You’re here to read about #Ukraine and #Russia, right?  I’m afraid I can’t help you as much as I would like to.    #Ukrainians are heroes.  Everyone condemned the situation. No one actually helped.   Unless you are thinking that by putting #yellow and #blue on your timeline you are making an impact; you are doing nothing except watching a narrative that is consuming all news media.  #Slacktivism, the part of your ego that thinks that you’re actually make an impact through your profile picture, well you don’t.  #WhileYouWereSleeping the only thing #Ukraine got was all media airtime in the world. You have been glued to the Western narrative because there is nothing else in the news, so I’m being unfair to those of you who posted a picture or a profile banner.  There’s not a lot more you can do.

If you would like the same story told from Russia’s perspective; there is only one outlet to rely on.  I’ve said it before though – I’m not sharing.  It will be shut down soon. However, while it is still churning news, the narrative is completely different. According to the source (which is reminiscent of the “doublespeak” in George Orwell’s novel 1984): The war is almost over;  the job is done, and now the refugees are welcome in Russia, and soon they will  be able to return to their war-torn country.   Russia has found the biological weapons and they’ve taken the key cities.  Wow, I was holding out for mention of the fictional cities of Oceania, Eastasia and Eurasia, but this is not about Orwell. People have died, lots of them and from both sides., All media got that right. This war won’t be settled in combat  ; it will be settled by  oil and gas.  Putin’s response to the sanctions was to do nothing and the NATO clan got a hiding. The West panicked; they called the Saudis but the Saudis didn’t answer the phone. Exhausting to say the least.

Here we are folks, two million refugees later and greed – insurmountable greed – is winning the war.  Well greed, and a great deal of media mayhem.

I am furious with the journalists of this planet; it seems like there is simply no journalistic integrity anymore.  The only thing that counts is how fast you can break a story and how punchy your headlines are.  It’s far more important to run the story and so what if it confuses the hell out of the audience.  Not a single narrative matches from BBC to CNN to Al Jazeera.  They reported that Chernobyl was leaking radioactive material that was going to impact on the Ukrainians, but about fifteen minutes later we were told that this is a harmless leak that’s been there for years and it is under control. We heard of the disgusting bombing of a maternity ward, who even does that? Well everyone actually, just take a look at Syria and Palestine.

There is a well-worn idiom in public relations. “Never Waste a Good Crisis”.  It means if you must publish terrible news, wait until there is a much bigger story and the chances are that no one will pay it any attention.  Let me tell you what you missed #WhileYouWereSleeping in your #WarComa.  Let’s keep it international for a second as we seem to be so interested in international affairs.

Prince Andrew, we can call him Andrew or Andy now because he was stripped of his title, paid #Giuffrem over seven million pounds to forget she was raped as a child by a pedophile … and not a single world leader blinked.

#Pfizer dropped the biggest bomb of all #WhileYouWereSleeping. They delisted.  Why?  Well here in SA speculation is that it’s because of the official data of #VaccineSideEffects,but according to Barrons.com, a financial news resource, the Dow gave them the boot. Basically, for the layman, they took the money and scarpered. Whatever works. If you are still in the mood  to talk about wars and world events:  This week  Libya had a new government imposed upon the people, and you guessed it, there was no vote.  Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, are still calling the world for help but no one is listening.  It’s not important #WhileYouWereSleeping Somalia and Sudan scrambled and rioted for food.  These nations are literally starving, but you keep watching how they played the piano at the Poland border for the refugees.  #MediaComa.  I don’t want to rabbit on, so I’m going to leave the international press now and let’s bring this home because our local media is easier to verify.  Afterall we still have the silver bullet, the truth seeker – social media.

Wow #Eskom, just (insert expletive) wow.  Here in Sodwana we are in our third day without power and I’m only writing this because our landlord has a generator to end all generators, he’s a life saver.  I guess this is what they call #StageSix; the place two flights up, turn left into the dark where no one gives a second look. #SleepingOnTheJob.

