The art of silence as a medical therapy

You have heard the concept of "zening out" or "listening to the inner you" or 'meditation' or just plain old "shut up" or more modestly corned as 'shut down'. Ohh maybe not that one, cause one might end up terming themselves as a computer. Well lets review this.

The therapy of silence is one that  has been practiced for many years - such that it can no longer be deemed as something new but rather rephrased afresh. The mind can no more keep silent as no space can remain unfilled by something. Solitude is termed that because of one being with oneself, in their own surroundings. It is not a mear term of absolute stillness. This cant exist in the world we live in, becuase space should be filled. How we choose to fill it clearly (in some way) belongs to us.

Back to my previous statement... but this time we use the term 'vacuum' in this sense, we are not at any point empty( the mind that is). A vacuum can iether swell up becuase of air or because of what is cleaned up. Niether of the times can one say that they are empty. Hence the phrase "empty your mind" is filled with "allow something else in" when one is mediating.

The art of silence is not looking at tla complete silence becuse we have astablished that something like that can not exist. The art of silence is to review what filles the mind when one has dispelled what currently is filling the mind now. Its what one may call a change of thought process or a transfer of thought. These two are different. How so. Let us review.

Now a change of thought process is just the thoughts being shifting from thought which predominantly is negative to another thought which may result in a positive result. On the other hand transfer of thought is when thoughts are moved from our own thoughts to another influence. For example what does God say? The 'higher power', what is the noise around you? What is the person or people around you saying? Wat gaan an!? Lol.

"Check out the book called " Shut up, stop whinning and get a life " by Larry Winget. Its a bit on the harsh side...but pay close attention to the beginning parts of the  book.
So what do doctors say about silence?
The article below gives a brief discussion on the importance of silence. Check it out and let me know what you think. Its very insightful and elaborate on how doctors are trying to improve the zen of quiteness.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwij_JrrlKDiAhVIxoUKHbxcCKIQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.psychologytoday.com%2Fintl%2Fblog%2Fhappiness-in-world%2F200912%2Fthe-effective-use-silence&psig=AOvVaw1pk4r0eJNvz-vRMTyLVoKj&ust=1558099970114618

All the best as we learn to develop the art of silence.

Music makes me feel...( music and psychological healing)

How does loud music help in healing.
This is the aspect of which music can bring about a sense of community and a source of coming together. Thus musical therapies can lead to mental and physical healing.Does it not depend on context before content.

"Music perception was demonstrated to bring about positive change in patient-reported outcomes such as eliciting positive emotion, and decreasing the levels of stressful conditions. Whilst sound holds both negative and positive aspects of the hospital ecosystem and may be stressful, it also possesses a soothing quality that induces positive feelings in patients"
http//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27611092/

According to the article above the sound of music can lead to mental healing - this can result in people uplifted about their level of health. It can also lead to people feeling a little less happy about their state becuase it can cause one to feel sadness about a particular area in thier lives.
So what are we talking here - things such as love songs or dance songs can evoke sorrow or pity for oneself or happiness and joy at one end.  It might make one feel strong at one end or rude and disrespecrul at another.

Music can help a person grow in different areas for the better or the worst. Ofcause all this is relative to background, to religious belief or even education. While  others may listern to Jazz and classical music for srudying or relaxing, some would prefer gospel or neosoul for the same effect. I guess it all depends. What can I say I'm not a doctor.

But review this on your own and let me know...all the best.

Medicine in the present world

It has been one of the most sort after ways of healing the body, mind and even soul. Which has developed because of human need, though it dates back to ancient times. It has only recently divided into " therapies "such as the physical and psychological medical among many others.

Some may argue that modern medication has led to the distilling of ancient healing means. In ancient times we find that in African history ( of which some of these practices still continue) that procedures  such as the C-section has lead to the development of high-tech equipment. Surgeons and midwives were instrumental in carrying out these complicated tasks. Hence we are thankful for modern medical supplies.

