Better to Work With Offshore Clients

I Prefer to Work With Offshore Clients

I have to admit I prefer having clients in the US of A and English speaking parts of Europe for clients. Now everyone is going to jump up and say it's its because of the currency exchange rate - you earn more money. Well, it's not the reason, and strange as it may sound.


Other may say that's because I can compete more easily with a favourable exchange rate.

I don't earn more money from international customers, if anything my net return is a bit less than for the same work for local clients. Once the currency is converted to SA rands, I get a bit less then the job fee or hourly rate charged to SA customers.

South Africa - Time To Leave

No Future For for Educated People in South Africa

It's sad but true. There is no future for educated people in this country. The ANC government has made that very clear. If you don't believe me, just look around you... Affirmative action means companies are forced to employ workers based on racial factors, not the quality of the individuals work - the best you can hope for is a job doing menial tasks, or if lucky enough to find work matching your skills, for atrocious wages

You ARE Wanted Elsewhere

Other countries want you. They want your skills, your South African readiness to work hard and learn. New Zealand wants you, England wants you...

Other English speaking countries around the world want you. Even Mozambique and Angola want you. It's only your nation of birth that doesn't want you and appreciate your ability...

He Loved His Dogs - Too Closely

Man Charged with Sexual Activities with Dogs

A 23 year-old man was arrested last week on August 15 2012 for bestiality after (allegedly) having sex with two of his dogs. The man (whose name cannot be released at this time as investigations are in progress), who lives in Wentworth Par, Krugersdorp, Gauteng, South Africa was arrested after a member of the epublic contacted the National SPCA.

The Krugersdorp Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit of the SAPS (South African Police Services) went with NSPCA officials to the Wentworth Park home of the accused with a warrant to search the premises and impound the animals.

Three dogs discovered on the premises, an 8 month old female St Bernard, an elderly Boerbul female and a male 3 month old St Bernard puppy were confiscated and handed over to the NSPCA.The dogs were examined by a veterinarian who concluded the female dogs had been sexually abused. The dogs will remain in the custody of the NSPCA pending the outcome of the court case.

Zoophilia is a Criminal Offence

Zoophilia, known more commonly as bestiality is a criminal offence in South Africa. According to Inspector Jaco Pieterse of the NSPCA this type of crime falls under Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007. Fortunately for the dogs involved, the penalty for a conviction under this act are much more severe than the cruelty to animals charges more often laid for abusing animals.

Just Another Blot on A Nation Ridden with Sexual Offenders

China Blocked from My Websites

I'm on a Mission to Block China from My Websites

I don't want visitors from China viewing my websites, reading my articles, and especially trying to leave spam comments and hack my sites, so I block all Chinese IPs as soon as they are found in my site logs...

Harsh treatment? I don't think so. Call it one man's solo protest against the despicable urge of rich Chinese to buy Rhino Horn in the misguided hope it will strengthen their erections and rejuvenate their sex-drive.

I block other IP ranges as well, notably Russian Federation and it's former satellite republics especially Latvia, Ukraine, Estonia and others in that part of the world. These are denied access simply because I get no worthwhile traffic from any of these regions - the only thing coming from there is spam and hackers, so they get blocked. The difference is these are blocked more selectively than China. Chinese IPs (Internet Addresses) get blocked by the full range as soon as they are identified.

Chinese Injustice

While the Chinese government takes no action against the trade in rhino horn (not surprisingly as it's only their wealthy citizens in positions of power that can afford it) they saw fit recently to murder one of our citizens for the comparatively minor offence of trafficking in obnoxious substances.Perhaps it is time our own South African government re-introduced the death penalty, and used it to exterminate far eastern businessmen involved in the rhino horn trade.

Community Fishing Rights

Group Rights for Commercial Fishermen

Coloured Fishing Community
Image From: Business Report

This is the latest 'idea' from South Africa's legislators: In a half hearted politically motivated attempt to address the problem created by the commercial fisheries act in 1998, the ministry has come up with a proposed bill to grant small scale fishing communities group rights.

The idea is; these communities, many of which are (were prior to 1994) dependent on small scale commercial fishing for a livelihood, will be able to apply for commercial fishing licences as a community rather than as individuals. Not a terribly bad idea in fact, however it only addresses a part of the ex-commercial fishing community  -the Western Cape based 'coloured' fishermen.

Petrol is Still Cheaper In SA

South Africans pay less for Fuel than most other Developed Nations

South Africans pay less for Fuel than most other Developed Nations. This is what we are led to believe. Crap, bull, utter nonsense. This assumes we look at a direct foreign exchange rate.

Looking at a recent UK petrol price (source: AA) (Among the higher fuel costs in the world and 8th highest in Europe) of 138.5ppl (that's right folks, £1.39 /litre, and current South African fuel prices R11.77/l (for low grade 93 octane rubbish)

The direct conversion from UK to Rand results in a petrol price per litre of R17.45. Great - so far we are still cheaper. 

BUT the majority of UK workers don't earn less than £790/ month and most South African workers DO earn less than R10 000/month, a lot less. If this source (Career Advice Monster) is to be believed, the average UK worker earns £30 000/ yr (male) and £24 000/ yr (female). So for simplicity lets use the female average - which is £2000.00  /month, or in humble rands - around R25 000.00 - which is a fairly respectable middle income for any South African. Tax rates are different, and so are other costs, but we are not discussing these right now.

Waking Dreams or Bloody Desperation

Image from materialintangible.blogspot.com

Howling wind, cloudy skies; for a brief moment I am back home. Walking down the road, I imagine I am walking down to the beach, fishing rod and bag. Then forced to take another breath of air, the dream is gone.

Unpleasantly dry, no humidity at all. Not the smell of salt air in my nostrils; no, just the stink of Gauteng. Dust, traffic fumes, broken waste pipes, rotting organic products.

A grasping hand clawing for the surface, failing, sinking. Where is there hope, or is there none left at all.

A waking dream or dreaming awake? Is this desperation or imagination? Is this the beginning of the end?

A Road to Nowhere

I feel I'm on a Road to No-where

More than three years after parting ways with a previous venture, and fiddling around with a desktop publishing service for 2 years, then concentrating on web related matters, I feel I am still getting no-where slowly.

Where do I want the road to lead: Anywhere north east starting from Cape St Francs - as long as it's on the coast - and I can fish... For that matter - anywhere on the coast wouldn't be bad...

How many more years before this business venture is established well enough to make the move possible? I have no idea. Hell, it's not even profitable at this stage, not nearly. If I look at the prospects - they should really be good. But, and here's the but, by now it should at least be breaking even... and it's not, not even nearly. So the goal is as far away as it was 3 years ago.

The Years Go By

As each year goes by, summer comes and goes, and another winter approaches; and I'm not getting younger. The past year I have really started to feel old. Is this lost hope, or just old age creeping up. Whatever it is, time is flying, and this phase must end, one way or another.

All these hours behind a computer screen... too many... All these years parted from my closest... No solution in sight. I'm tired now, have had enough. I need to return to the sea. Before it's too late...