Decent Assault

The below quote is from the News 24 website dated today - 26/01/2008

Spokesperson for Tonga police station, Constable Mzwandile Nyambi, said police had opened an attempted murder and rape case.

"It is the first time that our police station has had to attend to this kind of case. We don't even know whether to call it rape or decent assault," she said.

It pertains to a young man that was allegedly raped at gunpoint by 3 women after accepting a lift.

I beg you, with tears in my baby blue eyes, what the hell is decent assault?

Bored

It's an odd feeling. You wake up one morning and everything's different. The thing that was once your anchor, your support and what you enjoyed most, no longer does it for you.

My New Year's Resolution is somewhat of an anti- resolution at least by conventional norms; "Work Less, Play Harder", or something just as cliched but equally non- productive. The point is, I woke up this year, not hungover (very surprised because I knew I had to have one) and it was as clear as day - you no longer want to be doing what you're doing. I don't mean the paramedic thing, I love that - I fact, I think that's what brought me to the realisation in the first place. I've become a pencil pusher - a paperless pencil pusher.

I can't remember when last I got a rush from replying to an e-mail or completing a spreadsheet although I have to admit some enjoyment is derived when an Excel spreadsheet works perfectly - sad, I know.

Back to the "Play Hard" part.

I've decided on a career path change, now it just remains to see who'll employ a 31 year old paramedic with a huge ego and delusions of youth.

I want to jump out of helicopters again without checking how it fits in with my schedule before and despite my love for my Windows powered mobile phone, it's become a symbol of the corporate beast that I now try to escape.

I must just add that I am well aware of how melodramatic this is - but what can you do? That was a rhetorical question by the way.

His Last Day On The Job

It seems to be a case of Murphy's Law - you will have an accident on your last day. This is the second time that someone I know has been in an accident on their last day. I met the last guy while rescuing the crew of a helicopter that had downed on the deck of a ship that had run aground off the South African North coast near Richards Bay. He was the medic who had been working with the salvage crew on the wreck and was fortunately not injured when the Puma went down. He returned to Namibia to his aeromedical position and was on his last rotation before returning home to his very pregnant wife. On his last day, he asked the relief if he could do the last medevac flight. The plane crashed shortly after take off killing all on board.

Today, although potentially fatal, was less tragic. Its his last day, probably his last call and he gets T-boned in an intersection by some clown that jumps a red.

Rolls his vehicle - fortunately sustaining only minor injuries.

Classic

Volume 1

Well, here goes - volume one.

I feel that I need to warn you before we go any further, this is probably going to end up as a platform for my deranged rantings directed at all and sundry.

Now that that's out of the way, who's first...

...the infinitely capable drivers on South African roads who feel that it is their right to talk on their mobiles and steer with their elbows?