WAY TO GO, AMERICA!

"The role of citizens in [a] Democracy doest not end with [a] vote. America's never been about what can be done for us. It's about what can be done by us together through the hard and frustrating, but necessary work of self-government. That's the principle we were founded on."

PRIME MINISTER TSVANGIARI: INDIGINIZATION LAW SUCKS

Tsvangirai is not pleased with the latest political developments in his country. He is mostly concerned about the economic collapse Zimbabwe went through these past ten years. And the direct investment outlook seems, at least according to his future forcasts, is as dim as a cloudy Zim day.

 

But the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans are said to have won a right to better standards of living. The Indiginization Law has become a palpable reality. The law requires a 51 percent stake set aside for black Zimbabweans from the mining industry. Anglo American Platinum has given up the stake in its Unki Platinum mine. Literally, nationalization of mineral resources has kicked into gear in the land of Mugabe.

 

Saviour Kasukuwere, the minister who championed the policy through parliament, expressed his gratification as follows,

"We are pleased that they [Anglo American] have fully complied with the expectations of our laws. They are way ahead of the others."
 

The Unki mine is reportedly valued at $592 million. Of this value, ten percent will go to the workers, another ten percent to the local community, local investors as a group will get their ten percent, and 21 percent will go to the economic empowerment board.

Has Zimbabwe found the cure to their ailing system of politics and economics?

 

 

 

 

I ENDORSE THE CANDIDACY OF OBAMA, ONLY... 

 



"If he listens to people on both sides of the aisle, and builds the trust of moderates, he can fulfill the hope he inspired four years ago and lead our country toward a better future for my children and yours. And that's why I will be voting for him."

 

With only a few days remaining before America votes (election day is on this coming Tuesday, Nov. 6), such an endorsement could be an all decisive factor in the race for the White House. And coming from a man who is the mayor of America's financial engine, a man who understands that the American Dream equals equal opportunities, and not equal results, Obama ought to retain his grueling job as president.

Bloomberg writes that "when I step into the voting booth, I think about the world I want to leave my two daughters, and the values that are required to guide us there. The two parties' nominees for president offer different versions of where they want to lead America."

On the question of sexual orientation and all that comes with the territory, the mayor of New York City wrote, between the two candidates "one recognizes marriage equality is consistent with America's march of freedom; one does not. I want our president to be on the right side of history." 

When he started out--on his campaign trail for the first term--Obama painted his vision for "the home of the free" in these very words. He needs to come back to his senses and get back on track because Bloomberg is showing sufficient honesty and patriotism toward him. And America and world need sober leaders; leaders who will say to their fellow citizens 'enjoy your rights, for you never lost them in the first place'.  

Michael Rubens Bloomberg is an American businessman, a politician of independent status, an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, a husband, and father of two. His net worth as of 2012 is a reported $25 billion, making him the 10th richest person in the United States.



MY VIRGINITY GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE, GONE!

Meet Catarina Migliorini, the Brazilian babe who has sold her virginity online. And the winner is a Japanese man who's only known to us as Natsu. There were 15 bidders in total. And Natsu beat them by forking out $780,000 for his once-in-the-blue-moon prize.

 

Natsu was flown over to Australia, where the act of losing virginity was to be carried out. But the actual location of the event was kept secret. This is because Jason Sisely, the filmmaker whose claim to fame is a project called "Virgins Wanted", is Australian, and he wanted to document the two versions of Miss Migliorini--before and after.

 

Addressing the flak levelled at her decision to partake in the documentary, the twenty-year-old virgin said,

"I saw this as a business. I have the opportunity to travel, to be part of a movie and get a bonus with it. If you only do it once in your life then you are not a prostitute, just like if you take one amazing photograph it does not automatically make you a photographer." 

One more interesting fact is that her folks were in the know.

And we wait to see whether or not she rises to the challenge that got her under the spot light in the first place, i.e. proving decent housing for the poor in her hometown of Catarina in Southern Brazil. 



