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Wednesday, 3 November 2021

De Dag In De Winkel [DUTCH/NEDERLANDS]

Thabazimbi (South Africa)

Photos: Creative Commons
   
Op een koude vrijdagmiddag, in het holst van de winter, liep ik mijn kantoor uit bij de mijn waar ik werkte in Thabazimbi in de Bushveldt-regio in Zuid-Afrika, startte mijn auto en reed naar de supermarkt waar afhaalmaaltijden konden worden gekocht.
   Ik liep naar de afhaalbalie en terwijl de winkelbediende opkeek, enigszins geïrriteerd omdat ze zo grof werd gestoord, sprak ik haar aan met de gebruikelijke begroeting van de dag en ging toen verder met mijn bestelling voor een pakje Russische worst en 'frietjes'.
   Ze nam mijn bestelling met een bescheiden hoeveelheid beleefdheid aan, draaide zich om en verdween behendig in de keuken van de supermarkt. Ik draaide me om om de tijdschriften en kranten op het rek door te nemen en bereidde me voor op de gebruikelijke vijf tot tien minuten wachten. Er was nog een man bij mij, ook saai rondlopend en gekleed in een blauwe overall ... duidelijk een arbeider op de procesfabriek van de mijn, die op zijn beurt wachtte (vermoed ik).
   Toen, wonder boven wonder, verscheen de winkelbediende weer! Op haar versleten pantoffels rijdend als een Arabische hengst in een Amerikaanse cavalerie-aanval stapte ze naar het bord (figuurlijk gesproken), smeet mijn bestelling van Russische worst & 'frietjies' op de tafel en ging verder met het toedienen van de gebruikelijke specerijen met veel tamtam en flair.
   Ik was echter erg gealarmeerd toen ze naar de azijnfles reikte en de onaangename vloeistof met enorm enthousiasme over mijn dampende hete eten begon te spuiten. 

   "Wauw!" (Ik zei). "Niet zo snel... ga langzaam met dat spul!" 

   Toen, zwaar berispt en gekwetst in ego, begon ze voorzichtig de inhoud van de beledigende kruiderij op mijn eten te legen met de finesse van een kunstenaar uit de Europese renaissance. Ze zette de azijncontainer neer en pakte met één krachtige zwaai van haar arm, net als een Franse zwaardvechter die een tegenstander onthoofdt in een duel over een lieftallig Frans meisje, de enorme container met tafelzout van de tafel en sprenkelde vervolgens het mineraal met veel ophef over de reeds aangevallen worst en 'Franse frietjes'. 

   "Wauw!" (zei ik nog eens). "Niet zo snel! Doe het rustig aan... ja, dat is beter!" terwijl ze de toediening van het tafelzout afzwakte. 

   Toen, ten slotte, keek ze naar me op met de gewonde blik van een huisdier dat dringend goedkeuring nodig had, merkte mijn goedkeuring op, bukte zich en schreef de rekening die aan de kassier aan de deur moest worden aangeboden voor betaling.
   Wat er daarna gebeurde, verbaasde me; ik denk dat ze me moet hebben aangezien voor een inspecteur van de plaatselijke gezondheidsafdeling of zoiets (ik denk dat ik in de war ben, ik weet het niet zeker). Het volgende moment pakte ze het gewaardeerde pakket eten op en overhandigde het aan de man in de blauwe overall die naast me stond met een mooie glimlach die zo deed denken aan een grote Olympische prestatie op de Spelen. 
   De man in de blauwe overall nam het pakje aan en liep weg in de richting van de kassier. Plotseling, met een ernstige frons op zijn verfomfaaide gezicht, stopte hij dood in zijn spoor en terwijl ik om me heen keek naar waar ik stond (die er nogal stom en beschaamd uitzag), sprak hij slechts één woord: "Tschh!" 
   Het was niet mijn bestelling!

PS. 'Thabazimbi': 'Mountain of Iron' of 'Iron Mountain' van het ijzererts dat hier wordt gedolven. 

Wednesday, 13 October 2021

Challenge Or Problem?

1. Introduction. Everyday I wake up in South Africa to the sounds and sights of all kinds of linguistic contradictions, misnomers and out-of-place euphemisms, e.g.:

- 'Full Potential'. There is no such thing as 'full potential'; the word 'potential' already implies 'full capacity'. A better expression would be 'true potential'.

- 'Skills Transfer'. If 'skills' could really be transferred, I'd be playing golf like Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player, transplant hearts like Chris Barnard or Elizabeth Taylor, sing like Matt Monro or Robert Goulet and play the piano like Arthur Rubinstein or Roger Williams. 
   Data, information, knowledge and even wisdom* can be transferred, but experience (the Siamese twin of 'skills') and skills cannot. At best governments, big business, employers, parents, educators, teachers and trainers can (and should) create the environment, conditions, infrastructure and resources for industry and career appropriate skills to be developed and honed to either perfection (best case scenario) or, at least, to functionality (worst case scenario).

*Job28;28; Psalm16:7; 19:7; 51:6; 90:12; 105:22; 111:10; 119:169; Proverbs1:2, 5,7; 2:10; 3:13; 4:5; 9:10; 13:20; 29:15 etc. 

2. 'Challenge' or 'Problem'? Politicians, educators and teachers would do well to phase out the ugly habit of referring to 'problems' as 'challenges'; I am convinced that these infantile euphemisms are the reason so few problems are solved (and solved so slowly for lack of urgency) today. Let's face it, there is a heck of a difference between a 'challenge' and a 'problem'. For instance:

2.1 Sports. Registering for the 'Comrades Marathon' (South Africa, over 90kms) with the eye on finishing in the allotted time to be awarded with a medal (either bronze, silver or gold) would constitute a challenge; not preparing properly for the marathon or developing cramps at the steep Polly Shortts hill would be a problem.

