January has been a long year already.
I can’t help feeling glum about the extended, extended lockdown and find myself hoping against hope that things are going to change enough for a reprieve by February 15.
Private schools are going to be allowed to reopen on February 1 but there’s no sign yet for the rest.
We’re facing having a lost generation, from last year’s kids who either underwent very questionable levels of remote learning to, far more common, no learning at all.
They’ll be shunted through only to start this year on the wrong foot. Poor souls!
In Britain, they’re talking of facing the worst depression in 300 years.
Back in 1709 a lengthy war against France was followed by the Great Frost, when bitterly cold weather swept Europe and Russia.
Crops failed and many great economies ground to a halt.
I now know more people who’re suffering from Covid. Rose had it for 12 days.
She’s normally a stoic but admitted to feeling awful before recovering last week.
A 90-year-old favourite aunt has had it and is recovering in hospital and a close friend is extremely sick.
All too close for comfort and difficult not to respond with the fear that is invading the world.
I was banished to the far end of the house while Rose lay in bed, and have escaped, but await my turn with resignation.
I just can’t help thinking of all those people whose livelihoods have been wrecked.
For instance, there used to be more than 130 establishments in this town that sold prepared food in one shape or another.
Heaven knows how many have and will go to the wall, along with all their staff and the knock-on effect for suppliers.
I see the beach sellers setting up their gaily coloured scarves, sarongs and hats every day at Salt Rock main beach in the vain hope that someone will come along and take pity on them, but there’s not a customer in sight.
Last week we told the story of the ice-cream man who’s taken to trudging the hot streets and ringing his bell, but he tells us he can see people are afraid of approaching him.
What a screwed-up world we’re living in!
My gloom has somewhat lifted this week by a story out of Australia, where the government is taking on Google and Facebook.
Trust the Aussies to pick a fight with the biggest guys in the bar.
Google and Facebook are now publishers, but of other people’s news, i.e. news written and paid for by other news publishers.
They are also getting the lion’s share of spending on advertising.
Australia’s news industry is struggling.
For every A$100 spent on digital advertising, A$81 goes to Google and Facebook.
And Covid-19 has only made this worse.
With companies reducing their digital advertising spend, a number of outlets in Australia have been forced to close, like here.
Google, by contrast, has been performing well.
Last year the social media giant made almost $4bn from Australia, while paying $45m in tax.
Australian publishers want the Americans to pay royalties to the media sector and their government agrees.
Google has responded by threatening to shut down its services to Australia.
As you might imagine, the Aussies have said ‘Go for it, mate’.
Prime minister Scott Morrison said “Let me be clear: Australia makes our rules for things you can do in Australia.”
This is going to be a test case, because the same is true the world over.
The American giants are crushing the rest of the world’s news industry.
And yes, I know it’s a dog-eat-dog world and may the craftiest win, but while we’re the dog I think we should take a leaf from the Aussies’ book.
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Orwell wrote that in a society supposedly made up of equals, some are more equal than others.
Metro cops were chasing teenagers surfing at Umdloti last week, issuing R2 000 fines.
But when Mpumalanga premier Refilwe Mtsweni paraded around without a mask at a funeral, then said she hadn’t realised she wasn’t wearing one, the ANC was quick to say that it was ‘human error’.
I wonder if the magistrate will accept that excuse from the surfers.
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Honey is a wonderful product with many beneficial qualities diets.
In next week’s edition you’ll find an education feature on the honeybee, written for us by my brother, who is a keen amateur apiarist.
You may not know that the South African market is flooded with ‘honey’ imported from China, much of which is suspected to be adulterated with corn syrup and other sweeteners.
Some importers bring the stuff in, then bottle it here so the label reads ‘Bottled in SA’, but if you read even more carefully you might find ‘Product of China’.
Avoid. Buy local, like that produced by Trevor Thompson and other North Coast farmers, and you can be sure it’s pure honey.
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