Jeffrey van Blerk
Bio
Retired former newspaper journalist in South Africa with 25 years of experience. Spent several years teaching English in Southeast Asia and learned more about life than what I was imparting to my young students.
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Stories (17)
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How the Baby Has Grown (Parts 2 & 3)
Part 2 This is a continuation of the thread from my introductory article which was a bit of background about the internet and I also mentioned the world of opportunities online that became available as the baby began developing. You don’t need a degree to make a heap of money by becoming a successful entrepreneur. Nor do you need a lot of money to start building an online empire. Keep in mind however that the 10, 15, 30, 100, or even 5 American dollars that may seem like petty cash to the average American, Brit, German, or any EU or other First World country citizen, to another, it may seem like a fortune. The cost of an expresso at a Starbucks in Seattle may be another person’s Sunday lunch in Maputo in Mozambique or Dhaka in Bangladesh. And that is not necessarily only due to currency exchange rates but also to an individual’s circumstances.
By Jeffrey van Blerk2 years ago in Lifehack
How the Baby Has Grown (Part 1)
Although 1 January 1983 is generally considered the official birth date of the internet the journey to its creation began long before the technology required to birth the baby existed. That journey was embarked upon already in the 1960s and it may surprise you to learn that, according to History.com, the vision for the internet first occurred as far back as the early 1900s when inventor extraordinaire Nikola Tesla foresaw a ”world wireless system”.
By Jeffrey van Blerk2 years ago in 01
Serial Seeker of Knowledge
It’s funny how in school I found learning was such a drag as was doing homework and exams. I usually battled to stay awake never mind pay attention in the afternoon session and only perked up in the last 15 minutes or so of the last class of the day knowing that the sweet sound of the final bell of the day wasn’t far off. A trick I perfected over time in the last class of the day was how to rest my elbow on the desk and then proceed with the hand-on-my-forehead-covering-my closed-eyes-catnap while sitting at my desk seemingly paying attention to the teacher. It didn’t fool all the teachers all the time. But I’m sure many of my classmates acquired the same skill and it has stood me in good stead in many situations as an adult as well.
By Jeffrey van Blerk3 years ago in Education
About that fly on the wall…
Flies are generally regarded as repulsive little insects created solely to annoy the shit out of humans, never mind them eating it, by landing on our ready-to-be-eaten food. They also have a nasty habit of landing on various parts of our body, especially on a hot and sticky day, and seem to enjoy landing and taking a dip in your cold drink or beer just when you are about to take a sip.
By Jeffrey van Blerk3 years ago in Earth
Step, Step, Step... It's Time To Take That First One
To my subscribers and friends on Meta (facebook) excuse my five-week break from writing. As usual, I am trying to juggle three or four plates at the same time, and as usual, it is the writing plate that I drop first. I will be writing sometime about my latest project which is showing some promise and also allows one to exercise creativity in a different way than what you may be used to. It takes some work, but it can be fun as well.
By Jeffrey van Blerk3 years ago in Motivation
When the words and the numbers just don’t add up
Last year, in September 2021, I registered as a freelance writer on Medium and subsequently also on Vocal, Substack, Simily, and Ko-fi, where I also offer writing content and writing correction services and have an online store promoting and selling CBD products.
By Jeffrey van Blerk4 years ago in Lifehack
Ko-fi may be the lifeline Stripe(less) writers are looking for
The world is in a constant state of flux with new trends appearing regularly, some of them are here to stay, and others fade almost as quickly as they materialized as technology marches relentlessly on. The internet “born” in 1969 as we know it is becoming old hat and according to the modern-day tech prophets we are now moving into “the age of Web 3”, the “metaverse”.
By Jeffrey van Blerk4 years ago in Journal
When it’s time to bid farewell to a constant companion . Top Story - March 2022.
We all give our pets names and they become part of the family. When your dog Groombo or your cat Ally passes on, it’s a terribly sad occasion. Especially when you hold them in your arms while the vet gives the final jab that takes them out of their pain-filled world and puts them to sleep forever. We’ve all been there.
By Jeffrey van Blerk4 years ago in Lifehack
Burning Books, Preparing For Another Uniform
For some, a career path after school has already been mapped out, either by parents or by the individuals themselves. For others, like myself, all I knew was that six months after matric exams I would be in the army. For a year. I even knew where. And the plan after that? Who knew? Certainly not me!
By Jeffrey van Blerk4 years ago in Lifehack