2.2 Science. Teaching* 'Evolution' at varsity level would constitute a challenge; proving Evolution empirically by trying to introduce unverifiable and unfalsifiable (so-called) 'evidence for Evolution' remains a vexing problem for evolutionists. 

P.S. Read the story of Walter Veith, erstwhile professor of Zoology (University of Cape Town) who taught Evolution at varsity level for many years and who is now a Christian apologist and creationist.

   "Walter Julius Veith (born 1949) is a South African zoologist and a Seventh-day Adventist author and speaker known for his work in nutrition, creationism and Biblical eisegesis. Veith was professor of the zoology department at the University of Cape Town and taught in the medical bioscience department. During this time, the department was awarded a Royal Society London grant for zoological research.[1]" [Wikipedia].

2.3 Marriage. Finding a good husband/wife would constitute a challenge; living with the wrong choice of a husband/wife after discovering that he/she is a chronic gambling addict would be a problem.

2.4 Politics. Winning the next election would constitute a challenge; not delivering to the electorate on earlier electioneering promises would be a problem. 

2.5 Economics. Buying a reliable (second-hand, pre-used or previously-loved) car would constitute a challenge; having to go on vacation with a vibrating, wobbly and misaligned crankshaft after the dealer had gone bankrupt the week before would be a problem.  

2.6 Arts & Crafts. To purchase the right wool and download a pattern from the Internet  to crochet a pretty little baby-suit for a newborn baby in time for Sunday would constitute a challenge; discovering too late that the downloaded patterns (downloaded by your Internet savvy nephew) are all in French would be a problem.

3. Final Challenge (or Problem?). To get the adult-class to use the word 'problem' (for problems!) in lieu of out-of-place euphemism (or misnomer) of 'challenge' (for problems!) would constitute a challenge; discovering that members of the envisaged target-market didn't get the memo on time ... that would be a problem.

Tuesday, 14 September 2021

PJS Tips For A Pretty Lawn This Summer

© Copyright 2021 PJ Stassen
South Africa.


1. Introduction. When that time of the year has arrived for you to ‘take the lawn into your own hands’, please note that these tips have been designed for climates associated with the Centurion region of Gauteng (South Africa), described as a ‘temperate zone with summer rainfall’. 

2. Irrigation. Irrigate (water) regularly:  

2.1 Without water-restrictions. Water regularly every day or every other day between 12:00 - 14:00. Contrary to some advice about evaporation and the conservation of water, my experience is that lawns flourish and look best when irrigated in the heat of day. Paint your lawn a colourful picture-pretty brilliant green in a matter of minutes ... water the lawn in bright sunlight (when possible) to encourage speedy photosynthesis. I have seen my lawn turn from a dull grey-green to a 'Kodak-enhanced' lime-green (metaphorically speaking) while standing with the hose in my hand.  

2.2 With water-restrictions. Water regularly every morning (usually mandatory before 06:00). Never irrigate (water) lawns in late afternoons or during evenings; it may attract fungus and, in some regions, may even destroy the lawn in as little as two weeks*.  

   *This rule may be situation-specific for different geographical conditions and climates and a lot is learned only by the time-tested trial-and-error method, i.e., the familiar method that teaches that good decisions come from experience and experience from bad decisions. 

2.3 Choosing the colour of your lawn. No, lavender or pink coloured lawn-grasses are not available (yet), but nature has provided us with at least two options with lawns ... deep (dark) green or brilliant green, with 'hues' depending on the type of lawn-turf you have at home. My experience with Kikuyu and LM Berea is that, when I water/irrigate before sunrise in the early mornings (e.g. when water restrictions are in place) the lawn turns a deep, dark green. When I water/irrigate in the bright noonday sun (i.e., between 11:00 and 14:00), the lawn turns a delightful brilliant green. Again ... never water/irrigate after dark in summer, it may attract fungus that will destroy your lawn; however, if there are regions with exceptions to this rule then I humbly apologise.  

This article sponsored by
DEO VALENTO LANDSCAPING & PROJECTS
West Rand RSA

3. Mowing. For Kikuyu & Bermuda, I set my electric mower at Level #5. For LM Berea, I set

my electric mower at Level #7. For a mix of Kikuyu, Bermuda & LM Berea, I could set my electric mower at Level #6, but for best results in Centurion, South Africa, I mow my lawn (a mix of Kikuyu, LM Berea & Bermuda) at a 'safe' Level #8. Sorry, I have no experience of other lawn varieties; I have found, however, that Bermuda may be treated on the same principles as Kikuyu

   Do not mow the lawn as a hard-and-fast rule on the same specific pre-selected day each week; that rule is too rigid and mechanical for developing an attractive lawn. Mow the lawn when the need for a ‘haircut’ (in your estimation) has arrived; do not wait too long, however, as the lawn may be scorched by the sun if allowed to grow too tall; ideally not more than a third of the blade should be removed at any singular mowing. Unfortunately, my mower is not fitted with a device to make that precise engineering calculation by itself, so it remains a guessing game for now. 

   Mow early in mid-morning (approx. 10:00 to 11:00); at noon (between 11:00 to 14:00)  or late in the afternoon (14:00 to 18:00) but never irrigate (water) the lawn in late afternoons or during summer evenings; the fungus it attracts may destroy your lawn. I insist that the best time to water for a brilliant green lawn is in the heat of day (approx. 12:00 - 14:00, water-restrictions allowing!). 

