PELHAM

It's a well known method of extracting from hill tops - there are lots of videos of it being used. Arma 2 players are doing it too! cS_vXY_jYb0

Well Mesopotamia is reputed to be the cradle of civilisation so it follows that they invented corruption 5 mins after that. No wonder they are better at it than everyone else! You will never end bribery and corruption in Iraq, it's been embedded in the culture for 1000s of years.

For me the truth of this one all lies squarely in the middle of both arguments. You are both half right. We know there are protesters that bait the police into responding and fake falling to the ground etc. and we know there are police that over react and use illegal methods of crowd control. I still don't know what the protesters want? We know what they don't like but they have not proposed a workable alternative. The guy in the video above said it: VAGUE (No doubt blackjack will start calling them Vaguerants lol)

The people I know retired there as at the time things looked promising and it has great golf courses and you can play year round in the sub tropical climate. You will find very few who went there to work because it isn't usually possible unless you set up your own business.

My thoughts too - can't work out if it's the people in customs, the guys hanging around the arrivals hall that look you over very closely or the smiling ladies at the car hire desk. It's a shame - I have friends and family who emigrated out there 10 years ago. I don't feel safe going to see them and probably will not visit SA again.

@Walker - you may have that wrong - Olsen brags about his site on his twitter and youtube pages? They have Internet access in Iraq you know? Whatever Olsen is, good Marine / Bad Marine, I don't know him so can't comment either way, being shot in the head with a 40mm grenade is wrong. There is no excuse for what happened to him. I think it's distasteful of both sides to try to use his military record / private beliefs for their own propaganda purposes. Let's focus on the issues not the BS.

While much of the above is true it mostly occurs in and around cities and squatter camps. If you go to more rural areas people are very polite and welcoming and in southern Africa I have never seen armed guards at houses or hotels or 30ft fences. These days it's not relaxing and constantly looking over your shoulder for trouble, real or imagined is draining. On my last 2 out of 3 trips to SA I was followed from the airport (DBN and JHB) by cars full of men looking to carjack me as soon as I stopped. 1st time I ended up circling the block 5 times before they gave up and stopped following. In Durban I was followed for 60 miles down the freeway. I managed to put some space between them and me at a busy junction and got through the motorised gate at the house where I was staying. The same car pulled up outside just as I got into the house and closed the door - that happened at night so was extra creepy. Once I got out of the cities it was ok and I had no problems in sleepy seaside towns, national parks or game reserves. It's not like Europe though, I would not use public transport, walk on the roads between towns, wander around after dark or stop the car at the side of the road in isolated places. Having a policeman demand a bribe in exchange for not detaining me for a small traffic offence was a new experience! I was told by a giggling resort manager that handing money to policemen was 'part of normal life now'. It's sad to see how things have deteriorated. ---------- Post added at 02:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:01 AM ---------- Some areas are not that bad, as a whole I would say no.

It's not such a bad place. I have lived there and travelled there many times and you meet some very nice people. The problem is greed and corruption and the mismanagement of aid programs that simply create more problems. It's a mess at the moment and it's only going to get worse.

Is there any independent scientific analysis on this? Mr. Hall-Tipping is a seasoned venture capitalist and entrepreneur and not a scientist. It's a great motivational speech but does it actually work and will it be practical? Some are calling it pseudoscience and labelling him a snake oil salesman. I can't tell either way till the scientific community analyse his proposals and so far I can't find anything. The IR viewer application looks promising but the rest I'm not sure about.

If the powers are used within the context of the legislation to target piracy of film, television shows and music and the sale of counterfeit goods, I have no problem. The problems arise when the legislation is abused by law enforcement or it encounters grey areas. For example a site that is 99% clean but someone posts something that infringes US copyright. Does the whole site get shut down or do they get a warning first about the perceived infraction? Law makers need to get the procedures and safe guards right and think through how all this will work practically. What if websites start shifting address daily with subtle repetitive name changes. How will law enforcement keep up? By the time you shut down fakemovie-a.com they are using fakemovie-b.com. Sadly anything relating to the web or technology has a high risk of failure because the people involved in law making don't understand it.

Condolences to the families of the dead and injured, it's very sad to read about yet another incident of this type. The UK have suffered several incidents similar to this one.

It used to be the case but for the last 30 years the law has required emissions to the environment from incinerators to be monitored. Some of the older hospitals had equipment that was not up to the task. They can't achieve high enough temperatures for certain waste types to get a clean burn, it produces dioxins and other harmful things. So they started contracting out the waste disposal.

