South Africa -- What To See

The ideal destination for any adventurous traveler, South Africa has so many amazing experiences on offer, from off-roading on a safari to diving with great white sharks. With its wonderful array of wildlife, beautiful beaches, divine vineyards, and magnificent mountains, there’s no doubt that this is a land of diversity.

The southern tip of Africa may have left the years of apartheid behind, but much of the nation still struggles with poverty and there remains a vast disparity between wealth and race. The country offers numerous chances to learn about its tumultuous history, land and peoples, with museums and trips to Robben Island or a visit to a Township.

Leave the cities behind, grab yourself some wheels, and head off on a road trip through the varied landscapes of the Garden Route. Make sure to stop off at Hermanus, known for its opportunities to spot southern right whales from the shoreline. Take a walk on the wild side in the Kruger National Park, where lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalos roam free, and leap into the unknown as you take in the views from the top of Table Mountain. It’s hard to name another holiday destination that offers as much variety. Here’s a look at the best places to visit in South Africa.

10. Blyde River Canyon

9. Cape Winelands

8. Addo Elephant National Park

7. Hermanus

6. Durban

5. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

4. Garden Route

3. Drakensberg

2. Kruger National Park

1. Cape Town

All About South Africa

South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent, renowned for its varied topography, great natural beauty, and cultural diversity, all of which have made the country a favoured destination for travelers since the legal ending of apartheid (Afrikaans: “apartness,” or racial separation) in 1994.

South Africa’s remoteness—it lies thousands of miles distant from major African cities such as Lagos and Cairo and more than 6,000 miles (10,000 km) away from most of Europe, North America, and eastern Asia, where its major trading partners are located—helped reinforce the official system of apartheid for a large part of the 20th century. 

With that system, the government, controlled by the minority white population, enforced segregation between government-defined races in housing, education, and virtually all spheres of life, creating in effect three nations: one of whites (consisting of peoples primarily of British and Dutch [Boer] ancestry, who struggled for generations to gain political supremacy, a struggle that reached its violent apex with the South African War of 1899–1902); one of Blacks (consisting of such peoples as the San hunter-gatherers of the northwestern desert, the Zulu herders of the eastern plateaus, and the Khoekhoe farmers of the southern Cape regions); and one of “Coloureds” (mixed-race people) and ethnic Asians (Indians, Malays, Filipinos, and Chinese). 

The apartheid regime was disdained and even vehemently opposed by much of the world community, and by the mid-1980s South Africa found itself among the world’s pariah states, the subject of economic and cultural boycotts that affected almost every aspect of life. During this era the South African poet Mongane Wally Serote remarked,

There is an intense need for self-expression among the oppressed in our country. When I say self-expression I don’t mean people saying something about themselves. I mean people making history consciously….We neglect the creativity that has made the people able to survive extreme exploitation and oppression. People have survived extreme racism. It means our people have been creative about their lives.

Eventually forced to confront the untenable nature of ethnic separatism in a multicultural land, the South African government of F.W. de Klerk (1989–94) began to repeal apartheid laws. That process in turn set in motion a transition toward universal suffrage and a true electoral democracy, which culminated in the 1994 election of a government led by the Black majority under the leadership of the long-imprisoned dissident Nelson Mandela. As this transition attests, the country has made remarkable progress in establishing social equity in a short period of time.  READ MORE...

Crisis in American Education

This newsletter is not supposed to be focused on education, but so many of our recent editions – about teacher strikes, a teacher shortage, politics in the classroom, student loan debt – have fallen into that space.

Today it is national test score data suggesting that American 9-year-olds took a major step backward during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many of them were not physically in the classroom.

Average scores between 2020 and 2022 in math and reading fell “by a level not seen in decades,” according to CNN’s report:

7 points down in math – the first decline ever.
5 points down in reading – the largest decline since 1990.

