Every essential item eventually becomes wearable.

From spectacles being a handheld lens, to being worn on the face. Everything people need eventually becomes something worn on the body. 

In future, if technological progress continues as is & resources do not deplete, I can imagine impenetrable exoskeleton suits that would be as comfortable to sleep in as the are rugged in harsh environments that could supply the body with nutrients by photosynthesis through perovskites or other technology. Maybe the human body itself would've been engineered to have photosynthesis-capable cells, eliminating the need for energy in the human body. The exoskeleton suit could make walking, running & jumping easier as well as have night vision fitted on a retractable helmet. This exoskeleton suit would be collision & bulletproof along with being impenetrable to all animals. Maybe a self-cleaning or a  bacteria & odour eliminating function. It may even be fitted with an underwater breathing mechanism as well as a gas mask mechanism.

Seeing some videos on the internet has made me believe that such a thing could very well be possible in some time. We need food & shelter, someone might make devices we could wear that would eliminate the need for food & shelter.

How the USA killed over 1 million black South Africans.

A Dr. Gallo of the USA is said to be one of the people working in the US laboratory which manufactured the AIDS disease. 

So, in thousands of years of humans in Africa (including Ancient Egypt) hunting chimpanzees & other monkeys - it was only as recently as in 1920 that AIDS came to existence? Why was HIV/AIDS not discovered by, at least, 1000 B. C.? Strange. 

The likely truth: It's more likely that both the USA & Apartheid government have decades old blood on their hands with an estimated 1,4 million (mostly black) South Africans dying from AIDS in the space of ten years from 1994 to 2004. 

Alexander Jones, a former Apartheid-era intelligence officer admitted to using bogus vaccinations to spread HIV in the SADC region. He worked for the South African Institute for Maritime Research.

A strange way to create national borders.

Africa is not all desert, savannah & jungles. There are more complex climate environments such as desert shrublands (Karoo & Sahelian regions), subtropical regions (southeast Africa), wetlands (i. e. marshlands & swamplands) & even places in the mountains that freeze over during African winters. But what if we could draw borders along these climate zones & make them countries? How would such a world look? 

Firearms I would love to have.

The S&W 617 revolver. 

The classic AK-47 held by inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov. 

The AR-15 from the USA. 

The Chinese Norinco LG5 / QLU11 sniper grenade launcher. 

Israel's Uzi submachine gun by Uziel Gal.

YouTube playlists:

• Wearable technology 

• Defence 

If I could design my own national broadcasting corporation.

Television: 

• News & talk channel (economy, politics & geopolitics) 

• Sports channel 

Radio: 

• News & talk station (economy, politics & geopolitics) 

• Talk station (Domestic matters: love, marriage, kids, community matters) 

• Sports talk & broadcasting. 

• Various music genre specific music stations: Classical / jazz music station, traditional music station & local pop music station. 

Two television stations & six radio stations. I'm very simple.

How I'd enforce a six-month compulsory military service training.

I think I've mentioned on a few occasions on my blog entries how I think compulsory state farm service & compulsory military service could benefit a land. In military service, we'd need to specialise for 1) air force, 2) land army, 3) navy, 4) cyber security & espionage & 5) special task forces. 

In general training: 

• all troops would need to wake up at 5 AM, make their bed & do a kilometre long jog, thirty pushups & reach an obstacle course, 

• do the obstacle course & jog back to have breakfast, 

• after this, soldiers will practice a set of martial arts (advanced stick fighting, laamb wrestling & capoeira) including sparring in each martial art & using all martial arts as a combo, 

• disassembling & assembling a standard service pistol & rifle, 

• soldiers will be required to slaughter & pluck their own chicken for the week, 

• swimming a kilometre & staying under water for a minute, 

• firing the service pistol & rifle at a target, 

• a paintball game set, 

• & chess or mlabalaba before dinner (6 PM) & the day ending (7 PM). 

Shock wake-ups (between 12 AM & 4 AM) could be done once every second week on varying days of the week where the trainee soldiers could jog & do obstacle course or swim a kilometre & stay under water a minute. 

