25 May 2015 · 14:00

IT – Blog No. 25

IT

When you consider that a computer responds to instructions which predate its reading of them, it becomes clear that unless there is a code-break written into the programme doing the instructing, there will be no halting the run of that programme. In other words, be careful what you set in motion, there may be no way of slowing it.

Alarmingly, should the encoder neglect to use both foresight and hindsight – and fail to plan contingencies for virtually every conceivable problem that might crop up – there is little he or she can do but stand on the sidelines and watch if unforseen problems should arise and trip their systems. It is worse than infuriating for an IT sideliner when that happens, it tends to expose the glaring gaps in their actual understanding.

Technology is everything, and nothing. That is its power. Can you imagine the entire world wide web and its networks shutting down for a day? Just one day would wreak havoc on this capitalist planet. Not everywhere would feel it immediately, but the effects of such a shut-down would knock on, and on, like dominoes. There is a renewed respect that must be afforded technology when considering the grip it has on mankind.

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22 May 2015 · 14:05

Keys – Blog No. 24

keys

When Alice was required to shrink in order to fit through the hidden door, the ‘Drink Me’ potion was her key. When using the ‘Eat Me’ key, she outgrew the house. These inconveniences did not deter her. They made her more curious. She decided to find The Key That Fits Every Lock. That would take a lot of looking, but it would save a lot of time.

Apart from the fact that That key could open any – and every – lock, it was also more often to be found on her keyring when she needed it most. Once a key has been eaten, it’s been eaten. Of course trying new keys was advisable when they were made available, but picking locks with That one key was quicker.

The charm bracelet that Alice carries is living. That way, it is adaptable. When she needs its bearing, she will wear it. When she does not need it, she will share it. There are occasions when she will want it – whether or not she needs it. I suspect when that happens she will get it. She is, after all, its servant and master.

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18 May 2015 · 09:06

Liberation – Blog No. 23

lovetrue

Liberty is a sketchy ideal. It works in principle, but plain principle is not good enough. In fact, it never was. That is why we prefer to use the word ‘freedom’ when describing a state of feeling liberated. Liberty is a label for an illusory intangible – and what is the point of that? There is none. I find these days that there is no point in most things, but that is no reason to neglect them. It would be irresponsible to the future to leave any karma undone.

I believe each person has their own understanding of liberation. For some, being free from bitterness and hatred – irrespective of the reasons for which those two particular diseases have been fostered – is absolutely everything. For others, having found freedom from the excesses of unjustified oppression will be the be-all and end-all in their days. Yet others will experience freedom to simply be, although it would seem that that is some way from being a reality on this planet. There are still too many people lying to themselves about what they are to know that kind of independence.

The most sought after liberation – in my opinion – is that of absolute acceptance. That seems to be, asides from happiness, what the majority of humans need. When did it become a blasphemous pastime to tell someone they’re perfect as they are – no matter who they are?  And who – in this age – dares call ANY other person ‘imperfect’?  In 2015, perfect is imperfect. Refusing to accept that which has been presented to you without guile or guise and then attempting to subvert that truth makes you a prisoner of your own prejudice. That is a dangerous place to be.

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11 May 2015 · 12:57

The Crux – Blog No. 22

Crux

The Crux of the matter refers usually to the heart of the matter, its core. The basis of anything. When you head to the crux of anything, you are very likely to find a positive outcome, i.e. a solution. That is because you choose to begin in the right place, which is at the beginning. It can be productive to start elsewhere – like half-way between the problem and the solution – but a solution does not usually present itself to those who use short-cuts.

The Crux is also the other name for The Southern Cross, visible with the naked eye on clear nights in southern skies. It has been guiding sailors – and natives – for just about ever. It is important that you have The actual Crux when you start your search, or when you look to the sky for guidance. There is another cross – The False Cross – in the universal soup. You do not want to be reading directions from that.

It would seem that although ‘crux’ stems from Latin, it has travelled, too, via the Scandinavians and other interpreters of the time. Therefore it has different meanings, depending on why it is used, and by whom. In a literal sense for Christians, a ‘crux’, or ‘cross’, is a stark reminder of where Jesus ended his days. To someone other than that, it is not. It is reminiscent of a kiss in the night sky.

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08 May 2015 · 11:28

Shutter speed – Blog No. 21

shutter speed

Did you ever see a chameleon eat a fly? That is impressive shutter speed. As is the blink of an eye. The hands of a starving child eating for the first time in four days blur, too. I wonder if there is a camera on this planet that can capure that kind of speed? There probably is. It just depends on the motivation of the handler of the camera.

Perhaps shutter speed refers more specifically to the rate at which a ‘shutter’ moves. That is a possibility. It may be that kind of speed that is needed most at certain times. For instance, should a wound be bleeding, the speed most needed in that situation would be that of the coagulant. Should a hurricane be coming, the speed most necessary there would be that of the hatch-battener.

The amount of light let into the lens of a camera determines the nature of the picture received by the eye of the cameraman/woman. The quality of the equipment used to record the image determines the quality of the picture taken. A skilled camera person will know the perfect moment to speed up – or slow down – the shutter.

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04 May 2015 · 13:09

Blog No. 20 – Nepal

Nepal - Kathmandu from Monkey Temple

The presiding feeling that comes to me when I think of what has recently happened in Nepal – i.e. the powerful earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks – and the far-reaching consequences thereof, is that of gratitude. Not because the devastation happened, and continues to happen, but because if it wasn’t for the Nepalese people and their life philosophies, that magnitude of charge would have had to have been felt elsewhere.

