On a knife-edge
THE SITUATION in Korea is indeed fraught. The boy-tyrant Kim Jung-un (the "Young 'Un") rages and threatens.
American and South Korean forces in the Far East are on high alert with anti-missile umbrellas. The Americans postpone a long-planned intercontinental missile test just in case it's misinterpreted.
Is North Korea comic opera or is it the potential firing pin for a terrible conflict? Unhappily, it could be both.
The United Nations, the Big Five of the Security Council, the European Union, the G-22, Brics – all who have influence in this world need to concentrate their diplomatic efforts. President JZ must be dissuaded at all costs from deploying South African troops to North Korea.
Time to think
THERE was an oddly subdued crowd atmosphere at King's Park last Friday as the Sharks snatched a thrilling skin-of-the-teeth victory against Canterbury Crusaders. Knowledge of the sickening events that followed the previous match hung heavy.
I've spoken to all kinds of people. None had ever before seen a fight at King's Park. The closest to it I ever saw was an incident when two fellows started throwing meat pies at each other.
Justice will run its course. But we surely need a little introspection. What has gone wrong with society as a whole when an institution like King's Park – renowned world-wide for its generous festive spirit, where women and children are as safe as in their home – can be infiltrated by such malevolence?
The mood was subdued. Rightly so, we have much to think about.
Brawn drain
STILL with rugby, I'm told there are 600 South Africans playing overseas right now, most of them in the northern hemisphere.
Watching the Heineken Cup quarter-final between Saracens and Ulster at Twickenham, you could believe it. Six South Africans, including Ulster skipper Johann Muller, were on the field. Another four were on the bench.
Cause for pride or cause for worry? We hear a lot about the brain drain. What about the brawn drain?
Show-off dives
ENGLAND winger Chris Ashton clinched victory for Saracens in that match with a scintillating solo run that ended with a triumphant swallow dive over the line, the ball held in his outstretched right hand.
Two misfortunes are possible here. He can lose the ball, meaning the try will be disallowed. Or he can land badly and break a collarbone.
These show-off dives are surely unnecessary and not in the spirit of rugby. Dive for the line by all means but spare us the showbiz.
Get with it!
THE GOVERNMENT'S Industrial Policy Action Plan is being referred to by the contraction Ipap.
Why not tweak the capitalisation a bit – iPap – and then we've not only got a proper acronym, we've got digitalised porridge? Let's get with it!
Happy snaps
AN AMERICAN woman lost her underwater camera while diving off Hawaii in 2007. Six years later it's turned up 10 000km away on a beach in Taiwan – barnacle-encrusted but still working.
The memory card of the Canon was still intact and the finder, Douglas Chen, was able to view photographs of Lindsay Scallan's holiday in Hawaii. Through the card he was also able to track her down in America.
Lindsay is even more in luck. Douglas Chan works for China Airlines, who have offered her a free round trip if she wants to come to Taiwan and collect the camera.
No, it doesn't happen every day.
Giant spider
A NEW SPECIES of tarantula has been discovered in Sri Lanka. Poecilotheria rajaei has 20cm legs, a distinctive pink band around its body and is venomous – though not deadly to humans.
It lives on mice, lizards, small birds and snakes. It appears to be related to a South American tarantula known as the Goliath bird-eater.
Poecilotheria rajaei sounds the kind of tarantula you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. The size of a human face? No, that's no kind of trick to play on your lady friend!
Tailpiece
| PADDY sets Mick up on a blind date. "She's a lovely girl," says Paddy. "But dere's someting you should know. She's expectin' a baby." |
Last word
What good fortune for governments that the people do not think. - Adolf Hitler
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