Speckled Bean

15/11/2024

Sspeckled Bean Flip Book Available;

Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker

01/11/2024

Spot On – First of November Means Speckled Bean is Ready for You!

That’s right, your November issue of Speckled Bean is waiting on the server just for you. Head to www.speckledbean.com and grab it now!

A whopping 72 pages, packed with what you love – that’s right, people are clamouring for more, and we’re bringing it! Every page celebrates us, the working class, and it’s hitting hard.

So, dig in, enjoy, and remember to pop by our brand-new coffee shop at the entrance to Clarens for a cuppa. You’ve earned it!

Cheers,
The Speckled Bean Team

31/10/2024

Corporate Customer Service
A Comedy of Errors or Just a Bad Dream?
Imagine stepping into a carnival funhouse that promises a friendly guide to lead you through, only to find mirrors and dead-ends that distort your every step.
Welcome to corporate customer service, where cheerful, multi-coloured computers greet you with hollow words like “We care!” and “Your satisfaction is our priority!” Yet, once inside, it quickly feels like you’re navigating an escape room with no way out.
Consider the first act: you’re on hold, trapped in a limbo of chirpy, looping elevator tunes, waiting for the infamous “quality-monitored” voice. It finally arrives, telling you to send an email—an email that might as well be delivered by carrier pigeon.
You might think you’re on a comedy show, but the joke is that your email will likely vanish into an inbox black hole where responses seem as mythical as unicorns. In corporate customer service, every email is like casting a message into the ocean, hoping a bottle will wash up with help. Spoiler alert: it rarely does.
Now imagine you’re stranded at the station, hearing the announcement, “All trains are running smoothly,” while watching every train zoom past, never stopping. Meanwhile, a choir of accountants stands behind closed doors, singing hymns to profit with fervour, blissfully unaware of the crowd clamouring outside. For these accountants, it’s like a private party where the “people” are just statistics, only real when they translate into a healthy bottom line.
And then, there’s the cherry on top: the company executives—presumably the conductors of this circus—snoozing in their plush offices, blissfully unfazed by the chaos below. It’s as if they’re backstage at a theatre, oblivious that the main act is a farce.
In this world, “We’re here to help!” sounds more like a catchphrase from a sitcom than a promise. The whole setup feels like a reality show, and the twist is that we, the frustrated customers, are the only ones who know the punchline.
End

31/10/2024

Charlene Smith
I love visiting new towns and going into restaurants or hotels that not only have local art on the walls but the name of the artwork, artist, and price. I’m always looking for new art, nothing I hate more than what I call supermarket-art: mass-produced Holiday Inn type fakery,

30/10/2024

Remember that. Phew. time flies. GB

A wonderful evening here in Mauritius with Penny Coelen - Miss World.

30/10/2024

Check this out!

In a recent podcast "Maintaining with Tyrus", Donald Trump revealed a side of his life that most people don't get to see: Donald Trump, the family man. In th...

27/10/2024

Hey guys, give Heidi your support. GB

26/10/2024

This makes you "Drink",

If you want to get more interesting products, you can visit my storehttp://univea.shopIf you want to see more interesting IQ challenges or questions, please ...

25/10/2024

Baksteen blew it!
Whistleblowers thought they’d bring change, but our politicians? Useless, broer! They grab the whistle, blow it back, and run in circles like it’s a vuvuzela contest. Imagine two toddlers fighting over a hosepipe—everyone’s wet, but nobody’s washing the car.
Baksteen? She just grunts, “If blowing whistles fixed anything, I’d have blown one every time my neighbour braaied with gas instead of wood. Useless nonsense!”
Our whistleblowers are like lifeguards warning about sharks, flaky deals, new get rich schemes and hell everything. Meanwhile, the politicians gather like pigeons around stale bread, shouting, “Investigation!” Baksteen claps her hands and says, “Investigation? That’s just a tea break with fancier chairs.” Spot on—every report reads like a dodgy love letter: Dear South Africa, we’re working on it. Love, your community leader. P.S. Please vote again.
Ja well no fine.
Have a great weekend
Da Team.