The scores decreased more among lower-performing students and Black and Hispanic students, suggesting the pandemic was harder on groups of people already struggling.

The results are being interpreted as proof of what many parents, teachers and other sentient beings already suspected: that remote learning was a failure.

“It’s not surprising,” said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, appearing on CNN’s “New Day” on Thursday. “Keeping in mind a year and a half ago, over half of our schools were not open for full-time learning.”

What is this test? The National Assessment of Educational Progress, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, is known as the “Nation’s Report Card.” It’s a congressionally mandated program within the US Department of Education, and it selects a representative sample of students to project a national picture.

In-person learning. Cardona argued the Biden administration helped get districts back to in-person learning, which may be technically true, but is counter to the perception that Republican-led states were quicker to push their schools to return.

Schools and politics. Republicans have looked to grassroots school board politics – and making sure kids are physically in school – as a campaign issue, although the efforts have veered into disputes over race and gender.  READ MORE...

US Ranking in Global Education

The United States is not investing as much in human capital as other developed countries are. As a result, its comparative advantage is falling behind. For example, U.S. students' math skills have remained stagnant for decades.1 This means the country is falling behind many others, such as Japan, Poland, and Ireland, which have greatly improved. In fact, U.S. test scores are now below the global average.

Comparing Test Scores
The Program for International Student Assessment tests 15-year-old students around the world and is administered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In 2018, when the test was last administered, the U.S. placed 11th out of 79 countries in science. It did much worse in math, ranking 30th.2


The U.S. scored 478 in math, below the OECD average of 489. That's well below the scores of the top five, all of which were in Asia: Singapore at 569, Macao at 555, Hong Kong at 551, Taiwan at 531, and Japan at 527. China was not included in this ranking, since only four provinces participated.3


In science, the United States scored at 502, above the OECD average of 489. The top five highest-scorers were Singapore at 551, Macao at 544, Estonia at 530, Japan at 529, and Finland at 522.  READ MORE...

My Teaching Experience

My working career lasted 45 years and then another 5 years was spent teaching part-time for a university in Knoxville, TN.  Of my 45 years, over twenty years was also spent teaching both employees of business and industry as well as degree seeking students.

I found that students that were sent to classes by their employers were more serious and dedicated students than were degree seeking students.  However, there were exceptions and those came from the older student who had suddently decided to finish or start their college education.  These older students were dream students for a teacher as they were bound and determined to learn and retain as much as they could.

Degree seeking students or those students right out of high school were almost as stupid as a door stop.  They could not write.  They could not spell.  They could not problem solve.  They could not read out of a book.  They did not want to do their homework.  They were not creative.  They wanted to be told exactly how to do something.  They did not ask questions in class.  They assumed as long as they did the work they deserved a "A" regardless of the quality of that work.

If I was working in HR, I would not hire any of these college graduate as they did not know how to pour piss out of a boot with directions written on the heel.  They were pittiful...  And, even more pittiful than them were the professors who passed them through all their previous classes.

I remember asking several students what they remembered from the class before mine that they had just completed and they said nothing because all they did was memorize.  They retained nothing.  Not retaining is not learning.

GOOD LUCK EMPLOYERS...

Students Demand "A" Grades

Students at an elite, private university in New York City are occupying a campus building with the demand that all be given A grades.

The original reason for The New School occupation, which began on December 8, was to support striking faculty members who were lobbying for higher wages and better health care.

Though the faculty strike has since been resolved, a letter of demands now calls for A grades for all students. It says in part: "We demand that every student receives a final course grade of A as well as the removal of I/Z grades for the Fall 2022 semester." The letter insisted, "Attendance shall have no bearing on course grade." (According to the New School’s website, an "I" grade is a "temporary incomplete" and a "z" grade is an "unofficial withdrawal.")

The letter also states that occupying students demand a refund "for the loss of instructional time due to the strike" and that "this tuition refund will be proportional to the duration of the semester during which the strike is in effect."

