I'll start this post off with a short personal note before heading to the meat of the post. There's some awesome things been happening on my side, some developing and others that just plopped into existence as if by magic.
On the down side our kitten Charlie was taken from us way too early. What does one think when the ckitten you adopted is killed by the dog you adopted? Aside from the rage at the dog, the kitten already killed a mouse ... circle of life does it's thing again. Just so damned heart breaking when it does.
A few new blogs listed on the right, Colour Thy Soul is a collection of art works and pearls of wisdom in between, Cabin Porn is exactly that, cabins around the world in remote places, the simpler the better. The last added was Sound Money SA, not because i'm a money man, but because it's such a leading edge blog.
Here's their latest article, re-posted because it's so important to us, and i do endorse the article entirely. South Africans have been at war (albeit unknowingly) with the government for almost 20 years now. The government has waged war against the middle class, their can be no middle class in a dictatorship, only rich cadres and poor masses, you cannot control a free thinking and acting person, you can only control a poor broken person, and that has always been the ANC goal, assimilate or destroy.
They did really well getting all guns out of people's hands, now we are dying by the thousands because we are not allowed guns, but criminals of course have them anyway. Now they have a new plan to CRIMINALISE "dangerous weapons" and of course using "intent". This is curious because anything can be a dangerous weapon .. hands elbows teeth ... and intent is anything they want it to be.
Of course if they used this law to arrest all the striking unemployed activists masquerading as farm workers who are destroying the lives of the real workers, then we could relax somewhat. But it's truly terrifying how armed mobs can run amuck with police protection, and entire suburbs can be murdered in cold blood one at a time, but these "laws" will never be applied to criminals, they'll be applied to some schmuck on his way to work one morning. And the ANC and it's boot lickers will all shout about how white people still hate blacks and deserve being thrown in prison without a trial. I even hear educated whites calling for the death penalty, stupidly thinking it will be used on the criminals.
http://soundmoneysa.co.za/2013/01/protest-welcome-to-the-thought-police-dangerous-weapons-bill-to-make-south-africans-guilty-on-suspicion/
War is not coming, it is here. The ANC has NEVER changed it's primary stated goals, to make the country ungovernable. The criminilisation of the populace is intended, and will end in great suffering for innocent people. Come on you fucking libtards that were all anc happy 20 years ago, hows it feel to create a problem and then run away from the consequences?
Monday, 28 January 2013
Friday, 25 January 2013
Row row row your boat
“Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” Robert Tew
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Challenge
So when my wife got home last night i said to her:
I accepted a challenge on twitter, from an accident investigator ...
Oh dear ... was her response, apt that.
I shot my mouth off about bike stopping distances. It came from a 35m skid mark that a bike left before impacting a sedan, it was fatal. So i'm thinking about what kind of speed must one be doing to leave a 35m skidmark? I wouldn't be able to do a 10 metre skidmark on purpose? I added, in my haste, that a bike could stop within 10m, from around 80km/h, without needing to skid.
To initiate a locked back tyre at speed is a dangerous move on a bike, the overall handling dynamic of the bike changes instantly.
The momentum generated by a spinning wheel and tyre increases the faster it turns, and creates mass, a force which helps balance the bike and keep it upright. The moment that the back brake freezes that momentum disappears, and the back of the bike becomes lighter than the front. The motionless tyre has no traction with the road surface, it is neither steering nor slowing, merely skidding along aimlessly, and trying to speed ahead of the slower front wheel.
The harder the front brakes are being applied the more the back of the bike tries to overtake the front. If the back brake is released at this point, the bike performs what is called a "highside", where the back of the bike kicks up so hard the rider is thrown over the handlebars. Do not release the back brakes if you lock them up. So perhaps now you will understand why i don't see myself leaving 10m skidmarks for fun.
Stan Bezuidenhout @StanfromIBF
@davigilant @KenRoselt You say "a 35m skid says it all..." What "all" does it say, to you? Remember: 25m (for a car) is 60kph on a DRY ROAD.
vigilant @davigilant
@StanfromIBF @KenRoselt It says he locked the back wheel, suggests not enough training. 60kmh - 0 is less than 10m on a bike, dry road.