SUPERSTAR MANDOZA DRESSES UP NKALAKATHA

After more than a decade, kwaito superstar Mandoza has decided to redo his 2010 hit and money spinner NKALAKATHA. The thumping track endeared him to white music lovers in South Africa, and likewise earned him international rave reviews. It still enjoys airplay on a number of radio stations around the country to this day.

 

Strong-beat Nkalakatha's co-creator Gabi Le Roux has said about their latest project,

"We are giving it a 2012 feel and dressing it, you still recognize the baseline and everything but we've sprinkled it with some modern synthesisers and Mandoza re-delivered it with more energy."

Over the last ten years or so, Mandoza's Nkalakatha has been on replay at stadiums, with rugby/soccer/cricket buffs moving to it with gusto, less rhythm. In the process, the kwaito star gained even more fans. Le Roux has also said that "we're planning to take it across the borders, launch ti online, give it a whole new jacket. We even sprinkled it with a little bit of Afrikaans for the rugby lovers."

With the season of end-of year celebrations fast approaching, prepared to be dance-floored by the once popular Nkalakatha, now dressed in Afrikaans. 



 



SOUTH AFRICA'S YOUTH IN THE MAJORITY

With the anticipated returns of Census 2011 released on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2012, South Africa is statistically presented as a practically solidly young nation, expected to grow up with its eighteen-year-old democracy.

 

The greatest of all achievements of our time was our transition from apartheid to much fabled democracy. A status that makes us other nations' equals. And we proudly take our deserved station among the universe of nations because we earned it.

 

The much fabled democracy is Lady Justice impersonated. It inspires us to chorus our republican character with historical testament, and we utter, as one Khoisan man, that "!ke e: lxarra  llke" ("diverse people unite").

 

In the Gettysburg Address, the 16th president of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, captured the all important purpose of his revolutionary government. He began,

 

"For score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition 'that all men are created equal.'"
 

And, he continued,

"Now we are engaged in the great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure..." 
 

Well, in the same patriotic letter and spirit, South Africa is that nation. We are a nation conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "South Africa belongs to all who live in it".

Any thing that flows from any source other than that proposition is a crime against humanity, anywhere and everywhere. And the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a tribunal that exists for such crimes as classified in this category.

And, because the "rainbow nation" must persist--must live through all time--South Africa's youth have their task cut out for them. They needs must campaign for the "free, compulsory, universal, and equal" education like the Kliptown Charter promises. And if all fails, they will have to enlist the services of the ICC. 

 

 

 

 



CEMENT PRODUCER IN THE VICTOR KHANYE MUNICIPALITY

 

When complete, the cement plant at Delmas should look like this. The factory is now under construction, but fast nearing completion. It is located adjacent to R50 going to Leandra, just after the R50 and R555 intersection.

 

The project was made possible after a ten-year loan was secured from two South African commercial banks, i.e. Standard bank and Ned bank. Between the two of them, the banks contributed R1.95bn.

 

Sephaku Cement is responsible for the investment. It is an associate firm of the JSE-listed Sephaku Holdings Limited and a subsidiary of Dengote Cement Plc., which owns a 64 percent stake. With this financial injection, Dengote ranks as the largest African company to invest in South Africa. The investment runs to R3.4bn. There is another plant in the North West, which is factored in in the overall deal.

 

The Dengote Group based in Lagos, Nigeria, has issued a statement saying that "the [loan] agreement effectively closes the gap in terms of the required capital for Sephaku Cement to be fully prepared for market entry and a significant competitor in wholesale and retail cement trade".

 

Cement was an invention of old Romans.

 

The plant is scheduled to be launched on Nov. 8, 2013.



"BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU WHOM I VOTED FOR"

He said so as he held court after casting his ballot at the Martin Luther King Community Center in Chicago, Illinois. This is the town he picked to do his volunteer work of uplifting the community of South Side back in the eighties. By the way, his wife and U.S First Lady is originally from that part of America.

