Archive for February 8th, 2005

4 results.
Feb08

No Cobuyitaphobia for Sekunjalo

by tdaxp on February 8, 2005 at 12:00 am
Posted In: Cobuyitaphobia

“Sekunjalo acquires 81% stake in Synergy,” by Lynn Bolin, Mail & Guardian Online, http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleId=196566&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__business/, 1 February 2005.

No politics in this post, sadly. Just some business info that interests me.

Listed black economic empowerment (BEE) fishing, medical equipment and information technology (IT) group Sekunjalo Investments has acquired 81,56% of the entire issued capital in the computer company Synergy Computing.

The acquisition of Synergy boosts Sekunjalo’s strategic growth in its IT portfolio, the companies announced on Monday.

Founded in 1978, Synergy Computing is one of the leading South African software solutions companies functioning in the arena of business intelligence solutions and corporate solutions management.

The transaction is a major step in terms of BEE in the IT industry and has exceeded by far the requirements of the ICT Charter and Black Economic Empowerment Act.

Synergy is well established as an end-to-end business-intelligence solutions implementer providing fast and easy access to critical corporate data. The company leverages corporate performance management benefits from best-of breed productions from leading global vendors including Cognos (Synergy, a Cognos Distributor since 1980, maintains the largest installed base of Cognos customers in Africa), Microsoft Oracle, Sane Solutions and Idu Software.

See also my first post on Cobuyitaphobia.

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Feb08

Juan Cole’s Militarism

by tdaxp on February 8, 2005 at 12:00 am
Posted In: Blogosphere, Iraq, Law

“Guerrillas Kill over 30, wound Dozens, In Continued Iraq Violence: Sadr Movement Coming in Third in South,” by Juan Cole, Informed Consent, http://www.juancole.com/2005/02/guerrillas-kill-over-30-wound-dozens.html, 8 February 2005.

The dictionary defines militarism as

mil·i·ta·rism (mĭl’ĭ-tə-rĭz’əm) pronunciation
n.

1. Glorification of the ideals of a professional military class.
2. Predominance of the armed forces in the administration or policy of the state.
3. A policy in which military preparedness is of primary importance to a state

Given that, how is Juan Cole not a militarist?

Although I do not believe that everyone who advocates a war must go and fight it, I do believe that young men who advocate a war must go and fight it. Goldberg was in his early 30s in 2002, and the army would have taken him. An older colleague who was at Harvard in 1941 told me about how the freshman class rushed to enlist. That was the characteristic of the Greatest Generation– they put their money where their mouths were. Goldberg’s response was insulting to all the soldiers fighting in Iraq who have suffered economically and who are remote from their families.

On the other hand, as Dr. Cole is a cracked-up syphilitic Marxist, perhaps he’s just not worthy of discussion.

Update: Zen Pundit chimes in, with typically brilliant remarks

Strong words. And something of a moral free pass for anti-war activists since if military service is a duty incumbent upon citizens in a time of war this duty exists regardless of the political opinions held by the citizens.

Read more.

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Feb08

Hayekian Marriage Conservatives

by tdaxp on February 8, 2005 at 12:00 am
Posted In: Blogosphere, Women

“Me vs World: Grad School with the Left,” by “Robby,” Willington World, http://willingtonworld.blogspot.com/2005/02/me-vs-world-grad-school-with-left.html, 8 February 2005 (from The Corner)

In the midtst of a great tale of a conservative student in a liberal classroom, this perfect paragraph

The Hayekian argument against same sex marriage says that there does not necessarily need to be a good reason against altering marriage because we do not know all the benefits and influences it has in society. Goldberg says that “tinkering with marriage is like reaching into your car’s engine and monkeying around with the big round thingamajig without really knowing what it does.” There are customs which have invisible benefits which are not realized until they are gone. The g-man points out that the social implications of the modern economy and the women’s liberation movement reduced the nightly habit of family dinners. Recent studies indicate a connection to the growing “epidemic” of obesity due to the absence of home cooked meals. I think it may also be a detriment mentally – the family table seems to be an ideal setting to discuss the news and problems of the day.

As a once and future conservative grad student, I can only say: bravo!

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Feb08

"Cigarettes Bother Me Like Women"

by tdaxp on February 8, 2005 at 12:00 am
Posted In: Health Mullahs, Media

“Link as text,” by Douglas Wiken, Clean Cut Kid, http://www.cleancutkid.com/archive/smoking-189-2.html, 26 January 2005.

“Views of a Shari’ah Theocracy,” by “Jennifer,” Republican Jen, http://journals.aol.com/republicanjen/RepublicanJen/entries/1317, 8 February 2005 (from Roth Report)

The line may be paraphrased from Lawrence of Arabia, but the puritanism behind it is all too real. In Pakistan, a vice mullah condemns females in advertising

“A new attempt is underway to reinforce Islamic fundamentalism at the expense of religious freedom and religious minorities. Mian Nadir Shah, a Member of the North-Western Frontier (NWFP) Provincial Assembly, tabled two private bills that would ban music and dancing in public places and educational institutions and using photographs of women in advertising. In both cases, the offences would be punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 5, 000 and 10, 000 rupees respectively. The accused would have no right to bail.”

…

“Minister Sirajul Haq told reporters that the proposed ban on music and dancing would apply only to public places—including bus terminals, commuter vehicles, hotels and other places—where they can bother people or sites—like educational institutions—which were meant to spread culture.”

Jennifer thinks this sounds like health mullahism in our own country

It reads like somebody from New York making the case against cigarettes or cell phones or even strip joints.

While over at Clean Cut Kid, Douglas Wiken defends anti-secondhand-smoke laws by saying

I don’t know if anybody is saying “second-hand” smoke “is deadly”. But, just aggravating is sufficient for me to think it should be eliminated. I remember going to meetings where the air was blue with smoke and leaving with a splitting headache and my clothes and hair smelling like an ashtray. I don’t miss that one bit.

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