Stan Bezuidenhout @StanfromIBF
@davigilant @KenRoselt 10m at 60Km/h (back wheel locked)? Says who? And ABS? Cadence/Bias braking? Large/small bike? Mass? Injuries?
Stan Bezuidenhout @StanfromIBF
@davigilant @KenRoselt I challenge your claim. Let's do a test. I think you're wrong about 10m at 80Km/h. Remember - this is what I do. :-P
I see what he did there now, clever :D
No matter ... i have the biker fairy with me on this one. I will happily admit i know nothing about the subject, and i'll be happy to be wrong, nothing wrong with being wrong. Because it's not about me being right, at all, in any way. It's about twitter taking people and making things happen ... it's about a conversation taking place, a conversation so deadly serious it stuns us all into silence ... it is WAY overdue for not only laws to be obeyed (the law is an ass) but for us to interact with each other more intelligently, starting with the roads.
South Africa in all it's brutality is a very dynamic place to be, and part of that dynamism is where people must start looking after themselves, in spite of goverment, in spite of crime. This has been a conversation 19 years in the making, the road safety component being a one sided disinformation campaign by government up to this point. The next step is for us to come together and debate intelligently about our commmon problem, and the first part of that is information.
I ride a 2005 Yamaha FZ6 and we'll be testing 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160, if conditions allow. I hope to have other riders there, to be part of what is only a conversation, but one of the most important conversations of out time.
PS:
I did some numbers:
80km/h = 22m/s
10m = 0.55s
80 - 0 in half a second is impossible, but the slower you move the longer that second stretches.
... rubber band man ...
I accepted a challenge on twitter, from an accident investigator ...
Oh dear ... was her response, apt that.
I shot my mouth off about bike stopping distances. It came from a 35m skid mark that a bike left before impacting a sedan, it was fatal. So i'm thinking about what kind of speed must one be doing to leave a 35m skidmark? I wouldn't be able to do a 10 metre skidmark on purpose? I added, in my haste, that a bike could stop within 10m, from around 80km/h, without needing to skid.
To initiate a locked back tyre at speed is a dangerous move on a bike, the overall handling dynamic of the bike changes instantly.
The momentum generated by a spinning wheel and tyre increases the faster it turns, and creates mass, a force which helps balance the bike and keep it upright. The moment that the back brake freezes that momentum disappears, and the back of the bike becomes lighter than the front. The motionless tyre has no traction with the road surface, it is neither steering nor slowing, merely skidding along aimlessly, and trying to speed ahead of the slower front wheel.
The harder the front brakes are being applied the more the back of the bike tries to overtake the front. If the back brake is released at this point, the bike performs what is called a "highside", where the back of the bike kicks up so hard the rider is thrown over the handlebars. Do not release the back brakes if you lock them up. So perhaps now you will understand why i don't see myself leaving 10m skidmarks for fun.
Stan Bezuidenhout @StanfromIBF
@davigilant @KenRoselt You say "a 35m skid says it all..." What "all" does it say, to you? Remember: 25m (for a car) is 60kph on a DRY ROAD.
vigilant @davigilant
@StanfromIBF @KenRoselt It says he locked the back wheel, suggests not enough training. 60kmh - 0 is less than 10m on a bike, dry road.
Stan Bezuidenhout @StanfromIBF
@davigilant @KenRoselt 10m at 60Km/h (back wheel locked)? Says who? And ABS? Cadence/Bias braking? Large/small bike? Mass? Injuries?
Stan Bezuidenhout @StanfromIBF
@davigilant @KenRoselt I challenge your claim. Let's do a test. I think you're wrong about 10m at 80Km/h. Remember - this is what I do. :-P
I see what he did there now, clever :D
No matter ... i have the biker fairy with me on this one. I will happily admit i know nothing about the subject, and i'll be happy to be wrong, nothing wrong with being wrong. Because it's not about me being right, at all, in any way. It's about twitter taking people and making things happen ... it's about a conversation taking place, a conversation so deadly serious it stuns us all into silence ... it is WAY overdue for not only laws to be obeyed (the law is an ass) but for us to interact with each other more intelligently, starting with the roads.