Ukraine and Russia’s war brought a major impact to the world, but here in SA it may literally be the straw that breaks the heavily burdened backs of our nation.  The #FuelPrice.  I remember when I worked in the matrix in Johannesburg, and my fuel bill was more than my food bill by a mile (or a kilometer if you will) and I am eternally grateful that my longest trip today is anywhere between 6kms to 10kms (depending on the destination, sea or shop).  A tank lasts me a month where in Johannesburg I was filling up twice a week.  #WFH never became more economical.  I can’t imagine the impact on our nation, and the people that are trying to get to their place of work; a place that has no lights – not even one at the end of the tunnel.  Eskom announced #Stage6 – is that the mark of the beast?  I saw headlines of how the economy loses R17 million rand per hour as a result of #loadshedding. Calculated over a week that is R700 million, and over a month that’s 15 billion!  This is simple mathematics (battery powered calculator).  Imagine what we could do with R15bn – some serious and excellent solar work.  Come on!  This is not difficult, here comes the sun!  #PowerNap

Headlines exploded last night that #RaymondZondo is officially the new #ChiefJustice.  The man who couldn’t put Zuma away but a man we consider a South African hero for his tenacity and endurance is now in charge of the highest court in the land.  This was the decision of #Ramaphosa and it was contrary to the recommendation to put #JudgeMaya at the top of the helm.  The rumours are making their way that she will take the position of #DCJ.  I like that team.  I really like that team.  #StuffDreamsAreMadeOf

Which leads me to more good news; it seems our President’s game of chess has started to take pawns, real ones, ones whose names we know.  #BathabileDlamini.  Remember her?  She headed up #SASSA and she was quoted as saying: “All of us in the NEC have our smaller (nyana) skeletons, and we don’t want to take out all the skeletons because hell will break loose.”  Well, the grim reaper has arrived #Dlamini.  The court found that she was guilty of perjury.  The sentencing is still to come.  Bathabile is a massive name from a rusty rotten pot of gangsters.  Let’s hope this domino just clips the edge of those that are lined up to fall.  #KehlaSithole went down last week, and this week #Cele came out to give him a mouthful. #BhekiCele he didn’t take of his hat, no need, there’s no respect earned here.  #Mkhwebane is also about to tumble like a deck of badly stacked cards as she runs out of court options.  But the #RoyalFlush is still up for grabs as #Zuma pulls another Stalingrad tactic at #Downer.  He is not going to win though; the #SupremeCourt is bound to do the right thing.  Are we finally making progress SA?  #WakeyWakey.  #Ramaphosa was also endorsed for a second term. Let’s hope he is bringing his game face because this is one hell of a game of #RussianRoulette. One thing he did do that made us raise our eyebrows:  He sold a single cow, an Nkomo, for R2,1 million to his brother-in-law #PatriceMotsepe.  #BadDream

I want to talk about #NhlanhlaLux; I had fallen in love with this man. You may not remember but Lux saved Jabulani Mall during the #Insurrection.  He was the potion that made the looters rise above their fury to the realization that looting today meant starvation tomorrow.  In my opinion, he was the reason South Africa said:  #NotInMyName. This year though, Lux has changed his narrative, and I hate to say it but I suspect he has been bought.  He championed a movement called #OperationDudula; a xenophobic narrative with dire consequences.  A mob of several hundred, unemployed rioters congregated at a centre in Soweto, all wielding weapons.  Angry with foreigners they accused of taking their jobs. “Foreigners, go home!” was the clear message as #Xenophobia skyrocketed again this week.  Sure, I get it, there are a great deal of foreigners, from Zimbabwe specifically, here in SA. A bit like Ukrainians flooding into Poland.  It is the aftermath of bad, self-enriching leadership.  I also agree that regarding work opportunities, employers should consider South Africans first, but do we need pangas guys?  Can’t we just call the Labour Department to task?  This is just admin, no need for grandstanding and hate.

I read an endearing and horrific story about #Baragwanath.  Nurses clubbed together to buy mielies to feed the patients at the hospital because there was no food.  Today the hospital staff are on strike.  People will probably die, but you keep hitting the snooze button.

There was other news: #HelloDarlings was a story that calls for #DeviSG to start kicking in some doors.  A woman called #TasneemMoosa used a travel scam to liberate many clients of millions of rands.  She’s shut down all her social and media sites and she’s bailed with the cash, #TahTahDarlings.  Can someone please call #DeviSG?  We need her to kick in some doors please.  Devi, Luvvey, while you at it can you please check out that Sandton #TinderSwindler too.  #ScamSlumber.

Let me cheer you up.  There is one story that I’ve left hanging for months, mostly because it was so absurd and I didn’t want to give it airtime: the #LicensingDepartment.  Only one machine generates licenses in the entire country.  One machine. It broke! Did we fix it?  No, we can’t fix that, you see out of 40m people not one person is capable of maintaining or even inventing a machine like this.  Apparently only the Germans can come up with that #voorsprung. Fast forward 5 to 6 months and the machine is back, well when I say back, I mean the machine is backlogged.  Did we make contingency plans over half a year? Of course not. You dreamers.  The good news is if your license has expired you don’t need a tank of fuel.  Told you I’d cheer you up.

I’m Tonya Khoury and you’ve just scratched the surface with Acumen Media.