Nonqaba said ...

Cleaners are human beings. They buy sunglasses. They vote. I saw this at the mall and the woman seller was very gracious. We sweep cleaners under the carpet because they are not important, ‘influential.’ The pandemic was a reality check. The government classified them as part of  essential workers, but there is no hashtag in their honour. Hashtags seem to be pointing in one direction, Twitter is for the  bourgeoisie . Why? Because there are hashtags for everything, from hamburgers to ketchup but none for sanitation workers, cleaners, street sweepers, garbage collectors and other people that make it safe to walk on streets because they are clean. We comfortably lie sick in hospitals because they are sanitized and check in hotel rooms because they are clean. Cleaners are the silent majority that prefers to be anonymous, not like life coaches, writers, book cover designers, poets, musicians, finance experts, wannabee chefs, wannabee actors, movie producers, actors, librarians, royal watch

Landlocked provinces like Manitoba rely on freight trains to bring food, furniture, cars, building material, you name it. They are also highly unionized. Justin Trudeau said he stopped the August strike to prevent disruption to the economy. Jagmeet Singh says he messed with workers right to bargain. Jagmeet Singh, the NDP leader broke the ‘working agreement’ with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party because of priorities. The two men have different constituencies with conflicting priorities and that fragile partnership was bound to break at some point. Think of salt and water. Salt says to water: I’ll work with you provided you don’t dissolve me.” What prompted Jagmeet Singh to opt out of the agreement, was the August labour dispute between railway workers and the following railway companies. - Canadian National Railway (CN) - Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Railway workers are unionized under Teamsters Rail . Jagmeet Singh is the leader of a workers’ party, while Ju

Essence back issues. I try and keep them for research purposes. Magazines plan their cover stories three months in advance if I’m not mistaken. Therefore, it might be too late for Essence magazine to have U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on the cover of the November issue. It will be a tough presidential election. Kamala Harris herself says it all the time but if she wins, it will be historical with the capital “H.”  That is why it would be great if Essence has her on the November cover. Problem is. How to get hold of her, because she is very busy campaigning with her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Let’s say she manages to schedule an interview and photo-shoot for Essence, what will the magazine ask her? What a challenge! Kamala Harris has a basket over-flowing with achievements. Good luck Essence. Nonqaba waka Msimang Blogger Without Borders

PayPal won't let you close the account if you have 0.80 cents left. You can't transfer it to your account either. This is hostage taking. Is it legal? I’m a hostage. I’ve been trying to close my PayPal account for years, but PayPal has digital hurdles to stop me. The pseudo-bank recently sent me a love letter that it will charge me $20 because I have not used the account for donkey years. This is another example of digital dictatorship. Technology companies make it very easy to open accounts, but difficult to say goodbye. Last year, Paypal sent me a love letter about the dormant account. I spent the whole morning trying to close it. Hurdles, hurdles, hurdles all the way. How about common sense? If my account is dormant, close it. Why charge me $20? It’s amazing how our governments let tech companies get away with illegal acts, you and I will be arrested for. Tech companies steal our names, addresses, bank information, social insurance numbers, subscribers and sell them. Can we

Shedeur Sanders. Photo Credit: Online pic. Don't let the smile fool you. He can throw the ball far, far away.   "What's up this weekend?" "Protect Shedeur Sanders. We still on." Nonqaba waka Msimang Blogger Without Borders

Burt Jones, Georgia Lt. Governor. Donald Trump praised him profusely at the August 3 rally. Trump also praised the Georgia State Election Board. Point of Discussion: 14 August 2023 indictment officially known as, The State of Georgia v Donald John Trump .  I was so engrossed in Trump’s lies that have led to voter suppression laws in states like Georgia, I missed something that was staring me in the face. That is Act 1 , of the indictment. “On or about the 4 th  day of November 2020, DONALD JOHN TRUMP made a nationally televised speech falsely declaring victory in the 2020 presidential election. Approximately four days earlier, on or about October 31, 2020, DONALD JOHN TRUMP  discussed a draft speech with unindicted co-conspirator Individual 1, whose identity is known to the Grand Jury, that falsely declared victory and falsely claimed voter fraud. This speech was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.” Release T.V. Speech The speech mentioned in this indictment is in media arch