 

In voting early, the U.S President has gone down in written history as the first incumbent to do so, by his own account. This move is supposed to be his last-minute trump card. From a man whom Donald Trump has characterized as "the least transparent president in the history of this country [America]", Obama seems to have slowed down a tad in the re-election campaign.

 

His message is no longer as potent as that during his 2008 campaign trail; and his articulation less lucid. To be sure, things have not been easy for him. His critics seem to be louder than he is, and more energetic. Yet his record in office is pretty justifiable. And the American people have a lot to say about that. Remember the words:

"...the time we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can."
 

And now--this year, in his re-election--there appears to be no follow-up message to get his supporters continuously engaged and fired up. On the other hand, Mitt Romney has come out with his Republican guns blazing. How far Romney can get with that equipment is yet to be seen.

 

We all know the answer to the question of whom he cast his vote for. If he gets trumped on November 6, the fault will be all his.

 

 





STILL NO EDUCATION FOR GIRLS IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES

This poor soul is recuperating in a specialized hospital in Britain. She was shot in the head by Taliban militants, reports say. This about a week ago. And her doctors are full of hope about her physical future. But still, the crime against the female section of humanity rages on.

 

Malala Yousufzai is a 15-year-old girl from Pakistan. She faced assassination for her activism for an attempt to be the voice of reason for girl education in her country. Obviously, time is not ripe, and the economic future of girls in countries where God is Allah remains bleak and is getting bleaker.

 

The Pakistani authorities have distanced themselves from the attack, saying terrorist war is to blame. And a $1 million remuneration has been put up for anyone who can id the attackers.



CUTTING-EDGE 5FM IN NASHVILLE, U.S., THIS WEEKEND

She reads news, does voice over work, emcees corporate events, does djing at nightclubs, and most of all, she hosts the 5fm Top 40 on Saturdays. In short, she is in pop-culture demand. And, this weekend--this Octher, she flies out to the U.S. 5fm style to do her show in Nashville, Tennessee, to the power of 5.

 

Sureshnie Rider is flying off and out of the country this Thursday, October 25. Her mission: to go mingling with the famous and show-busy, get up close and personal with the six-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift. Swift, who's released a new album--her fourth studio offering--has already attracted rave reviews. According to the Rolling Stone mag,

"Taylor Swft is a turbine of artistic ambition and superstar drama, and Red is a 16-song geyser full of willful eclecticism. Her self-discovery project is one of the best stories in pop. When she's really on, her songs are tattoes."

Sushie, as her loving colleagues are wont to call her, will be over there to give us listening mortals the scoop first-hand. And we wait with bated breath. Incidentally, Red is the title of the album by Taylor Swift.

 

Sureshnie Rider is on your frequency from 10 am through 2 pm every Saturday.

 



HAPPY HAJJ EVERYBODY



To all our Muslim bothers on or intending to go on the Hajj, "We, The People of South Africa", wish y'all a safe and fruitful trip to and from the holy pilgrimage. May the 2012 Hajj bring the best of the blessings of Allah. And in the spirit of this momentous ceremony, "Peace Be Upon You".

ROCK STARS CAN BE MARRIED AND HAPPY

Check out the chuffed faces of rock outfit U2's frontman Bono and his wife, Alison Hewson (nee Stewart). Yet, Bono refers to her affectionately as "Ali". Last weekend, the celebrity couple celebrated their thirtieth anniversary. And he said of her that "Ali's still the sweetest  thing thirty years on."



NEW PLANET COMES TO LIGHT

Astronomers say it is 5 times bigger than Earth. They are also predicting habitability on this new "Earth'.

PARTICLES CAN BE OBSERVED IN THEIR QUANTUM STATE

Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland have been awarded the Nobel Physics Prize "for ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems". Each will receive a Nobel Medal, a Nobel Diploma, and a Prize amount.

 

The reverse side of the Physics medal looks like this. The inscription reads, "And they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery".

