Wednesday 6 November 2013

Always Leave the Office On Time?

I came across this poster from a friend and former colleague:



Bear with me as I give you my reflections.

Commuters queue for minibus taxis
in Johannesburg.
Picture: SUNDAY TIMES
This sounds wonderful, difficult not to agree in principle. No offence intended, but I'm afraid that it is a first world luxury that goes with a home swimming pool and a jacuzzi. The Toronto Star recently ran a series on Third World sweat shops. This poster for them is the stuff of dreams. The same goes for farm labourers and peasant farmers, and for thousands of Black South Africans who stand in queues for an hour or more, literally, for their turn to get into a minibus taxi that will take an hour before they get to their place of work or home again. As for the large numbers of unemployed, most would love to have the opportunity to work overtime - at least until they've had to do it through the winter.

If you can always leave the office on time, thank Heaven for the privilege, but spare a thought for the overwhelming majority of the earth's workers whose only choice is to work for as long as they are told or beg on the streets.

These people are not fools or losers. They are fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters who are modern day saints helping to keep their families alive. The bad news is that a lot of these overworked and underpaid workers are the reason for much unemployment in Europe, the US and Canada - among others. I give up. I have no idea what the solution is.

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Remember, Remember the Month of Movember

If you haven't noticed yet, this is the month of Movember. Once again the gallant Mo Stashed Hairiers are covering their upper lips for the cause of raising funds for men's health, notably prostate and testicular cancer research and men's mental health. Please go on over to the Mo Stashed Hairiers blog which also has some information on prostate and testicular cancer and some common sense, health precautions that men can take.

Here is a video we made three years ago.