Donald Trump told his disciples at the New York rally that they won't see him again. He said it twice. What does that mean? Maybe he is planning assassination attempt #3. One thing for sure, he will stage another one before 5 November. Trump experts are in a better position to decipher that farewell. It cannot be taken lightly because of past experience. Before January 6, 2021 he told his followers that 'it will be wild. ' Yes it was. That is why there's a criminal case about that waiting for him, presidential immunity or not. Nonqaba waka Msimang Blogger Without Borders

Photo Credit: Online pic. "I’m on hold.” What is frustrating about being on hold, is someone forgetting they’ve put you on hold. Worse still, they cut the call. I don’t want to think about charges, if it is an international call. Anyway, that is Donald Trump’s brief to his attorneys.  Put judges on hold. I’m in the thick of things preparing for 2024, my guaranteed victory because Democrats won’t be running, and being formally crowned U.S. President on 6 January, 2025. No. I don’t think America will use that date. January 6 has painful indelible memories. As an outsider looking in, I cannot believe Trump’s audacity of trying to put the judiciary on hold. My American Politics’ professor stressed the sanctity of the separation of powers in U.S. democracy. The executive is here, judiciary over there but close enough to keep a beady eye over the executive to ensure it doesn’t misbehave. Why am I even talking about the executive? Donald Trump is not part of the government in any way. He

The standing ovation is perceived as the highest honour for excellence, for a riveting speech, a great concert, stage play etc. However, it is not, because of the way it unfolds. It is not unilateral like lighting. It starts like light rain, with one person who knows the performer or playwright standing up to clap, followed by a few of the same persuasion, then the full scale rain when the whole concert hall stands up and claps. The first standing ovation I found myself in, was when the friend who had stood up to clap gave me the evil eye with one message, stand up and clap. I did. On the way to the underground station to catch the subway, I received a short lecture on the standing ovation, something to do with being ‘cultured’. It’s what sophisticated people do I was schooled. Actually, the standing ovation is pure fear. That’s why people in the concert hall or conference hall people look around first to see who is clapping. They join the standing ovation if: 1.  The person who gave t

Photo credit: Online pic. For elections, it will be better to advertise 'messages' not nominees. Faces might trigger weirdos. Online ads attract more people because our whole life revolves around cellphones. We don’t even respond when people we live with say, ‘good   morning .’ We can re-visit digital messages a hundred times and also share them with friends and family. With traditional billboards, we must drive-by every day, to remember campaign messages. The Harris/Walz campaign had an ad where a Trump look-alike was driving the school bus. The mother was mortified when she saw the driver and decided to drive her daughter to school. Initially, I thought it was funny. I later appreciated the mother’s fear for her daughter, for her daughter’s future, for women and the country at large. Does this mean traditional stand-alone billboards, are no longer effective as campaign tools?  Nonqaba waka Msimang Blogger Without Borders 

  " I’m day off tomorrow.”  Cellphones do not talk. Therefore they cannot confide in us when they would like to have a day off. We switch them off before we go to bed, but that is not a day off. It’s a normal natural break because we feel sleepy and hit the sack, unless we are nurses and security guards. They have day and night shifts. Cellphones would love to have a day off when two people are getting married, especially when evening comes and the honeymoon begins. Switching off their phones for two days, will be a testimony of true love. Cellphones would also love to have a day off on Sundays, because there are more people at home. They can talk to each other the whole day, washing the car, preparing lunch and talking to kids and grandparents. We sometimes forget that not everybody works 9-5, five days a week. Others work over the weekend and Monday is their day off. That is why they would love to give their phones a day off on the same day, so that they can sleep the whole day

10 Downing Street. London. U.K. New brooms sweep well. Keir and Victoria Starmer. He is the new U.K. Prime Minister. Below is old blog July 7 about the British general election that ended the reign of the Conservative Party. Location . A history class, somewhere in the United Kingdom. Teacher : Boys and girls. Please settle down. Class : Yes Sir. Sorry Sir. Teacher : Who is the the U.K. Prime Minister? Student : Theresa May, Sir. Teacher : That was from 2016-2019. Student : Boris Johnson is the Prime Minister, Sir. Teacher : That was from 2019-2022. Student : Liz Truss is the Prime Minister now. Teacher : No. She was the first one-month Prime Minister in British history. Student : Sir, I think Rishi Sunak is the current Prime Minister. Teacher : That was from 2022-2024. Student : Who is the current Prime Minister then? Teacher : His name is Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party. He won 412 seats in parliament, during the general election we had a few days ago. Student : That