16TH US PRESIDENT LIVES THROUGH ALL TIME

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we must live through all time, or die by suicide." This is how Abraham Lincoln regarded the American principle of republicanism, and what it had been tasked to achieve.

 

Now there is a film to portray the last days of this "great and good man". Directed by Steven Spielberg, the Lincoln biopic is based on historian/writer Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln". This is how Spielberg depicted it:

 

"[The Lincoln movie is] not a battlefield movie. There are [Civil War] battles in it, and being in Virginia, we have access to those historic battlefields. It is really a movie about the great work Abraham Lincoln did in the last months of his life... We are basing it on Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, "Team of Rivals", but we're only focusing in on the four months of Abraham Lincoln's life."
 

The biopic opens in theatres on Nov. 9, 2012. And stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the "Railsplitter". 

 

 



JADA WILL HAVE SEX WITH HER FANTASY LOVER, IF WILL APPROVES

The Smiths like the idea of test-driving sex partners. The couple has created a twelve-year union based on openness, especially when it involves sexual feelings. Egos fall apart. Individuals mate around. Sounds like a lesson in the class of the effectiveness expert, Stephen R. Covey.

 

Will and his missus insist it is honourable to hear personal thoughts first-hand and fresh out of each others mouths. They reckon it'd be awfully demeaning to catch what the other felt about so and so via a third party. In their opinion, that's what life-partnering is for.  

 

The fresh Prince said,

"Our perspective is, you don't avoid what's natural and you're going to be attracted to other people".
 

Apparently, they incorporated this clear-cut attitude in their marriage vows.

'If it came down to it, then one would say to the other:"Look, I need to have sex with somebody. Now I'm not going to do it if you don't approve of it"'. I don't know how I'd feel [if my wife confided that she wanted to test-drive some dude]. But I know I would react better than if I found out about it afterwards."







CAN YOU BEAT A $190,000 PRIZE TAG ON MY VIRGINITY?

In Brazil the problem of housing is so dire that help comes from unusual sources. Slumps are business as usual for the government. In a country with a woman as its President, the situation is a gloomy indication of the chauvinistic aphorism of the world being a men's creation.

 

Catarina Migliorini is twenty years old. But her social heart is bigger. She is auditioning her virginity off to a highest tenderer. And so far the highest amount attracted is $190,000. In five days, the man with the biggest wallet will walk off with his grocery bag.

 

She said that "the winning bidder will be entitled to get at least an hour with me. More than that, it depends on the moment". During the actual intercourse, a condom will be used, and that's one of her conditions for the winning candidate.

 

The money will go to building houses for street communities in her hometown of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil.

 

ONE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PERSON LESS

Stephen Richards Covey has departed from our poor mist. The author of arguably the most powerful and influential self-help book is no more. And the deplorable story is a couple of months old.

 

"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" had a lasting impression on me. I first read the book in October of 2002 (in seven days). I have since re-read it a few more times. It is a monster read, if you know what I mean.

 

Covey was an American citizen of note, an educator, an author, a businessman, and a brilliant public speaker. He was a graduate of Harvard University, among other institutions. 

 

In one comment for his book The 7 Habits, he was described as "the American Socrates". The book itself has sold more than 25 million copies in 38 languages worldwide, and has an audio version. He also wrote many other titles on effectiveness.

 

Stephen R. Covey passed away on July 16, 2012. I thank his family for having share with us his life. His wife Sandra survives him.   



"MATURE CELLS CAN BE REPROGRAMMED TO BE PLURIPOTENT"

These academics prove once more for us that the future of humanity lies with it not sitting still. We are reminded once again about the capacity of the human intellect.

 

Prof. Shinya Yamanaka and Prof. Sir John B. Gurdon share the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine. Their work succeeded in the process known as differentiation. The process is supposed to produce cells which will develop into normal organs and tissues. Diseases like diabetes and Parkinson's are dangerous because they have no permanent cures.