I believe in democracy mrcash and in democracies protests don't really count for anything because the protesters were not elected to represent anyone. If I have a problem with something I write to all my local MP's and present reasoned arguments and sometimes I visit their surgeries so I can have a brief debate face to face. Many of these protesters seem to be involved in a game to see who can provoke the most violent reaction from the police and then get their face on TV. They have a great deal of press time and they don't put forward anything of substance. So why are they really there and what do they really want - I still don't know. Firing 40mm CS canisters into the faces of protesters is not something that should ever be tolerated. We also can't tolerate people engaging in criminal behaviour and disrupting the daily lives of local residents every time they feel aggrieved about something. Is it only me that has noticed that 99% of protest achieve nothing - particularly when it comes to changing government policy. They would do better to return home and start writing letters - personal letters, not mass photocopies - and using their brains (if they actually do have any) to put forward a reasoned debate.

Yes the guy in the above post is a very sad case that has obviously been misled and brainwashed, it's happened many times before. Unfortunately the young men of this faith are conditioned to accept everything they are told without question from a young age. It makes setting them up for this sort of thing much easier. I'm looking forward to the next episode of Secret Pakistan - just incredible. regards, Pelham

Every one else reports that he is alive? That's the 2nd time this month that I have had to correct the German press lol. "Hospital spokeswoman Biljana Jandric told The Associated Press the gunman had a minor wound to his leg, and would spend the night at the hospital before being released into police custody."

It's looks to me like people are behaving like 2 year olds. It looks like a temper tantrum. "We will misbehave till we get what we want. I want money and an easy life and I will hold my breath and turn blue and stamp my feet till I get it!" Well sorry folks but living on handouts and credit is what got us into this mess in the 1st place. Just look at the mess Europe is in by borrowing money and creating millions of unsustainable civil service jobs. The only debt I have is a very small mortgage. I could have borrowed 4x as much and in 2005 the guy at the bank looked at me like I was crazy for borrowing so little. I told my friends that over borrowing was wrong and something was wrong with the economy if we all lived on debt. They told me I was crazy and maxed out their credit cards. I watched the storm clouds gathering and sold all my shares when the price was high. Well just a few years later it all crashed down. If we give stupid people handouts they will never ever learn self control. Sorry but life is hard for the stupid and the greedy. Some of my friends have had their houses repossessed by the banks and it's very sad to watch. One keeps broken TV's and other expensive looking junk near the front door in case the debt collectors call. They all took out 80 - 100% mortgages and thought nothing of it. A little advice: Some of us left school and worked 12hour shifts and lived at home with our parents to pay for our University fees hint, hint. There are many jobs that are very well paid. You just have to put up with unsociable hours and get a bit dirty. All you have to do is stick at it and put the money in the bank. Pick the right degree too - 30% of University courses lead nowhere, they are simply there to keep academics employed and suck in government money. If you pick one of the courses where you are not in classes for at least 3/4 of the working week, you are going nowhere. Treat college and university recruiters and open evenings like walking into a US Army recruiting office. I have watched university staff tell such bare faced lies to young people that it would make an army recruiter blush. University staff promise everyone a guaranteed job at the end of the degree - the only guaranteed jobs are those of the faculty staff themselves. They are just as corrupt as everyone else. The economy - If things seem too good to be true, watch out for the crash. That's what I was doing when it happened. I could not believe it took so long. Protests that obstruct private land and intimidate the public and prevent people from going about their daily lives are not peaceful.

I'm not sure if it's related but there was a terrorist attack on the US embassy in Sarajevo yesterday. One police officer guarding the building was wounded before police surrounded the gunman. After a 30-minute standoff, the sound of a single shot echoed and AP video showed the shooter slump to the ground. He was armed with an AK-47 and grenades. In videos he seems calm after being shot in the leg and puts his hands out by his side and looks around to see what's happening. Very professional and courageous police work.

I'm staying with Take on Helicopters, Arma2 and 3. I like the way BIS does business and they never let the fans down. It's a quality, friendly service unlike the 'mugging at knife point' you get at the hands of the US business model. Just look at the work being put into the game with the recent beta patches and where else do you get such a great moding community? Every week there is something new going on. I have no complaints.

I watched 'Secret Pakistan' tonight - the BBC doc on the Pakistani ISI and Government. Incredible! If all it asserts is correct it means some of the aid we give Pakistan is being used to train and arm the Taliban that kill our troops. They also show the training of the London 7/7 bombers in Pakistan and the possible input of the ISI. Secret Pakistan: In May this year, US Special Forces shot and killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. Publicly Pakistan is one of America's closest allies - yet every step of the operation was kept secret from it. Filmed largely in Pakistan and Afghanistan, this two-part documentary series explores how a supposed ally stands accused by top CIA officers and Western diplomats of causing the deaths of thousands of coalition soldiers in Afghanistan. It is a charge denied by Pakistan's military establishment, but the documentary makers meet serving Taliban commanders who describe the support they get from Pakistan in terms of weapons, training and a place to hide. This first episode investigates signs of duplicity that emerged after 9/11 and disturbing intelligence reports after Britain's forces entered Helmand in 2006.

Lol it turned out OK for Mugabe and Madame Mao. That's what Julius knows.

Well I am not interested in anything they have to say unless it is a peaceful, lawful protest. So far I have not heard anything that makes any sense, you just get 20 second sound bites from them which are meaningless.

