Tag: Howard Feldman

Whereas there might be many faces to Jacob Zuma, most of them can be condensed into two primary themes. He is either the villain, ominous and threatening and openly defiant of the law, the NEC and of the wishes of the country; or he is the victim: wide eyed, picked on and singled out for very little reason.

The story is told of an optimist who falls from the top of the Empire State Building. On the way down, around the 30th floor, someone leans out the window and shouts, “Hey, how is it going?” The optimist, still falling, looks at him, gives him a big thumbs up and a confident smile, and screams back, “Yeah! So far so good!” 

Black Friday is what happens when the dangerous mixture of anxiety and excitement are blended in a retail test tube. Although we might think that we know what is going to happen, the result is almost never as predictable as we would like it to be; with the risk that it might all blow up always a possibility. Each year in the build-up to the day, both consumers and suppliers deal with the fact that things can go horribly wrong.

The photo of Julius Malema outside a Click’s store, Monday went viral for all the wrong reasons. Sporting a magnificent pair of Prada loafers, Malema joined the protest that had been called for by his party. It would unlikely have been the image that he would have chosen to represent the Eff’s image, given that it will set you back no less than R6,000, for both the left and right shoes.

First they came for the Tempo, and I did not speak out — Because I wasn’t crazy about Tempo. Then they came for the Lays Salt and Vinegar Chips, and I did not speak out - Because I was always more of a 'Lightly Salted' man.

It is little wonder that we no longer sleep. Who in their right mind could drift into peaceful oblivion, when the person next to you in the bed could be the person who is harboring the virus that could see us shuffling off this mortal coil?

Whereas I am not a Corona Virus expert, I have been a hypochondriac for some years. I am also am a radio talk show host, author and a social commentator, which perhaps qualifies me in some way to speak of social impact of this illness,

Remember when we were young, and we would complain for no real or fathomable reason? It was before the days of parenting books, and before being told that we are not allowed to smack our children. It was likely then, back in the day, that one of our parents would, in a fit of frustration and despair, raise a threatening hand and say, 'I’ll give you something to cry about!' This is the story of COVID-19 in 2020.

On first blush there is ample reason to be miserable. The economic data released earlier this week has once again confirmed that South Africa is in a recession. An investment downgrade is more likely to happen than not to, and the lack of tangible progress in South Africa gives little reason to cheer. Add load shedding, crime and the fact that the Corona Virus is around the corner, and one must wonder why more of us aren’t medicated. I imagine it’s partly because we can no longer afford it.

Every family has a culture. That culture is reflected in the way that communication takes place, how they dress, what they eat and the type of humour that resonates for them. Any stranger entering that home for more than a few hours, will need to make it their business to read the environment so that they don’t offend anyone at worse case, or look strange at best.