In case of emerging emergency what can be done? The fight between modern medication and traditional healing is one that has gone on for years. Where do we draw the line. Can mommy play doctor? Experiential knowledge has its views on that point while literal knowledge begs to differ.

The web "brandsouthafrica.com",points at a different direction concerning just the availability of even the basic medication towards the underprivileged sector. The article continues to encourage and beg for the improvement of modern medication.

The health department has come to do it's best in improving the situation in regards to ensuring those who wish to further their studies in the medical arena.
The article does however state that in relation to 'child birth', "from WHO, South Africa has a maternal mortality ratio of 310 deaths per 100 000 lives births. The infant (under-1) mortality rate in 2010 was 41 deaths per 1 000 live births, while the under-5 mortality rate was 57 per 1 000 live births"

Which is a long way from the 100% death rate reported of in Europe centuries ago, according to black history. The literal modern day medicine and experiential  medicine as well as the traditional health care verses the modern health care should find a middle ground. Its a long way off in learning how to balance these all.
As one would say, doctor knows best. ' a doctor advised that in all matters of the above, its best to decide on what to do according to preference and according to emergency as well'

So whats in a colour?

As a journalist how can I cast a view point on dress and the way people treat one in because of how they are dressed?
The 'red number' does not only meam the color itself?

Simple : So what do we do? The art of bright colours in in gatherings is one that has taken off over the last few centuries and dates back to times of old. Where people had their brightly coloured hoodies and bottoms fit for a party on any given day. Kind of like a holiday town vibe where people play.

Although a free spirited situation, voicing out artistic flair, needs consultancy is needed. Thats why businesses like clothing consultants and brand image designers are needed because clothing your business can go horribly wrong.

So whats in a colour? The little pops of red can be identified with 3 major things which can indicate an incurable disease or mourning even prosperity. Although wearing at someone's wedding or a funeral ( SA context) can how ever lead a more mature single lady can be associated with a robust behaviour personality. Blue can be associated with level headedness in the working environment hence making one seem trustworthy. While light colours make one seem approachable. Greens are associated with abundance or self centeredness. With yellows being more related to warning or a warm personality. While it can signify dearing or  even a cowardly behaviour.

How then do we conclude? Can all those be concluded that this is infact the case. Well, we'd have to look at the context, mind you and the personality to which you deem needs to be impressed, where you might be giong and so forth. While earth tones can give a sense of reliability and consistency it may some how showcase a lack of friendliness or a feeling of sadness.

None can readily depict a colours effect... I guess getting to know another beyond one incident, studying their behaviour can balance a relationship because focusing on one aspect can lead a shakey representation 
However check your own view and let your life tell the story in colours. You might just need a doctor in that field too.

TRADITIONAL MARKETING VERSUS DIGITAL MARKETING

IS TRADITIONAL MEDIA STILL EFFECTIVE IN THIS DIGITAL AGE?

I still agree that traditional media is still effective in this digital age. The only thing marketers have to do is to combine both platforms and see if the results can not go on their side. I would like to advice marketers to integrate all platforms of media to push their services to the market and pull their target market to the services or products.

Social media platforms can be integrated with traditional media platforms like news papers, television and the radio. The picture below shows different type of food being integrated to make up one product which people like it. So i compare this food with Traditional media and the Digital media. 

THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES ARE SHOWN BELOW

INTEGRATED PRODUCT

Education is just a system

By Mamosa kekana

This piece is inspired by the movie '3 idiots'

Day in and day out you hear of students Dropping out of school, some Committing suicide because of societal expectations and the education system.
Which is 'learn, leave ,labour'. School has one systematical way of doing things and if you fail to comprehend you are challenging convention.
They teach you to memorise. In most cases it's never how you comprehend it. It's how the teacher wants you to understand it, failure to do so, will result in you getting flunked.
Although I have to commend the system for allowing the brain intellectual capacity. I have to also condemn it for crippling the brain to be narrow minded. To not dare to dream big, but rather get a degree, work for someone ,make them rich.

