Walking Out

Friday night, a whole bunch of us (mostly friends of my sister) went to Chai Yo, a Thai restaurant in lower Mowbray. It started well - they found a table that could seat 8 people, drinks orders were taken, and soon thereafter starters and mains were ordered. The starters arrived, and were particularly tasty - which indicated that the mains should be good too.

However, close to 90 minutes after the starters had arrived, there was still no sign of the mains. In fact we started counting down - initially 5 more minutes and then we would leave. After 5 minutes, there was no food - but the waitress came with a jug of water. One of the girls decided to tell her that if there is no food within 2 minutes, we would walk without paying the bill.

After the two minutes, we got up (well two of us got up, and the rest followed, some more reluctently than others); and it was another 2 - 3 minutes before we all assembled by the exit, where we informed the manager that we were leaving. At this point, the food was more or less ready; but most of the party had enough - and had already decided to leave even if the food was free.

I have never walked out of a restaurant before - and maybe it was unethical given the number of starving people around the world. It was not the fact that the food itself was late; but rather that no one told us that the food was delayed and why it was delayed - especially as tables around us seemed to be getting their food.

It was strange, and quite liberating in some respects. And we ended up going to Bruegels nearby - where the food was ready within 30 minutes of walking in; and ultimately proved to be a great place to have a meal with a group of people.

Bruegels Pizza

Went to Bruegels Pizza restaurant last night, in Little Mowbray (part of the little strip with Fat Cactus and the Thai restaurant). The prices were a bit high, but definitely one the best pizzas I have had. Except for the Margherita, the pizzas are named after artists and have very interesting combinations of ingredients. You can also have 1/2 + 1/2 where you can combine two different pizzas into one pizza. Highly recommended.

ID Numbers, ID theft and Privacy

There has been a lot of talk recently on the rise of identity theft in South Africa. Popular press has recently jumped on the bandwagon, and there are articles talking about how ID numbers should not be disclosed to anyone and that there is a need to keep the ID numbers secret.

In addition, there is the new privacy bill (which I still haven't read) - but since it is based on the EU privacy directives, I am very confident that it will list the ID number as private information and ask that it should be protected.

The problem is, we are trying to shut the gate once the horse has already bolted. The need to supply ID numbers is ubiquitous - and in many cases it does not make sense. Some buildings require you to provide a number (not any supporting documentation, just the number) to enter. Interact with a bank or any personal business relationships (credit applications, phone applications, post box etc.) you need an ID number. Need a job - you need an ID book. The numbers are everywhere, in multitude of systems, and they are also published online with no regards to data sanitisation. For example, here is a PDF I found detailing ID numbers of restaurant owners who applied for liquor licenses in Gauteng. I was looking for the address of one of the listed restaurants ... Oh, and Government gazettes are public documents, and the bylaws require that the information should be published.

The problem is that we use ID numbers for things we are not supposed to be using it for; namely authentication of persons. To illustrate, let's examine the definition of authentication (as a process) in RFC 2828.

An authentication process consists of two steps:

1. Identification step: Presenting an identifier to the security system. (Identifiers should be assigned carefully, because authenticated identities are the basis for other security services, such as access control service.)


2. Verification step: Presenting or generating authentication information that corroborates the binding between the entity and the identifier.

The ID number is an identifier. It is a 13 digit numeric string that is unique to all legal South African permanent residents (citizens and non-citizens). The verification step rests solely with the Department of Home Affairs. However, companies never make that leap - the Identity number and the associated Identity book has become a one stop authentication solution which it was not designed to be (or it would have other built in verification steps). Since business rely solely on the ID book and the ID number, the verification step is incomplete and thus ID fraud takes place.

The ID number does not necessarily need to be private. it is after all an unique identifier for persons - a more unique name. What is required is an easier, usable and secure verification service. That is the answer to identity theft resulting from "stolen" identity numbers. As for privacy of identity numbers - the number itself does not need to be private - it is after all an identifier. However, that does not mean that every one should collect the numbers. There should still be a reason to collect information, and should it be collected, there needs to be secure storage of the data. In these regards the EU privacy directive is absolutely correct.

Music: Chromium and The Frail

It's another thing I have not realy got used to in Johannesburg - gigs start a lot earlier and finish mostly around 12. Maybe it's bylaws - so while there were quite a few bands at Roxy's last night - I only got round to seeing two.

Chromium, is an ex PE based, currently Johannesburg based, metal band. I am impressed that they even have a Wikipedia page! A 4-piece band - they have great music, and well written songs. And they seem to have a fairly large following - it was really packed for their gig, and it wasn't all friends and family.

The Frail, are a band from Secunda - and are a testament to the possibility of great music being produced by bands from obscure towns. Great songs, and great stage presence (from the vocalist at least). The crowd was not as big as Chromium's, but I think the mosh pit was a lot bigger.

Neotel's Neoconnect Service is Kak

I got a Neotel account in April, and it has been a big waste of money. Yes, price wise they are very competitive - but if only they would deliver a service that they are offering. This is supposed to be broadband, but I have never got download speeds exceeding 100 KBps (or 800 kbps). The normal speeds I do get on a good day, is usually half that - averaging between 40 and 50 KBps.

But it is not the speed that is the most frustrating thing - it is the latency. And coupled with that - the failure to really deliver true broadband usage. Streaming video - forget it; unless you are willing to buffer it all and then play it back (so not useful for any live streaming). Streaming audio - if you must, at very patchy and unusable rates. File downloads ... hope it does not cut out - but sometimes it is so bad that even download agents give up because they exhaust the number of retries!

As for their phone service - I don't really use it to give real input. But the speaker phone functionality (on the hardware side) is awful and the voice quality is not exactly crystal clear. It has come to the stage that I am seriously considering cancelling the contract and going with Telkom - because I have no faith that Neotel will actually manage to fix all these issues with their service.

So far, in my experience, the 3G services from Vodacom has been the most reliable and the only service that offers reliable and usable broadband. However, it is just too expensive to really use it for everything - but Neotel is certainly not competing on quality.

Music: Sun to Moon Festival

Jo'burg clubs seem to have a lot of "festivals" - days where a number of bands come togetehr and play for more or less the whole day. The prices are very cheap (usually around R50) but the bands are usually not much to sing about; and hence I only go in the evenings and catch the final few bands. This time around (last Saturday), the bands had decent 45 minute sets, and the mixing was of a much higher quality - definitely increasing listening pleasure.

I only saw the last couple of songs from Laconia - a Pretoria (sorry Tswane) based metal band - and they seemed quite interesting; although none of the songs seemed anything particularly special.

Soil 7t7 was a wierd addition to the playlist at this point - as their music has quite a bit of reggae/ska influences. They also try the Linkin Park idea of combining rap and rock - but not very well. The guitarist is very good though - and they have excellent variety in music - so they are worth checking out just for that.

