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Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
I pity people who have no interest in culture
The first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, published almost a century ago, defines 'hinterland' only in a literal sense. It is from the German hinter, meaning 'behind', and Land, meaning, unsurprisingly, 'land'. Thus, the dictionary says it is 'the district behind that lying along the coast (or along the shore of the river); the 'back country'.' It found no use earlier than 1890; but new scholarship has turned up a usage from 1879. Lexicographers have also found that a book on psychoanalysis from 1919 used the word in a figurative sense, in the excellent quotation 'unexplored territories full of mystery and danger in the hinterland of their own minds'. D H Lawrence, shortly before his death in 1930, wrote that 'we are mostly unexplored hinterland'. Almost exactly 10 years ago, I started writing the weekly 'Hinterland' column for the Telegraph's Saturday Review in which, throughout the decade since, I have sought to 'explore' aspects of culture that enrich one's existence. It has often entailed re-reading books, or re-watching films, or returning to look at buildings, or listening again to music that I first encountered 30, 40 or 50 years ago, and evaluating them afresh before sharing my findings with readers. Few things have benefited me more in life than being told by a teacher or friend that I should read, see or hear something that will enlighten me or make me think; I hope my column has provided a comparable service. The feedback from readers has been highly intelligent, and I am sincerely grateful for it. We do not always agree but, if the columns have stimulated thought and triggered curiosity, they have achieved their purpose. I think of 'hinterland', for the purposes of the column at least, as the region of my mental life that contains those enlightening and engaging aspects of culture that have pleased or, sometimes, provoked me. Occasionally one meets people, even highly educated ones, with no interest in culture. That may be because they are workaholics, or they lack intellectual curiosity or artistic sensibility. I feel intensely sorry for such people, but would reassure them that it is never too late to begin the expedition. We are all victims of our upbringing. My parents loved music, and my father was a competent pianist. He read extensively, inspiring the habit in me to such an extent that I now have about 11,000 books. Now, I mostly read non-fiction; earlier, I ran through the poets, the 18th-, 19th- and early-20th-century novelists, and some dramatists. We all have weaknesses, and theatre I find difficult, and idolatry of Shakespeare much overdone. Enoch Powell, a great textual critic, once told me 'he' had to have been written by a committee as no one man could possess the range of styles in which he wrote. I simply don't know, but I felt Powell had a point. I was lucky to grow up in the middle of nowhere on the Essex marshes, one of the oldest settled parts of this old country. Medieval churches, many with Saxon foundations, were all around me. The second oldest church in England, St Peter-on-the-Wall, at Bradwell on the Blackwater estuary, was a few miles away. It was the chapel of a long-vanished monastery, all built by St Cedd within the walls of the Roman fort of Othona in 653. I recall staring at this strange, barn-like building about 60 years ago, as a little boy, and my father saying that the sight before us, of the chapel in front of the sea, hadn't changed for about a thousand years. Now, the panorama includes a distant wind farm. Like many children of the 1960s, an early acquaintance with beautiful music was the Berceuse, or lullaby, from Fauré's Dolly Suite, It was the theme music of Listen with Mother, broadcast daily on the radio by the BBC and designed to soothe toddlers for their afternoon nap. It gave me, as doubtless many others, the awareness that music could summon up specific associations. If I hear the Berceuse now, I am again three or four years old, and sitting comfortably waiting for the story to begin. But my real obsession with music – which, of all the arts, is to me the most indispensable – came at school. In those enlightened times, my state primary made every child learn the recorder. My father quickly taught me to read music, and the recorder is the only instrument in which I achieved any competence. We learnt to play tunes, mainly English folk songs such as were the staple of the BBC schools' programme Singing Together, which ran from 1939 until 2001, though predictably ruined from the 1980s by relentless dumbing-down. By the time I was 11, I had soaked up the English folk-song tradition; and not long afterwards, at my grammar school, I heard Vaughan Williams 's Sixth Symphony for the first time, and my life changed for ever. It became, and still is, the piece of music I would take to the proverbial desert island; and as I explored that composer's music in my teens, I went on to explore his contemporaries (notably Holst), his teachers and predecessors (including Parry and Elgar) and his pupils (Butterworth, Bliss, Moeran and, eventually, Ruth Gipps and Stanley Bate). No avenue of British music remained unexplored, with my discovering Walton, Britten, Arnold, Finzi