What the hell am I doing (here)?!

Robert Paterson's Weblog: Magic Numbers - School and Learning Engagment

Having read the above blog by Robert Paterson something struck me today - my son will never learn the things from me which I learnt from my dad. The way our kids are educated is changing into a factory -they are sitting and listening - similar to that which they do in front of the TV - and this is changing them. Once again have a look at the above blog - he has much more insight into the effect modern life is having on our children.

This is scaring me - where I was able to watch my dad do tinkering on the car, do some woodwork in the house - something he was looking forward to on retirement but never able to do as cancer claimed him at 54 - my son lives in a rented house, cars are serviced by a dealer, everything is bought and replaceable. We went camping often when I was a kid - getting away from the familiar home life to a place where we could spend time together.

What values am I teaching my son:

That money is all important?
That it is Ok to run away if things are not ok?
That values are transient - that we can change this?
That family is not important?

What do I hope that by giving him an education which he would not get back in South Africa:

Is going to make him a better human being?
Is going to enable him to re-act better to the quick changing Global Society we live in?
Is he missing a vital interaction to people, family and friends that was left behind?

I will have to sit down and think carefully:

About why we left out home country South-Africa?
Would we be ever be able to go back?
And if we stayed - what would he have been able to gain out of a country where crime is prevalent, corruption is to be increasing, government services is close to collapse and my experience and education is meaningless because I am white?
On the other hand - what are we doing here in a country which sees me as something to be used and to be thrown away once I have outlived my usefulness?

As you can see - I have at this moment lots more questions than answers ... and a lot of thinking to do.

Earth to America - Lighten up please

Sometimes I wonder (worry) about people who are supposed to be the most powerful nation on earth and self declared world leaders, and their decision making processes - an excellent example is the whole shebang about the Zippo Lightertrick Page - see Website explores dangers of playing with fire - BBC. Apparently the NFPA and US senators, who felt the site was encouraging young people to play with fire, called for the Zippo tricks page's closure. Zippo obviously had to comply as any fire, caused by an idiot with a lighter could have lead to them been sued - the US been the US ... enough said! What Zippo said that closing down this site will just drive it underground - which is exactly which has now happened.

It has now resurfaced as the Lightertricks page and I agree with their premise - anyone stupid enough to play with his lighter and burning his fingers (pardon the pun - NOT!) or burning the house down, has to take the consequences. Like we would expect from anybody able to surf the web and been able to actually read. You would have thought drugs, underage drinking and teenage pregnacies is a bigger problem - but then what do I know. Also had a look at the Extreme TV channel lately - now that is something no parent would want his teenage son looking at - I'm sure its sponsored by a few doctors and dentists!
Like they say in the warning:

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

So it is July 2004 -

... the year has officially crossed the hump and is now on the downhill to Christmas - yes folks get those presents now only 6 months till Christmas!

An interesting site which brings you the latest and gadget ( sometimes not) gadgets on the web that I view every now and then may just have that present you have been looking for - The Red Ferret

For example - ever thought you would need this - TA DAAA!



The talking toilet roll holder - now imagine this - the wife wants to remind hubby to lower the seat - easy - just record it - and the moment he rolls down some paper - there is her voice reminding him. That is - if he uses paper after drizzling of course :)



Then for those who would like to jam a bit with some sitar, flute, drums etc try this Indian Jamming site - I had lots of fun with it!

Have you backed-up your Blog Today!?!

Have a look at the following Url: Harvard man provides musical solace for bereft bloggers | The Register (1) - looks as if a few bloggers lost some 'valuable' stuff! Also see 3,000 blogs lose their voice | CNet News

Now immediately the question that jumps to mind is - 'Have you saved any of your blogs? I know I haven't! Oops! Time for a wakeup call! Save those blogs - somewhere!!! NOW!!! Now you would have thought the ravings of a few thousand people would be on a backup somewhere? And let this be a lesson in life - never trust ANYBODY!



