Ukubuka Okwezwe

Okutholwe Imivubukulo

Sekuyisikhathi eside abavubukuli benomuzwa wokuthi akukho okukhulu okwakusazotholwa eSigodini Samakhosi saseGibithe ngemva kokuthola ithuna eliqukethe amagugu leNkosi uTutankhamen ngo-1922. Kodwa sekuvelé ithuna elisha okungenzeka likhulu futhi liyinkimbinkimbi kunawo wonke kulesi sigodi. Njengoba linamagumbi okungenani angu-67 nengxenye okucatshangwa ukuthi ingaphansi engase yenze ingqikithi yamagumbi ibe ngaphezu kwekhulu, ngokusobala lakhiwa uRamses II njengendawo yokungcwaba amadodana akhe. URamses II wabusa iminyaka engu-66 ekhulwini le-13 B.C.E futhi wayenezingane ezingaphezu kwekhulu, kuhlanganise namadodana angu-52. Kakade kwase kutholakale amathuna amadodana akhe amabili. Kucatshangwa ukuthi amanye angcwatshwa kuleli thuna elisanda kutholakala, lapho kuye kwatholakala khona amagama amadodana akhe amane, kuhlanganise nelezibulo, u-Amen-hir-khopshef. Lokhu kuye kwazidida izazi zenkolo ngoba ezinye bezicabanga ukuthi uRamses II wayengufaro waseGibithe ngesikhathi sokuFuduka kwama-Israyeli. Nokho, ezinye izazi ziye zabeka isikhathi sokuFuduka ku-1513 B.C.E.

‘Ibhizinisi Eliyingozi’

“Ukusebenza emgodini kuyibhizinisi eliyingozi,” kuphawula i-WeekendStar yaseGoli, “futhi elibalulekile emnothweni walelizwe.” Ukuthi kuyingozi kangakanani kwaphawuleka ngo-May lapho umakalanyane ohamba ngaphansi komhlaba onesisindo esingamathani angu-12 kwenye yezimayini zegolide zaseNingizimu Afrika “ushayisa izinto zokuphepha ezingaphezu kwezintathu ngaphambi kokuba ukhalakathele emgodini ongamamitha angu-2 103 wabe sewufihliza ikheshe,” elalinabavukuzi abangu-104. Abekho abasinda. “Ngeshwa, sekuyisikhathi eside kuvela izinhlekelele ezinjalo eNingizimu Afrika,” kusho i-WeekendStar. “Eminyakeni yokuqala engu-93 yaleli khulu leminyaka kuye kwafa abavukuzi abangaphezu kuka-69 000 futhi kwalimala abangaphezu kwesigidi ezimayini zethu.”

Inkathi Yempi Nesiyaluyalu

“Ezinye izazi-mlando zikholelwa ukuthi ikhulu lama-20 liyobhekwa njengesikhathi sonya olungenakuqhathaniswa,” kuphawula i-New York Times. “Ngokwandayo, inkathi yeminyaka engu-75 kusuka ku-1914 kuya ku-1989, ehlanganisa izimpi zezwe ezimbili nempi yomshoshaphansi, izazi-mlando ziyibheka njengenkathi eyodwa, ehlukile, isikhathi lapho ingxenye enkulu yezwe yayilwa khona, ilulama empini noma iviva.” Isihloko esithile kuyi-Washington Post siyavuma. Sithi: “Izimpi zekhulu lethu lama-20 ziye zaba ‘izimpi ngokuphelele’ kubantu ababuthiwe nabangabuthiwe. Izinkubela, kuhlanganise nokuqothulwa kohlanga lwamaJuda, zilinganiselwa emashumini ezigidi. Izimpi zobuqaba zamakhulu eminyaka adlule zazingelutho uma kuqhathaniswa.” Ukuvukela umbuso kuye kwanezela kulokhu kubulawa kwabantu abaningi. Bangaki abaye bafa? “‘Ukufa kwabantu abaningi’ kusukela ngo-1914, ngokulinganisa kukaZbigniew Brzezinski, kuye kwaba ingqikithi yezigidi ezingu-197, ‘okulingana nabantu abangaphezu koyedwa kwabayishumi engqikithini yomhlaba ngo-1900,’” kusho i-Post. Inezela ukuthi “kuyiqiniso elingenakuphikwa ukuthi ubuphekula nokubulala ngonya kugxilile emphakathini waleli khulu leminyaka” nokuthi “kuze kube manje asikho isimiso sezombangazwe noma sezomnotho esiye sagculisa noma sanelisa izigidi eziyaluzayo.”