 

With the process of differentiation already mastered, adult cells can now be manipulated to divide endlessly and form into any cell group in human anatomy. This medical achievement will make it possible to cure permanent diseases.

 

The announcement of their nobel status was made earlier thin Monday. They will divide the prize money of $446 544 561. 

 



NOBEL PRIZES SEASON BEGINS

Nobel Prize announcements kick off this Monday, Oct. 8, 2012. Bo Union III News will be bringing you, the valued reader, updates on all category nominees, until ceremony galas on December 10. This date marks the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, on December 10, 1896, at his home in San Remo, Italy.

 

Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 21, 1833. He was a scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, author, and pacifist. Yet he is most world renown for his philanthropist legacy.

 

Nobel invented dynamite and patented it in 1867. His chemistry teacher had hinted that he trial nitroglycerin--a chemical compound known for its violent explosions. After numerous false starts, he finally got right. He had mixed nitroglycerin with diatomaceous earth--a form of soil. And a much needed dynamite was born. But in one of the experiments, he lost a brother.

 

He made so much money for himself that by age 40, he was a wealthy man. Yet the loss of human life which attended the use of his invention haunted him.

 

Just before he died, he wrote a will. In it, he stated that a handsome portion of his estate be invested in "safe securities". The income accrued from these investments should be given "in the form of prizes to those who during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind."

 

In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank added the sixth category--Economic Sciences. The first five categories being Physics, Chemistry, Peace, Literature, and Physiology or Medicine.

 

Five Prizes are handed over in Sweden, in the presence of King Carl XVI Gustaf. The Prize for Peace is received in Oslo, Norway, with King Harald V in attendance.

 

A Prize comes in three parts: a Nobel Medal, a Nobel Diploma, and a cash award.

 

As an author, Nobel probably expressed himself best in aphorisms. I here quote one: "Second to agriculture, humbug is the biggest industry of our age".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 JUST DON'T WEAR THAT T-SHIRT TO MY SCHOOL

Do not be charmed by her beauty and body language--she is only 15. And already taking on authorities at her school. Brianna Demato was kicked out of Newtown High before school was official out.

 

When it was brought to the Principal's attention that a teenage girl was wearing a T with the "I enjoy Vagina" message, he would have none of it. He dismissed the student on the spot. And public outrage has ensued.

 

The teen from Queens, New York,  is adamant that she is entitled to any outfit she feels comfortable in. As bisexually oriented, she puts her foot down. She said, after the incident,

"It's hypocritical. They use the word in class--why can't I, on a shirt?

Mind you, her mom is on her side.

  



NEW SYMBOL OF SOUTH AFRICA'S HISTORY

The Republic of South Africa welcomes a new dawn in its teen democracy. Numerous changes have come to pass in this country--the Gautrain, the FIFA World Cup, and the Mandela Bridge. All these happenings are everything to be proud of as the "rainbow nation".

 

Yet, in the economy of a dynamic universe, the event of a thing already makes it all too familiar. So we must move on and seek to stay current. And South Africa has moved on. With paper money hogging the limelight, we are ready to proceed.

 

This year, in the Q4, ordinary South Africans will get to interact with their political idol. This will be an every day thing, as bank notes in their wallets will feature the face of our former Pres., Nelson Mandela.

 

The Reserve Bank of South Africa, in our administrative capital, last month made known to the public notes that will soon replace the ones in circulation. A campaign is being carried out to help make citizens transition from old to new notes with ease. First up are commercial banks with their staffs, and us mere beings later on. The campaign, called "One of a Kind", is aimed at neutralising fake money.

 

Governor Gill Marcus expressed contentment with the initiative coming through, that "We are pleased to issue this new series of bank notes which reflects South Africa's pride as a [rainbow] nation and pays tribute to a much loved world icon."

 

    

THE MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION AWARDS TUTU

The Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is $1 million richer. He has been named to receive a monetary prize from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

 

The Foundation, launched by its namesake, to show humanitarian appreciation to a "democratically elected African head of state or government who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, served his or her constitutionally mandated term and left office in the last three years" is seven years old.