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, under estimated voters by calling the doomed September 2021 election. BELOW IS  THE AUGUST 2021 POST ABOUT THE SUICIDE SNAP ELECTION ---------------------- Canada. Calling a federal election is a wrong move because it is the wrong time. Life is not right because of the health emergency the world is facing. The dance changes, when the music changes, to quote and African proverb. The call for an election is self-serving. The Liberal Party wants a majority at all costs. Justin Trudeau has abandoned us. He’s no longer the government, but a self-serving individual, delusional enough to think that Canadians are going to gift him that majority. How do we have an election when we’re still pandemic hostages? Restrictions are still in place. Life is not normal and we don’t know when it will be. Opposition parties can be the bad guys, but they worked with Trudeau during lockdown to ensure that we, insignificant voters have the basic needs. Why fix it, if

Americans like early voting. On 5 November, they will also walk to voting stations, drive, take the bus, train or bike. Vote they will, especially in democracy-hostile states like Georgia. Common sense is how mothers bring up kids. Don’t touch the kettle or heater with wet hands. Electricity will zap you. Look left or right before you cross the road. Wash your hands before you touch that hamburger. Kids grow up and they embrace common sense. They even threaten younger brothers and sisters: I’ll tell Mom you didn’t brush your teeth .  Therefore, it is baffling when adult voters over 25 have no common sense, when it comes to voting, a process that might find their sons and daughters in another part of the world, guns and drones ablaze fighting Tik-Tok creators. Common sense is embalmed. That is why politicians on the campaign trail make Asia the enemy, when capitalism in Canada and the U.S. have profit-driven laws that send manufacturing jobs to China and other parts of Asia. Common sens

Pierre and Anaida Poilievre.  Below is an old blog 16 September 2022 about Pierre Poilievre, the new party leader. ------------------------------ The Conservative Party of Canada is wearing new clothes in the form of Pierre Poilievre. Political ‘experts’ are already predicting he will be a threat to Justin Trudeau, the sitting Prime Minister. Maybe. Maybe not. The main threat for Pierre Poilievre is his own party.  He might not stay long on that seat, judging from previous Conservative Party leaders. Hello and goodbye, before making any indelible mark on Canadian politics. The threat for Justin Trudeau is for being around for too long, even to the extent of nurturing the idea of running again in the next federal election. He must quash it immediately because of the snap election he called in 2021. His intention was to get a majority government in parliament and not rely on the NDP for a prop. Voters were not amused, so they showed him who is the boss. The main threat to any politician’

Jagmeet Singh NDP leader has cut ties with Liberal Party. Opposition parties want a snap election. Canadians say hell no! Work through your differences. Pierre Poilievre is calling for a snap election. Canadians don’t want it but who cares about voters? They are just pawns in a political game of numbers. Remember the snap election Justin Trudeau called on 20 September 2021? He did not get the majority in parliament he wanted. Fast forward to 2024. A snap election just because the Liberal Party broke up with the NDP, will be a waste of time and money. Canadian politics? I cannot be presumptuous that you know how Canada is governed. Provinces have their own governments. This piece is specifically, about the federal government in Ottawa. Political party Leader Canada Parliament Liberal Justin Trudeau Prime Minister of Canada Conservative Pierre Poilievre Official opposition party New Democratic Party (NDP) Jagmeet Singh Minority party The Liberal Party and NDP had a scratch my back, I’ll

We should 'walk' bicycles on the pavement, but we don't. Some cyclists barrel through people on the pavement and City Hall lets them get away with it. Some cyclists make the pavement a dangerous place for pedestrians, especially during the summer when people try to walk as much as possible. Cyclists get preferential treatment from the provincial government because they are a powerful lobby. The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation (MPI) spends taxpayers’ money on ads about how cars should be courteous to bicycles, but I’m yet to see ads about cyclists walking their bikes in major bus stops and busy pavements. The government indulges cyclists in more ways than one. There are bike lanes at major intersections, around parks and every summer the city guts out roads to install bike lanes. Recently, it removed a bus shelter to make bike lanes to The Forks. WALK BICYCLES The Forks in Manitoba, is an outdoor family entertainment place where you walk every where, along the river, a

Instant money results in instant fame. Fans scream: "Rihanna I love you." Translation. Her money.  Rome was not built in a day, is a proverb attributed to the English language. I don’t know why, because Geography teachers told us Rome is in Italy. The proverb assumes we have time to build like seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter and understand how they perform their magic and leave the stage for the next performance. This was important when food came from the soil, rivers and oceans, and not supermarket shelves. That was then. We ought to have more time now because we don’t toil in the sun anymore, but ironically we don’t.  There’s so much to cram into 24 hours, and the day is dedicated to not only survival, but happiness as well. What makes me happy depresses you, but I think we can agree that happiness is also determined by how others perceive us. We are not peacocks or doves that have a fusion of colour on their bodies and tails. Our feathers are titles at work, clothes,