Runica, a goth/metal (of some label or other) band, had a great performance - and had some good music; although I cannot say that there was something that stood out. I quite liked their show, and would like to see them again sometime.

The interestingly named Mrs B, was the last band of the night. Playing mostly classic rock, they were definitely the standout performance of the night - with an amazing stage presence. They really combine well on stage, and look like they are all having a lot of fun. The music is very lively, and combines well with their stage antics.

Nothing to Hide

Air New Zealand's new ad campaign has gone viral on YouTube, and is certainly a lot more interesting when compared to other viral videos. The ad features pilots, air hosts/hostesses and ground staff in nothing body paint, with a tag line that they have nothing to hide - especially in their pricing.



They have also redone their safety video (Bare Essentials of Safety) - and what struck me as a fairly frequent flier; is that is actually a lot more effective in conveying information - even if the staff were to be dressed normally. The information on different brace positions, how to correctly inflate a life jacket (and not just telling you to pull tags) or what the indication lights at the floor level actually look like, is a lot more effective than safety videos of any airline I have flown in the past two years.

No fences for the neighbours

My business meeting in Sweden was in a town called Norrköping, about 150 Km south of Stockholm. The train ride was through a very picturesque country-side - very much picture perfect of forest and rivers. After the meeting, I was given a short tour of the area, and one very striking thing was the almost complete lack of fences between properties. Coming from South Africa, it is a very weird sight indeed!

Summer, Finally

It has been a strange week so far, weather-wise. Darmstadt and Frankfurt was cold - with almost no difference to the temperatures in SA. Berlin was warmer, but misty, overcast and mostly not too much fun (today at least, yesterday was not too bad). But finally in Stockholm, there is glorious sunshine and no forecast of rain for the foreseeable future. And it is in the mid 20s!

The SAS flight from Berlin was interesting - and unfortunately did not feature any hot blond hostesses :( The plane had three classes: business class which was basically the first two rows on the plane, economy seats and some legroom; economy plus (where I was) and economy. It was only when we got on air, that the differences became clear - business got food and drinks on nice cutlery; economy plus got food and drinks in the standard plastic/polystyrene packaging and economy had to pay for their food and drinks! It's the first time I have seen this kind of distinction on a plane - and in many respects it makes sense. I wonder who else will copy them ...

Awesome World Cup Ad

While flipping channels, saw this awesome World Cup ad. It starts with a young boy juggling an imaginary football, and slowly getting a lot more people juggling footballs, with a great tag "Rhythm like you you've never seen before".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMlKb1npzQ0



I have seen quite a few ads by Tourism South Africa, and they are generally very impressive, and many of them are available on YouTube. What is interesting however is the comments that are usually attached - especially the highly negative ones along the lines of South Africa is a den of evil and everyone who goes will step into a warzone to the defensive.

Many of the comments are by ex-South Africans (or from neighbouring countries) such as one I have seen calling himself "ex-Rhodie-racer". In those terms, the labelling of comments as racist is justified - but the fact is, many of the comments have some seeds of truth. After all, there are not that many places in the world where people live behind electric fences - although in other parts of the world, security guards for complexes wield machine guns ... so not exactly too different.

Ultimately, the success of the world cup will depend on visitor's overcoming the negative imagery of South Africa's security. Transport problems - people at some level expect them. I have been to sporting events outside South Africa, where it took hours to get to the gate because of traffic ... and I started at dawn; or where people had to queue for the next train or the one after that, because there was no space. And stories of players and supporters getting robbed (even if the players might be the ones to blame) does not help the image of South Africa's security. But in the same vein, the success of the IPL does give us hope - but how do we combat the negative image?

Co-incidence

While queueing for the flight to Frankfurt last night, I met an old friend I had last seen at UCT about 4 years ago. He was on his way to Dusseldorf, and was seated in the row behind me. Furthermore, he actually lives in Centurion, not too far from me (last I heard, he was in a different province altogether)... it's a small world.

I arrived in Darmstadt early in the morning, and the hotel allowed early checkin. I had originally planned to travel to Stuttgart, but the journey times was not attractive (or I had to pay a lot of money for the fast train tickets) - I should have planned better. Instead, I took the opportunity offered by the hotel, and rested :) 10 hour flights on board Lufthansa economy class are quite tiring.

Although it is supposedly summer in Europe, it does not really feel like it. It is in fact only a few degrees warmer than it was in Johannesburg. And there is a slight drizzle - so exploring Darmstadt is not much of an option either. Well, at least Berlin is a lot more promising.

Vodacom Funny Festival

The Vodacom Funny Festival kicked off for the 3rd edition last night, starring a number of highly regarded local comics and two international acts. Of the local acts (3 dedicated acts excluding Marc Lottering himself), Trevor Noah was my personal favourite. I have seen him before at the Blues Room in Sandton, and he has an amazing ability with languages and makes full use of it. Tumi Morake, the opening act, and the only lady, brought a fairly different set of jokes to the stage; while Nik Rabinowitz was very much a comic taking the maximum advantage of Western Cape politics.

Of the international acts, John Lenahan's magic show was certainly very different to standard comic performances - although, as he himself commented, the magic itself is not the focus of the act.

But by far the best act on show, was the crazy Japanese duo called Gamarjobat. Part mime, part slapstick and very clever - they managed to get the audience laughing (in fact it probably ranked as a ROFL and not a LOL :D) without a single spoken word. Their act is theatre and comedy at its very best, and somewhat similar to the comics of the silent screen. They are not playing for the whole festival - only until 1 July, and if nothing else, they are the reason to go attend the festival.

Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra - Again ...

After my first visit to the JPO, 2 weeks ago; I was hooked. Hooked enough to be contemplating a "season" ticket for the next season, starting in August. This time around, it was a Russian evening once again, with a young American pianist Pallavi Mahidhara, as the soloist.

The first short piece was the overture to Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla Opera followed by Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 2 in C Minor a very impressive musical piece, and Mahidhara's performance was brilliant, richly deserving the standing ovation at the end. The last piece, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 4 in F Minor was really a celebration of what an orchestra is all about - a lot of different musical instruments combining with perfect timing. Particularly humourous for me, were the guys standing up to play the triangle and cymbals (after sitting down for about 90% of the piece).

Wonderboom

Wonderboom are old hands on the rock scene in South Africa. With numerous hits, and a long time on the South African scene; they are one of the most professional bands - and their gigs show it. They have their own crew, mixing was perfect and guitars and equipment were all set up before the gig. But most of all, the band has chracters and great on stage performance - from the drunk and essentric drummer (Danny), the subdued lead guitarist, Martin to a very energetic bass guitarist, Wade and great vocalist in Cito - they combine well, and give a great show.