South Africa in all it's brutality is a very dynamic place to be, and part of that dynamism is where people must start looking after themselves, in spite of goverment, in spite of crime. This has been a conversation 19 years in the making, the road safety component being a one sided disinformation campaign by government up to this point. The next step is for us to come together and debate intelligently about our commmon problem, and the first part of that is information.
I ride a 2005 Yamaha FZ6 and we'll be testing 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160, if conditions allow. I hope to have other riders there, to be part of what is only a conversation, but one of the most important conversations of out time.
PS:
I did some numbers:
80km/h = 22m/s
10m = 0.55s
80 - 0 in half a second is impossible, but the slower you move the longer that second stretches.
... rubber band man ...
Friday, 18 January 2013
Last of the Good Men
Of everyone in South African politics, i admire and even respect Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi the most. His steady, mature outlook has long been a cornerstone of common sense in the dialogue. I've met him before, back in the TRC days, and cannot forget his simple human-ness, so badly missing from the rest of the politicians.
A new letter from him today, commenting on a few concerns that we've all heard about recently in the news, let's recap:
783 publicly endorsed corruption.
12 year olds can legally have sex, but they may not kiss.
How does one respond to this insanity that really is just a downhill slide, gaining momentum and debris, threatening to destroy us all? From the article:
"
Corruption is a plague at the heart of our democracy. The President should know better than to speak like this. But as the Bible says, out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
I may be chastised for quoting the Bible, or for openly declaring my Christian faith. It seems, looking at our media, that hostility towards faith-based worldviews is gaining pace. People prefer to speak about inalienable human rights, rather than about issues of morality. Yet for centuries the greatest minds have grappled with the means to balance the rights of all individuals within a society. The problem is not easily solved, because legality cannot adequately replace morality. The two must be brought into harmony.
Let me phrase this in a way that will be more readily accepted. There are specific challenges in South Africa that we need to address; job creation, poverty, service delivery. But underlying all we do is the necessity of shaping a society that is responsible, caring and unselfish. Because, in the end, every good policy is implemented by a human being.
Is it better to have someone doggedly fight for your right to education, or to have someone sit down and teach you? That is the difference between what is purely lawful and what is morally right.
"
PoliticsWeb
A new letter from him today, commenting on a few concerns that we've all heard about recently in the news, let's recap:
783 publicly endorsed corruption.
12 year olds can legally have sex, but they may not kiss.
How does one respond to this insanity that really is just a downhill slide, gaining momentum and debris, threatening to destroy us all? From the article:
"
Corruption is a plague at the heart of our democracy. The President should know better than to speak like this. But as the Bible says, out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
I may be chastised for quoting the Bible, or for openly declaring my Christian faith. It seems, looking at our media, that hostility towards faith-based worldviews is gaining pace. People prefer to speak about inalienable human rights, rather than about issues of morality. Yet for centuries the greatest minds have grappled with the means to balance the rights of all individuals within a society. The problem is not easily solved, because legality cannot adequately replace morality. The two must be brought into harmony.
Let me phrase this in a way that will be more readily accepted. There are specific challenges in South Africa that we need to address; job creation, poverty, service delivery. But underlying all we do is the necessity of shaping a society that is responsible, caring and unselfish. Because, in the end, every good policy is implemented by a human being.
Is it better to have someone doggedly fight for your right to education, or to have someone sit down and teach you? That is the difference between what is purely lawful and what is morally right.
"
PoliticsWeb
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Cheats, liars and thieves
I've watched the whole Lance Amstrong saga with complete and utter disgust. Then i read this article and immediately felt better ... there is still hope for us all. This lady calls the cycling scene for what it is, loud and clear, i hope some people face jail time over this lot.
The problem is, as Nicole so eloquently put it:
I can't help thinking that the cheats win on the way up and the way down.
Asshole Armstrong will make more money from his opera interview than the people whose livelihood he stole made in their entire career. Think about that.
Nicole Cooke's Retirement Statement
Why can't we just ignore him, just completely drop him like the poisonous turd he is? Why are we even talking about him, he's a liar, a thief, a cheat, and bully and everything we claim to hate, yet he's the rich and successful one, and Nicole isn't.
