The Internet isn’t real life. Look, I’m, sure you know this already, but let’s all take a minute in what has been a very difficult year, to take stock of our lives. Thanks to Covid, for many people the Internet is the only kind of social activity they’ve had. It’s frighteningly unhealthy and you must do everything you can to break free before you lose your soul online. That may sound dramatic, but the evidence of mental and emotional breakdown is there for everyone to see. Don’t let it happen to you. Here are the twelve online commandments...
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Not sure why, or for whom, but I felt it necessary to say this...
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Malusi Gigaba is vulgar. That’s the word my very grand grandmother would have used. Another word that describes the crass materialism, ostentatious displays of money and possessions, and desire for celebrity in our political elite is parvenu. It’s meant to be an insult, and has nothing to do with whether or not you’re a nice person. It has everything to do with that veneer of acceptability, a craving for inclusion and a gnawing emptiness that no amount of money can satisfy. Perhaps we need to look at the disease and not the symptoms so that we can better diagnose and cure this problem in South Africa...
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Podcasting is flourishing, not just globally, but in South Africa. There is no other audio medium that can reach an audience as highly engaged as podcast listeners. Loyalty and influence come with a highly engaged podcast audience and as a result, the people who make up this audience are an attractive target for brands. In CliffCentral's six-year pioneering journey, these are just three of the lessons we have learned...
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America celebrated their Independence Day over the weekend, a day that marked their split from the kingdom of the oppressor of the day, King George III of Great Britain. Since we’re revising history left, right and centre (but mostly left) I thought it might be useful to remind ourselves of what was going on back then and why it matters as much today...
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I write to you in my private capacity as a citizen of South Africa, just in case the media read it wrong, again. I watched your NCCC briefing today. I decided at the outset to give you the respect due to you - as an elder. Without the usual judgement that we’re all prone to, I listened not to get angry or find fault, but with an open mind...
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How are you doing in this madness? ‘Vasbyt', as the Afrikaans people say... I write one of these blogs every week and normally they’re not as controversial as the last two, but they might interest you if you’re thinking about what happens next. Just like any other mammal, I don’t have any special powers to predict the future, but I think it’s becoming clear that the lockdown will have far-reaching ramifications. The Coronavirus pandemic has swept across the planet, leading to global chaos and extraordinary changes to all our lives. We’re all spending almost all our time at home and consuming media very differently. There are many confusing messages, and not many sources you can completely trust...
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We live, we learn. It has been almost three weeks since we heard from the President, and two weeks where I have found myself trending on Twitter. Neither of those things is optimal. I’d really like to hear from the President - because we’re in crisis and it would be in everyone’s interest to know what the endgame is. When is level 4 morphing into level 3? Are we still flattening curves, or are we just paralysed in fear or ignorance? Will people be able to return to work? Nobody can plan their lives unless we know these things. And by we, I think I can safely say, all of us...
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Dear President Ramaphosa, I’m going to keep this brief, because I know you’re dealing with a lot: We’ve all been ready to support you and your administration in your efforts to save lives from this pandemic. Even people like me, who have questioned the idea of a lockdown as the best response have decided to comply and do whatever we could to help. We set aside our concerns over the heavy-handedness of the police and army; we swallowed and accepted that poor people in informal housing would be crammed into their one-room dwellings for a month; we limited our trips to the shops and even accepted not being able to buy hot food (for whatever inexplicable reason)...
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Meaning, Purpose and the New Year
Every year I write something hopeful, something that I wish would help just one person who reads it to have something to reach for in the new year. This has been such a tumultuous year that it almost feels like I need to reconsider everything, even my parting shot for 2020. But have no fear, there’s enough inspiration to go round, even after an annus horribilis like this. I’ll start with the things that have kept me going this year, that have given my life meaning, and perhaps they will strike a chord with something in your life...
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