The obstacle course: Low crawling net in mud (over 20 metres), hurdles (50 metres), monkey bars (for 15 metres), climbing wall (15 metre ascent & descent), 30 kg weight lift & drop (for 15 metres), rock throwing target practice (at object 30 metres away-hit twice & move on), rope climb (20 metre ascent & descent), spear throwing (at object 50 metres away), wet ground rock skipping (for 20 metres), decomposing animals tunnel crawl (40 metres). Done.

The above listed would be done every weekday (except target practice with firearms which would be done once a week) & weekends would be left for laundry, cleaning the residences, mowing the lawns, Saturday afternoon braai, Sunday church service, recovery & resting. 

Soldiers will eat twice a day: porridge, tea & egg sandwich/sausage in the morning then chicken curry or grilled chicken & a starch (rice/pap) in the afternoon. 

Each soldier will get five khakhi shirts & pants for the training as well as an army cap & boots of which they will be required to return the cap & boots, four of each of the shirts & boots after training or pay for if damaged. 

No television would be allowed, cellphones would be allowed weekends only, radio sets would be allowed but no loud music would be allowed. 

After training; navy, air force, land army (& border guard) are sorted where navy will be taught all about sea vessels & how to control them, air force guys will be taught to fly & maintain aircraft with each aircraft having three pilots each, land army will be used on peace keeping missions & guarding borders. Any who feel thay do not belong in the military would be allowed to go home until a time when the land may be forced to recruit them in battle.

All the bows but no arrows: Why African footballers fade on the biggest stages.

I can confidently say that this is the most talented African national team I've ever seen been assembled. Ivory Coast once had Salomon Kalou, Wilfried Bony, Gervinho, Emmanuel Eboué, Romaric, Didier Drogba, Aruna Dindane, Kolo & Yaya Touré in their national team but never reached the heights they could've reached, even if they won AFCON as their Golden Generation was waning in 2015. Pound-for-pound in terms of talent, they were equal & maybe better than the German team that won the 2014 World Cup & had more talent than the Netherlands team that reached the 2010 World Cup Final. That early 2010s Ivory Coast generation could have reached the 2010 World Cup Final & won the 2014 World Cup but they just didn't have a coach who could use their talents to full effect or maybe provide the necessary motivation to become the first ever African team to reach, at least, the semifinals of a senior men's FIFA World Cup. 

And this is the case for African football in general. I think when our players go to a World Cup, they are just happy to be there while European & South American teams go to a World Cup believing there is a job at hand & they must not disgrace their countries. Even when a handful of African players want to prove their worth at a World Cup, they are brought down by the gravity of being African on a global stage. The "Who do you think you are?" gravity from both countrymen & the world which is likely not experienced by European or South American teams. Because in Europe, they expect their teams to reach the quarterfinals or even bring back the trophy no matter how outclassed they are in terms of talent compared to other national teams. While Africans often have no clear objective when qualifying for a FIFA World Cup.

Football archetypes (I. Y. iMpofana)

Striker: Striker must have technique, eye for goal, capable of taking free kicks & possibly - height to beat defenders for headers on high balls. The typical number 9.

Archetypes of this position: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, Sibusiso Zuma, Edinson Cavani. 

Left-wing/Right-wing: Wingers are typically known as fast & are dribblers, they must also hae an accurate shot because they won't only be providing assists for the striker but will often find themselves in front of goal. Typically wears number 7 or 11.

Archetypes of this position: Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Kylian Mbappé. 

Attacking midfielder: This is a player that needs to read the attacking game & find gaps in the opposition defence, with modern pressing - this position has become rare with attacking midfielders being either pure forwards or more central midfielders. This is naturally a dribbler & is the classic number 10.

Archetypes of this position: Rui Costa, Ronaldinho, Diego Maradona, Pelé, Ricardo Kaká, Javier Pastore & Marta in women's football. 

Central midfielder: The central midfielder controls the midfield & is found in both sides of the field during offence & defence. He/She needs to simply be a good passer on most occasions. 

Archetypes of this position: Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard, Jabulani Mendu. 