Students are also calling for the resignations of the school’s president, provost, vice president and the disbandment of the Board of Trustees. Other demands include a tuition freeze from 2023 to 2028. As reported by The Daily Caller, students are also demanding for the university president’s house "be treated as a communal property."

Assistant Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs Amy Malsin commented to Fox News Digital on the unfolding situation: "The university supports peaceful free expression by our students, and we are listening closely to all of our students' concerns."  READ MORE...

Hawaii

 

Surfing

 

Strictly Political

 

Alone for the Holidays

I was watching a television commercial the other day and while I cannot remember what the commercial was about, I remember one of the people being interviewed said that it was horrible being alone for the holidays.

The holidays she was talking about were the Christmas Holidays.

The more I thought about that commercial and what the person said, the more it bothered me but I could not figure out why...

Then it dawned on me.

During my first year in college, my parents and my brother were living in Holland and my sister was also in college and not really close by.  Some of my cousins were about 2 hours away but I did not know them very well.

I did not have a car, so I was not mobile and did not have the money to rent a car.

The college that I attended was a suitcase college, as everyone went home for the weekend...  at least 70-80% of the students, I would suspect.

So, every weekend, I was alone from Friday at noon until Sunday evening.

Instead of being alone on the holidays, I was alone every weekend which was the same to me as being a holiday...  from the standpoing that ALONE IS ALONE...   and, it does not take a special holiday to feel the sensation of being alone.

I was with family over the Christmas holiday, but all the rest of them I was alone:  Thanksgiving, Easter, Spring Break, Valentines Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Presidents Day, Veterans Day.

Being alone is not horrible just because it is Christmas...  Being alone is no fun anytime of the year.

 

US China Chip War

The US is rapidly ramping up efforts to try to hobble China's progress in the semiconductor industry - vital for everything from smartphones to weapons of war.

In October, Washington announced some of the broadest export controls yet - requiring licences for companies exporting chips to China using US tools or software, no matter where they're made in the world.

Washington's measures also prevent US citizens and green card holders from working for certain Chinese chip companies. Green card holders are US permanent residents who have the right to work in the country.

It is cutting off a key pipeline of American talent to China which will affect the development of high-end semiconductors.

Why is the US doing this?

Advanced chips are used to power supercomputers, artificial intelligence and military hardware.

The US says China's use of the technology poses a threat to its own national security.

Alan Estevez, undersecretary at the US Commerce Department announced the rules, saying his intention was to ensure the US was doing everything it could to prevent "sensitive technologies with military applications" from being acquired by China.

"The threat environment is always changing and we are updating our policies today to make sure we're addressing the challenges," he said.

Meanwhile, China has called the controls "technology terrorism".

Countries in Asia that produce chips - such as Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea - have raised concerns about how this bitter battle is affecting the global supply chain.

And there were three significant developments in the chip conflict over the past week.  READ MORE...

Fighting Fool

 

Copperhead Road

 

Teaching Math in the USA

1. Teaching Math In 1950

A logger sells a truckload of timber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit? $____

2. Teaching Math In 1970 . . .
A logger sells a truckload of timber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit? $___


3. Teaching Math In 1990...
A logger sells a truckload of timber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit? __Yes or __No



4. Teaching Math In 2000...
A logger sells a truckload of timber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.



5. Teaching Math In 2020
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? There are no wrong answers, feel free to express your feelings e.g, anger, anxiety, inadequacy, helplessness etc. Should you require debriefing at the conclusion of the exam there are counsellors available to assist you.

Strictly Political

 

Walking for Life

Six months after my back fusion surgery, I am walking about 1.2 miles each day in our community which puts me in a position of gradually walking up hill and gradually walking down hill, while walking flat between those two extremes.

The temps are still in the upper 50s low 60s so it is not too cold to walk.  My time, although I am not paying attention to the time, just the walking is between 20-24 minutes per mile which is not as fast as I used to walk or about 15 minutes per mile.

