I have to tell you that I’m fairly new to blogging but I am enjoying it immensely. I’ve learnt so much about and from my fellow bloggers and blogs in general. Here are some of my observations so far: * Mediocre Free-Lance journalists like me get the opportunity to practice our art/ hobby. * Some bloggers write complete twaddle and do not always consider their audience. However, a lot of it is enjoyed by many. * Some blogs are so personal that I wonder whether the writers are a...

I must say I enjoy blogging. And reading the works of fellow bloggers. There are some pretty intelligent, politics- savvy guys and gals here. And insight there is by the gallon. I can't criticise a site that has folks from Australia, South Africa and the USA (amongst others), giving us a window into their lifestyles and thoughts. And it's not just politics (which has dozens of expert commentators), but also those people who comment on religion and economics and everyday life. What I cannot...

I am British born (Scottish--not English), but have spent my life in Southern Africa and other countries in Africa. I spend time in the UK now and then, so I have become slightly ameliorated in the British way of life. I cannot understand the thinking on the small Island. The British impose "Nanny State" laws on their own citizens that amaze me. -There is a maximum 1000 pound fine if your dog poops on the pavement. -There are electronic chips in dustbins to monitor re-cycling. -You ca...

I learnt to speak Afrikaans and Zulu in South Africa and a sprinkling of Sesotho in Lesotho. I can speak a "sort of " Portuguese from years in Angola but my greatest challenge is Arabic! There is such an enormous gap between speaking Arabic and writing it that I am wondering whether I shall ever get beyond pidgin arabic and the real thing. Arabic can be learnt from a dictionary or a teacher but is mainly colloquial speech. Outside the swimming pool the other day I saw a sign in what I call "...

Robert Mugabe must go. He is senile,affected mentally and a tyrant. Let's put aside, for now, what he did to the white farmers.Now he is making many Zimbabweans suffer because of his moves to crush the MDC. His forced removals of families, total mismanagement of a failing economy, and his dictatorial "South American-like" purge of the opposition smacks of Noriega-type thinking. Everyone is against Comrade Robert but he continues to smite his own people with misguided attacks on their liv...

Robert Mugabe must go. He is senile,affected mentally and a tyrant. Let's put aside, for now, what he did to the white farmers.Now he is making many Zimbabweans suffer because of his moves to crush the MDC. His forced removals of families, total mismanagement of a failing economy, and his dictatorial "South American-like" purge of the opposition smacks of Noriega-type thinking. Everyone is against Comrade Robert but he continues to smite his own people with misguided attacks on their liv...

JU has been good to me but I feel I must be honest now that I live in the UK. I need more exposure in a UK environment. I no longer live in Africa so I cannot feed news from a begging bowl (although the bowl never ceases to exist.) My feelings on Africa remain but I need to comment more on the UK and its welfare state, its politics and its problems. I have found two sites that I shall join but I need more input: I need a site that gets to the heart of Britain's problem (Yessir, there are man...

I note that Joeuser has disabled comment on the Harteis group. There must be a good reason for this and I suspect that the good "Doctor" and his spouse are up to no good (oops, I mean they are not entirely above board). Forgive me if I'm wrong but I get the distinct impression that the Diamond D's of the world have a little advertising going on here. Could it be that Diamond D is an agent for the good doctor? We can all be taken in by suave "sincere" speech and great promises but I wonder...

That's as far back as you can remember of course! I was thinking of movies the other day and realised that I had seen some great movies since I was a teenager in the sixties. So, I thought I'd ask the older Joeusers (and younger if you wish), to tell me the 3 movies that were the best . I do remember that Easy Rider was great but not one of my greats. So were Doctor Zhivago and American Graffiti. My very best were (to kick off the list): Driving Miss Daisy (I have a love affair with old Am...

* Of the 6 or so African nations taking part in the World Cup, Togo came closest today to winning a game. However, the Koreans came back strongly in the second half to beat this small African country. I cannot help thinking that Senegal or Cameroun could have done better but that is the luck of the draw! * South Africa hosts the next World cup in 2010 and I am told that preparations for this festival of football are well in hand. * Zimbabwe continues to worry the UN because of its gross...

My wife and I spent a year in England to be near our daughter and her husband. I'm a bored old critter so I decided to look for work. I'm an avid gardener so applied to be a nurseryman. No luck--too old. I guess they thought that carrying plants might be a chore for a fifty-nine year old! Then I applied for a job in PR. Surely my years as a principal might convince them that I had PR skills. No---59 year olds might fall and have an accident while successfully selling an idea. An application t...

Do you know some secrets to a perfect marriage? I actually think that there is no perfect marriage (how could there be when we mortals are so full of faults?) However, I deign to give advice and ask for comment. My wife and I have been married for 35 years. There are things that we disagree about and things that irritate us about one another. In fact we get into such heated disagreements that ornaments fly! However there are positive points about our marriage (this is so personal bu...

"Phishing" is, I believe, a spam e-mail with ulterior motives. Correct me, JU bloggers,if I err, but a "phishing" mail is an attempt to get information from a person by using less than honest credentials (In short: bullshit). Most of these mails try to get people to cough up address or bank details. They are quite common and they are becoming very blatant (apart from being a pain in the ass!). Here are some I received over the past month: --From: arkal@hotmail.ru Sir, I am a senior ...

I started smoking at 17, just after I left school. Smoking was fashionable in 1964 and we all puffed away in cinemas and restaurants and at work. When I think about it now I wonder how people put up with all that smoke! This dreadful habit was acceptable then because it was an age of freedom, of pot, of good music, of outrageous habits. The oldies will remember. I'm still smoking 40 years later and I'm ashamed. I put it down to stress (plenty of that in a big school if you're the head h...