Defensive midfielder: This individual provides an extra layer of defence & usually presses the most. And because he does the most pressing he/she has to have some pace to press faster players. He also needs to tackle at times & try turn defence into offence. He/She needs to be able to take the ball from the oppositions feet. 

Archetypes of this position: Edgar Davids, Claude Makelele, Lassana Diarra, Michael Essien, N'golo Kanté. 

Left-back/Right-back (Fullbacks): These individuals are defenders who are at times the first line of defence depending on the opposition's playing style. They mark the wingers so may need to also have some pace. They also, at times, push into the midfield & into attacking lines depending on which tactics are used. 

Archetypes of this position: Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Achraf Hakimi. 

Centre-back: This is the main defender, he/she simply needs to stop the opposition attack & so needs to be decisive, needs good ball control & some speed for faster offensive players. 

Archetypes of this position: Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Sergio Ramos. 

Goalkeeper: The goalkeeper needs to have good instincts & quick reaction. Ideally he/she must be tall as well & have some ball control with his/her feet to prevent mistakes at the last line of defence. 

Archetypes of this position: Julio Cesar, Manuel Neuer, Thibaut Courtois.

South Africa is already racially polarised...

A part of me wishes the Cape Republic to secede because while they say they want a non-racial independent Western Cape, we all know they'll be a centre for white South African culture & all it's associated traits. We'd finally see how stark the comparisons between a white South Africa & a black South Africa are. If for reflection alone. We all know that in time, the more Eurocentric Cape Republic would attain more investments & funds from the developed world but there is no reason the eastern half of South Africa couldn't work to alleviate poverty itself.

Personally, I'm not fond of nomadic life. Maybe it's due to just not needing to know foreign places but I've never felt the urge to leave home to a city for whatever reason. I've only considered it due to peer pressure but it's not a "Plan A" for me. It's not because I hate other ethnicities or races more than disliking being away from a familiar base. 

But some seem to thrive on that existence. Only coming home for Easter or Christmas.  

And some of these are the white opportunists & nomads that Cape Independence would serve because east of South Africa is the more populated indigenous black "Bantu" lands. While in the west of South Africa, is the depopulated former KhoiSan lands. If you don't see how this all fits - you need to go back to primary school & do some simple puzzles. There really is no genuine connection between the races of South Africa & living in two separate new federal/autonomous regions could be a great solution. In fact, it's a long overdue solution for South Africa in some respects. Not to say racial unity can never exist in the world but it can only exist peacefully in certain circumstances. It would not be a mass migration initially but it would be more allowing certain cultures room to express themselves on their own terms in their own lands.

Sports injuries (Artificial Intelligence research)

Question: Which sport has more broken bones per game between rugby & football? 

Rugby has a significantly higher rate of broken bones and injuries compared to soccer. Here's a breakdown of the injury rates and types:

Injury Rates:

- Rugby: 91 injuries per 1000 player-hours, with 2 major injuries per game

- Soccer: 8,1 injuries per 1000 player-hours

Common Injuries in Rugby:

- *Fractures*: Collarbone fractures (clavicle fractures) are common due to tackles or falls onto the shoulder

- *Arm and Wrist Fractures*: High-speed collisions increase the risk of fractures, particularly in the arms, collarbones, and legs

- *Concussions and Head Injuries*: Rugby's full-contact nature leads to a higher risk of concussions and head injuries

Common Injuries in Soccer:

- *ACL Tears*: Sudden changes in direction, awkward landings, or direct blows to the knee can cause ACL injuries

- *Hamstring Strains*: Explosive sprints and quick accelerations can lead to hamstring strains

- *Concussions*: High-impact collisions can cause concussions in soccer, although less common than in rugby

Comparison:

- Rugby players experience more traumatic injuries, such as fractures and concussions, due to the sport's contact-heavy nature

- Soccer players are more prone to overuse injuries, such as hamstring strains and ACL tears, due to the sport's continuous movement

- Rugby has a higher rate of injuries overall, with a greater severity of injuries, including broken bones. 

Question: Which sport has more injuries between basketball & baseball? 

