I got this in an email from one of my readers, so I thought I would pass this on.

Start email:

Hi all.

For those of you who prefer safety in your flights, I would suggest
you do not fly SAA. Things are going from bad to worse, as you will
find by reading the following. Pass this on to your friends... most
importantly those that you know fly SAA. They may wish to know the
following information.

This parts right wing, but take the facts from where they come:

Pilots and Affirmative Action

SAA has been systematically replacing whites with black employees.
This has included lowering the compulsory retirement age for pilots to
50 years, down from the industry standard of 60. This policy has been
a major point of contention between SAA and its mainly-white pilots,
who recognize it as an attempt to move whites out of the command chain
as quickly as possible.

SAA has also deliberately established a policy of not hiring white
pilot trainees if there are suitable non-white candidates. Pilots used
to be trained in South Africa, but in 1994—the year the African
National Congress (ANC) took power—the company outsourced the training
program to British Aerospace's center in Australia. The theory was to
put cadet pilots through their paces far from the seemingly
ever-present possibility of "racism," and produce a string of
high-flying blacks.

Unfortunately, almost none of the black cadet pilots made it through
the Australian training, and were sent home. This caused great
unhappiness in SAA management which, in July 2002, decided to bring
pilot training back to South Africa, where blacks might not fail tests
in such great numbers. The few black pilots who made it through the
course in Australia were appointed to senior posts, but suffered a
serious setback in 2000, when seven—that is to say almost all of
them—were arrested on charges of bribing their way through the Civil
Aviation examination paper that put them at the controls of passenger
jets. The pilots each paid approximately 7,000 Rand (US$ 650) to get a
copy of the Airline Transport Pilots License examination paper before
taking the test. Two non-white members of South Africa's Civil
Aviation Authority were also arrested along with the pilots. Two of
the pilots were found guilty but fled the country before sentencing,
and the rest were suspended. However when the cases of the remaining
five came to court, the files had disappeared and the charges had to
be dropped for lack of evidence. The parliamentary opposition tried to
launch an investigation into this failure to prosecute, but that came
to nothing. Today, many of the pilots are back flying for SAA.
Its unraveling record is one of appalling service, serious crime,
corruption, and graft—all driven by a reckless policy of racial
preferences.

One of the black pilots who vanished, Tanzanian-born Issaya Dominicus
Nombo, was arrested in April 2002 by the FBI in New Jersey, after his
name turned up on a list of pilots found in a cave used by Al-Qaeda in
Afghanistan. Although there was no evidence Mr. Nombo was linked to
the Sept. 11 attacks, he has since been held in America pending
extradition. Interestingly, the 44-year-old Mr. Nombo had entered the
USA on a student visa for pilot training, granted by the US Consulate
in Johannesburg, even though the South African authorities had issued
a warrant for his arrest.

Source: http://www.amren.com/0303issue/0303issue.html

And latest news!

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...5149694C677024

Quote:
South African Airways is on the brink of introducing a radical new
pilot training programme, which will see trainees taking their place
as co-pilots after 70 hours actual flying time.

Quote:
Jordaan said in an interview this week that the initiative would
fast-track the num-ber of black pilots employed by the national
carrier. At present, the airline employs just 66 black men and women
pilots out of a total of 796.

End email.

I prefer One Time Airways anyways. The only complaint I ever laid with them was correctly dealt with in a way the sincerely impressed me. Go One Time!

As for SAA. I wont fly them with them until I am sure they have my safety in their agenda rather than their own political and financial gains.

What a week people, what a week. I don't know where to start. I'm really angry at the moment. By now, those of you that read this website often enough know my blanket views on organised religion. Its a load or political rubbish designed to keep the simpletons in line.

Islam however, is going beyond the point of stupidity, and the people of Islam seem to be in no hurry to rectify this situation. Either because they are to scared to, or because they don't want to. Its as simple as that. If you really are a "religion of peace", you would moderate the fanatics, just like the Western world did with Christianity at the end of the dark ages.

This week the Pope mentions something about how Islam is linked to Jihad, or Holy War. Once again, the people in oppressed Islamic countries go on the protest. They claim the Pope is being intolerant of their religion and misrepresenting them.

A couple of responses from the Islamic community:

- Pope must convert to Islam
- Kill the Pope
- Jihad on the Pope and the Vatican
- "Smashing of the cross" and its followers
- etc etc

Basically, even though the Pope said he was sorry for his words. Which in my opinion was a waste of time, and not needed. What he said was true. Islam IS linked to Jihad. Where the f#ck do you think the word "Jihad" came from? Some Anglo-Chinese background or something?

Islamics (and other religions) have been declaring Jihad on just about anything that doesn't agree or comply with their religion. Chances are, if its had a heart beat, some nut out there has declared "Jihad" on it.