   Bag all the cuttings and throw it away or, space allowing, start an old-fashioned (full of ugly, venomous and hideous spiders) compost heap. According to my sources, those cuttings are only 10% fertiliser and 90% water anyway, so leaving it on the lawn may just be counter-productive enough to attract all kinds of pests who want to feed on it. In some regions, should you neglect to remove the cuttings, ugly little critters called chinch bugs may begin to invade your lawns. Massey Inc. describe chinch bugs as:  

   ""Chinch bugs' are tiny, hard-to-see insects that cause lawn damage which can often be confused with drought stress. When these lawn bugs are young, they are red in color but as they mature to adults, they turn black and have a white spot on their back in the shape of an “X.” Adults grow to be about a quarter inch long ... Individuals are found within the thatch layer (the layer between the grass and the soil). However, when there is a large population, they can be found resting on leaf blades or crawling across the lawn ... Believe it or not, these tiny lawn pests cause millions of dollars in damage per year as homeowners seek to control outbreaks by applying treatments and replacing damaged grass. These pests suck the juices from grass blades and inject toxins back into the leaf blade causing the grass to die ... symptoms appear as irregular patches of lawn that resemble drought stress. These areas gradually turn yellow, then brown and then the grass dies." 

   I have no idea if chinch bugs (or which varieties of bugs) are all active in the Centurion area, or to what extent, but I have a hunch that removing all cuttings is the better part of valour to ensure a problem-free lawn. 


4. Fertiliser. My advice is to stay away from chemical fertilisers; they simply do not last (here today, gone tomorrow). The nearest I get to a 'chemical fertiliser' is the Dolomitic Agricultural Lime (a Calcium & Magnesium mix) that I apply to the lawn in the spring ... it is not a fertiliser but a 'prepping-agent' to get the pH of the lawn in the most favourable condition for the fertiliser (if any) to work. 
   I use organic manure only; my current brand-of-choice (‘GroGreen’), a smart odourless mix of chicken manure and compost, but the reader is welcome to experiment with other brands, such as 'Bounce Back' etc. The golden rule: Stay away from chemical fertilisers if possible. The advantages of organic manures are manifold: 

     - A naturally greener lawn with a longer-lasting effect; and 

     - Too much of the organic fertiliser will not 'burn' a lawn. 


5. Pest Control. I am not an expert on pest-control but am quite an expert on so-called 'pest-control experts'. Some tips: 

     - Stay away from so-called ‘pest-control experts' advertising all over the Internet. They will destroy your lawn and your budget all at the same time in about six weeks flat and still leave you with the same pests to contend with and at one heck of a premium. The best 'expert' to consult, that is, should you be so fortunate to have access to such an expert, is to speak to either (i) the greenkeeper at your local golf course and/or (ii) the person in charge of firms cultivating lawns on a mass scale on plots for sale to the public. These people ought to know how lawns (about most of the local varieties) should be managed for optimum effect.  

     - Read on the subject from time-tested sources and try and sort out your pests by yourself, it is much cheaper even if you should make mistakes along the way. 

     - Try and stay away from expensive and dangerous pesticides and weedkillers. Experiment with affordable home remedies where possible. My submission is that ants (for instance) cannot be eradicated, only sort of 'managed' and 'controlled', so why waste a lot of money on pest control firms when the next generation of ants (and the expensive pest control experts) all will be back next year … more arrogant, numerous and rowdy (the ants I mean) than ever?

   As we are retired and live on a small plot of land with a lawn spanning about 120 square metres, we can afford to water the lawn by hand and control pests with home remedies and sometimes the occasional pesticide should the need ever arise. Before embarking on expensive pest-control campaigns involving all kinds of expensive 'fly-by-nights' ripping off the gullible public, however, to get rid of ants fill a few regular, empty plastic (soda) cold-drink bottles with some sugarcane syrup and lay it down on the sides (with the caps removed) in those hotspots where ants are clearly and visibly active. Ants love sugar and they will invariably get stuck knee-deep in the syrup making escape impossible. We also rid ourselves of the small black household ants so prevalent in kitchens and bathrooms that way ... it is clean, not messy and except for the ants safe for the environment, pets and humans.


6. Pets and Lawns. Unfortunately, dogs, cats and most 'livestock' are not good for lawns. When it comes to a choice between safety and security for the family and a pretty lawn, however, I would choose security and safety every time (obviously). One option (as a compromise) is to demarcate a specific area for a proper, well-manicured lawn (it does not even have to be ginormous) and leave the rest for pets and/or guard dogs etc. to utilise, destroy, trample and decimate to their hearts' content. As far as cats are concerned, sorry, I cannot help you ... cats do not take orders from their humans.

DISCLAIMER: There may be regions where the advice I have given in this article will have to be adapted to such regions' local conditions.

This revision: 9 August 2023.

  

Monday, 23 August 2021

The Misfit (Poem)

 The story of the evildoer who showed compassion to Jesus 

(Bob Benson: Excerpt from Laughter In The Walls

© Copyright 1969 Peggy Benson).


It seemed to be his lot, he was one of those unfortunate people, with a talent always to be in the wrong place … always at the wrong time. He was born wrong: The declining Roman Empire, the broken home. The conquered Jewish nation, the poverty-stricken slums.

He lived wrong: When others went to school, he played hooky; others played ball, he stole apples. Others learned trades, he learned to cheat. Just a common thief … he started wrong, he lived wrong.

And it looked as if he’d finish wrong: The wrong place, and the wrong time: A Roman cross, a painful death … A final shame; when, from the middle cross, came words of redeeming love:

“You shall be with me in Paradise!”

In all the stream of history, one and only One of all the numberless sons of Adam could have said these words, and he hung beside Him! In one instant his life, given to evil … thoroughly misused, doomed to die, was changed and ended in crowning glory. It was the one sentence without which there is no success; It was the one sentence which redeems all failure said to him at life’s final flickering moment. 

The one most important issue of all was gloriously solved:

At long last, he was in the RIGHT PLACE at the RIGHT TIME!

EPILOGUE

What a 'sentence' handed down from the middle cross; one single (spoken)  'sentence' that commuted the sympathetic robber's death sentence to a life sentence … ETERNAL LIFE; the longest life sentence following a death sentence in the history of jurisprudence and justice.

