Paul Janisch

Oliveleven

o17 - Rabbitt - When I Was Eleven

Couldn't be more apt. 

 Oliver's now eleven and quite the superstar.  This picture is really for his old man.  We were very fortunate to go away to Lydenburg for a weekend - the house we stayed at has a trout hatchery.  We'd never been trout fishing before and beginner's luck is such that Oliver hauled out a 7lbs trout.  We went fishing again this last weekend and he almost landed a largish trout.  I think he has something there.

But fishing is not really the thing that gets his motor running.  It's now soccer.  Soccer was large in his life four years ago.  As I wrote back then

His ambition is to be a goalie. In order to be a goalie you have to play soccer. And play soccer he does, with great vigour and enthusiasm, to the extent that he has been known to decline going to a party because it clashes with soccer practice. We all delight in watching him play.

If I thought soccer was big then I was wrong. It's now a massive, all-consuming passion and the desire to be a goalie remains.  He was given Neymar Jnr soccer kit and he wears very little else most days when he's not at school.  He is passionate about Spurs - because of Harry Kane and a number of other players.  We are told at every opportunity about which is footballer is worth what and what they did and how they did it and where they live and where he wants to live and soccer and more soccer and some more football.  A typical interaction would be something along these lines.

"Which side are you supporting, Dad?"

"I don't know, I think I'll just enjoy the game."

"I like the first team - they've had more non injuries and sixes and supposed defaults on the bassline than any other team in the crickball league.  The other team have had less possession of bitcoin than the New Zealand tiddlywinks team.  Zanzibar Bucharest is their best player but he's nowhere near as good as Godfearing Thatbanana."

"OK - I think I'll just watch the game."

But it's not soccer that has been his crowing (sic - should be crowning) achievement this year (amongst many).  It's his absolute commitment to cricket.  I don't know what happened this year but he suddenly decided he loved cricket - which is probably my favourite sport.  He has developed into a very good spin bowler over the last 10 months.  I stress, it's only been 10 months.  Last year he played one game for the B team and they decided that he might not have been suited for that team at the time.  Ten months later he's back in the B team,  bumping off kids who've been playing at that level for years.  He has steadfastly stuck to his coaching both private and with the legendary Jimmy Cook. His commitment has truly paid off, his first game in the B team - against St Johns, got him 67 runs and a stumping. Highest score too. He is deservedly immensely proud of himself. His cricket passion has certainly dictated our weekends as his sporting activities take up a lot of time.  

Rugby was the main sport last year.  He didn’t want to play club this year and just played at school.  Last year he started for the E team and ended up in the C team at the end of the season.  This year he made it into the B team and would sub often for the C team.  He took a few knocks on the way but he was committed and worked steadfastly to get into the B team and fought to stay there.  It's quite entertaining watching rugby at this level - they play uncontested scrums and line outs.  In complete contrast to the 15 a-side he was playing last year.  

His soccer and hockey seasons weren't that successful because of severs in his heels which made walking really hard and running very unpleasant.  I think he might be over those now as we enter the cricket season.

Another feature that we are going to get used to is his self expression.  If you look carefully at this picture you'll see a child with blue tips in his hair (and that Neymar shirt too).  This was second prize.  He decided he wanted his whole head dyed blue but the considerate hair bloke talked him out of it because he had a week left of holiday.  He paid more than a month's pocket money (plus tip) for the hair and then got it cut off a week later.  He is undeterred - he's going to do something dramatic, and no doubt expensive, at the beginning of his December holidays.  It's the beginning of tweenhood where a lot of issues need to discussed - and he's not shy to discuss them. 

As far as a year goes, it's been a hard year emotionally as he finds where he fits in in the social circle at school.  He's a bright boy who can explode when pushed.  The school (as do most schools) emphasise the sporting aspects above everything else and he's not quite at the A team level yet and so he's not quite sure where he belongs.  He's a straight A student who doesn't struggle academically at all.  It's this A consistency that doesn't bring him much recognition - the school is used to him over-achieving in that department.  And he is a voracious reader.  It's extraordinary how many books he gets through in a month.  He's reading way over his level.  He's hit the Spud series - which has brought on a new level of questioning of his parents.  

He's finding himself.  I see the parallels in our respective lives.  The finding process is an important part of growing up.  It's his passion that will pull him through.  Once he gets his teeth into something he sticks at it.  Last year it was rugby and this year it's cricket.  He's also dabbling in selling a range of clothing with a friend.  If he gets his head around that then there will be the most amazing lessons learned.

Happy birthday my wonderful Superstar.  The best eldest son any parent could ask for.  Teenhood is two years away - enjoy these carefree years and just be you.  You are the best you I have ever come across.