Back 2 Basix is a strange venue in many respects - it used to be a house - and so it feels quite intimate. But despite the great band, the crowd was quite small - about 30 to 40 - and not the 100 odd expected (as per the barman). But despite the small crowd, it was a rocking show, and definitely one of the best rock shows I have been to in Jo'burg.

Security and Liberty

According to the Mail and Guardian, the founder of Auto and General (a South African short term insurance company) has offered the government R1 Billion to fund a new approach to crime fighting.

Essentially his plan is to provide a lot more technology tools - satellites, helicopter patrols, computers etc. While the motivation is certainly noble, as is the business motivation (less crime leads to less theft leading to less payouts for A&G), two questions need to be asked.

1) Is funding the main cause of South Africa's, so far, unsuccessful battle against crime. And,

2) Are high tech solutions such as satelites and CCTV cameras worth it.

On the first question - I don't think money itself is an issue. The South African police need better pay, better training, more motivation, better tools. I somehow doubt R1 billion is what the government has been missing and thus could not implement. That said, every little bit helps.

In terms of high tech solutions, I am reminded of the quote:
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." --- Benjamin Franklin
that is often brought up in privacy papers (and in Civ 4). There is always a trade-off between security and indiviual liberty. The tighter the security controls, the less individual liberty and vice-versa. It would be good for the police to all have computer systems that can efficiently capture reports (crime, accidents etc) and provide correlation of different crimes in terms of time and location. However, linking police solutions to high end monitoring solutions such as CCTV cameras with facial recognition would start to erode liberty that South Africa struggled to achieve.

Ultimately, the root causes of crime in South Africa, including the lack-lusture justice system need to be addressed. Better policing will help, but not necessary solve the problem.

Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra

I don't know the technicalities and the jargon of music - especially classical music. However, I really like listening to classical music - it is very different to rock, metal, jazz and hip=hop - there is a certain grandeur and complexity that is just not present in most modern music. There is also a certain air of "class" - performers are all dressed up and the audience is all dressed up in smart/formal wear. And although most of the audience is old grey haired pensioners, there are more than a few young people.

I came across the listing of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra by chance - and the lineu-up of russian composers was intriguing (not that I recognised any of the names). The first piece - Overture to Prince Igor (Alexander Borodin) - was comparatively short, and an excellent warm-up to the rest of the concert. The second piece, Piano Concerto No 3 in C Major (Sergei Prokofiev) featured Japanese soloist Ayano Shimada, and had a amazing conclusion. While the first parts were seemingly simple, the latter parts featured amazingly complex musical performance - both from the soloist and the supporting orchestra. The last piece was my favourite for the evening - Scheherazade, Opus 35 (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov) - a trully grand masterpiece involving a mix of a number of differenct musical instruments and sounds.

Apart from the music - two other thoughts: watching the conductor do his thing is quite a lot of fun and the guy who plays the cymbals had impecable timing, but looked quite bored most of the time. I am still not sure why the conductor is so valued, but his direction of various performers was quite amusing to watch.

Orchestral music is amazing in its complexity - the number of different parts and the timing of the various actors. I am really keen to go again - esp in two weeks time for the last concert of the current season featuring a few more Russian composers, only this time I know of them :)

ITWeb Security Summit

I have been to many conferences, but this is the first time I have been to an industry only focussed conference. Apart from the product placements, the key difference between academic and industry conferences is in the level of detail and the practical application of the knowledge. In academic conferences, there is real in-depth knowledge and discussions while most presentations at industry seem to be at the glossy level - and stop just as things were getting really interesting. Conversely, the practicality of issues dealt with at this conference was much more tangible than that at academic conferences.

There were some great talks in the past three days - Phil Zimmerman's keynote on VoIP security, Tyler Moore's talk on economics of security, Fransisco Artes' talk on security of MMO games and really interesting talk by "The Grugq" on why there are criminal hackers.

What was ultimately annoying, was the short time spans of some of the really interesting technical talks (20 minutes) - hardly much time to discuss complex topics such as internet telescopes, privacy from data correlation across multiple online sources or even seemingly simpler topics such as security of IPv6.

I was also involved in a "pubcast" (which has yet to be released) - seemingly out of the blue. And I won a bottle of French Champagne at a product launch - although lost out on the Russian vodka, personalised golf clubs, the portable hard-drives, blackberries and numerous other lucky draws from vendors.

Melodic Mayhem @ Tempo's

Although I have known about Tempo's since I have been in Gauteng, I have only gone there a few times. Tempos frequently organises "festivals" comprising of a lineup of a number of bands - although whether there is a theme to the bands is questionable. While the festival started early in the afternoon, I only went through in the evening, so I did not catch all the acts. This post only covers the notable bands IMO. I was quite surprised at the small crowd, and most of them were family and friends of the bands.

By far the best band of the evening was Soul Picnic. They are a new band, playing largely "old school" rock - similar to Perez in a way, and despite the small, non-interactive crowd - they put on a great show. Their songs are great, and their combination of different musical styles is a good breath of fresh air. I am definitely keen to see them again.

Only Forever and Holly and the Woods were the best supported bands of the evening - although, it was a pity that most of the supporters only pitched up during the performance, and left soon after. Only Forever had a dynamic performance on the stage, although I thought they were rather ordinary musically. Holly and the Woods do not feature any band member called Holly, but their lead singer Melissa is not exactly the stereotypical rock star wannabe. She does have a great voice, and a great collection of songs. Furthermore, the combination of cover songs by bands such as Skunk Anansie and their own made a great lineup. Of the two, I definitely found Holly and the Woods more entertaining.

Autumn Sun was the band I was really interested in seeing. While the music was definitely interesting (the keyboard element of the bands makes it more symphonic - but it has not really translated into the performance itself), the mixing was horrible. I would really like to see them again, and hopefully with better mixing.

World Superbike Championship

The 6th round of World Superbike Championship for 2009 took place this weekend in Kyalami. I am not a big fan of Superbikes, and apart from Moto GP I don't really follow any bike racing (I follow Moto GP mainly through weekly columns in the Autosport Magazine). And apart from Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa, I haven't heard of most of the riders. That said, bike racing is usually very exciting with lots of action (both crashes and passing). And it was not disappointing - lots of passing, a few crashes (especially the big one in front of my grandstand) and great racing. The event was dominated by the Ducatti team though, with 1-2 finish in the both races.





The event was very well organised - park and ride facilities worked very well (esp in placement - one was 15 minutes walk from my flat) and very good crowd co-ordination and information booths etc. There was also other entertainment dotted around the circuit - from live music (though the "biker gang" musicians playing cover songs weren't that good) to a small amusement park for kids. The one thing to complain about however is the lack of food facilities - queue lines were usually over 1 hour in waiting time, and there was very little variety. While I can understand alcohol sales being controlled - there should have been more people selling cooldrinks and water. For a full day event, I think these are crucial components for a sucessful event.



