ZaCon 5

If ZACon 5 was a true representation of the security practitioners in South Africa, it would seem that there are next to no women - after all, only 1 lady in the audience of 100 plus gives a pretty skewed demographic. Perhaps this is a phenomenon more in the hacker community itself? Perhaps it is due to the fact that the event is on a Saturday? I have commented on diversity of ZACon before, and in other respects the audience was far more diversified, be it race, organisations or age - so, it seems like gender is the final frontier :) 

Organisationally, this was the best ZACon yet - better signage, better communication, up to date scheduling (even if it did run late, and the scheduling did changed a lot), AV and sound set-up etc. As Dominic commented, ZACon is growing up, and it seems to be sustainable footing - and this is a local security conference that deserves to continue. The content was also impressive, covering a variety of interests, although there was a strong "electronics" theme. 

Dimitry started off proceedings on the use of Markov chains to create more efficient password attacks. In principle, it is a great idea, but his actual demonstration and training data was did not make sense. Password complexity rules have almost ruled out the use of plain dictionary words as passwords, and thus the solution did not have the gravitas that it could have.

Jason presented the most interesting talk, on Mains Signalling. Basically, Mains Signalling is the use of signalling on the electrical grid, allowing for controlling of electrical systems. The technology is old, undocumented, and very topical with regards to the move to Demand Side Management, across the world. Through literally years of effort, and off the shelf components, Jason managed to decode some of the signal codes - including that of traffic lights, street lights and geysers. Given that there is absolutely no authentication or authorisation built into the system, anyone with the capability to send modulated signals on the electrical grid can cause havoc - and this is something that, to my knowledge, is not addressed as part of next generation grids. Yes, it is a far more local attack - but also far more economically damaging.

Jeremy ("Panda") presented an interesting investigation on the command and control servers for the Poison Ivy botnet (and two others). Through interception of communication, NMAP and tracking IP addresses and domain registration records; and managed to identify a number of additional domains and command and control servers. And amazingly, many command anc control servers are themselves vulnerable to many attacks, due to bad configuration and vulnerabilities within the Poison Ivy system. The approach will not work for all botnets, but this is certainly a good step forward in combating botnets.

Brazilian Marcos (studying at UJ) presented the most complex talk on detecting obfuscated obfuscation routines.  The use case is better detection of malware, but could also be used to attack software that uses obfuscation as a protection mechanism. Detecting and reversing good obfuscation is difficult and although the presentation is very much in initial stages; it does have good promise.

Rhodes MSc student Adam talked about his research on active honeypots. Traditional security technologies, like firewalls and anti-virus systems have high cost in detection, but low cost in carrying out enforcement. Conversely, honeypots have low cost in detection, but high cost in actually carrying out meaningful actions. The presentation was therefore on building a converged system - low cost of detection, and low cost of enforcement. In some respects it is a better IPS - and the approach is interesting; though probably not completely scalable. 

Dave from MWR's UK office gave the scariest talk of the day - on how it is easy to hijack ad networks to infiltrate ad-supported apps on mobile devices; most notably on Androids and jail broken iPhones. Ads are effectively webkit implementation within apps; but through bad design, vulnerable implementations, intentional wish to hijack data, bad sandboxing, and ads inhering permissions of the underlying apps, ad networks are effectively able to pull various types of data, or take actions such as sending messages or making calls. This means that the attacker can effectively hijack legitimate ads for their own purposes (since ad network traffic is often unencrypted) or in an easier (but potentially tractable) attack, launch an ad campaign that sets out to attack their targets. It was  truly fascinating insight into the problems with the current mobile advertising landscape and the lack of real incentives to address the problems.

Mark, also from MWR, but the SA office, gave an insightful overview of Control Area Networks (CAN), specifically in the cars. While there was some exploration on possible vulnerabilities, it was more of a discussion on reverse engineering. There are interesting avenues to pursue - especially remotely via avenues such as keyless entry or telemetry broadcasts for race cars. 

In the past year, Robert, started a conversation on building a data diode - or a one way transmitter of data. Considering the massive cost (some over 100's of thousands of Rands) of commercial systems, Robert's solution, costing less than R5000, is therefore an amazing hack; and one that works as advertised. 