19/10/2024

Wko remermber this? Great people, great events, and the mother grundies? They just bough themselves a new Harley. Time to come back buggers? GB

18/10/2024

Baksteen Opens the Clarens Theatre of Tragedy and Comedy
For her grand opening night, Baksteen, in her infinite wisdom, selected what she called “A Comedy of Tragedies” – none other than ESKOM. It was a masterpiece of modern farce, with everyone’s favourite Herculean leading lady, Baksteen, playing herself.
The Dominee made a fine appearance as an Eskom official, though a little too convincing at times. Tant Sarie, bless her heart, took to her role with terrifying zeal – you could tell she found unnatural joy in playing the part. She claimed she was born to it.
Then there was Wagter as head of security, growling in the doorway like a dog with something to prove. Pieter, ever the optimist, was our trusty stagehand – his job was to keep the lights on, a task that seemed ambitious from the start. And as for me, I took up the noble post of official press reporter, though I spent most of my evening in the smoking area nursing a sentimental reunion with an old flame, Klippies and Coke.
The whole of Clarens was summoned for this night of comedy, and they arrived eager, though mostly for the snacks. Wagter stood at the door, tongue hanging out, teeth bared, barking at anyone who didn’t toss a coin or a crumpled note into the improbably tall hat. A clever tactic, to be sure. After all, what’s culture without a bit of funding?
Baksteen, the woman of the hour, stormed onto centre stage, wasting no time. With all the fire and brimstone of a veld thunderstorm, she lit into Tant Sarie. The Dominee, bless his misguided soul, got flustered and forgot his lines. Instead of sticking to the script, he started defending Tant Sarie, all gallant-like, as if she were some fragile blossom in need of rescuing.
Tant Sarie shrieked, "This isn’t the bloody script! I'm supposed to tell them about the new 40% tariff increase and all the benefits – benefits, I tell you!”
Well, that set Baksteen off like a veld fire. “Dis nonsense!” she bellowed, “Who the hell wrote this rubbish?” Pieter, hoping to calm things down, ventured onto the stage. But Baksteen turned on him like a rabid dassie, demanding he fix the only flickering lamp on the stage, which was now dancing between on and off like it was at a disco.
By this point, the mood in the room was decidedly "electric," in that way Eskom likes to promise but seldom delivers. Folks started wandering back to the hat by the door – not to put in more money, mind you, but to see if they could get some of their contributions back. Some took a little extra while they were at it.
Ja-nee, it was a right moerse mess, and all over in under 20 minutes. The audience dispersed quicker than a flock of startled guinea fowl. Pieter caught a hard klap from Baksteen on his way out – I think it was for artistic effect, though it landed with quite some realism. And Wagter, not one to miss his moment, lifted his leg on the door just as I was closing it.
And that, dear reader, was the opening night of the Clarens Theatre of Tragedy and Comedy. A spectacular 20-minute take-away!
Speckled Bean.
www.speckledbean.com

17/10/2024

Whats you view... Letter to the Minister of Energy Regarding Eskom Billing Practices
Kevin Mileham 083 463 8858 [email protected]
Edwin Baptie 082 416 5475 [email protected]
Nico Pienaar 0829272399 [email protected]
From;
To:
The Honourable Minister of Energy

Subject: Request for Reform of Eskom Billing Practices
Dear Honourable Minister,
I am writing to raise pressing concerns about Eskom's billing practices, which are causing significant confusion and frustration for customers. The reliance on forecast-based billing and complex adjustments has created a situation where many customers find it difficult to understand their bills or manage their accounts effectively.
Our own account review has revealed ongoing arrears despite receiving credits and making regular payments. This inconsistency, caused by reliance on forecasted consumption and retroactive billing, places unnecessary burdens on customers.