 

This is the first time the prize has gone to neither an "African head of state" nor "government". But Tutu is not a mere mortal. He has quite a reputation for these things.

 

In 1984, he received a Nobel Prize for Peace. In doing so, he put then unknown Vilakazi Street on the world map. Mandela would follow his example some ten years later. 

 

According to Ibrahim, the Archbishop receives the prize for his "lifelong commitment to speaking truth to power". Mo Ibrahim, a Senegalese national, made his dollar billions through investments in telecommunications.  

 

Initially, the award carried a lump sum of $5 million, followed by annual $200,000, to be payed to the recipient until death. Unforeseen circumstances have since rendered this commitment unattainable.

 

 Three other winners are Joachim Chissano, Festus Mogae, and Pedro Pires. And again, Mandela has gotten in on the act, having received a special award from the same foundation. 



HERE'S TO ANOTHER TEN YEARS, O

 It's ten years, already? Yep, a decade of good reading and relevant information. The magazine that Oprah Winfrey launched for the "rainbow nation" is ten. It has grown from strength to strength--giving valuable advice, expert financial tips, and a segment called WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE by Oprah herself.  

 

To celebrate the achievement, The O team hosted what appears to be a gourmet luncheon. The event was held this past Wednesday afternoon, at the impressive Table Bay hotel, Cape Town. And fifty lucky readers got to attend. Ten more, O. 

FACEBOOK CEO DOES NOT SPEAK RUSSIAN

 

Mark Zuckerburg was in Russia recent. The trip was business related. In a country ranked 9th in the world by population, facebook has a measly 5% of that market. So Mr. CEO jetted over to promote his social network. With its population, Russia is facebook's dream marketplace. 

 

While there, Zuckerburg appeared on a talk show. Because he doesn't speak Russian, he had to be fed the English version of the host's questions through an earpiece.

 

One of America's young billionaires, facebook CEO is supposed to be worth $11,2 billion.     

WEDNESDAY USHERS IN DEBATE SEASON IN THE U.S. 



 

Today starts one of three presidential debates "in the home of the free". The debates are national affairs in the States. They are supposed to offer potential voters a glimpse into the four-year career path of a president-elect.

 

The incumbent is to defend his performance record in the oval office. And the hopeful, Senator Mitt Romney, hopes to win Americans over to his proposed program for the next four years.

 

Has Obama defended the U.S. constitution with decency? Has he charted new territory with reference to America's history? And has his policies upgraded, enriched, magnified, and modernised the proverbial American Dream? All these questions will loom large against his rhetorical prowess. How well will he fare?    

PANDOR TAKES OVER "HORROR AFFAIRS"

 

The Department of Home Affairs is vacant--any takers? Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma left to perform as "servant of Africa". And no new name is forthcoming.

 

In the meantime, Minister of Science and Technology, Ms Naledi Pandor, has been appointed acting minister of South Africa's "Horror Affairs".

 

How she plans to turn things around in the department of "amazing disgrace", is yet to be revealed.

IRON FIST PREVENTED FROM NEW ZEALAND 

Mike Tyson was sent away from the land of his inspiration of his adult life. The Maori tribe, the indigenous people of the New Zealand, traditionally sported facial tattoo to indicate their social status. This culture inspired the former world heavy-weight champion.

 

Tyson was billed to speak at a charity event that was scheduled to take place this November. The event, allegedly, has since been called off. Authorities in New Zealand withheld Tyson's visa, thereby barring him from entering the island country that is located down under. The situation is based on his criminal record from back home in the United States of America.

 

But just before the visa was cancelled, Iron Mike said he sympathised with those against his visit,

"Fortunately, I am coming to New Zealand and there's nothing they can do about it and I'm so sorry, I'm sorry they feel disappointed and I'm just living my life."