The last talk was by Shcalk, on designing a low-gain directional Wi-Fi antenna; but was really mostly about 3D printing and house-4-hack. The 3D printer itself has got awards, and this is a good showcase of entrepreneurship. It was a good follow up to Roelof's (from Paterva) talk on the basic building blocks for building a successful business. It was a good way to close off a fascinating day.

Blood Brothers

David Kramer's adaptation of the Classic English musical, which has been transferred to Take place in District 6 instead of Liverpool. The story itself doesn't focus on the politics, or race, but rater differences in economic backgrounds. 

It's a story of a struggling mother who gives up one of her new born twins to her well off employer. The boys discover each other, become friends, grow up, but remain unaware of their relationship. Eventually the story ends in tragedy, and the story is very much focused on te guilt trip of both mothers, as the narrator keeps reminding the audience, "the tokoloshe has your number".

The performances are amazing. The brothers, played by Eprahim Landrew and Dean Balie, give very believable performances across different ages, from 7 to 25. The standout performance is by Bianca Le Grange, as Mrs Johnstone (the biological mother), and although M doesn't agree, I also enjoyed the narator's performance in bringing the story together.

It is a brilliant performance all round, and David Kramer's adaptation to South African cultural references is amazing. It is show definitely worth watching. 

JPO's 2nd 2013 Season, 6th Concert

Given the difficult year for the JPO, the final concert of the year started with a few words of thanks - both from the CEO of the JPO and the concertmaster. I think that the JPO needs to do a lot more to overcome its challenges, but that is a post on its own. The concert itself, for me, was a bit underwhelming.

Schumann's Manfred Overture started the proceedings off. Unlike the programme notes, I did not think that the piece conveyed "effectively the urgent despair of Byron's work" - not that I know the poem that the piece is based on. While it certainly had a melancholic ending - there are certainly other pieces that I have heard that evoked sadness than this piece. 

Violinist Yura Lee performed Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto; a very popular piece that I have heard on radio numerous times, in pieces, but not as a full work. Unlike some concertos, it does not seem to require significant individual brilliance; but it is a great piece to listen to; and got great appreciation from the audience.

Brahms' Symphony No 2. ended off the evening. It was certainly a nice piece to listen to, but I found that it was hardly memorable. There was no specific piece that got stuck in my mind, and I don't think I would recognise it if it was played. It was nice; but not great.

The Pudding Shop

The Pudding Shop, in Parktown North, aspires to be a vegan friendly restaurant. That means, the menu is largely vegetarian or vegan (although it is not that easy to see which is which) but also has a few fish items for those that must have some animal protien. The food is delicious, the decor is interesting and it is a great lunch venue; especially on a lazy weekend. And best of all, it doesn't have the preachy holier-than-thou attitude of other vegan/vegetarian places I have been to (outside Asia).

That said the service is quite poor. The waiters didn't really know the menu; and for a vegan/vegetarian venue, their selection of food and drink is actually quite limited. It is not that the waiters are unfriendly - in fact they are very hospitable - but their lack of knowledge of the food being served does not help; especially when the menu is mixed.

Wooden Buldozer

The Rosebank rooftop market restarted last week, and this time it feels a lot more spacious with somewhat better quality. A Malawian stall had hand carved wooden toys; and the bulldozer really stood out. All the parts are movable, including the arms and the tracks. Really impressive craftsmanship!

JPO's 2nd 2013 Season, 5th Concert

Sibelius' 2^nd Symphony is awesome, not only the finale, which is very rousing (and as per the commentary, seen as the unofficial Finnish national anthem) and loud; but also the second movement, which has a very interesting start with the double-basses and cellos; and everything else just seems to fit together. No doubt, part of the success of the performance was due to the conductor Yasuo Shinozaki's experience with Finnish music; and it was one of those magical performances where the music just seems to come alive.

Unfortunately, the first part of the concert was more mundane. The first part of the concert was rather short, lasting just over 30 minutes. Proceedings started with Mozart's La clemenza di Tito Overture, followed by Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme played by Russian born, South African cellist Polina Burdukova. Neither performances were bad - just boring. The symphony did make up for it though!

Macbeth

It's quite cool how some traditional artistic companies are leveraging new technologies to reach new audiences - the Metropolitan Opera and the UK's National Theatre being at the forefront. It opens up their productions to new audiences; and gives different avenues for movie theatres at the same time.

