But assuming my flight actually lands, I’m not quite sure how much fun the outside bit of the work I’ll be doing up there will be. Why?
Well…
That’s rather warm. I’m especially looking forward to Wednesday, obviously.
On a more serious note, these are shade temperatures. It’ll obviously be warmer in the sun. And there clearly will be sun. I’m wondering how well my equipment (careful now) will cope in this sort of heat. And also its operator, obviously.
The infamous Al Kuwait is due to arrive in Umm Qasr in Iraq today.
I know. You’d forgotten all about that whole thing the day after it left, just like the rest of Cape Town had.
But the good news is that the ±19,000 cattle on board (or however many of them are left) will now be able to live out the rest of their long lives frolicking in the lush, green Iraqi pastures.
Heading down to Agulhas today, so here are a couple of Facebook’s translation efforts from the local group down there. Because who could forget Election Rib Frame, and all the hilarity that went with it.
Facebook’s translation software is good, but it’s really not perfect. Especially when it comes to Afrikaans.
“Rate this translation”? Literally: very good. Actually: Ridiculous.
Or this one:
Anyone get this one? Yes. It’s the cure for moles. Not the ones on the skin around your ass. The small f*&^#*g mammal that digs up your garden.
But Facebook can’t work out the context here, because the Afrikaans word “gat” meaning “hole” is also the slang for “ass”. (Incidentally, the word “slang” is Afrikaans for “snake”, which is probably your best bet for sorting out a mole problem, but still…)
So breaking down the edges of the hole and putting ground (not instant) coffee in there is apparently the way forward. Moles don’t like it. Silly creatures.
Or just scratch your ass open and pour coffee. Whichever you fancy more.
A sandstone tower 27 metres high, it was first lit on the 1st of March 1849, it’s been lighting the way around the dangerous Cape Agulhas rocks ever since (well, it took a bit of time out between 1968 and 1988, but we don’t mention that). From burning sheep tail fat (1849 -1905) to an oil lantern (1905 – 1929) to a petroleum vapour burner (1929 – 1936) to an electric light bulb (1936 – [1968 & 1988 – shhhh!] to the present day), it’s a National Monument, a Western Cape Heritage Site and an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Phew!
And as the sun sets in Agulhas this evening, it’ll be on duty again: its lamp and first order Fresnel lens generating 7,500,000 candela, flashing white every five seconds, piercing the darkness for 30 nautical miles (56 km, 35 miles).
“Suggested for you”, said my Spotify. And then proceeded to come out with a stream of diverse artists such as Britney Spears, Frank Sinatra, The Troggs, Nat King Cole and Fleetwood Mac.
And Selena Gomez.
Oi! Spotify! No!
Have we not been together for a number of years now? What are you thinking? Literally none of those appeal to me in the slightest. Sure, they may each have had a hit (or maybe two) which I have heard in the last few years, but that was it.
In fact, so bizarre was the selection presented, that I’m even wondering if my account has been hacked: maliciously like my bank card or just as some sort of mildly elaborate sick joke. Think about it – it’s the perfect way to get at someone: invading, influencing and ruining their most personal moments by wreaking havoc in their algorithm. And then the soundtrack for their next plane trip or exercise session will be trashed.
The only sad bit is that you’ll never even know if it worked. Unless they write a blog post about it.
Well done, whoever you are (it’s probably my daughter). You got me.
ON THAT NOTE (no pun intended), here’s my 2024 Spotify Playlist. Which contains all the good stuff that isn’t the stuff mentioned above.
Click through, hit random and have fun. I’ll keep adding the good stuff as I hear it.