My friend Chris Daffy, who has a radio show on LM Radio on Saturday and Sunday mornings, got his first direct email from Oliver asking him to play an Oliver-approved song.  In the past it's always been a Peter Green song or an Ollie Halsall song.  My choice was the Rabbitt song because I'm just a massive fan.  But I cannot stray from this blog's tradition.

17 - Fleetwood Mac - Preachin' Blues

This song tells you what a great ear Peter Green had. It's an almost note-perfect cover of a Robert Johnson song.  Most people who have listened to Mr Johnson (or Poor Bob if you please) recognise that Johnson is not an easy artist to cover well.  Here's Green doing Johnson and owning the song - Clapton never got that right.  Happy birthday Mr Green - 72 years old.

And Oliver's take on Peter Green (my son now has his own email address - this was his first email to me)

From: Oliver Janisch  
Sent: 13 January 2018 11:55
To: Paul Janisch 
Subject:

Hi dad peter green😱😩Justin Bieber 🎤🎤🎤🤑

07 - Paul McCartney & Wings - Time To Hide

Denny at his best.  There's a live video showing him messing up the harmonica intro.  It's a great song and I've seen him perform it live.  That's the most fantastic (now erstwhile) Jimmy McCulloch on guitar.  Happy birthday Denny - you've been a vital part of my guitar playing life.

 Patto - Magic door

To many people Ollie Halsall was the most fearsome guitarist.  He was much more than that.  His piano playing was incredible and he was one of the first and only people (other than Frank Zappa) who brought the vibraphone into a rock environment.  The question that should have been leveled at Mr Peter Halsall is "are you real?"

Oliver is real and he's my son and his family adore him.  Happy birthday my wonderful boy. 

Fire Rob Davies and do it now - bounce him with buttterbeelie and abagig

And it's not only me who wants bolshie bob to bugger off to Бирск and never return to South African politics. Take a look at this discussion.  It's a good discussion but if you only want to see what the journalist say about our favourite Bolshevik then skip to 11:30  

 

The Commissioner speaks - transformation slow. Wow how observant

Is it correct to refer to the BEE Commissioner by her first name backwards? Probably not, even though it has a lovely ring.

Our great transformation fronting crusader held a press conference last week.  Please reader, take this post from whence it comes.  I make no bones about the fact that the fundamental basis of the revised codes is wrong.  These codes are not about transformation they serve two purposes

• They are punitive.  It's retribution.  They are devoid of business sense, rendering them unimplementable unless dramatic plans are made (and I know all those plans)
• They are designed primarily to give black businesses an absolute advantage over their "untransformed" competitors.  This is aimed primarily at state procurement. You can tell this because more tenders are insisting on bidders with very high levels.  I suspect this will be challenged at some stage

Back to the commissioner.  

Broad-based black economic empowerment in South Africa is moving in the right direction, but too slowly. That’s the word from Zodwa Ntuli, acting commissioner of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Commission (B-BBEE Commission), who adds the commission is confident that the pace of broad-based black economic empowerment in South Africa will soon accelerate.

The article is mostly about fronting, not that that should come as a surprise - the commission was established for this sole purpose.  There is a statement which adequately demonstrates how absolutely devoid of reality the Commissioner and the dti are

“If we implement B-BBEE the way it is intended, we’ll be able to create more jobs and integrate more graduates into the economy,” Ntuli says.

Let's look at these statements individually.

 Transformation is happening but slowly. 

I found another article where she said she understand that these codes were new.  Even so this is a problem.  The last codes were removed because the scores got too high too quickly.  A study was conducted in a similar manner as zuma's (still lowercase, and to show my sheer disgust I have decided to also use a smaller font for this infantile moron's name) "intelligence report" on Pravin and Jonas.  The dti had proof that transformation was not taking place, they conducted a study - which also showed that black businesses were being charged R35k for a BEE certificate.  That report has never been made public and never will.

The result are the new codes.  Ridiculously hard to implement - so hard in fact that bolshie bob has suggested that all black businesses should be exempt from implementing them, irrespective of turnover.  Of course progress is going to be slow, this is exacerbated by the paucity of verification agencies and SANAS' ridiculous processes.  In fact I'm surprised that it's done as well as it has.

Correct implementation will create more jobs and integrate more graduates into the economy

At best this comment is myopic.  At worst it's complete delusion.  When you consider that the cost burden on those companies who are left to pick up the pieces of the transformation of the economy, is so high, there is no space to employ more people.  Throw in the employment legislation and you get a lack of will to employ anyone at all.  Don't forget that we are in a technical recession as well.  There's no money for any of this.

The other issue that is not being spoken about is what contribution are those black-owned businesses that are exempt from BEE making toward this process? This is an unknown because they never get verified.  

The Commissioner is not giving us a proper picture here.  But she doesn't need to because the bubble she lives in doesn't require her to.