Ukuhlolwa Kwempilo Yezwe

I-World Health Organization (WHO), ekuhloleni kwayo kokuqala kwaminyaka yonke ezempilo embulungeni yonke, ibika ukuthi amaphesenti angaba ngu-40 abantu basemhlabeni—abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili—ayagula nganoma isiphi isikhathi. Ithi iningi lalezi zifo alidingeki futhi lingavinjelwa. Ubumpofu buyimbangela enkulu kunazo zonke, njengoba abangaphezu kwengxenye yabantu basemhlabeni abayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-5,6 bengayitholi imithi yokwelapha ebalulekile, ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yezingane zabo ayikutholi ukudla okunomsoco, futhi ingxenye engaphezu kweyodwa kwezinhlanu yabantu emhlabeni inemali encane noma ayinayo imali yokuvimbela noma ukwelapha izifo eziyiphethe. Izifo ezibulala kakhulu—isifo senhliziyo, ukufa uhlangothi, isifo samaphaphu, isifo sofuba, umalaleveva, nezifo zemigudu yokuphefumula, kanye nesifo sohudo ezinganeni ezineminyaka engaphansi kwemihlanu—zibulala izigidi unyaka ngamunye. Nokho, lombiko uphawula ukuthi kuleminyaka engu-25 edlule, isikhathi okulindeleke ukuba umuntu asiphile siye sanda kusukela eminyakeni engu-61 kuya kwengu-65. “Ezigidini eziningi zabantu ezilwela ukuphila nsuku zonke, ithemba lokuphila isikhathi eside lingase libonakale liyisijeziso kunokuba umklomelo,” kusho uDkt. Hiroshi Nakajima, umqondisi-jikelele we-WHO.

Imibono Nge-Armagedoni

Izinkolo zaseJapane zashukumiseleka ukuba ziveze imibono yazo nge-Armagedoni ngemva kokuba inkolo ka-Aum Shinrikyo iphumele eshashalazini ngokuphathelene nokuhlasela ngegesi ebulalayo i-sarin emizileni ehamba ngaphansi komhlaba eTokyo ngo-March. I-Daily Yomiuri iyabika: “Sekuyiminyaka eminingi, umholi waleli hlelo uShoko Asahara . . . eprofetha ukuthi izwe laliyobona i-Armagedoni.” Nakuba u-Aum engumBuddha ngegama nje, izinhlangano ezimbili zamaBuddha zathi “umbono we-Armagedoni wawungaziwa enkolweni yobuBuddha,” kubika i-Mainichi Daily News. “Womabili amaqembu amakhulu obuKristu ahlolwa . . . ayilahla inkolelo ye-AUM yokuthi i-Armagedoni iseduze. Iqembu lamaKatolika lathi amaKatolika awayazi lenkolelo, kuyilapho inhlangano yamaProthestani yathi leli hlelo bekungafanele lisebenzise igama elithi ‘Armagedoni’ ngoba ‘igama elingokweBhayibheli lasetshenziswa ngokungafanele.’ I-Unification Church yathi ‘izindlela zokusakaza inkolo ezibhebhezela ukwesaba emphakathini azithandeki,’ futhi i-Shinyoen yathi uma umbono othile uphoqelelwa ngokweqile abantu bazizwa besongelwa.” Ngokunokwenzeka, umsunguli we-Aum wayesingabaza isiprofetho sakhe siqu. Omunye wabaholi abaphambili baleli hlelo wacashunwa ethi: “Ngicabanga ukuthi ukuhlasela nge-sarin kwenziwa ukuze kugcwaliseke isiprofetho somfundisi ongokomoya.”