The problem is, as Nicole so eloquently put it:
I can't help thinking that the cheats win on the way up and the way down.
Asshole Armstrong will make more money from his opera interview than the people whose livelihood he stole made in their entire career. Think about that.
Nicole Cooke's Retirement Statement
Why can't we just ignore him, just completely drop him like the poisonous turd he is? Why are we even talking about him, he's a liar, a thief, a cheat, and bully and everything we claim to hate, yet he's the rich and successful one, and Nicole isn't.
Monday, 14 January 2013
Getting Lost
“
Getting lost was not a matter of geography so much as identity, a passionate desire, even an urgent need, to become no one and anyone, to shake off the shackles that remind you who you are, who others think you are.”
Rebecca Solnit - A Field Guide to Getting Lost
Getting lost was not a matter of geography so much as identity, a passionate desire, even an urgent need, to become no one and anyone, to shake off the shackles that remind you who you are, who others think you are.”
Rebecca Solnit - A Field Guide to Getting Lost
Religions
The Golden Rule of Major World Religions
Brahmanism: This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.: Mahabharata 5:1517
Christianity: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.: Jesus Christ, Matthew 7:12
Islam: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother what which he desires for himself. Sunnah
Buddhism: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.: Udana Varga 5:18
Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not to your fellowmen. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.: Talmud, Shabbat 31:a
Confucianism: Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.: Analects 15:23
Taoism: Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain, and your neighbor's loss as your own loss.: T'ai Shag Kan Ying P'ien
Zoroastrianism: That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good: for itself. : Dadistan-i-dinik 94:5
Brahmanism: This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.: Mahabharata 5:1517
Christianity: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.: Jesus Christ, Matthew 7:12
Islam: No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother what which he desires for himself. Sunnah
Buddhism: Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.: Udana Varga 5:18
Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not to your fellowmen. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.: Talmud, Shabbat 31:a
Confucianism: Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.: Analects 15:23
Taoism: Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain, and your neighbor's loss as your own loss.: T'ai Shag Kan Ying P'ien
Zoroastrianism: That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good: for itself. : Dadistan-i-dinik 94:5
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Dashcam
Thee is nothing more satisfying in the world than a little bit of perspective. So imagine my joy at finding a first hand view of 1920's traffic in New York ... mesmerising. They had a bell clearly, but even then they had to use the pavement to keep moving. Makes traffic today seem tame by compirison, i hope you enjoy.
The movie is taken from the Stillman Fires Collection at the Prelinger Archives. The original version was silent.
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Strength
“Strength for this day is all that I ask
Food for my hunger and strength for my task
Health for my body, a roof over my head
And when I am weary a rest and warm bed
Give me a job and a place in life’s scheme
Give me a moment in which I can dream
Give me a hand that is willing to share
Each little happiness, that is my prayer.
Give me a glimpse of some beautiful things,
Flowers in the sunshine, a bird of the wing
Give me a mind on good purpose bent
Give me a heart that is quiet and content.
Not to have riches, position or fame
But to be useful, let that be my aim.
Look not ahead to the future
But pray for the things that we need
Day by Day.”
Cute story here:
http://www.thelostadventure.com/strength-for-this-day
But sometimes you have to remind yourself to stay small.
Food for my hunger and strength for my task
Health for my body, a roof over my head
And when I am weary a rest and warm bed
Give me a job and a place in life’s scheme
Give me a moment in which I can dream
Give me a hand that is willing to share
Each little happiness, that is my prayer.
Give me a glimpse of some beautiful things,
Flowers in the sunshine, a bird of the wing
Give me a mind on good purpose bent
Give me a heart that is quiet and content.
Not to have riches, position or fame
But to be useful, let that be my aim.
Look not ahead to the future
But pray for the things that we need
Day by Day.”
Cute story here:
http://www.thelostadventure.com/strength-for-this-day
But sometimes you have to remind yourself to stay small.
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Freedom
"He is free who lives as he wishes to live; who is neither subject to
compulsion nor to hindrance, nor to force; whose movements to action
are not impeded, whose desires attain their purpose, and who does not
fall into that which he would avoid."