My other gripe was the small viewing screens and the limited number of them. Kyalami is an oddly shaped circuit, and viewing screens are essential to follow the race. That said, the race commentary was excellent, and did not require a radio.

Jazz at the Lincoln Centre Presents ...

The Lincoln Centre is one of the major cultural patrons in New York, and hosts all the "high" culture events like operas, ballet and Shakespeare performances. Together with the US government, their Jazz foundatin takes prominent Jazz musicians to other parts of the world. At the Bassline last night (and for that matter tonight) the program presented two artists.

I like Jazz, but I don't really follow it. I have been to a few Jazz gigs at Kennedy's in Cape Town - but nothing seriously. There were not that many options last night on the live music front, so decided to see what it was like.

Salim Washington is a saxophonist and was supported by a number of South African band members - playing a number of fairly long Jazz numbers. The music was quite somber, almost blues-like, and the collaboration with the band members was quite impressive. He is due to perform in Durban and Grahamstown Arts Festival in the next few weeks.

Helen Sung is a pianist, and was supported by her own band. The music was far more lively, and a lot more varied - including jazz interwoven with poetry. It was a really impressive performance and very entertaining. She will be playing at the Baxter next week, with the UCT Big Band.

So overall, it was definitely a good idea to go to the Jazz ... should go more often in fact.

Reasons to take business trips to South Africa

From Alex Cartoon, Telegraph UK

IPL: KKR vs DD

So, I finally went to an IPL game. Incidentally, it was also the first game I watched start to finish. It was an impromptu decision, so had to buy tickets from a scalper at inflated prices. Although the cricket itself was not the great (a lot of bad shot selection for KKR, some really bad fielding, and not that great bowling from some pace bowlers), it was really an amazing atmosphere and very entertaining. It's not just the cricket - but the whole package of the cheerleaders, music, live bands (Prime Circle for today) and the fireworks. It is a very well packaged, entertainment show - and the ground was packed by people of all ages: from babies to grannies.

It was also a smooth operation from the organisers, police etc - well controlled and this definitely bodes well for the football later. One point of concern though - could there not be more park and ride areas? It is a lot easier to have safe parking away from the ground and then a bus/shuttle to the ground than trying to navigate car guards along the streets!

Sharkcage

My first visit to the Shark cage in Durban (ABSA Stadium, formerly known as Kingspark) was a bit underwhelming. The rugby was rather patchy, with handling errors galore. And despite the limited choices in getting a ticket, the stadium was not at all full ... and the atmosphere could not be compared to a full Newlands for example.

It is however very easy to see how the stadium can be overwhelming - the stands are very steep and even down a few rows, there is a feeling of being in the spotlight, surrounded by people - I wonder how the players feel.

Hopefully, next time I go there, the stadium will be full, and the game will be a lot better.

Oh, the new stadium for 2010 next door is quite stunning!

So, what do you think of the elections?

The shuttle driver, Steve, from the airport this evening was particularly chatty, and he asked me the question after passing the first big elections poster (Vote for Hope, Vote for Cope) on the R24. When I answered, that I was surprised that there was a substantial number (about 23%) of registered voters who did not vote - we ended up with a very lively, and interesting discussion.

Steve was not suprised with the lack of turnout - in fact he could name a number of areas that apparently had low turnouts. The reason is apparently, a large number of people did not want to vote - because the past governments did not deliver services they expected. Apparently, in Alexandra people refused to vote because they did not get (free) houses. The driver was not very impressed with this - his view was that people cannot expect to get the government to do something if the people themselves do not participate. This also brought up other topics - the gravy train and corruption with the issuing of housing construction tenders (the winning bidders prefer to buy new cars and chase women instead of building houses and paying their workers), his own long wait on the waiting list for housing (he still does not have one) and what he are the focus areas for the new government (1. education 2. safety 3. health 4. housing) and even a stimulating discussion on job creation (basic idea: why does the government not have a system in place to suport people with ideas for new businesses? answer: they do - but it clearly is not as accessible ...).

We did not discuss who we voted for - but I think almost everyone really wants the same thing ... who we think can effectively deliver is another matter entirely.

-----------
Conversation with taxi drivers from Hamburg and Amsterdam.

One Person, One Vote - The Great Equaliser

Leading up to the elections, I think Zapiro got the gist of my voting conundrum - and Madam and Eve surmarised the opposition position beautifully.





I am still registered to vote in Mowbray (Cape Town). During the voter registration weekends for these elections, I was out of town on all these occasions. And I was too lazy to go and find out where the local electoral office was to reregister after the registration weekends.

This did have one great benefit - it meant that I was not necessarily tied down to a particular voting station - and could actually cast my vote anywhere. After seeing the long lines near my home, I drove to Centurion - initially to buy a book I wanted. There was also a voting station nearby, so decided to cast my vote there. After 2 hours (and finished 220 pages of my 300 page book) I got to actually cast my vote. I must say, I was quite impressed with the efficiency - it did not take 2 hours because the officials were slow; it was slow because there were many people. The process was smooth, and despite the long lines - people from all walks of life - the old money, the new money, the maid, the shop cashier, the taxi driver, the old and the young - were all patiently in the queue. One man did try to charm his way to the front, but was sent packing - by everyone.

I remember 1994 and the long lines then. The lines were not longer this time round - but people seemed to be just as keen.

Death Valley Blues Band and LA Cobra

I have been to a few gigs since I came back from my holiday, but last nights gig at Roxy was one of the liveliest I have been to. Much of that can be ascribed to the Death Valley Blues Band, who certainly don't play sad blues - but rather a combination of Ska, Rock, Metal and Blues. A really impressive combination, and some really great songs.

LA Cobra, describe themselves as "glam rockers" styling their music and looks after 80's bands like Guns n Roses (complete with the whiney voice). Unfortunatley, both lyrically and musically, I don't think they really make the cut.

The crap part was the sound mixing - absolutely terrible. There was another band (Havoc Vultures), but the sound mixing had degenerated even further (maybe it had to do something with it being behind the bad) and decided to head home. But, I would really like to see the Death Valley Blues Band again.

Cassette, Gang of Instrumentals and an Art Auction

After seeing the advertised musical lineup for the Johannesburg Easter Festival (the rebranded Rand Show), I was quite pissed off that I did not bother to check it out earlier. Great bands/Artists such as Karen Zoid, Chris Chameleon, Watershed, Loyiso and Arno Carstens had already played. So Saturday's Rock/Adult Contemporary line-up was very enticing.