I firmly believe that science has the theories to explain the earthquake. It does not have an explanation for the exact timing of the quake. It does not have an adequate explanation of why the earthing of a major charge happened to take place just outside Kathmandu. We should honour each of the dead in the way we would honour a soldier in another country.

Nature is not likely to abstain from her exclamations. Ever. She will outlive humankind, perhaps by design, perhaps by chance. In this world anything can happen. Her demonstrations are not unkind, nor are they to be measured in dread by the death-count. I am sorry, it depends on how many people live where and in what quality of shelters they live. These things all make a difference to the destructive ‘reputation’ of Nature. How come an earthquake in one place does more damage to ‘human life’ than an earthquake in another?  It is something I like to think about.

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29 Apr 2015 · 11:19

Blog No. 19 – Users

vampires

What is sacred in The Land of the Free? Freedom. Therefore, one would expect that those to whom new-found freedom has been recently introduced would protect it with their lives? I think that that would be a fair estimation. Those who need – for whatever reason – to use others to meet their needs are not free. A person is only free when they can rely entirely on themselves. That means the free do not have trust issues, neither with themselves, nor others.

Users use because they do not have faith in themselves. Naturally your job done by another will not be done properly. That is a given. In my humble opinion delegation is over-rated. It makes more sense to address your particular problems personally. For instance, if you are useless and you use another’s capacity to pretend to the world that you are something you are not, you will find yourself at some point in a predicament from which you cannot free yourself. If you find yourself trapped in a self-made hell, it is better to simply acknowledge it, accept it, and then remedy it.

Users seldom realise that what they use in – or of – others without permission to do so causes a deficit in the energy that they would ordinarily need to see themselves from A to B. Should a person fall short of B, that can be considered a big problem. It is not for the usee to complain about having been ‘inhabited’ by the user, the usee was always responsible for their own safety. Where there is smoke, there is fire – and where there are perforations in the substance of one’s being, there is a clear-cut facility for manipulation. It is not wise to allow manipulators to manage your actions.

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24 Apr 2015 · 14:06

Blog No. 18 – Displacement

displacement

I am quite certain that there are few situations more stressful than finding yourself displaced. The displacement of animals and humans has been happening for centuries. It is a powerful tactic in territorial wars. Once displaced, it is necessary to establish new reference points in order for there to be ongoing progress. Life on any level is pointless without progression.

There are too many displaced people on this planet. That means there is a lot of insecurity circulating. I suppose that is the point. When a people are insecure in their environs, it can manifest as dissent, or it can usher in a new kind of unity. It can also prevent a people from seeing – and perhaps protesting against – the bigger picture. I suppose that is the point.

When we see that displacement – as a weapon, or a lever, if you like – shows no signs of being dispensed with, we have to change the way we let it affect our being. We should stop associating ‘home’ with a particular place. Home is wherever your heart feels easy. ‘Easy’ does not mean without complications. ‘Easy’ in this context means peaceful. Light. Wherever you find yourself feeling peaceful is where you are meant to be. That is reason enough to feel easy, no matter where you end up.

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21 Apr 2015 · 11:51

Blog No. 17 – Self-restraint

self-restraint

Whether or not there is ever going to be a xenocide, it cannot be said. What there can be is an extra dose of self-restraint in those that feel they have a bone – or two – yet to pick. Is it not one thing to believe that the unknown is a threat needing dealing with before it has even happened, and yet another to know that your choice to show restraint in the face of this threat is a clear demonstration of tolerance?

When the criminals looking for a criminal opportunity decide to use ‘xenophobic attacks’ as collateral in a war established long before the foreign nationals became targets, the label ‘xenophobic’ itself becomes redundant. A phobia is a fear. Often, a pathological fear. The men that were responsible for Emmanuel Sithole’s murder did not look frightened to me.

I suppose what I have often felt saddened by is that it would seem that despite history’s depredations and our collective recognition of them – people continue to try to oppress others better than they themselves were oppressed – as if that is some sort of achievement. To me – that is obscene. I would expect that those who held a position of power would have used that power to liberate. First themselves – which would be perfectly understandable – and then the rest of mankind.

When a person turns to lend a geniune hand – to make legitimate amends – time stands still for the recipient(s). In light of this, there is always time for a kindness. What you give is what you get. When you give, you get, you see. When you don’t, you won’t.

Life really is that simple.

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19 Apr 2015 · 11:54

Blog No. 16 – Xenophobia

AlexandraJHB

Xenophobic attacks on foreigners – fellow men and women – anywhere in the world are orchestrated by those to whom death is no stranger. Were it not contentious, I would perhaps suggest that those who murder difference are conditioned to do so. Like Somalian pirates have done their particular job before. It is clear when the best of everything is at work. Your culture will decide for you what means what. What does NOT mean that.

There is a time for what is going on in South Africa, elsewhere. There is a place for what is yet to come. When you will stir shit by tainting the reputation of a proud nation, you will receive that shit straight back in your face. South African people are amongst the friendliest, most accepting and welcoming people in the world. They do not hate foreigners.

Africa is not in need of another Rwanda crisis. Or another Charles Taylor. Etc. There is a way to find common ground where the conflict sits. And the conflict sits. It will soon stand. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It may stand, and walk away. It may wait, watching. Conflict is not afraid of itself.

Xenophobia – or the threat of such – is enough to cause a moral panic the size of a giant tsunami. I suspect that would be its point. What is in a man that can make him take the life of another for the sake of a cause that does not belong to him? That aspect would be worth investigating. I suppose money has something to do with it. There are too many people who have mapped their souls by capitalism.

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