and John Foulds, the last of whom has a claim to be the only musical genius this country has produced apart from Britten. There are some who still think of us as a land without music: they are wrong. I love European music – especially Ravel, Beethoven, Wagner, Respighi, Tchaikovsky and Janáček – but there is something in British music that speaks directly to me, doubtless because of all those folk songs as a child, but also because of associations with landscapes and society. I am a professor of British history, and my devotion to my academic discipline is shaped by my cultural interests. My father told me that if you wanted to understand the history of a locality, you started with its church: and although the difference between Saxon, Norman, Early English, Decorated, Perpendicular, Tudor, Baroque, Georgian and Victorian had been instilled in me by the age of 10, the exploration of a church or any old building is always a revelation. My mother loved what even then were old films, and I caught that bug. I think most of us are particularly fascinated by the period before we were born. My own interest in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s was fuelled by films, including those made in France and America. I am not a brilliant judge of acting or cinematography, but I know a good story and I understand the context: and the films of those decades now seem to me first and foremost historical documents more than entertainments. All culture, whatever its other intentions, gives us a clearer idea of where our country and indeed Europe and the world have come from, and why we are where we are. Having a hinterland means having a permanent opportunity for enlightenment. That, as well as the joy of the cultural experience, is why it is so important.
Daily Maverick
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Letter to Mahlamba Ndlopfu: My jacaranda tree is a living metaphor for a country in flux
Ah, Chief Dwasaho! A giant jacaranda tree stands forlornly outside my window, stripped bare of the riotous purple blossoms that once danced like confetti across Pretoria's avenues in summer. It looks lonely and confused, as though it no longer understands its place in the world or the delicate art of statecraft. You might recall, my leader, how the erstwhile Chief Tenant of Mahlamba Ndlopfu, Thabo Mbeki, once waxed lyrical about the jacaranda trees to illustrate the splendour of our land. In a flourish typical of his philosophical bent, he ventured into uncharted territory, posing the rhetorical question: 'At times, and in fear, I have wondered whether I should concede equal citizenship of our country to the leopard and the lion, the elephant and the springbok, the hyena, the black mamba and the pestilential mosquito.' As I ponder the future of my homeland, my jacaranda tree stands as a living metaphor for a country in flux — confused, stripped of its splendour, yet stubbornly rooted in the hope that spring might one day return. Comrade Leadership, I'm going all philosophical on you because simple language and polite presuppositions can no longer suffice to explain the goings-on in the Republic of the Guptas — a land seemingly complete with its own Ministry of Crime tucked inside the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster. Now, to keep things precise, the word 'cluster,' according to the Oxford English Dictionary, means: Cluster (noun): A group of similar things growing or held together; a bunch. A bunch of ministers, a cluster of chaos Comrade Leadership, I'm rather fond of that last bit — a bunch. Stay with me for a second. Today, the Ministry of Police boasts a proper bunch of FIVE warm bodies. Yes, you read that right. It's a bona fide bunch of a ministry, the only one globally. First, you instructed our alleged underworld figure, Senzo Mchunu, to retreat to Zululand and tend to his chickens — on full pay — with the Blue Light Bullies (VIP police) trailing behind him. Then, in a plot twist worthy of a daytime soapie, you appointed Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, as Acting Minister of Police, effective immediately. He's merely holding the fort until Professor Firoz Cachalia assumes office in early August 2025, again in an acting capacity. Meanwhile, Mchunu will continue to shuffle between the Police Commission of Inquiry, chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, and his taxpayer-funded hotel suite or state house, as he fancies. So here we stand, with a ministry housing three ministers — real, acting, and acting-in-waiting — plus two deputy ministers, namely Shela Boshielo and Cassel Mathale, both ANC acolytes. The latter serve diligently, albeit in near-total silence, thus redefining the very concept of a bunch within a cluster. If we add their bag carriers, security detail, administrators, speechwriters, spokespersons, heads of office or chiefs of staff, we've graduated from a 'bunch' to a fully fledged ANC branch. It comes complete with the quorum for singing 'My President, My President' at a regional conference at the Birchwood Hotel & Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, Benoni. I digress. Coup plots and the people's bae My leader, within this convoluted environment, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, caretaker of state security, enters, wide-eyed but speaking in hushed tones. Ntshavheni — the people's bae, renowned for her fiery promise to 'smoke them out' when it comes to illegal miners and private sector players allegedly plotting to collapse the ANC-led government, is suddenly muted. This week, she dropped the political equivalent of a thunderclap, revealing 'plots of a coup d'état, or unconstitutional changes of government, orchestrated or encouraged by elements both domestic and external'. Yet, tragically, she followed this bombshell with a curious disclaimer: 'We are not alarmist, but vigilant. It is our duty to detect and neutralise threats before they destabilise the Republic. South Africa is not immune to the global trend of hybrid threats, where disinformation, cyberattacks and foreign interests combine with local actors to try to delegitimise the state or effect regime change.' My leader, I am utterly devastated by the minister's newfound reluctance to lead from the front and 'identify coup d'état plotters and smoke them out'. Why this sudden bout of shyness? Why are we, of all nations battered by history, suddenly so timid, so determined not to be alarmist, especially when the very foundations of the Republic might be under siege from forces skulking both inside and outside our borders? Where, I ask you, is this much-vaunted bunch of a Ministry of Police when we need them the most? In truth, the entire Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster should be on high alert, lest we witness a repeat of the proverbial July 2021 civil unrest. Those 12 so-called instigators, if you remember, were apparently identified by former police minister Bheki Cele in his sleep. Yet they somehow managed to outsmart, outfox, outwit and downright embarrass the entire security apparatus of the Republic. Barbarians at the gate And I'm left wondering, my leader: If the people's bae herself is now whispering instead of roaring, who exactly will stand guard when the jackals — or shall we call them the Barbarians — come sniffing at the gates of our democracy, specifically at Mahlamba Ndlopfu? In times like these, we, as a nation (Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi included) must be vigilant, aware and ready to take action to protect our homeland from imigodoyi and underworld figures. I say so, my leader, because our Special Forces, police and army appear distracted these days. A whole 'bunch' of them are now deployed to protect our freshly minted National Key Point, none other than Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who, as you know, has been dropping political bombs — or was it missiles — that could blow the roof off the entire Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster. Meanwhile, the army types are playing a very different kind of war game, marching in and out of courtrooms, their boots squeaking on polished tiles instead of battlefield dust. On 11 July 2025, 12 SANDF Special Forces operators appeared in the Randburg Magistrate's Court facing a cocktail of charges including murder, kidnapping, fraud, obstruction of justice, perjury and vehicle theft. Their alleged involvement in the murder of Hawks investigator Frans Mathipa, tied to a kidnapping case involving a suspected Isis associate, reads like a Hollywood script. Except this is no blockbuster film. It's real life, with consequences for the integrity of our security cluster and the safety of 'our people'. Mafia state? My leader, all of this leaves me grappling with a chilling question: are we teetering on the brink of a failed state, or have we become a fully fledged mafia state? Because it's becoming increasingly complex to tell the difference. One minute, we're standing tall, singing Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, our fists raised high, eyes glistening with patriotic fervour, tears rolling down our cheeks as we swear that ours is a land of peace, justice and freedom. The next minute, we're hunched over our smartphones, squinting through bloodshot eyes at news alerts that speak of ministers under investigation, Special Forces members frog-marched into courtrooms, and whispers of coups slithering like vipers through the corridors of power. New citizens Perhaps, like the philosopher king Mbeki, we should indeed consider extending citizenship not to humans, who seem so hellbent on betrayal and plunder, but rather to the lions, leopards and elephants — creatures that, at the very least, understand the sacredness of territorial integrity and the solemn duty of sovereignty. At least the lion, when he roars, roars for real, and not in carefully worded press statements drafted by spin doctors who've mastered the art of saying absolutely nothing in a thousand words. With lions, there would be no cosy clandestine meetings in smoke-filled rooms to plot tenders and sell out national secrets. At least the leopard, when he stalks his prey, does so with lethal purpose, not dithering behind endless commissions of inquiry or ducking questions from parliamentary committees. At least the elephant, in its grandeur, never forgets, a quality that would serve this Republic well, given how conveniently our leaders' memories seem to fail them whenever brown envelopes start changing hands. Brown Mogotsi, anyone? My leader, sometimes I wonder if the wild animals would better guard the gates of Mahlamba Ndlopfu than some of those currently holding high office.