Why Biological Female Athletes Should Refuse To Compete Against Biological Male Athletes

1. Proposition #1. It’s your body, remember? The first principle of assertiveness in interacting with others is: You decide how people treat you, not they. This issue of ‘transgender males’ in womens’ sports will be decided by the female athletes themselves, not by Courts of Law or Athletics Federations ... simply walk off the field and refuse to run. Do the math: Without female athletes there won't be any female athletics.

2. Proposition #2. It is not ‘gender equality’. On the contrary is it gender inequality ... real gender equality is e.g. when a woman is paid the same wage the man gets in the same type of position with the same pay grade, obviously allowing for a sliding scale i.r.o. experience, skills level, promotion when it is deserved  etc.
   It is an anthropologically incorrect & invalid way of trying to ensure ‘gender equality’. ‘Gender equality’ is only possible where both genders (male & female) are involved. Leftists are forever trying to ‘equalise’ the equation by trying to blur the lines between male & female. 
   Do the math: How can there be ‘gender equality’ with only one (hybrid) gender in the mix? (It’s like saying the elephant’s trunk is of ‘equal length’). True ‘gender equality’ requires at least two separate and clearly (biological) different genders; that is why there is an ‘issue’ about the whole thing.
   But what if the biological male should say that although he is biologically male he nevertheless 'identifies' with a biologically female? Well, that would be as absurd as Woody Allen trying to get into the latest Batman film (as Batman) by telling Hollywood agencies that he 'identifies' with Batman (be reasonable).

4. Proposition #4. Leftists have no moral compass. Those Leftists who are trying to force (biological) female athletes to compete against (biological) male athletes have, with their dismissal of the Bible as an antiquated, obsolete fairy tale and God as a Jewish myth, elevated ‘political correctness‘ to a level higher than the Bible, God and the time-tested  Judeo Christian values so entrenched in the justice systems and jurisprudence of the West, i.e. Roman-Dutch Law, Scots-English Law etc. 'Political correctness' does not necessarily always equate to 'moral correctness' but rather to political expedience.

5. Proposition #5. It denies the science. Sports biologists tell us that it denies the science, i.e. the fact of the prevalence of higher testosterone levels in male athletes than in female athletes, even when male athletes do not necessarily always win in such events.
   If anything, female athletes should be allowed to compete voluntarily against male athletes, because that would theoretically still be fair, but never vice versa. Having said that, however, even that should not be legally allowed, because Leftists can sometimes be cunningly innovative and creative and even then may find a way of objecting and 'proving' that it is not 'gender equality' and thus 'not fair'. So, better to leave that can of worms unopened ... our civil courts are busy enough as it is.  

6. Proposition #6. The idea ought to infuriate real male athletes. It ought to be a foreign and outrageous idea to (biological) male athletes. I mean, what kind of a man, equipped with all the features of a testosterone driven biological male, gets his kicks from beating women in an athletics event? Athletics is one thing, but what about wrestling, boxing and contact sports of the rougher kind? Also, let’s not talk about the transhumanist’s ‘hormone suppressors’ … that’s way out perverse and 'medicine men' (snake oil salesmen) who prescribe that to the underage kids of deluded parents in school to 'enhance their chances' and further affirm their wrong ideas about themselves ought to be defrocked yesterday.

7. Proposition #7. Men & Women are EQUAL but DIFFERENT. In God’s eyes men and women are equal but different, and what better gender equality than that? The bottom line is simple: Female athletes should stop the rot before it’s too late, or they will be wrestling against male wrestlers at the next Olympics under Olympic Committee compulsion and rules. The Bible teaches:

   "There cannot be Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is no male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise."
   "For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. But she will be kept safe through childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with sensibleness." 
   "Likewise, husbands, live together according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel, the female, as truly being co-heirs together of the grace of life, not cutting off your prayers."  [Galatians3:28-29;1Timothy2:13-15; 1Peter3:7]. 

Friday, 13 August 2021

What Is Wrong With Expediency Abortions

1. Introduction. In the year I was born my mother had had all the right to have me, her first-born, aborted, since I was what ‘old-timers’ would have called the product of a ‘shotgun wedding’, i.e. on her wedding day my mother was already two months pregnant with me and, in today’s climate, would have been perfectly ‘justified’ to have had me aborted; thank God she didn’t. Today I am the proud father of a son who is an industrial engineer and project manager at a large multinational in South Africa, and a daughter who is fulltime missionary in Europe who speaks three European languages fluently and is now learning a fourth.
   When I was two years old, my mother lost her baby (a boy) four days after birth. What angered my already distraught mother most was when the doctors came to ask her to ‘donate the organs of the deceased to 'research’; reportedly she chased them out of the room like dogs.
   In 1978 when our first child was expected to be born, my wife one day has had to visit her doctor for some surgery on her foot. Oblivious to her and her GP (the surgeon) she went under the anaesthetic twelve weeks pregnant and about a week later the child was lost, discarded in the hospital’s incinerator like vermin. What would he have looked like? His wife? What about my other children and the lost (noisy and exuberant) little cousins and playmates at Christmas and on birthdays? Today I still mourn my lost brother and child, but am looking forward to meet them in Eternity, God wills.

2. Why expediency-abortions are wrong. Some notes:

2.1 Shedding innocent blood. God hates hands that shed innocent blood (the unborn are innocent, aren’t they?). 

   "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren ... Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood." [Psalm6:16-19; 94:20-21].

2.2 A lonely old age. The mother of the aborted child will have to grow old alone and miserable with nobody to send a Christmas or birthday card to; or, even worse, with no one to look after her in old age or dread disease. 

2.3 Liquidating new club members. What future does a club have that 'liquidates' its newest members at birth? Do the math: In years to come who will march for 'ProChoice' during rallies and demonstrations? And how ironic that the only reason for Betty's existence as a 'ProChoice' supporter of expediency abortions is the fact that she herself was born in an era when mothers (and most governments) still considered life sacred and babies precious gifts from God.   