Women in Africa, Asia and the Pacific had some kind of 'jewelry' for ankles.  Ankles are poor cousins of body parts. Talk shows invite fitness instructors to school the audience about toning butt, arms, legs and keeping that tummy flat as a pancake. They never talk about taking care of ankles. Is it because ankles are part of the leg? It’s not fair. They need stand-alone consideration because of the special shape. Ankles are a work of art, not like knees that are always sulking. Canada, U.S. and Europe might not care about ankles but they are important in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Women adorn them with beads or silver anklets. You wrong though. Am I? Women in Europe have a pedicure during the summer and paint toenails green, red, pink and other yet to be discovered colours. You have a point, but toenails are the focal point. I say ankles are neglected because there’s no regular fitness regime just for them like a massage after the bath, feeling their geography with your fin

Try and come up with original stories. Please avoid men dressed as women. Making fun of the body shape of African mothers and grandmothers is not funny. These are women that raised us against all odds.  Some Nigerian actors and actresses are now behind the camera as producers. This is not new because actresses like Mary Njoku, Uche Jombo and Ruth Kadiri have well-established production companies. There are more actress-turned-producers now, thanks to YouTube. Male actors are also behind the camera as producers. Money. Sleepless nights. Producers can relate to that. They need money for cameras, lights, transport, food for cast and crew, and many other things the director needs to shoot the movie. The big ticket item is the camera. Cutting corners with the camera is suicidal. I don’t know how many YouTube movies I’ve seen that are dark or grey and you can hardly see what is happening on the screen. It’s a waste of money. Costumes are not important, wigs that cost six months’ rent are not

Nikki Haley, the prodigal daughter that came back to the fold and 'kissed the ring' as she put it. She has something up her sleeve. Watch the space. Again? I found a coffee bean that escaped the grinder. I pay for my favourite blend, and the coffee shop grinds it. I’m writing this piece because I can’t ignore it anymore. There’s always a coffee bean that escapes. It’s a reminder that life is a dichotomy. We are born alone, even twins, but live with other people like two colorful birds on a tree; a colony of ants; a pride of lions or mama chicken with her brood pecking away for food in the yard. Trying to live outside the group usually brings misery on both sides. Example. I throw away these coffee beans that escape the grinder. They are useless, because I cannot put them in a coffee maker to produce a cup of coffee. But it will be myopic to completely discard the value of the solitary bean. It’s there for a reason. We know the classic problem. Parents who are doctors want kids

  This water is blue. Is it? Yes, if my favourite politician says it is. "You cannot say that online. It will be lying.” “Correction. It’s not.” “What is it then?” “The intention is to deceive.”   Semantics. Lying and deception, same-o same-o . There are cameras everywhere because we have the  propensity to lie that we were not speeding. We did not rob people on the pavement when we did. That is pure unadulterated lies. Whereas with deception, the soil must be rich enough to receive the seeds, the lie. They use manure in rural areas, lay it on top of the field. Rain comes, making the soil ready and willing. They use pesticides in countries labelled ‘developed.’ What’s your point? My point is that I should be partial to being deceived. I should entertain it. I should want it. Politicians know the colour of water. Wait. You said water is colourless in a previous blog. Did I? In a glass yes, but it depends where it is. You need to fly to Lesotho, a country surrounded by South Africa.

Symbolism. The scaffolding. Wheels on her feet. She’s very proud. It depends. Negative vs positive. The negative sees the positive as proud. I found a new word   in Before Redemption , a novel . The character says, “ Nikki is very prideful.” Fine. Nikki is full of pride I suppose. You call Nikki proud. She’s not. She has self-esteem. She knows that there are things she cannot change. She also knows that there is nobody who will look after her interests. We have marriages, relationships, friends, co-workers, followers but nobody will sacrifice anything for you. They only take. Pride is self-preservation, especially in relationships and at work. Boy meets girls. He says I love you, the only passport to get to where he wants to go. He arrives there. After a few months he gets tired of girl, finds another one. A girl who knows her worth will walk away, not leave ten phone messages everyday, or destroy his career on Twitter and Instagram. Walking away is top of the range self esteem. Exampl