Fodder - A blog from the heart of zaLand

North Korea

What's all the excitement around the North Korean missile tests of today. So one of them could reach Alaska – why you'd want to attack Alaska beats me. Yes they are one of the axis of evil. But North Korea is not on a suicide mission and is not going to attack anybody. Say what you will about North Korea they are not stupid and they know that an attack would lead to massive defeat for themselves.

North Korea fears the US and build missiles etc. to stop themselves being attacked, they're not about to start it.

Some US politician on the radio (didn't catch his name) commented that by running around like their hair was on fire the west was giving the North Koreans a good chuckle - agreed.

Still alive

I am still alive but way to busy for any blogging. Things should improve soon.

The media and the K word

I remember years ago the Springbok rugby coach was taped having a telephone conversation with another official while using both the K (kaffer) and F (fuck) word. The media, public and rugby officials went ape and ultimately the coach quit in disgrace.

Now this ex-coach wasn't in hot water for using the F word, rather for use of the K word. Yet when the media played the tape on air they bleeped out the F word and left the K word to be played and heard.

A complete failure to get it.

Today the news is all about Hessequa deputy mayor Lorna Scott's car which was spray painted with racist graffiti – the dreaded K word.

But at least SABC has wised up and is referring to the K word. Change takes time!

Sheval Arendse wins

Cape Town (NEWS24) -- The official opposition, Democratic Alliance (DA), has won a key municipal by-election in Tafelsig, Mitchell's Plain, with 68.31% of the vote - leaving Patricia de Lille's Independent Democrats (ID) trailing with just 29.5%.

The DA polled 3 870 to the ID's 1 683. In the March general municipal poll the ID won the seat with 2 300 votes or 38.7%, with the DA just behind with 2 204 votes or 37.1%.

The ANC did not stand this time but received 809 votes or 13.6% last time. The turnout this time was 40.6% - slightly less than the 43.1% percentage poll in March.

A big win for the DA in Cape Town. Firstly is gives the coalition a slightly larger edge and secondly shows that the voters are not impressed with the ID.

Further hats off to Sheval Arendse in doing the honourable thing.

He was elected as the ID councilor but quit when they sided with the ANC and he then stood again for the DA, whereas he could have held out until the floor crossing in September next year. You may not like his politics, you may not like his party, hey you may not even like him or you may believe the allegations of fraud – but an honorable politician is a rare commodity. Of course if the fraud is proved (and he did admit to it last night on SABC) then he is just a normal politician.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi dead

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted insurgent in Iraq, is dead, according to an aide to Iraq's prime minister.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was expected to make a public announcement of the death, the details of which are unclear.

Two Pentagon officials told CNN that the government is awaiting al-Maliki's announcement in Baghdad before commenting on the report officially.

One official says the Pentagon is not sure of how the death was confirmed and that there might need to be "additional forensics" done before they can be fully confident the terrorist leader is dead.

Officials could provide no further details at this time.

If this is true the theory is that Iraq will now become less violent, I'm not convinced - but certainly hope so.

ADSL gets even cheaper

Cape Town (FIN24) -- Users of Telkom's DSL service can save an average of 24% across all DSL access charges, with a maximum saving of 32%.

Telkom on Monday filed its proposed cuts in DSL rental and other services with the independent telecommunications authority Icasa.

Yes we  still have more expensive broadband then anywhere else, including Mars. BUT prices have been steadily coming down since inception and I am now on a faster service priced about 45% cheaper then when I first signed up some three years ago.

The process is slow and we'd all love a big bang approach here, but the tend is good.

The real war on terror

The recent arrests of terror suspects in Canada and the UK show the real way to win the war on terror. Rather then some war in Iraq that has long since become a failure regarding defeating terror, good old fashioned intelligence and police work is without doubt the only way to win this war on terror.

Imagine if the hundreds of billions of US$ could be put to use in police work and intelligence rather then being poured into the failed invasion of Iraq!

Leon fails to understand

Cape Town (NEWS24) -- Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Tony Leon said on Saturday that Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula was like a latter-day Jimmy Kruger.

Referring to Nqakula saying in Parliament this week that people complaining about crime had the option of leaving the country, Leon likened his comments to those of apartheid Police Minister Kruger once saying: "Biko's death leaves me cold."

Apartheid was a mass crime against humanity. This continual harping back to the good old days, trying to smear the current government with apartheid stains makes Leon a troll.

The current government is far from perfect. You may even think that they are incompetent, criminals, terrorists, communists, whatever. But trying to link them to apartheid shows a lack of respect for what apartheid meant for the vast majority of South Africans.

Bush back to banning gay marriage

My first thought when it was announced that Bush was once again harping on about banning gay marriage was why? This was all the rage during his election in 2004 and then died the expected death, so why now?

Then it hit me – mid term elections coupled with approval ratings in the low 30's. I suppose it is time to get the base (AKA the religious right) up and working. This is like the COSATU/SACP/ANC alliance that is all fraught with heated arguments – until election time when they kiss, make up and win the election.

Of course the real irony is that if he every succeeded (and frankly I can't see this happening) his legacy in a couple of decades time will be the idiot who banned gay marriage, rather then the idiot who invaded Iraq.

50,000 guns lost!

Cape Town (MWEB) -- South African gun owners have disappointingly lost over 50 000 firearms over the past three years, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said on Thursday.

How the hell does one lose a gun?