The exhibition space is massive and extremely varied - showing everything from mops to houses. One can not only buy a house, but also furnish it, equip it will all the gadgets and electronics that you can think of and everything in between. But the only thing that really grabbed my attention was an art auction (apparently not the only one in the exhibition). While certainly not a Sotheby's or anything really special - there were some amazing painting that were being sold at quite low prices.

It was quite fun to watch, and then I ended up buying a few myself ... although most of the auction was bought up by gallery owners/managers. Talking to them, I learnt that most of the art on display in galleries are bought at auctions and then sold at 100% mark up. On that basis, apparently I had a few good deals. But then, I bought on the basis of that looks nice and nothing else :)

As for the music, Cassette are an amazing band; and Gang of Instrumentals, with the combination of Afro-pop and Rock are really amazing live act. I would like to watch either again.

Very busy ... and a new toy

So the plan of backdating posts never worked out ... after a few days of doing not much at work, I have been plunged into a very busy cycle ... with long days, and even some weekends. So, I did not have time to write backdated posts; and I have decided not to bother.

In the meantime, I finally bought myself a new PC; primarily geared for gaming and multimedia use. It has been a long time coming; I first thought of buying one around June last year, but postponed that to buy a car - but I finally took the plunge.

So once again, I have a fairly bleeding age machine - some very good components (first time I have actually bought a separate powersupply for example), quad core Phenom II processor (the i7 was way too expensive, and bang for bucks, the Phenom II delivers); and for the first time - windows as my main OS (I am considering installing Linux - but seeing that I want to primarily use this to play games and watch movies etc. not sure of that path yet).

Installing Vista is a pain, installing Vista 64 is a bigger pain. Microsoft definitely has the stupidest OS installation system - I have installed numerous flavours of Linux, Free BSD and even OS X - and nothing comes close to the stupidity and unusability of Vista - seemingly the most advanced OS Microsoft has to offer commercially (there is Windows Server 2008 I suppose in contention). For starters, Vista installation takes an age to actually start up ... but there is no real feedback - no twirling cursor or even product ads - just a blank screen with the cursor. Secondly, modern Linux installations manage to show an installation screen with the highest possible resolution - Microsoft can only show 800x600 even if the default drivers for my graphics card can actually do much migher resolutions. And then there is the bug (IMO at least) that has been caried out since Windows 95 - first it asks you for your location setting, and then it asks you for the timezone ... surely the default timezones should correspond to at least somewhere in the location you have chosen previously?

I have installed every windows consumer operating system, as well as windows 3.x; I have installed Windows 2000 and Windows 2003; and Vista is by far the worst installation of the lot. As for the OS itself - so far it is quite stable and seems to work nicely. Aero is overrated - and I don't really like the new look; but I suppose I will get used to it (or revert to classic). And maybe, if I have some time, I will try to expoeriment in installing OS X Leopard ... I do have the installation disks afterall.


New "study" desk


The glow of cooling fans in the dark

A lot of back dated posts on their way ...

I am back in SA, and a lot of backdated posts with pics will follow in the course of this week.

Update: Finished the Mozambique chapter ...

Crossing the Border - First Attempt

After a long drive on a surprisingly good road (one map labelled the road as "extreme potholes" - but this was obviously fixed) through some different scenery of the Mozambican mountains (Mount Gorongosa); it was theoretiacally a short drive to the Malawian border from the overnight stop just outside Caia. Take a 60 Km gravel road to Villa Senna, cross the famous 2.7 Km railway bridge across the Zambezi, and then another 60 odd Km to the border. What could possibly go wrong ... after all the locals and the guide books confirmed the route!

Arriving at the bridge, we found that it was closed for repairs - and had been for a while. The engineer suggested we go back to Caia, cross the Zambezi with the ferry, and then drive the longer way round. Not too much of a detour - just anout 100 Km of dirt road after crossing the Zambezi.

Crossing the Zambezi proved to be easy, but long affair. After confirming directions at the petrol station, we arrived at the ferry port to find out that the captains were out to lunch between 12pm and 2pm. The time was 12h10 ...

Queue at the ferry

The ferry crossing itself was interesting - except the driver, everyone else was squeezed in like sardines behind the load of trucks and cars. Once across, we drove through some very interesting scenery to arrive at Chipanga, on the Shire River, just after 6pm. There is apparently a ferry that crosses this stretch of river - but when we asked the locals about the ferry, we were offered a canoe ...




There was a ferry moored on the riverbank - but it seemed that it has not run for a long time. Thus we decided to take the even longer road around to Malawi via the Milange border post, through 200 Km of dirt road. We spent the night camped at the parking lot of an "exclusive" lodge - which charged rip off prices for the use of their parking lot and bathroom.

Inhassorro

After 2 days at a (very hot) beach in Linga Linga, it was decided to make a final stop at Inhassorro before continuing inland. Inhassorro, about 50Km north (as the crow flies) of Vilankulos, is the last regular South African stop in Mozambique - and very well known for fishing trips. So inevitably, we stumbled across a bunch of South African guys on a big fishing trip - they had 2 boats, a trailer full of alcohol and obviously some free time :)

But for me, the really interesting part was the local fishermen. They take a massive net out to sea using boats and then in a large, communal effort bring the net in. It is a long haul, and the going seems very tough; but the joy of catching fish and the impromptu celebration was amazing to watch. It was not a massive catch; but definitely sustainable and definitely will get them money.

Linga Linga?

Lonely Planet describes it as paradise because it is so difficult to get to. When we asked for directions, we were told that the easy road was no longer available - as it was washed away in a flood. The ravages of storms are clearly apparent, when we drove through the alternate route - as can be seen by the bent palm trees.


And the road to Linga Linga was difficult - and tested quite a few functionalities/capabilities of the Land Rover. A long, sandy 4x4 track, and frequent stops to ask "Linga Linga" managed to get us there, but giving real directions is still difficult. Tobias' drivign skills were trully impressive - and I doubt the route would be possible with either amatuers driving or with a non 4x4 off road vehicle.



But it was well worth the pain to get there. It is really paradise; and although there is a barebones backpackers, in the form of a village hut; we decided to just camp for free on the beach (and for most of the time, we had our own private beach).

But the paradise will not last long. I had cell-phone reception, and to add to that, there are already two resorts; with a 5 star hotel in the planning. So it was well worth going while it is still possible.

Praia de Bilene

We started the day quite late - after a flight from Germany, Tobias, Petra and Annette were very tired - so, it was quite understandable. It also took a long time to pack everything up. I am sure it will get faster and easier as we get more practice; but for now it was quite a mission. The relatively early stop last night also alowed us to work out what we were missing; so another round of shopping took place in Nelspruit; before we headed to the border.

The border was a hive of activity, and surprisingly very well organised. Excep for a short traffic jam, it was a quick crossing. We were somewhat scammed by the money changers ... still not sure how they did it; but it was not a lot of money.