Basketball has a higher injury rate compared to baseball. Here's a breakdown ¹ ²:

- *Basketball Injuries:*

    - *Common injuries:* Ankle sprains, ACL tears, Achilles tendon problems, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and hand/wrist injuries

    - *Injury rate:* 2,64 per 1000 hours, with 34,47 injuries in games and 1,51 in practices

    - *Most affected areas:* Lower limbs (78%), ankle (48%), knee (15%), and joint or ligaments (67%)

- *Baseball Injuries:*

    - *Common injuries:* While baseball is considered relatively safe, serious and catastrophic injuries can occur, often due to high-speed impacts

    - *Injury comparison:* Research suggests basketball injuries are twice as high as baseball injuries

Some key statistics to note:

- *Basketball injury statistics:*

    - 22% of male basketball players sustain at least one time-loss injury per year

    - 42% of injuries affect the ankle/foot, 11% affect the hip and thigh, and 9% affect the knee

- *Prevention:* Warming up, stretching, building strength, and proper equipment can help prevent injuries in both sports ³.

Sports injuries averages: 

Rugby: 91 injuries per 1000 hours played (2 major injuries per game). 

Association football: 8,1 injuries per 1000 hours played. 

Basketball: 2,64 injuries per 1000 hours played (mostly knee & ankle injuries). 

Cricket: 6,5 injuries per 1000 hours played. 

MMA: An injury every four matches (approx. 24 injuries every 1000 hours).

The global order & Africa.

In our world there are developed lands which are mainly in the northern hemisphere who set the tone for how the world lives their lives & then there's the "Global South" i. e. Latin American, south Asia & Africa. No one takes us in the global south seriously. We're expected to live in disfunctional lands & be victims of the elements & environments we live in. And, I think, something tickles the West about keeping us this way & pretending to play saviour. They understand that a developed Africa & global south would mean Africans staying in Africa,& not fleeing to Europe but maybe a perverse narcissism comes in knowing the poor are kept poor. When, in truth, it is bad for the world & it's economy in general. 

Should Africa develop to the level of Europe twenty years ago, it would only banish the wild-African-man-roaming-in-the-wilderness-for-food stereotype & replace it with a people, black people, that are capable of governing their lands. Since the West seems to be less interested in this, the only group outside of Africa that Africans can depend on is BRICS. USA & Europe are not interested in equal partnerships with Africa, they want puppets & raw materials. 

If we're being honest about BRICS, it's an alliance but how effective it is has not really been tested. BRICS countries don't have a common political ideology, just a common disdain for the current unipolar world. BRICS has been mocked as a "dictators alliance" & a "poor man's alliance". They're not being harsh because what if Belgium or Canada, for example, wants to join BRICS? Could they join? The best BRICS could be is a trading alliance, if BRICS becomes a military alliance - NATO will definitely feel threatened & act on that fear. 

A less centralised or multipolar world could bring unexpected consequences. In a post-US dollar multipolar world - which currency are the people of the world expected to trade with? Any African currency is virtually gambling with your money & the Russian ruble & Chinese yuan will always be targets if the West feels threatened. We're left with just the Euro & cryptocurrencies. And I don't think any serious world powers would relegate themselves to using cryptocurrencies. Unless BRICS can create a new currency or use some sort of bartering system, they'll be forced to use the Euro or perhaps gold. 

I think the leaders of Brazil, Russia, Indian & South Africa are under seige by a multitude of problems both in their countries & on a global scale. So while BRICS may be a great alliance to be part of for developing countries, I do not believe it can reach the level of more developed alliances in the world; especially since the USA sees BRICS as directly opposed to the USA. Lula, Putin & Modi need to know that they are the David in a David vs. Goliath (BRICS vs. the West) stare down. And outside the Bible, the weaker alliances are often crushed. South Africa can only watch being the smallest economy & the weakest military of the original BRICS member countries. The USA alone could mess South Africa up, without needing to call their European allies. So our membership in BRICS as South Africa requires us to be doubly cautious because by joining BRICS, we may have made some enemies in the West. 

I don't know what vision the leaders of Africa & the African Union have for Africa but what I know for certain is that the West needs to worry less about Africa developing because I've seen some European legistature. Europe is so advanced & ahead of Africa in it's institutions that I don't think Africa would ever reach Europe's level even after Africa sorts out it's colonial borders.