--
Epictetus (ca 55-135 A.D.)
Greek philosopher Source: Discourses, ca 100 A.D.
compulsion nor to hindrance, nor to force; whose movements to action
are not impeded, whose desires attain their purpose, and who does not
fall into that which he would avoid."
--
Epictetus (ca 55-135 A.D.)
Greek philosopher Source: Discourses, ca 100 A.D.
Monday, 24 December 2012
Presents
“ Then there is the other kind of Christmas with present piled high, the gifts of guilty parents as bribes because they have nothing else to give. The wrappings are ripped off and the presents thrown down and at the end the child says—”Is that all?” Well, it seems to me that America now is like that second kind of Christmas. Having too many THINGS they spend their hours and money on the couch searching for a soul. A strange species we are. We can stand anything God and nature can throw at us save only plenty. If I wanted to destroy a nation, I would give it too much and would have it on its knees, miserable, greedy and sick. ”
- John Steinbeck 1959, Letters of Note
1959 hey? Hasn't improved at all. Anyhow, i'm feeling guilt for having neglected the blog of late, too many things i just don't want to say. Anyhow, part of my distraction lately has been adventure riding, a guy, a bike, and a thousand square miles of playground. It's where i want to get to ... that's my goal now.
No chance of it happening soon, except in my own head, but i'm fortunate to have people like Sibirsky Extreme Riders for insiraton.
- John Steinbeck 1959, Letters of Note
1959 hey? Hasn't improved at all. Anyhow, i'm feeling guilt for having neglected the blog of late, too many things i just don't want to say. Anyhow, part of my distraction lately has been adventure riding, a guy, a bike, and a thousand square miles of playground. It's where i want to get to ... that's my goal now.
No chance of it happening soon, except in my own head, but i'm fortunate to have people like Sibirsky Extreme Riders for insiraton.
peace and love
Friday, 14 December 2012
By Toutatis!!!
While Asteroid 4179 Toutatis was never a threat to hit Earth during its quite-distant pass on Dec. 11-12, astronomers were keeping their instruments and eyes on this space rock to learn more about it, as well as learning more about the early solar system. Even at closest approach, 4179 Toutatis was 7 million km away or 18 times farther than the Moon. But that is close enough for radar imaging by NASA's Goldstone Observatory, which has recently upgraded to a new digital imaging system, as well as optical imaging by other astronomers. Already, there are some preliminary findings from this 4.5-kilometer- long (3-mile-long) asteroid's flyby.
http://phys.org/news/2012-12-asteroid-toutatis-earth.html
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Monday, 10 December 2012
Around and around
I watched dawn the other morning, first time in a long while and it was well worth it. Just that miracle of light returning, birds waking, nature flowing forth like a stream downhill.
This is the evening of the year already, that quiet time before sunset. I like to sit out in the garden at this time of the day, feet or hands draped in the pool, feeling the coolness and quiet of the water as opposed to the heat and buzz of the air.
From the Toyrun wrap up meeting to Nollie Faith to more teddy bear deliveries ... nothing is as satisfying as this. Success and reward, Toyrun has been widely praised as the most organised ever, and giving the toys out to kids is the most rewarding feeling imaginable.
Thoughts drift to next year, improve increase streamline ... but the now is still fresh and invigorating and satisfying. This moment of clarity amongst the chaos of the year is startling, unexpected, and i know won't last long, but you have to appreciate the highs as much as the lows.
I'm feeling the end of an era ... not sure how, but a circle has turned, and we're in for another multiyear cycle of ... something. Who knows? Let's hope that it's better than the last?
peace and love and faith and hope and charity
Truth goodness and beauty, beauty will save us all.
Friday, 30 November 2012
Nollie Faith Hope and Charity
http://nolliefaith.org/
Right ok, so i featured them a while ago, those kids and skateboards in downtown joburg. Thanks to the kind folks at Toyrun, i have 2 more skateboards for the kids, plus some other goodies, although i have no idea what yet. Colouring books and crayons type stuff ....