Instead of carrying on to Maputo, we took a "short cut" through some back roads. It was quite a beautiful drive - saw a long green snake, which we think was a mamba; a few monkeys and a lot of birds. Driving through small villages (more like settlements than villages) was also interesting.


Praia de Bilene, or the Beach of Bilene is not really on the sea. Instead it is an inland lagoon just next to the beach. It is very picturesque, but it still feels a bit fake.

Praia de Bilene was not our intended stop - the original idea was to stop in Zoegoene at the mouth of the Limpopo river; but it was getting late. We are staying the night in Laguna Camp - which is a 7Km dirt track away. While it has great facilities; it is also very expensive so

Day 1: Johannesburg to Waterval-Boven

The intention was to go further, as close as possible to the borderpost. However, we only finalised the car about 1pm, and then some shopping for the "essentials" turned out to be quite long (but comprehensive). So, overall, we only really left Johannesburg about 2:30pm.

Near Delmas on the N12, we realised that we needed to fill up the tank - but there was no garage in sight. The GPS suggested a truck stop, which ended up being a detour through Delmas - which incidentally uncovered quite a few garages.


Tobias on top of the defender (still packed)


My other travel companions, Petra (left) and Annette (right)

The drive towards Nelspruit is stunning, through the hills and lush countryside. We stopped at a campsite (Elangeni Holiday Resort) just after Waterval-Boven, about 50Km West of Nelspruit - idea was to learn what we have in this hired car. The defender is surprisingly more comfortable than I remember, but it is not an easy vehicle to drive. The campsite is empty (only one other camper) - and even though we are next to the river, no mosquitos yet.

Tomorrow will be a long drive - intention is to go as far north in Mozambique (while remaining by the sea). Not sure if I will have Internet access ... even if it is GPRS like this link ...

Travelling Again!

So, I have taken my full complement of leave for the past year of working, and am going travelling again! Will be another interesting trip: overland, by 4x4 through Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania and the Zambia (final leg will be a flight from Livingstone to Jo'burg). Will also be travelling with some friends (Tobias, those of you that know him) - which is also going to be a new experience :P

Not sure how much blogging will happen during the trip, but expect a lot of backdated posts.

Durban Beachfront at Night

Spent the weekend in Durban, and I have always enjoyed the beachfront at night. The weather wasn't great but the lights against the dark sky and sea was a great sight (although my cellphone did not do great justice).

Movie: Killshot

I bought the ticket completely blind - expecting an action movie. Instead it was a thriller featuring a semi-retired hitman and what is effectively his last job. Long winded, largely boring and highly predictable. Mickey Rourke is an interesting choice as the American Indian hitman; and the scenery set in the winter of North USA/Canada is beautiful - but as a movie it is a waste of time.

Great service

Once in a while, my faith in customer service is restored in large SA businesses. This evening's flight back from Cape Town, the steward (Ronald) was great not only in his attitude and service, but just his general conduct. The flight was generally full of people flying back from a business trip (or onwards to a business trip); and he was really engaging and friendly; even to the point of joking whether we were being served Nando's (chicken) of Cheese Burgers (beef). I just wish other stewards were as good.

Movie: Transporter 3

For some reason, I have enjoyed the Transporter series. Mindless action, with some seriously impressive car stunts - and interestingly enough, tackling some hot topic; human trafficing in the first one, child kidnapping in the second, and now environmental issues.

It is mindless fun, and at that it is quite brilliant. The continuity in cast of the two major characters (Jason Statham as the transporter and François Berléand as the French inspector) clearly help and in fact there is continuity in the plot also.

Taxi Drivers

Taxi drivers are interesting people to talk to - if you can communicate with them that is.

There is the taxi driver in Hamburg, who took me to the local office from a metro station (there was a bus, but the schedule was not very regular). He happened to have worked in Johannesburg CBD with a German logistics company until 2001, and has been to SA on numerous occasions. He was particulary sad about the demise of the Carlton Hotel, which he considered one of the best hotels he has ever stayed in.

The second taxi driver in Hamburg (from the office to the airport) was very scathing about debt, capitalism and the financial crisis. He was not impressed that Hamburg (and other cities in Germany) were in debt, and questioned the value and morality of capitalism. The financial crisis has clearly affected his business - he thinks that he is carrying about 50% less passengers when compared to previous years.

And finally, there was the Taxi driver in Frankfurt. With a coffee in one hand, a cell phone in the other - he managed to take us from the hotel to the office through the autobahn in, a somtimes quite terrifying, ride. He was constanly on the phone, seemingly arguing with a number of people, in Hindi - so I did not understand much. But it seems that there are at least some taxi drivers who have universal attributes :)

Movie: Boy A

A child commits or is involved in a serious crime and is sent to jail. After more than 10 years in jail he is released, and he tries to create a new life for himself. But there are those who will not leave him alone - and tainted as the epitome of evil in the newspapers, the resurrection is rather difficult.

Deep down, it asks a simple question - when someone serves their punishment, do they not deserve a chance to live a normal life? After all, is prison not meant to be about rehabiliation?

This is a very powerful movie, but I wonder if any of us would really reconsider rehabilitated prisoners as our friends, colleagues or lovers. And there in lies the problem I suppose.

Choice, not Fate: The Life and Times of Trevor Manuel

Released just months after Mbeki was "recalled", the biography traces the story of Trevor Manuel - possibly South Africa's most admired minister; and certainly one of the most successful ministers.

It is a facinating tale, tracing back his family's roots, the impact of the Group Areas Act (which came trully into force when he was a boy), his political activities before and after the unbanning of the ANC (including his significant influence on the politics of the Western Cape) and his time as the minister of Finance.

And it is the last part, the process of how he came to head up the ANC's economic policies, to becoming the Trade and Industry minister before becoming the Minister of Finance, that is really enlightening.

There is significant discussion on how the ANC came to launch GEAR; and the arguments for and against various economic models. What is also interesting, is how Zimbabwe's economic outlook in 1994 (which the book describes as being very rocky, on the verge of collapse) affected Trevor Manuel, Tito Mboweni and the rest of the policy makers plans and decisions.

I had known about South Africa's debt accumulation - but the book is a facinating insight to how debt really affected South Africa's spending patterns - on why it was difficult to just pour money into building houses or delivering water. So was the discussion on why teachers and other crucial public service workers had to be laid off in the late 1990s - becuase there was trully over capacity on the fundamental infrastructures (there were teachers, but no schools that could use those teachers).

But perhaps, most striking of all was the account of the discussion of possible economic scenarios for South Africa. There were the two extremes - everything collapses and everything flourishes; both unrealistic. But there were the two other paths - the strong growth at first followed by a crash (similar to the Asian economies of the 1990s) or the slow growth at first followed by the strong sustained growth later. The fact that South Africa managed to follow the last path, was a political triumph as much as it was an economic triumph.

