Strange how Escom (our national electricity supplier) just can't seem to get their act together. Koeberg had another major failure which resulted in country-wide blackouts. This resulted due to poor planning - simply put, some other power stations were down for repairs and Koeberg simply couldn't handle the slightest spike in usage.

In my business we at least had a UPS, but it only lasts so long. Impact on business? In my case luckily not too much, but spare a thought for all those who depends on refrigeration and have thousands of customers per day. Never mind traffic interruptions and factories. Imagine being in the manufacturing industry and all your machines grind to a halt without warning. Hope they can sort this out before 2010!

Scary to think that this is the same route other African countries followed before the total collapse of a previously sound infrastructure. Even more scary is the fact that after so many years in power the ANC still can't get it right! These are issues that only government can attend to. Maybe a show of solidarity with all South Africans might bring about change?

Over the years (since the early 1800's to be more specific) the whites have never been able to stand together. Oppression and draconian laws taught the black population how to stand together and fight for their rights. Not that Pretorius, Potgieter and others did not as was well illustrated with the "Groot Trek" in order to gain independence from the British (and the previous VOC (Dutch) laws and regulations). Life is still too good for the majority of whites. Differences put aside and a common cause between all race groups will be a formidable force which the ANC government can't afford to ignore.

But enough of the negativity - visit SA Goodnews and learn our anthem (don't worry too much about the translation - the idea (after all) is what counts. While you're there, subscribe to their newsletter! And for a bit of an attitude adjustment, watch this clip (broadband connection recommended).

This doesn't mean that we have to stop seeing the humour in our situation. Which brings me to an amazing story about a drunken judge -

Driver: I know the law. Let me go to the law. I don’t care about it. Ja, you mustn’t look at me as a black man. Let me go before the law…Fuck him. Fuck him. He mustn’t insult me. Fuck him. Anybody who insults me, I say fuck you.

Homeowner: Who’s insulting you?

Driver: If you insult me…

Homeowner: Who’s insulting you?

Driver: Listen…

Homeowner: But you have to answer. You’re making an accusation…

Driver: Hey! I say listen…

Homeowner: You have to answer the question if you’re making an accusation…

Driver: Ah, fuck you! Please.

Homeowner: You being disrespectful to me.

Driver: Ah, I don’t care about you.

Homeowner: I’m the owner of the house. I’ve come here to see what damage you’ve done.

Driver: Ja. F off…Any damage to your house, don’t insult me.

Homeowner:  (Indistinct)

Another voice: That’s what I was trying to…

Driver: I say don’t insult me. I say…

Homeowner: I think it’s a one way street here?

Driver: I say, if I have done any wrong to you, you have a claim to me. I’ve got to pay but I don’t (indistinct)…if I have a claim against him insult me.

Homeowner: I don’t think you’ve got the basis to say this.

Driver: No, no I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t

Homeowner: But you don’t have the basis to say that so its academic talk now. Nobody’s insulted you.

Driver: I say, if I’ve wronged you, you’ve got a claim against me. You don’t have the right to insult me.

Homeowner: I don’t think anybody has insulted you.

Driver: No, but what do you say when I got out of my car? Don’t think I’m a fool. Don’t think I’m a fool.

Homeowner: What did I say?

Driver: I don’t say, don’t ask him. I say you, you spoke to me…

Homeowner: Well maybe. What did I say?

Driver: You say: ‘This drunken person’.

Homeowner: It is my opinion that you are drunk, yes, because you smell of alcohol, you’ve driven through my wall…

Driver: You talk rubbish!

Homeowner:…You don’t walk straight…

Driver: Don’t talk rubbish!

Homeowner: I’m not talking rubbish.

Driver: I’m telling you now you’re  talking rubbish

Homeowner: One, two, three, four, five…

Driver: I don’t care about your workers…(indistinct)

Homeowner: …Six, seven. There’s eight people here

Driver: I say, don’t talk rubbish.

Homeowner: I don’t have any workers here…(Indistinct as driver shouts him down)

Driver: ...Fuck you...I say fuck you

Homeowner: [My tenant] is a senior manager at one of the banks.

Driver: I don’t care about your senior management. He doesn’t work for me.

Homeowner: He’s my tenant, he's not my worker. He’s a senior manager at one of the banks.