It appears, everyone from Cartoonists, Presidents through to the Pope are being threatened with Jihad in one way or another. Islam claims it wants tolerance for its religion from the Western world, but in the same breath is COMPLETELY intolerant to any other religion or way of life.

Its okay to deny the Jewish holocaust happened (not many shouts of protest from the Muslim peanut audiance), but its not okay to link Islam to "Holy War" Where the holocaust denial is an out right LIE, and judging from current responses and history the Pope was right. Lying hypocites.

Wake the f^ck up people of Islam. In our world, were allowed to make cartoons of religious people, even gods, because believe it or not, God doesn't strike you down if you don't comply with the religious texts. Actually if anything, judging by "Gods" responses, it doesn't care. So if you want us to give toot about what or where Mecca is, starting giving a toot about.... (wait for it)... (wait for it)... (its mostly likely a new phrase for you)........ (*drum roll*)... Human Rights!!!

Yeah we got them here. A place where people care more about people than killing for their god.

The next time a Muslim says his from a "Religion of peace". Say out loud "Bullsh!t!" Ask the Muslim to give an example of Islam as a religion of peace. All you need is one happy example. A country where everyone is free and happy... there are no oppressed people and theres no religious upheaval.

Explain to that Muslim that you are finding it hard to be tolerant of a religion that is intolerant to your beliefs (ie, simple freedoms, like freedom of speech and expression), and ask this Muslim, "How can I take you seriously, when all I see is a system of failed states, oppressed people, liars and tyrants?"

The people in Iran and neighbouring countries are so caught up in this hatred that they are simply too STUPID, to see all the oil vanishing under their noses. Taken by the people sponsoring their religious actions.

Tell your Muslim friend, basically to shut up, and fix his side of the fence, before daring to make a comment about your side. Enough is enough, and if you are willing to believe the bull these people continue to spatter out, then you have a really different version of reality, and perhaps should go live in one of their crappy 3rd world countries and stay there.

Burn flags and stuff, riot, kill babies, burn images of the Pope, or Mickey Mouse, or whomever has apparently "upset" Islam on that day. I mean.. its what God wants you to do. For such a powerful god such as Allah, its amazing his got all these really stupid followers doing the work of mass mayhem for him. One would think an omnipotent entity would not be so lazy, and would be able to cope with the "eternal damnation" etc etc etc himself.

If I get threatened for writing this article I don't really care. The threats will be as efficient as a goose farting in a hurricane. Your threatening views mean nothing to me, because I know no God is as stupid as what some religions seems to think it is.

Moderate your Islamic religion or I swear, you are going to piss off the world enough that we will assist you in moderating your religion. Why should we have to suffer because you religion wants to compare God penis size every 10 minutes?

The recent reactions from Islam is doing nothing good for Islam. People who used to be more understanding of Islamic beliefs are becoming less and less tolerant every single day. I don't blame them. People have enough sh!t in their lives. Why should they have to deal with Islams?

First and foremost. Telkom you bunch of d!cks. Has your thievery no bounds? Do you guys actually wake up in the morning and go to work at the Telkom offices, and work out more ways to screw over the public? Shame on you. You are willing to bring your entire community and country down for the sake of your own greed.

Not only do you charge the most expensive call rates in the world, but you also destroy the people who need it the most. 85% of South Africa does not have access to a basic telephone. Ask yourself this Telkom why? We, the people of South Africa fight back at Telkom. We complain to the competition commission about Telkoms down right unfair cut throat tactics.

The CC finds Telkom guilty, and fines Telkom the most it is able. Telkom turns around and claims the CC has no authority over it. Like wtf? You would think by now everyone would understand that something dodge is up, and the minister would be hauling people before her to find out what the heck is going on? No... she sits puddled in the corner slowly chewing on her fudge muffin.

Telkom! If the Competition Commission has no authority over you, then you have no authority over me!

For those of you who are on the waiting list (join the que) for an ADSL line, and have being waiting over 6 months still for it (my case 4 years despite repeated attempts to resolve this issue), DONT BE TEMPTED to purchase Telkom Satellite Internet. Its so grossly over priced to be absurd and insulting.

They are charging roughly R1300 a month over 36 months (3 years), for rental of the dish (yeah, that's right, you never get to own it), a 128 kb connection speed... and wait for it... wait for it... a gigabyte of bandwidth.

Yay... o.0

Before people think about this offer. Consider this option. You can get cheaper and more reliable satellite connections from a European provider. You are looking to pay about R15000 for the dish and hardware. You then pay R1000 a month, and get uncapped 512kb up and 512kb down. Its also unshaped.

You do the math.

Now, onto the second part of the subject title, "an ode to my b0x". I was bored. Real bored. Telkom Internet Satellite was down (again). I had just put some lights into my case, and with its Kubuntu OS, I am starting to get proud of the lil b0xlet I have built. So with nothing else to do, I made a graphic for my box. (Lame++)