If nothing else, this book is a good discussion on the fundamentals of politics and economics. Two things that affect our daily lives. And that alone makes it worthwhile.

Movie: Pride and Glory

A fairly predictable movie about New York cops - the familiar theme of good cops chasing up the bad cops who are doing deals on the side. The only twist in this saga - the good cops, the bad cops (and those in between) are all from the same family. Nothing special really.

... in paradise

As the plane landed in Cape Town on New Year's eve, the captain asked the flight crew to take their seats, and that we would shortly be landing in paradise. Cape Town in December is certainly paradise - I love it. And going there for New Year's eve, although a very short visit, was certainly a great decision.

And even as we flew over the slums - into Cape Town - and again out of Cape Town (although this time, the flight went round Cape Point too) - I certainly agree - Cape Town in summer is paradise.

White Tiger

Winner of the 2008 Man Booker Prize, Aravind Adiga writes a tale about a smart man, Balram Halwai, - who rises from poverty to becoming a multi-millionaire, successfull business man in the New India. And it is the journey that is really the focus of the story - filled with corruption, virtual slavery, family and social presssures and even murder - it is a very stark contrast to the traditional tale of success.

What is really tragic, in many respects, about the story - is that it is in many respects an honest potrayal of the class, social and economic divide of India. The tales of corruption - while maybe exaggarated, are not tales that would not ring true at some point.

And in the end, you realise - that the story could be really set in any other third world country. You will get smart boys forced to work, to pay off some family debt instead of going to school. You will find social pressures dictating what the person can do as their living. And, it will be the very select few, who can trully escape their background and trappings of their birth. In fact, in the times of financial turmoils; this tale probably rings true for everyone in the world ... and in the end, we would all support Balram Halwai's actions ...

Movie: Religilous

Comedian Bill Maher, presents a rebuttal to religion - esp. the Abrahamic religions. Personally, I feel that the God Delusion, did a much better job. Maher does raise valid points - but his presentation, and atagonism towards some of his interview subjects are not going to help spread his message.

Cradle of Humankind

There was only one tourist attraction I knew of in Gauteng - the Cradle of Humankind. And it has taken me almost a year to actually get round to going there. The Cradle of Humankind is in itself a bit of a distracting idea as a tourist site - because the area covers a very large area, which includes towns, farms and game reserves. At its core, there are two major "attractions": Maropeng Visitor Centre and The Sterkfontein Caves. Both can be easily visted in half a day, and thus a combined ticket of R130 for adults is quite affordable.



The Maropeng Visitor Centre is an incredible showcase about evolution of man - and a very interesting exploration of the homo sapien species. It is incredibly hands on, and the information is very interesting and very accessible. More than a musuem, it is also somewhat of an experience - from the idea of exploring the various facets of the evolution of earth itself to the various aspects of biological evolution.



The Cradle is off course famous for the various fossils discovered of our earliest ancestors, and Maropeng has a fairly sizable collection of original fossils and casts.



The Sterkfontein caves is off course what made this area famous; and with the improvements in facilities it is certainly a lot more accessible (although there are areas where one needs to crawl through). The caves themselves are not that impressive in themselves, but it is still a very interesting experience.



Over all, the recent focus on improving the facilities have meant that these are really accessible to visitors. They are both facinating places to visit; and I am glad I finally went.

Wonder Cave

Wonder Cave, also in the Cradle of Humankind is inside the private Rhino and Lion game reserve. An abandoned mine, the cave is a massive cavern with some spectacular stalactites and stalagmites. It is a steep climb down stairs, followed by a small mining lift - but it definitely worth the effort and the R50 entry fee. It is a small detour onthe R512 from Johannesburg, and definitey worth a stop over.

PCFormat's DRM Article

I am not a regular buyer of PCFormat - but when I saw the DRM article advertised on the cover, I could not resist. Since I do consider myself somewhat of an expert on DRM, I was interested to see what the magazine had to say. And in most respects, it was very much what I thought it would be; although a lot less hysterical and to be fair, a lot more balanced. However, there are a number of points I would like to raise - so here it goes.

Firstly - what is DRM? Strictly speaking - DRM is about the control of usage and access to electronic data. It is not about copy control. In fact, every DRM system that has tried to enforce copy control has been a failure - and are usually led the bad rap - such as Sony-BMG's rootkit. It is physically impossible to restrict copying - computers work by copying data all the time. The way copying is controlled is through restricting the use of electronic data - but not physically restricting copying. It is an important distinction.

Secondly, DRM is not strictly about copyright enforcement - it is about license enforcement. This is the reason that music DRM has failed, and probably will never succeed. Music has never been sold as being licensed to the buyer - instead the buyer has always "bought" an instance of a musical performance. To apply DRM directly to this model was stupid, and has consequently failed.

Software is different - it has always been distributed and used as being licensed. You do not own a game. You own a license to play the game. You do not own a copy of Windows XP. You own a license to use Windows XP. Consequently, DRM fits in a lot better to the model for Software Protection - it is a natural extension to what has always been practiced, but never really been enforced.

But does this mean that the economic and usability models being applied to current software is correct? No. Previously, I could get a license to play a game on unlimited number of machines for R400. Now, I get a license restricted to play on 3 machines for R400. That is not economically justifiable. Likewise, usability of phoning a number, hanging on for 20 minutes while reciting 20 letter numbers is not user-friendly.

In my opinion, DRM was rushed to the market - mainly because the old business models in the music industry could not cope with the new economy. There is a lot of research that needs to be done - a lot of it is being done. There is a lot of use for DRM, and the power it can hand to the user could be immense. If done properly, the user could be in a position to determine, how, who, why, when and where another entity could use their personal data - that is powerful. However, competing DRM standards (there are at least three organisations in the standardisation game: OMA, MPEG and W3C), competing interests and a general fuck up due to the immature introduction of the technology has meant that real progress has been really slow.

Movie: Synechdoche

In "Being John Malkovich" Charlie Kaufman explored the world through one person's eyes (and a lot more than that). In Synechdoche, he explores a whole city. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a nutty director who has just won a grand prize to put on the most ambitious play ever. So, he tries to replicate New York - and the actors basically start living the play. And through the play, he tries to explore and understand himself - although I think he fails spectacularly.

It is a lot more, and is quite a roller coaster - but is ultimate very complex and hard to unravel. It is a lot more than Being John Malkovich; a lot more than the Truman Show; but ultimately it does not have a clear cut story or purpose. But I did not really expect it to.

World's Most Dangerous Places

The British Telegraph has a list of the worlds 20 most dangerous places, and South Africa features alongside the usual suspects of Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Sudan and Palestine.