2.4 Killing the geniuses. There is a good chance that the genius that would have discovered a vaccine for the Coronavirus in time for January 2020 to prevent this murderous Covid-19 pandemic was killed in a basement abortion mill during the 1980s.

2.5 The Great White Throne Judgment. On Judgment Day millions of (expediently) aborted babies will stand before a Holy God to give prima facie eyewitness testimony to their mass murder during their brief sojourn on earth. Furthermore, the rattled mothers of those babies will have to stare them in the eye and explain to them why they were ashamed of expecting them during pregnancy when they were still sheltered in a sacred shell that was supposed to have been the clinically most cloistered, securest nest in the Universe, with the words 'shame' and 'embarrassment' on that moment probably elevated to a whole new level.

Monday, 9 August 2021

The Toxicity Of The Proposed Ban On 'Conversion Therapy'

1. The Leftist madness proliferates. The recent call for a ban on so-called ‘conversion therapy’ has set the warning bells off immediately; what is to happen to the sacrosanct principle and inalienable right to ‘free speech’ and ‘freedom-of-religion’ in the democracies; are we going completely ‘demo-crazy’? Do Freud and Darwin crazed 'psychologists' (sic)  want the West to 'morph' into one gigantic UN-driven police state? For instance, should the call for a ban on conversion-therapy (sic) ever succeed: 

1.1 Will Billy Graham’s historical, worldwide gospel crusades (preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ) in future be classified as (en masse) ‘conversion therapy’?

1.2 Will Christian pastors, evangelists, missionaries, teachers & apologists preachig the gospel and teaching the Holy Scriptures from pulpits and the backs of trucks in future be considered as ‘conversion therapists’?

1.3 Will no consenting adult ever again be allowed to exercise his constitutional rights to ‘free choice’ in the market of ideas to seek the services of professionals in the field of Pastoral Counselling for voluntary (so-called) ‘conversion therapy’ (sic) for whatever reason?

1.4 Will ‘Sunday School’ in the Christian movement everywhere also be reclassified as ‘conversion therapy’ (sic) ?) and outlawed?

1.5 Are the democracies in the West transmogrifying into police states and despotic regimes where they will coerce citizens (at the barrel of the ‘legal’ gun!) into what categories of life-choices to make, which lifestyles to adopt and whose lives and examples to emulate as role models?

1.6 Will any salesmen of the future be forbidden to ‘coerce’ (‘conversion therapy’!) prospects in general into buying their products and/or preferred brands (e.g. real estate, toothpaste, cell-phone, car, shoes, denim jeans etc.) in the market place in any kind of industry for that matter?

1.7 Are they going to ban and withdraw and blacklist every Christian book ever written, including the Bible (100 million sold annually and the ultimate source of the most successful so-called  'conversion therapy' ever)?

2. The corollary is also true. Such a ban, however, won't be a walk in the park and 'paradise' for those Freud & Darwin driven 'psycologists' (sic) calling for it in the first place either; just imagine when the consequences of such a 'ban' begins to kick in with a vengeance; but, this time around for those who had been the sinister forces behind it in the first place, i.e. those forces of darkness who lobby for and sponsor the very people with the political and legal power to enforce such a ban, e.g. when no atheist, secular humanist, Freud & Darwin driven psychologist or religious cult from the suburbs will ever again be allowed to persuade a client, follower, subscriber or confused patient etc. to join their movement or practice and to drop Christianity for its diabolical aims and ends.
   Do the math: Do they really think that the worldwide Christian movement will ever allow them to practice their sick brand of (reverse) 'conversion therapy' on people at large in peace? Bear in mind that Jesus Christ has promised His Church ('Ekklesia') that, "the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church." The neo-pagans of modern society should think twice before attempting to wake the giant that is Evangelical Christianity.

3. The toxicity of the 'ban' explained. Any such proposed ban on so-called ‘conversion therapy’ will open a can of worms no government and/or justice system will ever be able to coherently contain, manage or control, and the potential ramifications (i.e. 'socio-cultural nuclear fall-out’) envisaged to result from such a draconic clampdown on peoples’ freedom to think for themselves will probably be astronomical, on a pandemic scale.
   Bear in mind that, should such a ban ever see the light of day and Christians should choose not to litigate (which is 100% unlikely) the secular humanist psychologists of society, with their toxic (Freud & Darwin driven) emphasis on (i) ‘human reason’, (ii) ‘secular ethics’ and (iii) ‘philosophical naturalism’, i.e. people who reject the Holy Moral Compass of the Bible and Judeo-Christian values with contempt, would have the absolute, unfettered monopoly to mess around with such already confused peoples’ minds, and Heaven forbid.

Sunday, 8 August 2021

The Story Of How Evolution Almost Really Happened

[Examples of how evolutionists are trying to sell ordinary adaptive environmental changes in animals over time as 'Evolution' to a gullible public].

1. Examples of how Evolution almost happened. According to the experts, “Evolution is the interaction between genetic changes and natural selection also know as the ‘survival of the fittest’. Charles Darwin famously studied various species to determine how environmental adaptations allowed them to survive.” [YourDictionary]. Examples:

1.1 The Peppered Moth. “This light-colored moth became darker after the Industrial Revolution due to the pollution of the time … the lighter color returned to the population when pollution declined.” [YourDictionary].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ across ‘kinds’ (of animals) happened; in the end the peppered moth was still an insect. It did not change into another kind of insect or animal (have you ever seen a non-moth change into a moth?).

1.2 Brightly Coloured Peacocks. “Brightly colored peacocks females always choose the male peacock with the brightest colored feathers. The genes for bright features are passed down to male offspring, who also have a better chance of finding a mate and passing down their genes.” [YourDictionary].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ across ‘kinds’ happened; in the end the peacock will still be a bird (peacock). Have you ever seen a non-bird change into a bird or a non-peacock turn into a peacock?).