Ster-Kinekor is currently screening National Theatre's production of Macbeth starring Kenneth Branagh. Performed in a deconsecrated church (how is a church deconsecrated?), the "stage" is in the centre of the church, with the audience sitting on either side. The action is fast paced, with no time taken for scene changes; and there is a very earthy; middle-age feeling about the play - particularly in the beginning with the water effects (for rain) that turns the stage into a muddy field. 

It is minimalist; at the same time quite impressive in the use of effects. The performances are brilliant, not only by Kenneth Branagh but also by Ray Fearon as Macduff and Alex  Kingston as Lady Macbeth. 

I saw Macbeth in school, as part of the set work - this is the type of production that makes Shakespeare amazing, even when it is not part of schoolwork :)

Meze, Mira and Makeup

A play with only one cast member can be difficult to pull off; and Taryn Papadopolous Louch did an absolutely amazing job in portraying a wide range of characters in the life of Kalomira (Mira) from birth, through to end of her University degree. Although very much rooted in the immigrant Greek experience, I don't think the experience itself is specific to Greek culture - but rather a wider take on immigrant life in the new home; and the difference in experience between the 1^st and 2^nd generation immigrants.

The acting is absolutely amazing - especially in how well the characters are portrayed; and the play is hilarious. The accents and the exaggerated character effects are well portrayed and the performance got a well deserved standing ovation.

Soil

The Auto and General Theatre on the Square is hosting a month of Greek flavoured SA plays. The playwright of the first (Soil) and the director of the second (Meze, Mira and Makeup), Renos, is part of M's writing group; so we got an invitation to the opening day. It was my first time at the theatre, and being effectively next to the parking lot, has its disadvantages - mainly in hearing car doors slamming and alarms going off. That said, the acoustics are pretty good - so you don't struggle to hear the actors on stage.

The first play of the evening, Soil is based on a true story of a South African of Greek-Cypriot descent's return to the house of his grandparents, and meeting the Turkish-Cypriot lady living in the house - a house given to her father by the occupying forces of Turkey. Effectively it is a story about land rights - and although not directly explored - the history of Cyprus (as encapsulated on Wikipedia) it is a long running saga of multiple occupations and settlements.

The play's structure of three parts, makes it a bit difficult in terms of pacing - dragging on the topic a bit. This is particularly notable in the very end - a part that I thought was completely unnecessary; as the conclusion in the story had already been reached. 

It is a topical, and partly political play. However, it doesn't really have a take on the actual answer - the encounter is so specific; it does not really highlight any meaningful solution to the wider problem. It was still good theatre.

Halloween - JPO's 2nd 2013 Season, 4th Concert

I love live music because of the experience - be it the audience, the unique performance or just the sound. Last night's JPO concert had all of these, and was one of the best.

It started with the performance of Musorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain, a piece that has all the hallmarks of horror genre. The lights were switched off, lights flashed for lightning, and as dawn broke through lights grew brighter, gradually. It was a totally immersive experience that is needed more often.

Tchaikovsky's long 2^nd Piano Concerto was next, featuring Francois du Toit as the pianist. It was a mesmerizing performance, with a lot of highlights even though the piece itself was not particularly memorable. It had some sorrowful moments, but did not really continue the theme.

Saint-Saens' 3^rd Symphony featuring an organ and a piano rounded off the evening. The organ's notes had an amazing vibration even though it was not a full blown organ that one would find in a cathedral. 

It was a great evening, and I hope JPO can repeat similar experiences more often.

Movie: Blue is the Warmest Colour (Adele Part 1 and 2)

I bought tickets more on the reputation than anything else really - and it was a very last minute decision. It was being screened as part of the annual "Out in Africa" festival, so it was a special screening before a wider South Africa release.

It is a simple movie premise - following the life of a young woman (starting in High School), Adele, through to her late 20's; through the cycle of one serious relationship, with an older woman, Emma. From the incidental meeting at a traffic light, through to "living house", through to a rather impressively acted dissolution, and a few years after; the movie has amazing atmosphere.  The movie uses quite a few clever ways in representing time (through the course of 10 plus years); but sadly the visual appearances of the two main characters remain the same and in some respects there is actually little change in how the characters act and behave in this time period.