A serious injury - it's speculated that a 40mm CS gas grenade was fired directly at the crowd instead of up into the air. I suppose that's why you see many protesters wearing cycle helmets? If protesters want to occupy a public park I would disagree with removing them by force as it simply provides them with an ideal propaganda opportunity. I disagree with occupying private property or entrances to banks etc. and that is when the police should act. Who knows where this will all end? In the UK the occupation of the forecourt of St. Paul's Cathedral is doing enormous financial harm to the building and is very disrespectful to a UNESCO World Heritage site. If they moved to one of the parks people would not mind as much.

Despite last months violent protests where Youth league members threw rocks, bottles and bricks at journalists and police, and burnt ANC flags and T-shirts with pictures of President Jacob Zuma printed on them. This ANCYL march was conducted without violence for a change. The 80km march followed a route from Johannesburg to Pretoria. There were no arrests and 2 people were treated for exhaustion. Over the two days, the marchers handed over memorandums to the Chamber of Mines in the Johannesburg CBD, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in Sandton, and to the government at the Union Buildings. Newly-appointed Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi accepted the document handed over in Pretoria and promised to take it to the “relevant structures†of government for a response in due course. Some sang “Kgalema's my presidentâ€, referring to Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. Placards carried read: “Black on black apartheidâ€, “greed-based corruption†and “yes we don't want Zuma and Gwedeâ€, referring to President Jacob Zuma and ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe. but.......... Among the league's demands to government, was a call to amend section 25 of the Constitution which protects private property against arbitrary expropriation and allows for compensation. The league's memorandum said all productive land should be nationalised and leased. Labour brokers must be banned and all vacant government posts be filled. A state bank must be established and foreign policy must be changed to isolate countries that threaten South Africa's sovereignty. A fund must be established to send 10,000 students to the best universities. Looks like Malema is a fan of Maoist style Cultutral Revolution policies lol.

Most disturbing reply I have ever received lol! :D I'm sure it would give the waste personnel a hell of a fright. They always lift the lid to check the contents before they put the bin on the truck. They keep finding drunk people asleep in them. I was once auditing a waste incinerator and they were throwing bags of medical waste out of the back of a truck into containers. This of course is totally against procedures. A bag caught on something and ripped open and a pair of legs went tumbling across the yard. They got a bad score from me that day!:deal:

It's infighting between the senior politicians in the ANC. The police and the army do not dare get involved as they can't tell who will be the next leader. The police are now very corrupt and are frequently found to be involved in crime. A police commissioner was recently dismissed and prosecuted. Julius Malema wants the mines nationalised so when he becomes leader he can add them to his kleptocracy. It's a very sad situation, I don't think Malema can be kept out of power now. He is working closely with Mugabe and Zanu-PF and is a racist Marxist who will blame all the corruption and mismanagement on the Whites and Indians. His other main policy is to take all white owned land and businesses without compensation. Something you might find interesting and I only found out about recently: 500,000 whites now live below the poverty line ~ 10-15% of the white population are homeless and rely on handouts. They cannot get jobs and white owned businesses are effectively barred from public contracts due to Black Economic Empowerment legislation. White people are not entitled to to most social services and benefits.The Economist magazine say the laws make a farce of equality and stifle economic development. About 4 million Blacks also suffer the same levels of poverty and rely on handouts. They are increasingly frustrated because all the things they were promised have not been delivered and the national finances are very confused due to corruption. The only way to obtain the housing and benefits they are entitled to, is to bribe local politicians. They can't get jobs because they were denied higher education under Apartheid and that was exacerbated by ANC education boycotts. The education schemes that were promised have not materialised. Businesses in SA cannot recruit because of racial quotas in the work place. There are not enough educated blacks and white males are barred from employment if there are already too many in the company. The NIA (National Intelligence Agency) are trying to combat Juilius Malema as no one can work out where all the money is coming from to fund all the logistics behind his campaign. He has also threatened the NIA recently. Tenderpreneur is a local term that has been created to refer to individuals who enrich themselves through government tender contracts, mostly based on personal connections and corrupt relationships - although outright bribery might also take place - and sometimes involving an elected or politically-appointed official (or his or her family members) holding simultaneous business interests. This is often accompanied by overcharging and shoddy workmanship. South Africa's poor live in shacks while the political elite pay themselves movie star salaries. When people enquire about Malema's sudden enormous wealth they are told to "mind their own business". He is currently building a R16million mansion. President Jacob Zuma is the 11th highest paid politician in the world at US$272,280 (Basic salary without benefits). He is paid more than the presidents/prime ministers of the UK, south Korea, Indonesia,Israel and Russia. On a scale that compares salary ratio with GDP per person, SA ranks 4th. The new South Africa - convergence of equality: Food handouts in black squatter camp: Food handouts in white squatter camp: 1 shack per family: Maybe efforts can be made to get blacks and whites to live in the same squatter camps as the above almost looks like squatter camp apartheid?