News18
4 days ago
- Automotive
- News18
GK: What Does JCB Stand For And Why Are All JCBs Yellow?
1/8 Everyone is familiar with the JCB machine, which is commonly seen at construction sites across India. These machines are used for a wide range of tasks, including lifting soil, transporting heavy materials to upper floors during building construction, and even demolishing structures. (News18 Telugu) 3/8 One striking feature of JCB machines is their bright yellow colour. This isn't just limited to JCBs - bulldozers used in construction and demolition are also commonly painted yellow. However, this wasn't always the case. Earlier, machines like these were manufactured in colours such as red and white. (News18 Telugu) Interestingly, many people are unaware that 'JCB' is not the name of the machine itself but the name of the company that manufactures it. The full form of JCB is Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Ltd, named after its founder Joseph Cyril Bamford, who established the company in 1945 in the United Kingdom. (News18 Telugu) 7/8 The actual name of the machine is 'Backhoe Loader'. Over time, however, the brand name JCB has become so commonly used that it is now often used to refer to similar types of excavating machines in general, especially in countries like India, the UK, and Ireland. The word 'JCB' has even found a place in the Oxford English Dictionary, though it remains a registered trademark. (News18 Telugu)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
IYKYK: Here Are the Popular Teen 'Texting Codes' Every Parent Should Know
Millennial parents are no strangers to acronyms. In fact, Millennials and Gen Xers are credited with making "LOL" (laughing out loud) so popular on instant messenger, that it eventually earned a spot in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011. [1] (Take that, Gen Alpha!) But even with their impressive acronym cred, parents of today's teens are finding their kids texting in a mix of letters and words that may as well be an entirely different language. (IYKYK, am I right?) And while most of the acronyms are harmless, some forms of messaging are not. Specifically, 'texting codes' can signal cases of cyberbullying and serious mental health concerns in teens. Acronyms vs. 'Texting Codes' While an acronym is the first letter of each word in a phrase, Titania Jordan, Chief Parent Officer of online safety company Bark Technologies explains texting codes as a combination of acronyms, characters, words, and even emojis that represent hidden meanings. As a result, texting codes can be much harder for parents to understand—which unfortunately is exactly the point. 'Acronyms are [used] for ease of typing, as it's just quicker to tap out 'ILY' instead of 'I love you,'' Jordan says. 'Text codes are different. They can be used to cover your tracks in case someone is monitoring your messages.' Because texting codes are meant to look like harmless symbols or slang words, parents are more likely to overlook them. For example, parents may not be aware that '🍃' is code for "marijuana", or 'seggs' is a code word for "sex". With that said, the use of codes can also simply be a way kids choose to connect, explains Erin Walsh, author of It's Their World: Teens, Screens, and the Science of Adolescence and co-founder of Spark & Stitch Institute. 'Texting codes certainly can be used to avoid adult detection of risky behaviors,' Walsh says. 'But they can also just be shorthand ways for young people to build connections with friends and demonstrate belonging to a group.' Popular Acronyms and Meanings New acronyms pop up every day, according to Jordan, but here are some of the most common ones used by kids: BRB - "Be right back" BTW - "By the way" FOMO - "Fear of missing out" GOAT - "Greatest of all time" GTG - "Got to go" GR8 - "Great" IMO - "In my opinion" ISO - "In search of" IYKYK - 'If you know you know' (meant to imply that there's an inside joke) ILY - "I love you" IRL - "In real life" JK - "Just kidding" KMS - "Kill myself" KYS - "Kill yourself" L8R - "Later" LMAO - "Laughing my ass off" LOL - "Laugh(ing) out loud" NP - "No problem" OMW - "On my way" OFC - 'Of course' ROTF - 'Rolling on the floor' (typically in laughter) SMH - 'Shaking my head' ('I don't believe it' or 'that's so dumb') STFU - "Shut the f**k up" TBH - "To be honest" TYVM - "Thank you very much" WYD - "What you