The major talking point (and associated controversy) is the very long, quite explicit first sex scene between the two characters. While it starts of as erotic, and manages to convey a lot of passion, it carries on for too long - so much so, that an audience of predominantly lesbian women, starts laughing. It becomes tedious, and together with a number of other long lingering scenes, it contributes to the overall slow paced, tediousness of the movie brought on by its length. 

Overall, it is a good movie, with some good acting, and a good script - but too long. I am happy that I went to watch it; but I wouldn't want to again.

Johannesburg International Motor Show

I have been mulling over on whether to buy a new car, but my current one if working fine, so there is no motivation to really buy a new one (other than having a new car). That said, the Johannesburg International Motor Show was a good opportunity to see what is coming out in the recent future; and I was specifically interested in the electric cars that may be coming to SA soon.

Of the cars, the most imminent is the Nissan Leaf, which is launching next month. But it is not a car that looks like it is worth just under half a million Rands. In looks to other similar priced cars - 3 Series BMW, Audi A4, C-Class Mercedes - and this just doesn't stack up. It does have all the gadgets; it is fairly comfortable and quite nice to drive (I took the short test drive on offer); and the promise of incredibly low fuel costs does provide some of the positives. It has a 24 KWh battery, and a range of approximately 195 KM. Based on current SA electricity price of approx R1 per KWh, this translates to an incredible 12c per KM of fuel costs - far less than any petrol/diesel equivalent. But with a general lack of charging stations (right now at least) and the high investment cost; it may be better off to get a highly economical diesel.

Mahindra was the other "low cost" vehicle manufacturer with an electric car on show - which looked a bit like a bulkier golf car to be honest. Interestingly none of the other Asian manufacturers had hybrids or electric cars on show; except for existing offers from Toyota (and Lexus) and Honda.

The feature car that all the papers were talking about was the BMW i8 due to land in SA end of next year/early 2015. It is a great looking car, but there wasn't much on performance or price (although the agent did comment that it was going to be at the R2 million mark). The BMW i3 is also expected to be launched next year, but at the reported price of R1 million, it is worth two Nissan Leafs, and looks worse!

The i8 was not the only hybrid/electric stunner on the floor. Honda's new NSX is absolutely beautiful, though no other details were available, and is still in a concept phase I think.

There were a few interesting, non electric cars to see also - Chevrolet's Camaro is a classic American Muscle Car, but no further details were available. Giniel de Villier's Dakar Rally Car, a Red Bull F1 car and the Lexus LFA (which Top Gear called best car in the world).

JPO's 2nd 2013 Season, 3rd Concert

The program notes that Japanese conductor Yasuo Shinozaki spent considerable time leading orchestras in Finland. It was therefore apt that his 3 week tenure as the conductor of the JPO started with Jean Sibelius' Finlandia, performed with great gusto. It is a great piece, especially performed live.

Violinist Matthew Trusler performed Benjamin Britten's Violin Concerto, which was a stark contrast to Finlandia's exuberance. Written during World War 2, it is a melancholic piece (although I am not clear on whether it is mourning the event of a war, or the outcomes of the war); and although there are clearly passages which require great skill to perform (especially in the second movement), it was not a very enjoyable piece in itself. It was amazing to see it being performed - but I am not sure I would like to hear it again.

Rachmaninoff's Symphony No 1 rounded up the evening, which was yet again very boisterous. I really enjoyed the piece, especially the various contrast between the strings and the brass and percussion elements. It was loud, it was interesting, it was happy - almost all the things that the violin concerto was not - and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Movie: Gravity

There are movies that are cinematic masterpieces, and then there is Gravity which sets up an even higher bar to achieve. It doesn't matter that the visuals of the movie were mostly computer generated - it is an amazingly beautiful spectacle. The science may not be perfect and the plot could have focused less on moving from one disaster to another (I was wondering, almost hoping that a great white shark would appear). 

The great acting performances (especially by Sandra Bullock as the survivor in empty space), the masterful depiction of weightlessness and the amazing cinematography are pull together to make an amazing movie.

Side Channel Attacks in the Cloud

I saw this paper (by Yinqian Zhang, Ari Juels, Michael K. Reiter and Thomas Ristenpart in ACM CCS 2012) earlier this year, but thought it was a very specific threat model. In a  one line summary - it is possible to recover private keys when they are being used within a virtual machine, through observations of the activity of the virtual machine from the host machine. It is a very complex attack, and requires at least host access for these observations, so my initial thoughts were that this attack could only be carried out by extremely skilled admins of a cloud hosting provider; but the complexity would probably mean that there was no realistic threat in that regard.