In order to keep my back from worsening and to keep it flexible after having 5 disks fused, I will need to keep walking for the rest of my life...  and again,

 it's not to see if I can get faster and faster, it is to see if I can just keep walking.  Walking is better for me than going to a gym and using those exercise machines, as they will now hurt more than help.

When it gets too cold to walk, I will go to the community center which is only one mile from the house and walk inside on the second floor walking path.  It will cost me $1/day to gain entry which does not seem like too high a price to pay to remain healthy and active.

If the weather stays this year like it has stayed in previous years, then I will only be walking inside for three months - Jan, Feb, Mar.

An interesting note:  I walk in both New Balance tennis shoes and Sketchers tennis shoes.  Sketchers are more comfortable and I can buy two pairs of Sketchers for what it costs me to buy one pair of New Balance...

Focused on Christmas

Christmas  2022 is only a week away...  and, because of that, I have wondered how that Christian Holiday, influences our daily lives or if it is just another holiday where we don't work, we see relatives, and we give presents...  which means it is more of a economic holiday than it is a religious holiday...

I remember when I was a boy, not completely aware of my age when I learned the truth about SANTA CLAUS...  and, I remember when my sister told my daughter that SANTA CLAUS was not real...  I was upset because I thought I should be the one to do that...

My concerns revolve around the notion that very few people, even those that are religious, spend a lot of time integrating the religious significance into the holiday other than a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day church service...

I have always thought that our country and our world might be a better place if we really did practice what we preach or claim to believe about religion.  But, it seems like that is just wishful thinking on my part.  It is just simpler and easier to believe rather than practice what we believe.

My other concern is that ever since our government admitted that UFOs have been around since 1945/47 that some of the things described in the Bible are just not true from the literal interpretation that most ministers, pastors, and priests push...  but more like a metaphors.

The Bible says the earth is only 3,000 years old but that simply cannot be factual...  carbon dating techniques have proven that to be incorrect, so why do ministers keep pushing the fact that the Bible is TRUTH?  That undermines what comes out of their mouths.

Another story is Adam and Eve and how they are the parents of mankind...  In order for that to be true, Adam and Eve had to have incestual relationships with their children.  Ministers have got to understand that truth (as they are not stupid) but they never talk about it.

Jesus said my kingdom is not of this world....   so, what does that mean?  Is he admitting he is an extraterrestrial?

When Jesus was raised from the dead, he had no solid body...  which means he was more like a spirit or a ghost...  so, how does that shape indicate that he was alive?  Is a spirt alive, based upon our definition if what alive means?

Did Jesus need food as a spirit?

Could Jesus catch a cold as a spirit?

Did Jesus need sleep as a spirit?

Did Jesus breathe air as a spirit?

If he did not eat, then there was no bowel movement...

One of these days and it will arrive here sooner than we think, technology advances are going to reveal the truth about religion and some of the claims that are made in the Bible...

When that happens, will we still celebration the Christmas Holiday?

Classic Sunday Morning Newspaper Cartoons

 

Web3 A New Era Internet

Some call it the next phase of the internet. Some say it's a fast-money scam that'll fall apart. But what exactly is Web3?

The phrase "Web3" is used broadly to refer to a new-era internet that will run on the record-keeping technology blockchain, a decentralized public accounting system. The current iteration of the internet, Web2, by comparison, runs on centralized, company-owned servers.

WHAT IS IT?

Web3 "offers a read/write/own version of the web, in which users have a financial stake in and more control over the web communities they belong to" by enabling users to own their data, according to the Harvard Business Review.

Investors hope this version of the internet will lead to a democratization of data on the web, where transactions and contracts can be double-checked by all users. However, consumers should be skeptical, according to venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale, as mainstream products have yet to materialize despite heavy cash investments.  READ MORE...

Scrambling Turtles