tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post1372381722174329173..comments2024-03-27T17:03:57.341-04:00Comments on Murder is Everywhere: Ehis Konneh?Ovidia Yuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05749549092493567689noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-51342433502722075992011-05-24T05:24:13.073-04:002011-05-24T05:24:13.073-04:00Thank you for that story, Stan. Now I understand ...Thank you for that story, Stan. Now I understand why so many Greeks lived in and relate so well to South Africa. Not sure though which came first, the chicken or the egg.<br /><br />--JeffAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-82176036704815900212011-05-23T03:48:33.146-04:002011-05-23T03:48:33.146-04:00Bureaucratic DNA must be the same anywhere. I rec...Bureaucratic DNA must be the same anywhere. I received a South African pilot license way back in 1979. When I returned to SA periodically and wanted to fly, I had to renew my license. Unfortunately I had misplaced my radio license - a necessary requirement for obtaining a license. Off to Pretoria, the administrative capital of SA."No Sir, we don't have a record of your radio license," said the bureaucrat in a think Afrikaans accent, closing the fourth large ledger book in which all knowledge was recorded. I sighed. <br />"You agree I have a pilot's license," I said politely, handing over my license. <br />"Ja," came the reply. <br />"And you agree that I had to have a radio license to get my pilot's license." Again a model of politeness. <br />"Ja." <br />"So can't you just issue a duplicate?" Now fawning.<br />"No. The record are not in the book."<br /><br />And so on and on and on.<br /><br />I ended up flying in South Africa on a validation of my US license, with the process thoughtfully lubricated with large boxes of chocolates (purely as an advance thank you gesture) to a cheerful and very large Afrikaans tannie (auntie) who lived deep in the Civil Aviation building. StanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-45868470811060646332011-05-22T17:39:28.531-04:002011-05-22T17:39:28.531-04:00Thanks, Lil, for appreciating my suffering.
And...Thanks, Lil, for appreciating my suffering. <br /><br />And, Dan, I'm amazed at your experience. Usually, the Federal Government embraces anyone willing to pay taxes--as the separate states vie to pick at whatever is left on the bones.Jeffrey Sigerhttp://www.jeffreysiger.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-51432259323123312752011-05-22T15:58:47.302-04:002011-05-22T15:58:47.302-04:00You Americans want to try and get an American tax ...You Americans want to try and get an American tax number. Now that was one hell of an undertaking. Took me half a year. Kafka would have baulked at the twists that saga took...Dan Waddellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04320741202757960766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-22150497766796961632011-05-21T22:26:36.235-04:002011-05-21T22:26:36.235-04:00If you have to suffer through all that, I guess th...If you have to suffer through all that, I guess the beach is a good place to do it ;-)lil Glucksternhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09288522126331817172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-87158612889122840992011-05-21T15:30:17.989-04:002011-05-21T15:30:17.989-04:00A top secret way to get to PAY taxes? Now that, M...A top secret way to get to PAY taxes? Now that, Michael, would be a first here!<br /><br />And, Beth, back in the good ole days, when files were paper and lines were as long as those the DMVers must have been doing on their frequent breaks, I actually remember a judge accepting, "But I was in line at the DMV since first thing this morning" as an excuse for a tardy lawyer's almost noontime appearance in court. <br /><br />Moral: It's the same everywhere in the world, only different.Jeffrey Sigerhttp://www.jeffreysiger.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-47707309370284938472011-05-21T10:54:31.571-04:002011-05-21T10:54:31.571-04:00Things have improved greatly since driving license...Things have improved greatly since driving licenses can now be renewed online, but the soul-killer in most jurisdictions is usually the Department of Motor Vehicles. <br /><br />In Massachusetts, as in most states, licenses have to be renewed every few years by birth date. With an October birthday, it is reasonable to show up toward the end of September. One lovely morning I arrived to join a line of about six people 10 minutes or so before the DMV opened. When it did, we politely and calmly progressed into the office that had a long counter and places for six DMV employees to serve the people.<br /><br />When we entered, no one was at their appropriate station. Three of four people were busy lining up the supplies that might be needed that day; the other two or three were not in sight. After a few minutes, one DMV official took her place at the counter. By this time, the line is out the door and on to the sidewalk. Then the other DMV people appeared and those near the front of the line could see they were carrying large boxes.<br /><br />No, Jeff, it wasn't donuts: it was Thanksgiving Day decorations which they began to carefully place/hang around the office. In that Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, this enthusiasm for a very important holiday was not met with appreciation by the people in the line which had now snaked along the front of the building. How did I know this? Periodically, a representative from the line would come in to see why it was that the line had not yet moved. This individual would mumble something unprintable but it could only be heard by those in the immediate vicinity because everyone knows the unwritten rule: if the mob gets testy, the workers get even slower.<br /><br />The only reason that no one at the DMV is murdered is that licenses do have to be removed and no day is ever better than another.<br /><br />Thank the state for automation. Now we don't have to appear in person as often and things move better but no one faces the DMV happily. They control the lives of just about every resident of the state over the age of sixteen and a half.<br /><br />No DMV offices have beautiful beaches nearby as an alternative way to spend the day.<br /><br />BethAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-14377041178832811172011-05-21T04:48:48.657-04:002011-05-21T04:48:48.657-04:00We all know how you feel, Jeff. My personal favori...We all know how you feel, Jeff. My personal favorite is trying to get the tax authorities here to validate that I'm a South African Taxpayer for our German publisher (for royalty payment purposes). I have developed a system which means that instead of taking two weeks it takes half an hour. It's top secret though and took me three years to work out!<br />Michael.Michael Sears (of Michael Stanley)https://www.blogger.com/profile/09886295534214542834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990338437877873686.post-76205678479407274642011-05-21T02:08:59.363-04:002011-05-21T02:08:59.363-04:00OMG - a legal alien finally ;-)OMG - a legal alien finally ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com