The cohesive elites 'academics' are given special treatment because they get "it'. They are separated from the rest. They are taught to compete or die because that's how the real world is. Then they start  looking down on the 'rest' because they are not of their level. And
Such creates animosity amongst a class who's main purpose was to learn and have fun while doing it. But instead there's educational segregation.

 Why can't we all be equal.Why can't we just choose 'not so serious'  courses like Arts, and be embraced as 'academics' ?
 WHY?
"We are all academics irrespective of the spectrum" Nqobile Sibisi

The bride price- ilobolo

By: Noxolo Nhlangothi

“In black communities fathers mostly believe in educating boy children further rather than girls.
 Grade 12 is usually seen as enough education for a girl child as opposed to boys…”

Firstly if we had to face facts we would be compelled to admit that black South Africans do not have money or stable financial plans even for their own future and their families. Young people on their side are left out to accumulate funds for themselves to study as most even work on the other side to pay for their own fees our parents also struggle if not at all they completely fail. Since education is the key to success if one is without it they completely fail in life.

How many of our brothers and uncles are working and getting underpaid because all that they had has been paid to their in-laws? How many out of those black brothers are sitting at home with their wives whom they paid ilobolo for and are not working?

Looking at how ilobolo came about one can just see that fathers never saw their girl children as smart enough to learn, work and help out in the families while on the other hand a father who has a boy child would also have their boy “buy” a girl from another family. In black communities fathers mostly believe in educating boy children further rather than girls. Grade 12 is usually seen as enough education for a girl child as opposed to boys who fathers would even sell their cows to send to schools.

Ilobolo is a culture most black families practice; young people grow up and follow through with it also even though they do not clearly understand. Some even get aggressive when they are asked about their feelings on this issue just to show how uncomfortable they are in discussing their cultural systems if the one who brings up the topic is bringing a different view. Young and old women on the other hand agree that it should be practiced further without even looking at the fact that they are the ones being sold.

Most young ladies end up as single mothers all because guys usually make them pregnant then run off since most families have no cows to “buy” the expecting bride from her family as this is what would be expected of him. Young women have defined love by how much the opposite sex has as this is what families require on the processes of their send off to some other ladies household to cook, clean and please the husband.

No aims to look down on culture is intended here but if the black people were to be honest and accept that indeed this is a set back and that it should be changed to help improve the financial status of many black families.

Girls are also human and have same brains and intellectual capacities as boys; they are not objects to be traded. Only the right education will help wash out this ideological way of life.

Outrage over letter to the president

By Aviwe Mtila

Thuli Madonselas’ letter to president Jacob Zuma has caused a stir in the National Assembly and the nation at large.

In her letter, Madonsela takes issues with president Zuma’s response and his failure to respond adequately to her report on the Nkandla upgrades.

What is really saddening is how prominent members of the African National Congress (ANC) are outraged by the letter to the president and have attacked Madonsela.

Stone Sizani, ANCs’ chief whip in parliament, noted with “disappointment” Madonselas’ letter, while Gwede Mantashe, ANC secretary general, rambled on about there being a “tight coordination”, instead of dealing with the real issue at hand.

Have our leaders become so ruthless and transparent in their corrupt ways that they don’t even show remorse in the mismanagement of taxpayers’ money? Isn’t attacking a person who defends the improper use of tax in a democratic country, in effect, an attack on democracy itself?

In the letter to the president, Thuli Madonsela stated that the procurement process was improper, in violation of the prescribed Supply Chain Management policy framework and resulted in unduly, excessive amounts of public money being spent unnecessarily.

Instead of acknowledging and rectifying the issue at hand, our leaders, in the form of the ANC, have opted to draw attention on the Economic Freedom Front (EFF), urging for action to be taken against the party for their conduct at the National Assembly.