Key Concerns with Eskom’s Billing Practices
1. Forecasting Creates Confusion
o Eskom’s use of forecast-based billing leads to inflated charges that are only corrected later, creating constant arrears and adjustments. Customers cannot plan their payments effectively because they are not billed based on actual consumption.
2. Rebills and Back-Billing Add Complexity
o Frequent rebills and back-billing adjustments further complicate accounts, leaving customers in perpetual arrears despite making payments. This cycle of overcharging, followed by corrections, makes it impossible to know what is genuinely owed.
3. Interest Charges and Late Payments Compound the Problem
o Because bills are often unclear and based on estimates, customers struggle to keep up. As a result, interest accumulates, even though they attempt to pay regularly, further driving accounts into arrears.
4. Shift to Pay-As-You-Go Billing is Unfair
o The recent move toward pay-as-you-go-style billing creates additional pressure on customers. All other suppliers bill customers monthly for services already rendered, and Eskom should follow the same principle. Forcing customers to prepay for usage is neither practical nor fair in a normal billing relationship.
o Imagine walking into an office and submitting an invoice before even starting work for the month! No sir-ree. Like any other business, Eskom can wait 30 days for payment—just as all workers wait to get paid at the end of the month.
Request for Action
We respectfully urge your office to intervene and require Eskom to:
1. Revert to normal monthly billing based on actual meter readings, not forecasts or prepayments. Bills should reflect the energy consumed during the prior month, just like any other utility or service provider.
2. Utilize electronic meter readings to ensure accurate billing and minimize the need for estimated bills or back-billing adjustments.
3. Eliminate reliance on forecasted billing and pay-as-you-go models, which place undue pressure on customers and create confusion.
4. Ensure clear, simple, and predictable bills that customers can easily understand, with transparent due dates and no surprise adjustments.
By adopting these measures, Eskom will align its billing practices with standard business principles, allowing customers to manage their payments and energy usage effectively.
Conclusion
We urge you to make these changes a priority to restore transparency and trust in Eskom’s billing practices. With clear, predictable monthly bills and accurate meter readings, both Eskom and its customers can benefit from a more stable and fair system.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your prompt action in resolving these issues.

Yours sincerely,

16/10/2024

Hi all,
Further to the planned Dinosaur Festival, The Dinofes – Clarens, we are currently considering two proposals. Some new developments have arisen, one of which concerns the date. We are facing a water issue in the near future, expected to last for six months, which suggests that May 2025 could be the ideal month to host the event. The question is, are there any other events scheduled for that period?
In addition, we have the launch of the Golden Gate Highlands National National Park Dinosaur Centre, (GGHNP). It would be fantastic to see their involvement at Dinofes, and even more importantly, to see The Dinofes working closely with GGHNP and the Dinosaur Centre to build the interest and exposure that both long-overdue projects truly deserve.
The bus trips, walk/ hikes along their trails as part of the program would be a great attraction, never mind the additional accommodation they have to offer.
Lastly, after reviewing the video we’ve put together, a key question arises: should we consider running this event over two weekends with a week in between? We tried this approach before with the Clarens Visual Arts Festival, and it was a great success. One artist made an R80,000 sale to Standard Bank because, during the festival week, the buyer heard the advert on her car radio on the way to Durban, stopped her car, and drove to Clarens.
So, it’s time for your feedback, Clarens, GGHNP, and Tourists / Tourist Operators. Please look at the video and share your thoughts.
1. Best regards,
GB
2. LINK;

Where can you fit into all of this! Haw can you become part of the event and sell your products. Watch the video and look for your opportunity. Dont buy anyt...

13/10/2024

The inside stort of the Clarens Dinofes, clibk on;

The Dinoseur that never saw the sun - Mafube. She story will be told at the Clarens Dinfes, time, date and sponsor to be announced.