1.3 Flightless Birds. “Over many generations, ostriches and emus evolved to have larger bodies and feet made for running on land, which left them without the ability (or need) to fly … The same goes for penguins, who traded typical wings for swim-friendly flippers over many thousands of generations.” [YourDictionary].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ across ‘kinds’ happened; in the end the ostrich was still a bird (ostrich) and the penguin still a bird (penguin). Have you ever seen a non-bird turn into a bird, a non-ostrich turn into an ostrich or a non-penguin turn into a penguin?

1.4 Pesticide Resistant Insects. ”Certain insects will experience a gene mutation to develop immunity to it (pesticides) and those insects will reproduce. This happens very quickly, within a few generations, since the generation length for insects is short.” [YourDictionary].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ across ‘kinds’ happened; in the end the pesticide resistant insects were still insects (Have you ever seen a non-insect turn into an insect?).

1.5 Blue Moon Butterfly. “The Blue Moon Butterfly on the Samoan islands was attacked by a parasite, which destroyed male embryos. This changed the balance of male and female but that was remedied within 10 generations. This is because the few male moths that were immune lived to breed.” [YourDictionary].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ across ‘kinds’ happened; in the end the Blue Moon Butterfly was still an insect (butterfly). Have you ever seen a non-insect turn into an insect or a non-butterfly turn into a butterfly?

1.6 Deer Mouse. “Deer mice used to be dark-colored when they primarily lived in the woods. However, a portion of the population split away several thousand years ago and found a new habitat in the sandhills. These deer mice are lighter, having evolved over thousands of years to match their surroundings. Meanwhile, the dark deer mice have been deprived of these light genes and continue to have dark-colored offspring.” [YourDictionary].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ across ‘kinds’ happened; in the end the (dear) deer mice were all still rodents (mammals, i.e. deer mice). Have you ever seen a non-rodent turn into a rodent or a non-mouse turn into a mouse?

1.7 Mexican Cavefish. “Mexican cavefish once had eyes, but in the caves, eyes were no longer necessary. They have also lost their pigmentation because they no longer need camouflage from predators. This is an example of regressive evolution, the belief that ‘if you don't use it, you lose it’ when it comes to traits.” [YourDictionary].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution across ‘kinds’ happened; in the end the cavefish were still fish (cavefish). Have you ever seen a non-fish turn into a fish?

1.8 Warrior Ants. “These ants have a chemical signal that identifies their colony. Some ants learned to imitate this signal from another colony, so they can attack a colony and take over. The worker ants will not even realize there has been an invasion and continue to work.” [YourDictionary].

👉P.S. No ’Evolution’ across ‘kinds’ happened; in the end the stakeholders in the colony were all still insects (ants). Have you ever seen a non-ant turn into an ant?

1.9 Pink Salmon. According to the Smithsonian Magazine migratory 'behaviour patterns in animals (ascribed to environmental factors) cause fish such as Pink Salmon to swim from the ocean up freshwater streams to spawn where warmer waters make earlier migrating fish more resilient helping fish populations to hold steady over decades.' [SmithsonianMagazine].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ has happened across ‘kinds’; in the final analysis the Pink Salmon are still fish. Have you ever seen a non-fish turn into a fish?

1.10 Tawny Owls. “With milder winters in Finland, one population of tawny owls showed a significant uptick in brown-plumed owls over the last 28 years, according to a 2011 Nature Communications study. The researchers also saw a nationwide increase in brown owls over the last 48 years. It makes sense that natural selection might favor brown coloration: With less snow, brown owls are better at blending in with the surrounding forest, giving those birds a better chance to survive and reproduce.” [Smithsonian Magazine].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the owls were still birds. Have you ever seen a non-bird turn into a bird or a non-owl turn into an owl?

1.11 Pitcher Plant Mosquitoes. “In the bogs of eastern North America, the larvae of pitcher plant mosquitoes (Wyeomyia smithii) hibernate in winter and blossom into fully grown adults come spring, when they thrive on the nectar inside their namesake plants. As the days grow shorter, the mosquitoes are genetically program-med to hibernate. Mosquitos at the southern end of the species’ range had already adapted to delay hibernation based on the longer growing season. But now northern populations are also hibernating later as global temperatures rise.” [SmithsonianMagazine].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the adapted Pitcher Plant Mosquitoes were all still mosquitoes (have you ever seen a non-mosquito turn into a mosquito?). The term ‘genitically programmed’, by the way, demands an Intelligent Genetical Programmer.

1.12 Banded Snails. "Darker shells of Banded Snails provide better camouflage in Europe’s warmer temperatures where shell colouration is determined not only by genes, but also by body temperature." [SmithsonianMagazine].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the Banded Snails were still snails (have you ever seen a non-snail turn into a snail?).

1.13 Sockeye Salmon. “In the Columbia River, sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are migrating earlier every year in the spring and early summer to spawn … Evolution in response to higher water temperatures proved the most likely explanation for about two-thirds of the shift, while individual adaptation to river flow changes could explain the rest.” [Smithsonian-Magazine].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the Sockeye Salmon were still fish (have you ever seen a non-fish turn into a fish?).

1.14 Red Squirrels. The southwest Yukon has seen increasingly warm springs and a drier environment, encouraging white spruce trees to produce more cones—and giving North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) more to eat. In red squirrels, the more cones females eat in the fall, the earlier they give birth … Birthing time can vary a bit, but the team argues that the data can only be explained if at least some of the shift is attributed to genetic changes inherited over generations.” [Smithsonian-Magazine].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ happened across 'kinds'; in the end the Red Squirrels were still squirrels (have you ever seen a non-squirrel turn into a squirrel?).