I'm dropping this here as an open invitation to anyone and everyone, come along, bring what you can, they're supposed to be at the cnr of Fox and Kruger st every Saturday from 11-2. Tomorrow is too soon, so i'm giving everyone a week's notice for Saturday the 8th December at 11am.
and a tin of Q20 (they make the wheels go faster!!)
fruit basket with exotic fruits (because they've probably never tasted pawpaw)
http://hermanverwey.blogspot.com/2012/07/nolly-faith.html
Red Robot Project
http://redrobotproject.wordpress.com/
Long overdue for a really hard look, red robots in Johannesburg are a unique subculture all of their own. Here's how it works:
You're driving along going somewhere nice and gentle, robot changes to red, you stop. All of a sudden there are people surrounding you, your windows are being washed, homeless talk is held up for you to see, some bloke has a black plastic bag offering to take your rubbish ... a young boy with a circus type act is showing off in the pedestrian crossing, his friend running around to the cars for tips. Beggar at the robot smiles and puts his hands together in the "please or thank you" gesture ... and there are some toy dogs waving tails and dancing. Oh, i nearly forgot the cell phone charger salesman.
When the light changes to green, these people all flee to the pavements again, en route to the crossing roads, which are now stopped. And it goes like this all day. Beggars, from 8 year old kids to ancient old men without legs, black and white alike, cardboard signs or no, they are there, you cannot ignore them.
Being on a bike saves me being the target of any of these people begging for attention, and hopefully cash. For me they represent a huge threat to my (and their) safety ... so as long as they get out of my way, i don't really have any direct contact with them. I've made a special plan sometimes, my favourite is a mixed fruit basket, lady with a kid, and of course colouring books and crayons. Never money, but for a hungry and thirsty kid, mixed fruit must be awesome. They're there everyday, so if you forget today tomorrow is another day .... but day in day out, well, you'd have to be desperate to be there.
A huge thanks to Sarah Britten for starting this page, i'll add it on the right under blogroll somewhere.
peace
Long overdue for a really hard look, red robots in Johannesburg are a unique subculture all of their own. Here's how it works:
You're driving along going somewhere nice and gentle, robot changes to red, you stop. All of a sudden there are people surrounding you, your windows are being washed, homeless talk is held up for you to see, some bloke has a black plastic bag offering to take your rubbish ... a young boy with a circus type act is showing off in the pedestrian crossing, his friend running around to the cars for tips. Beggar at the robot smiles and puts his hands together in the "please or thank you" gesture ... and there are some toy dogs waving tails and dancing. Oh, i nearly forgot the cell phone charger salesman.
When the light changes to green, these people all flee to the pavements again, en route to the crossing roads, which are now stopped. And it goes like this all day. Beggars, from 8 year old kids to ancient old men without legs, black and white alike, cardboard signs or no, they are there, you cannot ignore them.
Being on a bike saves me being the target of any of these people begging for attention, and hopefully cash. For me they represent a huge threat to my (and their) safety ... so as long as they get out of my way, i don't really have any direct contact with them. I've made a special plan sometimes, my favourite is a mixed fruit basket, lady with a kid, and of course colouring books and crayons. Never money, but for a hungry and thirsty kid, mixed fruit must be awesome. They're there everyday, so if you forget today tomorrow is another day .... but day in day out, well, you'd have to be desperate to be there.
A huge thanks to Sarah Britten for starting this page, i'll add it on the right under blogroll somewhere.
peace
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Chaplin's speech
I'm sorry but I don't want to be an Emperor, that's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that. We all want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful. But we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little: More than machinery we need humanity; More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me I say "Do not despair". The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress: the hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people, will return to the people and so long as men die [now] liberty will never perish. . . Soldiers: don't give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you and enslave you, who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel, who drill you, diet you, treat you as cattle, as cannon fodder. Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men, machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts. You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are men. You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don't hate, only the unloved hate. Only the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers: don't fight for slavery, fight for liberty. In the seventeenth chapter of Saint Luke it is written: - "The kingdom of God is within man" Not one man, nor a group of men, but in all men; in you, the people. You the people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy let's use that power, let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give you the future and old age and security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie. They do not fulfil their promise, they never will. Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfil that promise. Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness. Soldiers! In the name of democracy: let us all unite!
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