While greed and self-enrichment seems to be the order of the day in our current leaders, it is clear that something needs to be done to change the situation in our country.

Why the ALS Bucket Challenge is awesome.

Simvuyele Mageza

What does Britney Speares, Bill Gates, Justin Bieber and Mark Zuckerberg, among many others, all have in common? They took part in the ALS bucket challenge! In full view of everyone and anyone who has internet access.

The internet has become alight with the ALS bucket challenge, or the ice bucket challenge, with hundreds of thousands of people, celebrities included, dumping buckets of ice water on themselves and others in the name of charity. 

But how? You might  ask.

Well, ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a lethal neurodegenerative disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It is characterized by muscle spasticity, rapidly progressive weakness due to muscle atrophy, difficulty in speaking, swallowing and breathing. It is the most common of the 5 major muscle neuron diseases.

The ice bucket challenge suggests that people take videos and/or photos of themselves dumping ice or cold water on their bodies. As they do this, they will then nominate 3 other people to do the same. The original idea was either you donate money to the foundation or you hit the ice. People seem to be opting to do both.

Now, with any internet sensation, there are bound to be naysayers. But here are just a few reasons why the ice bucket is not just a publicity stunt.

1. It actually raises money for ALS research.

Will Oremus at Slate, Oremus argues that the challenge had nothing to do with ALS and that it seems unlikely that the campaign is actually the amount of money being given to ALS. He also said that, along with many others, people are posting videos but not actually donating money.

However, the ALS Association has since said that it raised over $15.6 million as a result of the campaign, nine times more than what it normally raises in the same time frame. Another ALS charity, Project ALS, told media that it’s donations were 50 times normal. 

2. It encourages people to donate to charity in general.

William McAskill, a moral philosopher wrote “…research from my own non-profit, which raises money for most effective global poverty charities, has found that, for every $1 we raise, $0.50 would have been donated anyway…so because of the overall money that ALS research has received, I’d bet that half of it is what other charities lost in the process.”

But this is very wrong. Firstly, there is 50% more money being given to other charities than there would have been among this group of donors. McAskill fears that this money and attention is being taken away from other charities, its an opportunity for them to find their own campaigns to compete. In this way, more money will be raised for good causes.

3. It is raising enough money to matter

Ezekiel Emanuel, chairman of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania reckons that for all the noise that this campaign is generating, it is quiet useless.  According to him, the money that has been made thus far is too little to make any real change, to be transformative. 

However, Rob Goldstein, the chief executive of ALS TDI, another ALS project, has said that the entire amount annually on ALS is around $80 million. So, with that said, a $15 million headstart is fantastic. 

We have seen it many times, especially when it comes to medical research. A little donation can go a long way, if invested properly. 

To find out more on where and how you can donate to ALS research, go to www.projectals.org/suport-us/donate-now/ 

What's in a title?

By Siyamtanda Capa

According to his CV-  Dr Zwelidinga Pallo Jordan studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and attended the London school of Economics, perhaps the intellectual and ANC stalwart believed it himself , however a single Sunday Times article took it all away from him.

Pallo Jordan- the daily dispatch online

The article which revealed that Pallo Jordan did not possess a Doctorate and in fact had no formal qualification came as a shock to many and social media was abuzz. It is no doubt that many lost a great deal of respect for him and called him a liar. A respectable man was brutally exposed and South Africans watched as the reputation of a man who contributed greatly to the struggle disappeared.

Under the title Mr. Jordan served as the minister of environmental affairs and the minister of tourism. In Lady Grey a small town in the Eastern Cape, a school is known as “Dr Pallo Jordan Primary school” the revelation probably shocked the teachers at the school and left them with the question of where to from here?