Zulu media on the internet.

Sometimes the best way to learn a language really is to immerse yourself in it. Here is some Zulu media on the internet for all who are learning the language.

YouTube: 

KZN TV news 

SABC Izindaba 

Newspapers: 

Ilanga 

Isolezwe 

Bayede 

Knowledge Hubs: 

Ulwazi  

Zulu Wikipedia

Zulu systems on Facebook

Bowuwazi 

Music: 

Maskandi on Spotify 

Zulu Pop

Song of the Year 

Zulu patriotic & marching songs 

Radio: 

Ukhozi FM livestream

Gagasi FM livestream 

Film: 

Zulu independent shortfilms on YouTube 

Zulu novels: 

Itshwele Lempangele & Amathonsi obuMbongi

Where the Zulu language is spoken in South Africa.

Masakhane Zulu 

History of the Zulu language

Could monarchy still work in Africa today?

Most of us in the world today descend from a history of monarchy or a version of it. Even the birthplace of democracy, Greece, had a king & Rome started of with a dictator - then in time, Rome's empire was governed by an emperor (i. e. a king of many nations). Monarchy is the most natural form of leadership because it is what we are naturally used to as human beings. A king rules until death or until he abdicates - or is forced to abdicate & his son takes after him. A simple order. 

While the idea of democratically electing a president is less than one hundred years old in most of Africa, it has gained rapid popularity because of influence from Europe. So between monarchy & democratically elected national leaders, which is better? 

The original stance of a monarch was that a monarch's word was the law, divine rule as it were. But today, in the age of global human rights, most monarchies have moved towards a constitutional monarchy where the king may not always be above the law. This benefits a nation in the case there is a self-destructive monarch, the nation could protect itself from destruction through the law. While democratically elected national leaders are through people's votes, many elections are rigged when there is a secret ballot. The main objective of a politician is to get public votes so often politicians will make promises they will never keep. While the monarch has no obligation to keep any grand promises, he is already the head of state. In fact, many constitutional monarchies in the world today who have employed democracy when electing ministers are considered more democratic than countries who have "democratic" in their name. The monarch only has to keep the land stable, ensure it's economic prosperity & defend it from external threats for his rule to be considered a success. Monarchy also provides continuity & political stability in that monarchs often rule for decades while elected heads of state often rule for a period of five years before campaigning again trying to get votes from the people. Most election campaigns are an inconvenient waste of money disguised as the people's power while a monarch simply appoints a minister & could call for a referendum to consider the people's approval on a matter.

Ideally, elections in a democratic land should be done in a way that even bystanders can see exactly which political party an individual voted for in real time. But since elections are often a secret ballot, a lot can happen in the shadows including double-voting, lost ballot boxes & other forms of election rigging. 

An elected monarch: 

Since many countries in Africa have people who want to have the lifetime reign of a king, an elected monarch may be a solution. A list of the strongest, fastest, most intelligent & wealthiest people in the land could be compiled. The one who the people is the strongest, fastest, most intelligent & wealthiest in comparison to the rest could then be elected as king & establish his dynasty in the country to rule for eternity. 

Monarchy is still the most enduring form of governance worldwide & maybe we should accept it as the default setting of humanity.

The real problem with renewables.

The problem with renewable energy is not always energy production because the wind always blows & the sun will always shine. Renewables are also scalable depending on the amount of energy you need. The problem with renewables is storing the energy. On a cloudy day, photovoltaics still work & need that energy to be stored. There have been lots of breakthroughs in making industrial scale batteries for power production. Many battery manufacturering methods involve child labour & polluting the environment for indigenous communities while some batteries can be manufactured with simple salt. Also, with renewables, I'm of the belief that batteries are used more frequently than with coal, hydrogen & nuclear. This causes batteries to lose efficiency over time. Some batteries are created in consideration of this problem & can be easily recycled without much pollutants. For industrial needs, a battery for renewable energy needs; 1) to be resilient for long term use, 2) made with abundant, easily found materials [e. g. iron, carbon, sodium] & 3) should be easily recyclable for future use.