Inkolo Nokululama

Ukuhlolwa kweziguli ezingu-232 ezingabantu abagugile ezazihlinzwe inhliziyo kuye kwabonisa ukuthi lezo ziguli “ezazikwazi ukuthola amandla nenduduzo ethembeni lazo elingokwenkolo zazilulama ngokushesha ngokuphindwe kathathu kunalezo ezazingatholi nduduzo enkolweni,” kusho i-International Herald Tribune yaseParis. Nakuba ukucwaninga kwangaphambili kwabonisa izinzuzo ezingokwempilo zokuba nobuhlobo obuseduze nokusekelwa abangane nomkhaya, lokhu kwakuwukuhlola kokuqala “okwakubonisa inzuzo engokwempilo enamandla kangaka etholwa enkolweni iziguli ezibangwa nezibi,” kusho i-Tribune. Umqondisi walokhu kuhlola, uDkt. Thomas Oxman, waphawula: “Kubonakala sengathi ukukwazi ukubhekana nesimo esibucayi, esisongela ukuphila—ukukholelwa ekutheni kunenjongo enkulu noma amandla asebenzayo—kuyasiza ekwelapheni.”

Iposi Elihamba Kancane

Noma obani abake baba nesizathu sokukhononda ngokungasebenzi kahle kweposi bangaziduduza ngendaba yombhangqwana othile waseVicenza, e-Italy. Lapho iboshwe ekamu lokuhlushwa lamaNazi enyakatho Yurophu ngo-1944, indoda ethile yase-Italy yabhalela umkayo: “Ungakhathazeki uma uphuza ukuthola izindaba ezivela kimi.” “Kwakucishe kufane nesibikezelo,” kusho iphephandaba i-Repubblica, njengoba lesi sigijimi safika lapho sasiya khona ngemva kweminyaka engu-51. Lombhangqwana, manje oseminyakeni yawo-80, wajabula lapho kufika lencwadi futhi wahlela umcimbi omncane nabangane bawo ukuze bajabulele lesi senzakalo. Umzila eyahamba ngawo lencwadi ngaphambi kokuba ifike lapho yayiya khona useyimfihlakalo.

Ithonya Lemidlalo Ebonakala Ingokoqobo

Imidlalo yama-computer ebonakala ingokoqobo (VR [Virtual reality]) “ingase ithathe ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu emakethe yemidlalo yama-video yasekhaya ekupheleni kwaleli khulu leminyaka,” kusho umbiko wephephandaba laseCanada i-Globe and Mail. Emidlalweni enjalo abadlali bafaka isigqoko sokuzivikela esinama-earphone nesihenqo esiveza okudlalayo phambi kweso ngalinye. Amagilavu anezintambo zikagesi enza ukuba umdlali akwazi ukudlulisela izimpawu zokushukuma futhi adlale ne-computer. Kodwa kanye nalemifanekiso ebonakala ingokoqobo kulemidlalo kuye kwavela nemibiko ye-“cybersickness,” ngokunokwenzeka ngenxa yokungasabeli ngokushesha kwemifanekiso ye-computer ekushukumeni komzimba. Imiphumela ihlanganisa ukuphazamiseka, isicanucanu, ukuphathwa ikhanda, ukuklwela kwamehlo, izinkinga zokusebenzelana kwezitho zomzimba, nokukhumbula izinto ezidlule. I-Globe ithi: “Izingqapheli zibikezela ukuthi ngenxa yokwanda kwe-cybersickness, ngokushesha kuzolimala umuntu bese i-VR imangalelwa enkantolo.” Lombiko usikisela ukuthi kuze kube yilapho lokhu kulingisa kuthuthukiswa khona ukuze kuhambisane nokunyakaza kwabantu, “imifanekiso engagculisi, ukunciphisa ukushukuma, ukulingisa okungagxilisi ingqondo nokulinganiselwa kwesikhathi emishinini kungase kusize.”

Umshini Wemali Wezithombe Zenkolo

Iphephandaba lansuku zonke lase-Italy i-Repubblica liphawula ukuthi emazweni amaKatolika asadla ngoludala, izithombe zenkolo zingolunye lwezimpawu ezisobala “zokuzinikela okuthandwayo kosanta abangabasekeli nabangabavikeli bezindawo ezingcwele.” Manje, kuye kwafakwa ubuchwepheshe kuleli bhizinisi elichumayo lalezi zithombe zenkolo. Umshini osebenza ngemali wezithombe zenkolo, okuthiwa i-“icomatic,” ukhipha izithombe zenkolo lapho ufakwa uhlamvu olukhethekile. Leli phepha lithi: “Lesi simiso sokuzisiza siyoqinisekisa ukuzikhethela, siyoqeda ukuhlaba uhide, futhi siyoqinisekisa ukuthi wonke umuntu uyasithola isithombe esingokwenkolo.”