This is not a column to shoot down (as it were) women pilots – and all those who think it is should sign their letters of protest “anti-sexist”, to prove they have not read my disclaimers.

I am a huge admirer of female aviation pioneers, beginning with Katherine Wright who flew with her famous brothers in 1909 on demonstration flights in France.

The theft of five South African paintings worth more than R17 million from the Pretoria Art Museum has made us look anew at the paintings on our own walls which, with our books, are the only possessions we really value and which we have hitherto believed were the only things a thief wouldn’t consider worth stealing.

Now we’re not so sure.

Sometimes you have no option but to insult your political opponents, especially when they get too nosy about how you have spent taxpayers’ money.

Public Service Minister Lindiwe Sisulu was forced to do so last week when the DA’s spokesman on defence, David Maynier, refused to accept her explanation that she had flown by ultra-luxury Gulfstream jet only 35 times during her tenure as defence minister, and not 203 times, as revealed by her ministerial successor in the defence portfolio, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

Like many South Africans who watched and listened to Barack Obama make his victory speech last week, I was inspired to the point where I wished I were an American with a president like that.

In fact I was further inspired with a wonderful idea. Why not suggest that our own chap become an American exchange president? You know, in the same way that we have American exchange students.

The most surprising statistic of the census is that 15 581 South Africans are 100 years or older. There are probably even more a year later.

As a mere septuagenarian I realised I had to pull up my socks if I wished to join this growing club. So long as it doesn’t involve giving up all my bad habits. That would hardly make reaching 100 worthwhile. But at least I don’t smoke and I also like to sleep, which the experts say increases your chances of becoming a centenarian.