Author: 6000

What a load of BS

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I’m not planning to go into the city centre today, and that’s a good thing, because parked up in the harbour right next to that city centre (and right next to the Cruise Terminal, nogal!) is the Al Kuwait: a 190m, 16,110Mt livestock carrier owned by Croatian company Korkyra Shipping and stopping over from Rio Grande in Brazil as she heads east.

And she stinks.

According to Marine Traffic, the Al Kuwait is currently reporting a draught of 8.8m, which means that she is fully laden with livestock. This amounts to 23,474m2 of cattle. That’s about 50,000 studio apartments worth of space. And so it’s no wonder the residents of the CBD are up in arms over the whole situation – it’s not just about the smell, it’s clearly pure jealousy about all that extra space, as well.

Pity help the passengers of the Azamara Pursuit…

…who have paid a ridiculous amount of money to sail into the Mother City and experience the fresh, clean Cape air, only to be parked next to this stinking floating farm truck (seen here under her previous moniker, Ocean Shearer – named after the Newcastle United football star’s daughter):

And now social media is alive with the cries of people desperate for the SPCA to board the vessel and check on the wellbeing of the 23,474m2 of cattle, as if this were the first time that a livestock carrier has ever docked in SA.

There are dead, decomposing animals on board

suggested one commenter, with absolutely no evidence whatsoever.

Aren’t human beings just the worst?

decried another keyboard warrior, who only found out that cows went on ships when a smelly boat parked up near her flat last night, but now thinks that the entire thing is terrible and must stop immediately.

Which is all fine, but is also such a kneejerk reaction which you can bet will likely be forgotten by tomorrow, by which time the Al Kuwait will be well on her way to her next port of call, taking her stench with her.

Not a good day

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Another bad day at the office for United. Except it isn’t an office and we’re growing tired of bad days and running out of time to have good ones.

Highlight of the day then was probably a visit to the Investec Cape Town Art Fair. And that was mainly for the people watching. Much of the art was suitably inexplicable and unnecessarily pretentious – especially in their titles:

although some of the actual artwork was really quite interesting:

And there were some eye-wateringly big numbers in numbers on the price tags.

I think this one was a neon Mother Theresa. (jks, obvs)

Yeah, so if those were the highlights, then you can see why I’m looking forward to my bed this evening.

We go again tomorrow.

At life, I mean. I’ll save my money on a return to the Art Fair.

Beeg Chicken

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Spotted earlier on a satirical page on the Facebook. They were taking the mickey out of the Telegraph for – and here I quote – “having another normal one”.

But given that the actual story is about concerns over the maltreatment of the birds – 20 million of which are eaten each week in the UK – the horrific environmental impact their farming has on local rivers, and the worry that “mega farms” are fuelling the incidence and spread of bird flu, I think I’m quite happy to take the amusing cartoon as the illustration, thank you very much.

The more realistic alternatives would surely be less fun.

Back to it

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The thing with these really unpleasant gastro bugs that only last 48 hours is that while they’re really unpleasant, they only last for 48 hours, and then you’re just about ready to take the world on again.

So no, the last 48 hours haven’t been great, but I’m… well… just about ready to take the world on again.

(I’m also nearly 3kg lighter, and a bit devoid on energy, but hey, let’s give it a go anyway.)

And already this morning, a curtain bracket has been replaced, the LNB unicable has been rewired and reattached to the DSTV box, and I’ve changed the batteries on one of the alarm sensors outside. That bit of painting by the gate will have to wait because of the persisting heavy showers, but there’s recycling to sort and shopping to do, there’s a whole garage to tidy (I have been trying to start this for several weeks years now), a beagle to walk and two faulty plug sockets to replace.

I was only “off” for 2 days.

And then there’s my old laptop to sort out. It’s old, yes, but I think it’s still pretty decent – just not for what I needed it to do – and I’m hopeful that I can sell it once it’s all cleared out and factory reset has been done. After all, no new owner wants to see what I’ve been googling (it’s mainly obscure lighthouses and traffic bollards).

Anyway. Like you might have read: plenty still to get done today.

Back to it.

Goodnight

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A bit of a rough day, full of hot sunshine and weird, sudden, brief, heavy showers. Nothing that will save the world, but the garden seemed happy to have all 3mm that it was given.

I’m going to have an early night after some early kickoff, 4th rate European footy, and I look forward to the seventeen million DIY jobs I have to do around the place tomorrow.

Joy.