Lying about your qualifications seems to be a trend among public figures. Other prominent people with fake qualification include:

Thandi Modise, Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces lied about studying towards a masters degree in economics and attending a leadership course at the “University of Jordan”

The late Sicelo Shiceka, former minister of cooperative governance and Traditional affairs lied about having a masters degree in Political economy from the University of Free state. SABC COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng also lied about having a grade 12 certificate.

a cartoon by Zapiro

Pallo Jordan lied about his qualifications and got caught. We are yet to get an explanation as to why he felt the need to lie when in fact in South Africa with no formal education and qualifications one may even become president of the republic.

With everything said, one cannot forget the work that Pallo Jordan has written and his analysis on South African politics. If a man without a doctorate and any formal qualification can write the works that this man has written and be a man of valued opinion, what then is in a title?

EARTHQUAKE STRIKES SOUTH AFRICA

By Nompumelelo Kubheka

An earthquake with a 5.5 magnitude has been felt throughout the country on Tuesday, 6 August killing one man, injuring 34 mine workers and damaging buildings.

The earthquake was felt in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town and with the epicentre in the Orkney area in the North West. 

One man was killed when a wall collapsed on him in, 34 mine workers were injured while hoisted to safety along with 3 300 workers at AngloGold Ashanti  mines and at least 400 houses have been damaged in Orkney according to news24 report.

Buildings shook in Johannesburg and surrounding area. Clinics and schools had to close in Orkney.

So what caused this tremor?

Dr Herman van Niekerk, a specialist in structural geology at the department of geology at the University of Johannesburg, told Beeld that the African continent is slowly ripping apart, with a giant tear stretching from the Rift Valley to northern Mozambique.

According to Beeld, these movements place stress on the Earth's crust, which needs to release this stress somewhere, and on Tuesday it happened near Orkney.

The eastern section of this tear is moving away from the rest of the continent at about 2.5cm per year, according to The Basement Geographer. The tear will eventually result in a new tectonic plate and a new continent containing most of Africa's east coast, known as the Somali plate.

So it is not the mining activity that caused the quake, pointing out that the epicentre was 10km underground, while the deepest mines in the area were only 4km deep according to Herman.

The Council for GeoScience, Michelle Grobbelaar also told Eyewitness News that the quake was not related to mining or fracking, saying the area had experienced earthquakes in the past. She added that the depth of the quake caused the tremor to spread widely, which is why it was felt over large parts of the country

Michelle Grobbelaar further stated that Durbanites got a taste of the earthquake because the beach sand tends to amplify the ground motion.

What should you do after an earthquake, according to news24:  

·       Establish if you have sustained any injuries. Check around you and try to see if anyone else sustained any injuries. If you can provide first aid, proceed to do so.  

·       Call emergency services for medical assistance if someone sustained an injury.  

·        If the building you are in sustained structural damage, even if you are unsure, evacuated calmly and quickly. (If possible)  

·       Try and listen to your local radio station for emergency or news updates.  

·       Do not enter any damaged buildings or areas. There might be debris lying around. Be very careful around broken glass and other items that can cause you harm. Do not take off your shoes.  

·        Stay away from beaches until the area has been announced as safe.  

·        If the area you are in has an evacuation or emergency plan, try and follow it.

Things to do during earthquakes:

•  Stay calm.
•  Try and stay where you are. 
• Use large and sturdy objects such as a big desk to crawl under. 
•  If you are in a building, try and stand with your back against the wall near the centre of the building.
• Stay away from windows and outside doors.
• Should you be outside at the time of an earthquake, look around you. Ensure you are clear from power cables or anything overhead that might fall on you. Do not stand near or against a building, debris might fall on top of you.
• Use the stairs to evacuate premises (only when it is safe to do so)

Other things you should know about earthquakes:

•     At the earth’s surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacement of the ground.
•         They are caused mostly by rapture of geological faults. Other events such as volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts and nuclear tests may trigger them.
•          Magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes are mostly imperceptible or weak and magnitude 7 and over potentially causes serious damage over larger areas, depending on their depth.