Driver: Oh, get to hell. Get to hell.

Homeowner: Don’t fall over! Whoa! Careful! Don’t fall over! He can’t even stand straight.

Driver: (Indistinct)…senior management at the bank.

Homeowner: But the difference is that he is a senior manager, he’s not a worker. He’s not a worker, don’t insult him.

Driver: But I’m talking to you, not to anybody else. I’m talking to you. You get to hell!

Homeowner: I’m a hard worker…yes, you’re right.

Driver: I’m happy for you. You are doing well for yourself. That senior messenger, you are talking rubbish about him.

Homeowner: Here’s the senior manager right here. Right here. He’s right here.

LAUGHTER

Homeowner: Sounds like you’re drunk saying things like that. Unfortunately the guys are laughing at you.

Driver: No, no they are not laughing at me. They are laughing at the short guy (A metro policeman). So you tell me when you are ready, I must run.

Homeowner: So you have a problem with the vertically challenged.

Driver: If the insurance company says I should pay, I’m willing to pay…

Metro policewoman: You know the procedure, we’re supposed to take the accident and we will give you the case number and if you don’t agree both of you what to do, maybe…(indistinct)

Homeowner: I want to know how this happened.

Driver: I knocked your wall, that’s the truth.

Metro cop: You want your wall to be fixed or you want to know…

Homeowner: I have tenants who live here. They need to have security on here so that they are secure. There’s a young lady here. So this is now a breach of the security. We need to secure the perimeter as of now with a guard so there’s costs for that and there’s costs to fix the wall and I don’t know when they’re going to fix the wall. Until the security is remedied they need to put a guard here.

Driver: (Indistinct)

Homeowner: I think that’s called remedy

Driver: I would hate you, fuck you too. I would hate you, fuck you too.

Homeowner: You’re speaking to a  police officer.

Driver: I don’t want to be insulted. I don’t want to be insulted. If it’s a police officer I don’t have to be insulted. Jesus.

Driver: If people take my keys why should I co-operate with you.

Metro Cop: Who took your keys?

Driver: These people here... There’s some big white fellow here. That’s the guy behind you. He must (indistinct)…Who took my keys? I don’t have to co-operate with you. I don’t care.

Homeowner: I haven’t got the keys

Driver: No, no. Let me tell you, I...I don’t have to co-operate. No, no. Fuck you. I say, I don’t have to co-operate.

Homeowner: Please don’t swear…

Driver: Ja, I don’t  care what you say. I say, I don’t have to co-operate with you. If anybody having my keys….

Homeowner: The keys weren’t here when I arrived.

Driver: Eh, fuck you. I say, if anybody doesn’t co-operate with my keys, I don’t have to give you...(indistinct) My addresses and everything.

Driver: When you came to me the first time, you are not a nice person. Don’t look at these other people I don’t care about them.

Homeowner: I have how many witnesses?

Driver: Ja, you can go ahead with that, I don’t care…

Homeowner: I think you are slandering me now.

Driver: I can slander you. I don’t care about that because I know this is what you said to me.

Driver: I say, this guy , there’s no way that I can come in and not knock this wall. I’m wrong. I knocked his wall. I’m wrong. I have got to pay. Not that I’m either drunk or sober. Hey, this is his wall and I’ve got to pay. Sir, do you understand me. I’ve knocked your wall whether I’m drunk or not…

Homeowner: But you have also breached the security that we provide…

Driver: I say, security or whatever. I have knocked your wall. I’ve got to pay.

Homeowner: Ja

Driver: Ja, I’ve got to pay, whether I’m drunk or not, I’ve got to pay. It is not a  question of I’m drunk or sober. I’ve got to pay.

Homeowner: That is not for me to decide…

Driver: No, no I’m telling you. I’m saying I’ve got to pay for whatever I’ve done which is wrong. I don’t want to fight with this man. I don’t. I don’t

Homeowner: Well that is a change in your attitude from earlier on.

Driver: No, no. I’m not changing. I say if I get into your wall, in your wall, whether I’m drunk or sober, one thing that remains: I’ve got to pay. Now I say to you, I give you my particulars, I’ve got to pay, Honestly, I want to give you my particulars and I want to pay for the damage I’ve done to you.

Ivan sent me the above transcript and the actual soundclips can be downloaded from here.