fewer potholes that get fixed quicker than anywhere else. Johannesburg is the clear winner, but that is mostly because it has more roads. Rural towns are likely the hardest hit, where the town's main road is simply a few meandering patterns of macadam insterspersed with dusty dongas. However, the competition is still open, so more entries are being accepted all the time.
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Flatten the flight curve
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Mass air travel for all and everyone got millions flying to all corners of the earth. They clogged up tourist sites everywhere...
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Though safe and reliable, aircraft are also noisy and pollute. Yet aviation is inextricably woven into the fabric of the global economy. Millions earn their living from it. Can we deny those the right to a livelihood? Can we deprive hundreds of thousands of tourist sites and businesses the income they have come to rely on since mass tourism started?
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Covid-19 has bought us time to reflect on why we fly. We’ve got to flatten the flight curve.
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Women’s Day: 9 August. Women’s month: August. Women’s lot: Ongoing or evolving?
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To have and to (strangle)hold
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Many women are carrying invisible scars from abused that is perpetrated against them in intimate relationships. In the African context, women are mostly seen to be inadequate if they don't have a man by their side. Although everyone joins the chorus to condemn gender-based violence, behind the scenes, particularly in families and churches, most of the same people are also encouraging women to stay put in abusive marriages, 'because every woman must have a man - that's how nature and God intend it to be'.
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When your baby's in a hurry, he's in a hurry. Some labours are lo-o-ong, but some are over before they've even really begun.
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Sex and Vanity is the classic story of a girl from a highly traditional background, now growing up in modern mainstream society. She meets the intriguing and scrumptious-sounding George Zao while she is still in the process of figuring out who she is. A tale as old as time – great connection, bad timing.
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Multi-tasking is not a strength.
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We've bought into the trope that tackling multiple tasks at once means faster results. That it's a great way to impress a boss. That it should appear on every CV we send. That ably juggling work and kids and life and lockdown and ageing parents and socio-economic stressors is to be desired. But the newest thinking is that multi-tasking is actually a weakness.
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Life insurance evolves in a Covid-19 world
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From cover for multi-organ failure, or personal cover you can change as your life changes, SA insurers are rethinking their product range.
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Today in Ad Scene, we discuss how messages get mixed up and misread... and what to do about it.
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Understanding arthritis in pets
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Although arthritis cannot be cured, there are treatment options available to reduce the discomfort and pain caused to your dogs or cats which may prevent the disease from worsening.
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As our beloved pets age, many will experience pain in their joints caused by everyday wear and tear resulting in a chronic degenerative disease called arthritis – the most common form being osteoarthritis (OA).
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Where Words Take Us - Herstory
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This week's word, herstory, takes us to meet an extraordinary woman from Kenya who changed the collective mind of her country towards the environment and lifted them out of poverty at the same time.
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Throughout the UK you will find the tradition of the church or parish newsletter. These are usually compiled by dear old ladies who have a typewriter and enthusiam but not much else. The newsletters have always been the source of much (gentle) mirth for their well-meaning mistakes. These are actual announcements from parish or church newsletters.
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This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.
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The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan: 'I upped my pledge -- Up Yours'
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Please remember in your prayers the many who are sick of our church and community.
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The ladies of the church are compiling a cookbook. Please bring your favourite recipe and a short antidote.
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Potluck supper at 6pm. Prayer and medication to follow.
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The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
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Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things around the house that are not worth keeping. Bring your husbands.
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Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again', giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
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Next Thursday, there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
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Don't let worry kill you off. Let the Church help.
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