doing?" WTF - "What the f**k?" WYA - "Where you at?" WYD - "What you doing?" WUF - "Where you from?" Popular Texting Codes and Meanings These code-like acronyms have underlying meanings that kids may want to keep hidden: ASL - "Age/sex/location" CD9 or Code 9 - "Parents are around" DTF - "Down to f*ck" FBOI - "F*ck boy" (or a guy just looking for sex) FWB - "Friends with benefits" LMIRL - "Let's meet in real life" NP4NP - "Naked pic for naked pic" POS - "Parent over shoulder" TDTM - "Talk dirty to me" Concerning Texting Codes Parents Should Never Ignore Experts agree the rise of acronyms and codes that refer to self harm or mental health struggles is alarming, and they should be taken seriously. In fact, the latest research suggests that social media codes can be used to identify tweens and teens at risk for suicide, which makes it critical for parents to be able to spot concerning conversations. [2] According to Jordan, these are the codes that should raise immediate red flags if you see them appear in any inappropriate social media posts involving your teen: KMS - "Kill myself" KYS - "Kill yourself" STFU - "Shut the f**k up" Unalive - "Kill" or "dead" Sewerslide - "Suicide" Grippy sock vacation - "A stay in a psychiatric treatment facility" - "mental breakdown" I had pasta tonight - "I had suicidal thoughts" I finished my shampoo and conditioner at the same time - "I'm having suicidal thoughts" 'If someone's commenting 'KYS' on your child's Instagram or texting it to them, it's potentially a sign of bullying,' Jordan warns. 'It could be causing negative effects on their sense of self-worth and their mental health.' STFU ("shut the f*ck up") can be used as an expression of disbelief between friends, but it can also signal cyberbullying when used publicly on social media. How to Support Your Teen Experts give the caveat that simply knowing what these codes mean doesn't always reveal the context in which they're being used. 'A single acronym or code rarely tells the whole story,' Welch says. For example, 'KMS' can signal serious suicidal ideation, but it's also used to describe trivial moments of embarrassment or annoyance in personal text exchanges. Welch emphasizes continued communication will help you discern between a cause for concern and simply a need for some digital-age skill-building. She suggests the following: Don't assume the worst. Ask your child for an explanation or background of what you've seen before you launch into a lecture. 'It is okay for there to be long silences as your child sorts through their feelings about online interactions,' Welch says. Their reflection will shed the best light on the meaning behind what you've seen. Avoid becoming a 'spy.' "A quick 'Gotcha!' reaction to concerning acronyms or codes can create confusion, increase conflict, and may even encourage more secrecy as teens try to avoid adult surveillance and punishment," Welch says. Let your child know you're there to help. Receiving text codes related to self harm or suicide can raise a host of difficult questions for teens, Welch says. For example, 'Is my friend serious?' 'Should I talk to someone about this?' or 'What should I do next?' Reassuring your child that you are there to support them will foster honest conversations to determine next steps. Read the original article on Parents Solve the daily Crossword
Man of Many
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Man of Many
Eminem's Introspective ‘Stans' Documentary Drops in Cinemas Next Month
By Dean Blake - News Published: 16 Jul 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 5 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. If you're anything like me you likely spent the majority of your childhood bouncing off the walls to whatever Eminem dropped that week, and while the man's discography has only grown in the intervening years, Slim's largely done his best to stay fairly anonymous. Yes, he launched the fantastic based-on-true-events 8-Mile, but despite the fact that film traced Eminem's life before he blew up—it was also pretty dramatised. Well, we love a good doco here, and Em's long-awaited Stans is about ready to release: it's launching into US cinemas on 7 August for one weekend only, before finding a home on Paramount+ later this year. If you don't know what Stans is: it's a deep look into the life of the still-polarising rapper through the lens of some