 





ZUMA NOT ASHAMED OF TAXPAYER'S RANDS

Pres. Zuma is already planning for his retirement. Back home at Inkandla, his family home is being revamped. The construction is reported to be worth R203 million. But Zuma is to incur only 5% of the whole bill.

 

His spokesperson says the upgrade is necessary. Answering questions about the reported revamping to a news agency based in London, Mac Maharaj said,

"What do you do when President Obama or an African head of state visits him? You can't send them to a hotel. Where do Prime Minister Cameron's security staff stay when he goes to his private house? President Zuma's medical and security staff are inside that complex, but you can't put them in the same house as his family."

Whatever happened to the presidential retirement home?

 



WEATHERMAN SAYS MARTIAN DAYS PLEASANT THIS SUMMER

The weatherman onboard Curiosity rover is not sweating. The reason behind this fact is what the equipment called Remote Environment Monitoring Station, or REMS in short, has to say. Curiosity's mission is to find out whether humans and other microbiological organisms can survive on the Red Planet.

 

And the experts are optimistic, with some reservations of course. They claim that it's too early to call the shots. The Martian days are apparently nice and warm. But, just before daybreak, temperatures may plummet to as low as -70 Celsius.

 

Felipe Gomez, a Spanish astrobiologist, was quoted as saying that

"If this trend carries on into summer, we might even be able to forsee temperatures in the 20s [Degrees Celsius], and that would be really exciting from a habitability point of view. In the daytimes, we could see temperatures high enough for liquid water on a regular basis. But it's too soon to tell whether that will happen or whether these warm temperatures are just a blip".
 

It will be fascinating to witness these developments, with the nascient account of Global Warming as the gigantic backdrop.

 



WESTLIFE SPLIT WHILE LOOKING LIKE THAT

Ever wondered what happened to them? Well, Westlife is no more. First to depart in March 2004, was Brian Mcfadden, citing family as his motivation to leave.

 

The most successful boy band in history--by timeline and record sales--called it quits this past June. After a forteen-year career, the "When You Looking Like That" singers have retired. They came from Ireland. They came together in 1998, having been endorsed by the English music guru, Simon Cowell.
 

In a letter they signed under the Westlife brand--Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne--the band wrote that the journey over the years had made them a kind of family, fans included. And went on to say, 

"The decision [for the split] is entirely amicable and after spending all our adult life together so far, we want to have a well-earned break and look at new ventures. We see the greatest hits collection and the farewell tour as the perfect way to celebrate our incredible career along with our fans. We are really looking forward to getting out on the tour and seeing our fans one last time." 

 

Their last farewell tour performances were on Jun. 22 & 23, 2012, at the Croke Park Stadium in Dublin. The show was sold-out--85,000 tickets--a sign of emotion on the part of the fans.

 

If you were a fan, do yourself a big favour and buy their music, while it's still available. This may not be true forever. 



JAY-Z RAPS "FOR THE TEAM HE OWNS"

 

He dons, for purposes of image, the number four on the Brooklyn Nets, the profesional basketball team he has monetary interests in. A home venue has been erected in the NBA's pros honour. It is called the Barclay's Center. Jay-Z performed for the first time at the venue on Friday night, Sept. 28, 2012.

 

The event was a publicity excercise, attended by the who's who of high-profile New York City zoo, and a crowd of about 18,000 adoring fans. Strutting his stuff onstage, the only way he knows how, the "Brooklyn Go Hard" rapper, showed appreciation to all in the building.

 

"I want to thank you, Brooklyn, New York City, for making me the man I am today. Like I said, everybody is from Brooklyn tonight".
 

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, owns $1 million percentage in the Brooklyn Nets investment porfolio.

  



ZILLE ESPOUSES TWO-PARTY SOUTH AFRICA

Democratic leader and Cape Town Premier, Helen Zille, has recently come out sponsoring the unification of all opposition parties on the modern South Africa's landscape of politics. The implication of this event, if it should happen, is effectively a two-party state. In a campaign to sell this idea to "The People", the Premier told her audience that

 

"The choice is between the populists, who will drive South Africa into the abyss of absolute poverty, or the constitutionalists, who must rise to the challenge of implementing a plan that gives everyone a chance of belonging, of working to improve their own lives, and contributing to society."
 