1.15 Fruit Flies. "Species can vary a lot based on their geography. In the case of the common fruit fly … genetic variants correspond to populations living at different latitudes, and specific enzyme mutations can serve as biomarkers … Southern Australia is more temperate and tropical, while northern Australia is dry and hot. The team found that many fruit flies living in Southern Australia now have the genetic mutations common in more northern populations—as if they’d moved nearly 4 degrees in latitude. Scientists suggest that these changes are linked to coping with a warmer and drier climate and researchers have found similar trends in Europe and North America.” [SmithsonianMagazine].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the Fruit Flies were still fruit flies (insects). Have you ever seen a non-insect turn into an insect or a non-fruitfly turn into a fruitfly?).

1.16 From Stray Dogs to ‘Wolves’. "Stray dogs neglected by humans over time ‘evolve’ (sic) more ‘wolflike’ traits, e.g. by becoming more unfriendly toward humans and developing better navigation skills." [BusinessInsider].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ has happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the stray dogs were still dogs (have you ever seen a a non-canine turn into a canine or a non-dog turn into a dog?).

1.17 Interbreeding Dogs. "Some dog-owners have learned to mix and match certain dog breeds giving rise to such ‘products’ as ‘labradoodles’ (Labrador + poodle) and ‘cockapoos’." [BusinessInsider].

👉P.S. They call this ‘Evolution’? No ‘Evolution’ has happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the new (hybrid) breeds (bred by intelligent designer owners, by the way) were still dogs (have you ever seen a non-dog turn into a dog or a non-canine turn into a canine?).

1.18 Mice Interbreeding. "When the Algerian Mouse (mus spretus) mate with the common House Mouse (mus musculus) pups born from such unions are still fertile and that the breed will develop immunity against ‘warfarin’ (pesticides)." [BusinessInsider].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ has happened across ‘kinds; in the end the new breeds were still mice (have you ever seen a non-mouse turn into a mouse or a non-rodent turn into a rodent?).

1.19 ‘Clepto’ Sea Slugs. "Sea slugs will ‘steal’ (sic) genes and chloroplasts from the algae they eat; this stolen genes and chloroplast are then incorporated into their own DNA enabling them to live for days on end on nothing but sunshine. These algae genes get passed onto the next generation of slugs thus bypassing ‘traditional Evolution’ (sic)." [BusinessInsider].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ has happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the new generation of sea slugs are still slugs (have you ever seen a non-seaslug turn into a sea-slug?).

1.20 Bedbugs ‘Evolution’. "'City-dwelling bedbugs’ will over time a complete ‘separate species’ of bedbug than its ‘cave-dwelling cousins’ who will have developed a waxier exoskeleton and a faster metabolism to enhance its natural chemical defences." [BusinessInsider].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ has happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the bedbugs are still insects (bedbugs). Have you ever seen a non-insect turn into an insect or a non-bedbug turn into a bedbug?).

1.21 Wolf & Coyote. ”A new hybrid of the coyote and the wolf, or coywolf, that first emerged in the last few decades is now coming out in droves in the Northeastern US. About 2/3 of the coywolves’ DNA is from wolves, while another 1/4 is from coyotes. The remainder is from domesticated dogs. But nothing about these animals is domestic. They’re even bigger than either their wolf or coyote ancestors, weighing in at as much as 140 pounds. They’re also social, like wolves, meaning they tend to hunt inpacks.” [BusinessInsider].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ has happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the coyotes were still coyotes interbred with wolves to give coywolves, a new hybrid but still the same ‘kind’ of animal (have you ever seen a non-canine turn into a canine?).

1.22 A Fishy Story. “When New Yorkers started dumping PCBs (a type of industrial toxin) in the Hudson River in 1929, they wiped out a large majority of its wildlife. But at least one species survived — and thrived. Over the span of a few decades (PCBs were banned in 1979) a fish called the tomcod evolved to resist the poison via natural selection. Fish with a special set of genes that make a key poison-shielding protein were the only critters to survive the toxic onslaught. They, in turn, passed their protective genes onto their offspring.” [BusinessInsider].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ has happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the new generation of fish were still fish (have you ever seen a non-fish turn into a fish?).

1.23 Invasive Amphibian. “About 75 years ago, the Australian sugar bureau decided to lug a handful of South American cane toads from Hawaii to Australia with the idea that they'd rid the country of the sugarcane-devouring cane beetle. On their new continent, where they lacked their natural predators, the toad population immediately exploded … these toads expanded rapidly, likely because of several adaptive traits that allowed them to travel faster and farther. When they mate, they pass their longer legs onto their offspring.” [BusinessInsider].

👉P.S. No ‘Evolution’ has happened across ‘kinds’; in the end the toads were still toads (have you ever seen a non-toad turn into a toad or a non-amphibian into an amphibian?).

2. Conclusion. For atheist-evolutionists to build a ‘science’ on ‘unobservable-in-action’ fossil evidence so ancient & antiquated ('millions of years' old) and supported only by mundane biological references to ‘adaptation’ and ‘speciation’ in nature (in other words, totally unverifiable and unfalsifiable evidence) and then insist that humans share a ‘common ancestor’ with primates is preposterous.
   Do the math: The many remarkable resemblances between man and the primates (man is not a 'primate') is the fact that humans and the primates (and all animals for that matter) do not share a ‘common’ (mutual) 'ANCESTOR' but rather share a 'common' (mutual) CREATOR.

Saturday, 7 August 2021

The Police And The Call To Serve

   POLICING AND A CAREER IN THE POLICE SERVICES 
‘Courier Magazine’ (February 1959) quoted in Speech by Minister Of Justice: Parliament (South Africa) on 12 May 1959.