of his most devout and diehard fans. The man himself is involved, of course, but Stans very much centres his impact on the world of music through the people who've followed him the closest. If that tickles your fancy, or if you just want to know more about what Eminem is up to these days, read on. What's 'Stans' About? With a sly wink, this Marshall Mathers-produced film is named after one of Eminem's most impactful and memorable songs, 'Stan'. Found on the artists third studio album, Stan details an incredibly toxic parasocial relationship between the titular narrator and Em himself, who eventually realises that he let his fan down. The song has been so impactful that it literally changed our language: the term 'stan' was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2017, meaning someone that obsessively loves someone or something. Naming a documentary focusing on the fans that love you after a song detailing a mentally unhinged toxic fan is quite a mood, but the people involved seem to be okay with it. Most call themselves 'stans', though not quite on the same level as the namesake, while also detailing the lengths they've gone to to witness Eminem's life themselves, including trips to visit physical places that Marshal Mathers grew up—pilgrimages in all but name. Eminem himself feels a bit uncomfortable with the idea that people care so much about his life's story, and the film details some disturbing letters from the overly zealous 'Stans' in his audience. In saying that, the film doesn't necessarily put his fanbase on blast: but rather focuses on what a more healthy relationship might look like. Stans also details the life of Mathers himself: offering a more detailed look into his upbringing, his rise to fame, and the impact his music had on the world. Of course, all through the eyes of his fans, though with some first-person accounts from the man himself for good measure. It's not a critical look into Eminem's career though, nor into his sometimes homophobic, sexist lyrics: this is made by fans, for fans, after all. If that sounds interesting, look out for the at-home release date soon. The History of 'Stan' A song as impactful as Stan must have quite an origin story, right? Well, it all started when one of the song's producers, 'The 45 King', heard Dido's 'Thank You' on the 1998 film 'Sliding Doors'. Taken by the chorus, King made up a beat by sampling the song and shared it with contacts at Interscope Records, who eventually shared it with Eminem. Again, Dido's amazing lyrics caught Eminem's eyes, who felt the song's refrain of 'put your picture on my wall, it reminds me that it's not so bad' was well suited to a song reflecting some of the often disturbing interactions he'd personally had with his own fan base. Though his music is often laced with vitriolic, violent lyrics, Eminem was keen to try to send a message to his listeners to not take his words so seriously or literally. 'I knew what I was going to write about before I wrote it,' Mathers told Genius about the writing of Stan. 'A lot of times when I'm writing songs, I see visions for everything I'm writing. This was one of those.' The song went on to become one of Mathers' signature songs, and literally define the meaning of an overly obsessive fan. It follows Stanley Mitchell, a devout fan of Eminem who frequently sends fan mail in an attempt to get a response: something he feels he is owed, as he sees himself as Em's biggest fan. The rest of Stan's life crumbles around him as he singularly obsesses over his non-existent relationship with the rapper, which eventually sees him murder himself and his girlfriend by driving his car into a river. In the mythos of the story, Eminem later attempts to write back to Stan, warning him about his obsessive tendencies and deteriorating mental health, before realising he'd seen a news story on the song's namesake just weeks prior. You'd think that's where the story ends, but Eminem actually wrote a sequel to 'Stan': one which picks up years later and sees Stan's bereft little brother Matthew track Eminem down, kidnap him, and take revenge for the death of his brother in the song 'Bad Guy'. It's no Stan, but it's not terrible. When Can I Watch 'Stans'? Stans will launch in AMC theatres in the US, and worldwide, on Thursday, August 7 for one weekend. Later this year it'll be available on Paramount+, so keep an eye out.