I don't think it is a fair comparison at all - while crime levels in South Africa are higher than many other countries in the world - I don't think we are in the same danger as people living in Iraq for example. And in the same vein, there are also a few other countries on that list that should not make the list for the same reasons in my opinion - Jamaica and India are the prominent ones.

Downtown Jozi

I have said it before - downtown Johannesburg is facinating; and together with the urban renewal projects, it is regaining some of its old glory. Unfortunately, in the weekend it's not really a very vibrant city - it is quiet and everything is closed up. Which is a pity - because it does not really encourage people to come and walk around. And it is really a stark contrast to what it is like during the day. The photos are primarily taken in and around Rissik, Symonds and Harrison streets - streets I have driven a number of times during the day, shuttling to and from client offices. I never really have time to admire Jo'burg from the driver's seat, and for that alone I really enjoy walking around Jo'burg.



Byers Naude Park, from the City Hall looking at the Library. It looks very different during the week, full with people. Next time, maybe I should walk around and take photos during the workday.





Old Mining equipment, on Main Street. Main Street is facinating, and gives a great iverview of the mining heritage of the city, and the key people involved. It is also very pedestrian friendly.



One of the many adverts adorning the Jo'burg skyline



A kwaito group was filming their music video on the streets (it is not to dificult to close down a street over the weekend). Not sure who they were - but the miming was fun to watch.

Movie: Quantam of Solace

This is not much of a traditional Bond movie in some respects - no Q, no gadgets, no dumb villain leader. But there are still beautiful locations, baddies to hunt down and beautiful women.

This is also the first Bond movie I have seen that is a sequel - rather than a stand alone story; and going forward, the ending suggests that the next movie will also be a sequel. This in itself will be a departure, and not such an unwelcome departure in my opinion.

The movie itself was quite action packed, although somewhat convoluted at times (a lot of hand-to-hand) - but personally, I really liked the scene in the Opera - I just don't remember Bond movies being artistically inclined.

The Wisdom of Whores

I am normally a very fast reader - but due to various circumstances, I never really got round to finishing The Widom of Whores until recently, even though I started in late August! And it is definitely a great book!

A lot has been written about HIV and AIDS, and in some ways this is another book to that pile. It is however, possibly the most honest book I have read on the subject. The author, a journalist turned epidemiologist has spent a long time in the field of HIV and AIDS research - and her insights are facinating, and sometimes brutal. It is a frank account of not only how HIV and AIDS epedimics are badly managed in terms of response (not only in South Africa) but also of the politics, the ideologies and most of all the difference in cultures that are seemingly not understood.

Fundamentally, HIV is spread in two ways - unprotected sex and blood transfusions. But most HIV response teams do not tackle either of the core issues directly, largely for moralistic grand standing. Unproteted sex? People are not supposed to have sex before marriage. Or most people do not have multiple simultaneous partners. And drug abusers - why should they get more sympathy with clean neadles? The fact that some cultures do not consider multiple partners immoral - or that some prostitutes do not consider their work cheating on the partners have just not permeated up to the powers that be.

More than anything, the book exposes the flaws in the standard research practice of boxing things into neat categories. That, and the gross ineficieny of ideology driven health care support - even when the ideology is not religious.

While the book is centred largely in South East Asia, the lessons and discussions raised are just as relevant in South Africa. But, whether the book has any effect in fixing the world, that probably has a very a expected answer ...

Movie: Brideshead Revisted

Set in Britain, between the Great Depression and WW 2, Brideshead Revisited is a very interesting "period" movie, with a somewhat confused purpose. On one hand, it is very much a classic love story, between a man with very humble beginings and the rich daughter of English nobility, but where the couple's differences in religion makes it even more difficult to make it a success. Then there is the seemingly romantic relationship between the gay son and the man. Added to this is a mixture of bad parenting, alcohol abuse and the very obvious gap in wealth.

It is very much an interesting mix of characters, great individual performances and some very intersting dialogue. But over all, the movie does seem to lack a central theme - but maybe that is by design. As the daughter states, "What does Charles Ryder really want?" A question, that is never really answered.

Movie: Body of Lies

I am not sure what the whole point of the movie was - there is a CIA agent in the middle east, who is very good at what he does; his interfering boss who sometimes does more harm than good and a terrorist cell similar to Al Qaeda. Somewhere in this, there is also th eobligatory love story.

There is lot of things this movie could have done. Instead, it is a slow, meandering walk through nothingness. Yes, the Americans are shown as arrogant, uncaring and selfish - yet the good guys still win! This is not a Syrianna, or even a Bourne type of spectacle and intrigue. It is, in my opinion, utter rubbish.

Karen Zoid

I have always wanted to go to the Blues Room, but something always seemed to come up. I spotted Karen Zoid was to play last night, and just decided to go (a decision helped by the fact that I did not have to be at work at 8am :p). Blues Room itself is an interesting venue - quite intimate, but very much suited to Jazz and Blues (it's main forte admittedly) being more of a restaurant than a live music venue.

The show itself was quite varied - featuring some solo accoustic guitar (not sure of his name), some covers by Karen Zoid and the guitarist, followed by some collaboration with Josie Feild, before the main show really.

And Karen Zoid, featuring a new drummer, really delivered an amazing show. It was a high energy show, with some amazing variety - especially with the combination of covers and original music in a very seamless, slick piece. I did not really hear any "new" tracks from her new album - but it was still an amazing show. I am glad I went.

Movie: Death Race

Many computer racing games has this theme: cars/vehicles racing round the track with the objective to finish, not necessarily first, but survive. The tracks have weapon and defence powerups, which can be used to blow up opponents or survive opponent's power-ups.

Death Race is a live action version of this - with a thinly guised story to give a "plot". Actually, the plot is shit, the dialogue is worse, and acting just as shit. Really, horrible.

But the action - wow. Guns, things blowing up, the blood, the gore. In fact, if it was accompanied by cheesy music and no dialgoue, it could have been a replay ...

Movie: The Band's Visit

An Egyptian police band arrives at a small airport in Israel, and gets lost in a town in the middle of nowhere. They don't get stranded for long - just overnight until the Egyptian consulate rescues them - and the movie really only focuses on that overnight. It is a clash of cultures - a clash of religions. But it is a story of kindness, a story of rediscovering life, a story of living life. In their own way, the band repays their kind (and sometimes forced) benefactors; and you get a sense that everyone learnt something, experienced something.

It is a quirky movie, funny in places, and very different.

Backdated posts for Germany

I did not have enough time for blogging on the last two weeks of October - when I was in Germany. So, I have added some backdated posts covering my last day in Poznan (Poland), Darmstadt, Heidelburg, Frankfurt, Cologne and Hotel Petersburg ...