Anyway - ever thought of how all these blogs that are been generated (and lets be frank - 90% of them - like mine is just a lot of rot) - is been ignored by the search engines like Google Search Engine? Apparently a -noblogs search key was investigated at one time as the problem is that the blogs can obscure searches a lot. Of course blogs like mine is always factual and very informative. Yeah right :). I Google quite a lot myself in my line of work but the noise generated by all the blogs tends to make the process harder and harder. Maybe I will write a thesis about The information explosion on the WWW and how it is forcing it to collapse under its own weight. Remember - your read that here first - or maybe second ...

(1) I do not necessarily agree with the sentiments expressed by The Register in its article - I am just quoting the link.

Blogs an other things.

Forbes has a reference to some of the best blogs (their interpretations anyway :) ) on the following site:

Forbes Best Blogs

For example Raed in Baghdad - gives one an insight in the realities of living in a war zone.

Where is Raed ?

Interested in bloggers who has a specific interest?

Dubai Bloggers

I'm looking for a way to help you to pick an item of interest and search for it of this page ... keep watching.

Tom Weller - my type of humour.

You can fool all of the people some of the time;
you can fool some of the people all of the time;
and that should be enough for most purposes.

From Tom Weller's Book Maxims
Click below to see rest of book:



Picked up some references to Tom Weller on the Web - and as Douglas Adams is one of my favourite writers he has a simillar tongue in cheek type of humour. For example teh intoduction to his book SCIENCE MADE STUPID goes as follows:

Since the dawn of time, man has looked to the heavens and wondered: where did the stars come from? He has looked at the great diversity of plants and animals around him and wondered: where did life come from? He has looked at himself and wondered: where did I come from?

Later, he began to ask more complicated questions. He looked in his wallet and asked: where did my paycheck go? Am I on the right bus? Who do you like in the series?

To the former questions, at least, science has provided answers.

By the way - as you can see I am making some progress as too putting together a web page .... keep on watching this space.

June and its HOT!!

June has come - hot, humid, uncomfortable!

Funny things is - people live in buildings here during summer , just like in Europe in winter, but if you look out the window - the sun is shining, birds flying around (as slow as possible but still). Not a cloud in the sky over the Arab Peninsula and the UAE but all around there is clouds? Strange?

Talking about birds - ever seen that they cool down by sitting with their beaks wide open when its hot?

Anyway - during the past few days - not much else happened. Normal death and mayhem all over the world. I personally think that its time for all the people to start playing together nicely. Yeah right - but as John Lennon said in his song

Imagine

Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,
It isnt hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...

Imagine no possesions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world...

You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

written by: John Lennon
© Bag productions inc.

So lets see ... 31 5 2004

Interesting day yesterday - attacks in Al Kobar (one Safrican killed), Irac is still not sure what not sure what it wants, Israel can't make up their minds to go or stay, SA will now give refuge to the ex-Haiti el Presidente, Percy is back as Springbok halfback ... .

My son asked me this question (he is 10) 'Dad what is the meaning of life and death?'. I was lost for words for a few seconds but seeing a chance to instill some values in my him I launched into some deep thoughts about what it is you are, the need to be happy - NOW, to fit in with people as long as it fits with your principles, to actually have some principles when he interupted with the next 'Mom what are we eating tonight?' Q's. Now I am left wondering what actually lead up to this deep question ... .

Safrican in the Middle East

So there I was, here I am, there I will be - in the middle of the dessert by the sea - Dubai, UAE. City of promises, glitzy appartment towers, 4x4 cars, people with money and without money, Sheiks, princes, paupers and a few expats in between.

Speaking of contrasts - where have you seen a country where a person could pay 8 Million Dirhams for a number plate while the guy that works on a building site only earns 800? And please help me with this - what car do you put this plate on??

Of course - the heat in summer is a killer, goes up to 50 degrees centigrade - that is halfway to boiling point, the sea gets too hot too swim in,