1. “We demand that members of the police force, from the constable on the beat to the Commissioner, should not only be morally spotless but that they should possess the highest degree of social conscience, physical fearlessness, a knowledge of legal procedure, enough selfcontrol to abstain from the use of unnecessary force, good humour, the tenderness of parents, the analytical intelligence of a scientist, the insight of a psychologist, organizing ability, Godlike objectivity, forensic powers, medical knowledge, natural authority, and a dozen other attributes.

2. “We demand the impossible; and when a few policemen err, as all human flesh errs, or betray their trust, as thousands of civilians do every day, we are apt to conclude that our police forces are falling away from the utterly unattainable standards we have set for them. A little imagination would correct this error. Put yourself in the position of a policeman on beat.

3. “On you rests the execution of the most distasteful of duties. ie. that of keeping order and, when necessary, carrying out arrests; dealing with drunken savages, screaming prostitutes, thugs armed with pistols, coshes and knives, violent burglars, sexual maniacs, political mobs and insolent upperclass rowdies.

4. “You will be spat upon and jeered at. Your simple manhood as well as your official dignity will be insulted by hooligans who think it funny, first to knock your off your helmet, then to floor you, then to kick you when you are down.

5. “You will have to deal with people and situations such as these and you will have to make instant decisions on how to act. Make a mistake and you are sunk. You can be summonsed and tried, perhaps discharged, from the force for a simple error of identity. When your conduct has been above reproach you are not out of the wood.

6. “In the courts of law where you are called upon to give evidence, defending counsel will try to make a monkey out of you. They will demand your notebook and treat the entries as clumsy and even criminal fabrications. They will sneer at your grammatical errors in Oxford accents and try to humiliate you in the eyes of the jury. They will browbeat you, treat you as dirt … until you feel like dirt.

7. “If you are a sensitive man … officially you are not supposed to have feelings at all … you will be forced to conclude that everybody hates a policeman. You will go home to your wife and children feeling like an outcast and consequently your domestic life and happiness may be marred. And if, like yourself, your wife is a sensitive person, she too will suffer, never knowing when another policeman will knock on the door to tell her that you are dead or in hospital with a bullet or a knife wound.”

“Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul …” 
[Proverbs 29:24a]. 

"To do justice and judgment is more pleasing to Jehovah than sacrifice ... 
   "If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, do not marvel at the matter. For He who is higher than the highest watches; and there are some higher than they." [Proverbs21:3; Ecclesiastes21:3].

Acknowledgement

1. Van Onselen, L.E. (1960) A Rapsody In Blue. Howard Timmins. Cape Town.

Friday, 6 August 2021

The Myth Of Hollywood Elite

1. Growing Up. Born in 1947 and growing up in post-war South Africa, I was raised in a home where my parents were not devout, church-going people. My father, a product of the nomadic ‘depression-era 1930s’ and a ‘poor-white’ tour of 35 different schools over only 10 years of formal schooling, was an ardent movie-fan spending his leisure time watching cowboy-westerns and reading the likes of Zane Gray and Louis L’Amour. Those were the days when South African cinema-goers, then a British 'dominion', still have had to rise and stand at attention while ‘God Save The Queen’ was played at the end of the feature film. 
   My father used to regale me with stories of films he had seen as a kid, e.g. 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' and 'The Man in the Iron Mask' etc. (films I am well-acquainted with today thanks to the DVD re-releases of nostalgic movies).  

2. The Cinema. Like my father I developed a liking for his kind of action and adventure movies during days when Hollywood was still pushing the theme of law & order, justice, bravery and cowboy versus crook in the typical ‘Dodge & Tombstone’ culture where the marshall or sheriff always got his man; it was an era of no-nonsense heroes and glamorous heroines in an orderly world of (thesis) right/noble/decent versus (antithesis) wrong/bad/evil.

3. Then things 'evolved'. Over time and, as if by some alien witches' brew or diabolical warlock’s alchemy, things suddenly took a turn for the worse when a generation of producers and scriptwriters emerged from the woodwork that had transmogrified into a new ‘avant garde’ society of leftist neo-pagans spewing their smut and filth all over cinema screens and our defenceless little suburban television sets … the ‘New Hollywood Elite’ with their incessant hi-tech 'special effects' and space-age filmatography have arrived of which 'Star Wars' would be a good (better/more decent) example, i.e. all (5-star) special effects combined with a juvenile, superficial, boring teeny-bopper (1-star) 'WhatsAppian' script and storyline straight out of Marvel comics. 

4.The new ‘Hollywood Elite’. Gone were the days of Cecil B. de Mille, i.e. days of honour, respect, and decency; like a malignant boil, out popped an avalanche of vulgarity, profanity, filth and blasphemy from a generation of ‘artists’ (sic) devoid of any discernible moral com-pass and with a ‘progressive’ disdain for traditional, time-tested Judeo-Christian values and principles. 
   This generation, of apparently pagan stock and today hailed as ‘stars’, cannot even speak properly and without a formal script in their hands appear at a total loss, their public utterances during interviews or chance 'off-the-cuff' encounters invariably pockmarked with all and diverse kinds of disgusting diatribes, vile cusswords and cynical, narcissistic (anti-Christian) profanity (and in some cases blasphemy), i.e. hopelessly overpaid moral illiterates of a special kind with no idea how to responsibly handle fortunes more than $1million or what the difference is between indecent, vulgar and uncouth (vs. decent, tasteful and refined) on screen. The Bible warns:

   "For the time of life which is past is enough for us to have worked out the will of the nations, having gone on in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, parties, carousings, and abominable idolatries. In these things they are surprised, that you are not running with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming. But they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead." [1Peter4:3-5].

5. The real ‘Stars’. Scratching off the fake Hollywood tinsel one runs the risk of (as they say) discovering the real (genuine) tinsel underneath ... but still all tinsel all the way. In contrast the Bible promises those who love God and righteousness and win souls for the Kingdom of God will one day be the real stars on the firmament of Heaven:

   “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” [Daniel12:3].