It is a rather belated attempt at redesigning our political edifice, and its effect is yet to be felt. A rather belated attempt, because Patricia De Lille, now mayor of our Executive Capital, made the same plea some few years ago. The result, the Independent Democrats submitting to DA's political way of thinking, like the New National Party did. The NNP joined the African National Congress in 2005.

Anyhow, good think the idea has gathered some convincing momentum. It's an idea "whose time has come". Do you like the idea or not?

 



ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER'S "TRUE LIES" IN A BOOK

The former governor of California has penned a book about himself. His reputation is reported to have gone south, and this is his attempt to give it new lease on life. The "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life's Story" has hit the shelves of bookstores around the world.

 

Among other things, he talks about his illegitimate son and the collapse of his marriage.Would you buy his autobiography with the intention to read it?

 



ALZHEIMER'S MAY SOON SUCCUMB TO SCIENCE

 

The dreaded disease that causes memory loss may be history in the near future. Alzheimer's, as the condition is called, is undergoing Korean therapy to determine its strengths and weaknesses, so a cure may be found. 

 

Usually associated with males, the condition hits most likely in old age. It attacks the workings of the brain and weakens it.

 

The solution is to use stem cells--cells that are able to develop into any of the different cell types that make up the tissues and organs of the body. Prof. Suh Yoo-hum is involved in this research. About their work, he said,

"Another positive part of the new-found therapy is that it does not involve any ethical issues or immune response problems because adults stem cells come from patients themselves."

VATICAN CITY HIT BY CORRUPTION SCANDAL

The Roman Catholic Church is at it again. And official corruption is the main issue. The man who used to help the Pope with meals and wardrobe, has blown the whistle. He calls himself the "agent of the Holy Spirit". But his real name is Paolo Grabriele.

 He is charged with taking confidential papers from the church and giving them to the outside secular world. The papers are supposed to be evidence to his claim that irregular behaviour at the church was under way. A court case has been brought against him.

The expert on Vatican law, Prof. Giovanni Giacobbe, said,

 "The Pope cannot tell the judge what verdict to reach, but he can intervene at any time if he wants to, and he can also grant a pardon" 

Proceedings are under way in the Vatican courtroom.

 

 

 

SOUTH AFRICA'S OLDEST UNIVERSITY SPELLS LIKE "HORROR AFFAIRS"



A student with the University of South Africa has come out complaining. Apparently, the university issued him with an incorrect qualification major. The student qualified last year with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Mathematics. Yet, UNISA, the oldest university in South Africa, assigned him Decision Science, a wrong subject as he says. He took it up with his institution the other day. When he left by end of business day, his problem had not been put right. And this Tuesday is graduation night. Still, he's waiting in uncertain anticipation.

WARREN BUFFETT GETS A BILL NAMED AFTER HIM

He always complained about tax regulations in his beloved United States. Well, it seems his days of moaning may be over. When Buffett reportedly said that he should not be taxed any less than his secretary, President Obama took him up on his own suggestion. And introduced a bill.

 

And, true to form, the Republican machine has climbed on the bandwagon, putting its on spin on the scenario. Theirs [Republican's] is called "The Buffett Rule Act of 2012", a close version of that of the Demacrats. Michigan Republican, Dave Camp, has thrown some light on the Act, saying

 

"If Warren Buffett wants to give, then H.R. 6410 allows him to give to his heart's content. [The Act] makes it easy for those who want to donate money to the Treasury for debt reduction to voluntarily do so, without raising taxes on entrepreneurs and job creators."
 

The U.S national debt currently stands at a staggering $16 trillion. It will be interesting to learn how the Oracle of Omaha will respond to this development. After all, the Act is under his own inspiration.