With the NSA revelations of the past few months, this is an interesting approach that could be taken by an agency (such as the NSA) to recover private keys from cloud providers, without getting actual access to the servers themselves. Given that PRISM does provide such access to hosts, it is not inconcievable that systems that are hosted on public cloud services such as Amazon's EC2 could be monitored. However, given the description of events relating to Lavabit, it is likely that this type of attack hasn't been operationalised yet - but remains interesting on what could be achieved.

1820 Settlers National Monument

The 1820 Settlers National Monument is just outside Grahamstown, offering fantastic views of the town. A monument celebrating English settlers, it is in many ways a monument to colonialism - especially with cannons pointed towards the town; although the monument website talks about anything but that. The foundation building itself was closed on Sunday, but the views were worth the stop.

Grahamstown

This is my 3rd time in Grahamstown, though the first extended stay here. It's a small town with impressive colonial architecture (at least in the central part). The weather hasn't been great (quite chilly actually) it's a nice plae to visit regardless.

JPO's 2nd 2013 Season, 2nd Concert

Pianist Jan Hugo was completely focused on the keyboard as his fingers sped across the keys. He looked at the conductor for his cue, swayed slightly when it was just the orchestra; but mostly he was focused on the piano keys. It was a mesmerizing performance of Mendelson's 1^st Piano Concerto, which got a rousing applause from the audience; so muh so, that the pianist obliged with two encores.

Before the concerto, the JPO played Mozart's Magic Flute Overture; and finished off with one of the most well known symphonies - Beethoven's 5^th. Once again, conductor Daniel Boico brought great energy to the performance - especially for the symphony.

Yet another great concert from the JPO, and a great selection of pieces this week.

Movie: RED 2

I enjoyed RED, and the sequel is much more of the same. As in previous movie, ex-CIA black OPS, Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) and his best friend Marvin (John Malkovich) are being chased by a number of governments relating to an old operation known as Nightshade. Set up across 4 countries, there are brilliant performances by Anthony Hopkins as the deranged villain and Helen Miren gets to play the queen again - although this time it's in a psychiatric ward. 

Despite some amazing stunts, the movie felt less slick than the original. The plot has a lot of holes, the dialogue seems to have been written by different writers (of different abilities) and the story sometimes looses steam. It is still funny, and a very good antidote to the run of the mill action story.

JPO's 2nd 2013 Season 1st Concert

There was a noticeable influx of youth (well anyone under 50 would be young right?) at yesterday's JPO concert - in the audience, in the orchestra, which was also led by the relatively young conductor Daniel Boico. Daniel Boico brought some amazing energy to the orchestra - especially in the opening piece; Rossini's William Tell Overture. I have heard this piece performed before, but this JPO performance was something special.

Luis Magalhaes played Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 4 next, which was sadly not at the same level. It was a strange piece - and it just didn't have the wow of Rachmaninov's earlier concertos. 

The evening ended with  Dvořák's Symphonny No 8. While it is not as recognisable as his 9th, it was a good mixture of emotional mood and was once again energetically conducted and performed. 

For an orchestra that flirted with its demise due to funding problems, this was the exact statement of revival that was needed. It's a pity that the hall wasn't sold out ...

Sport Development and Diversity

Business Day has a great article exploring why black rugby players who seem to succeed on the field in junior rugby do not succeed as they go up the age brackets.

It is an argument I have made before, in my experience with badminton in Cape Town. Sports development is not only about training and coaches - it is about nutrition, about emotional support, about family support, and a whole lot else. If kids are going to spend hours to get to training, development is not sustainable. If kids are not going to get good nutrition at home, they will physically not develop regardless of the hours they spend in gym as part of their training. If they do not get support in their education and family life (which may be in non traditional family structures) they will have other things to worry about.

That said, I am not sure that boarding school, as advocated, is the solution. In my own experience in Cape Town, the fact that top players (including national players) stayed an played in the community was in itself a promoter of the sport. Ultimately, I think a balance is required and it required support from multiple spheres of government and civil society.

Trevor Noah: It's My Culture

I bought my tickets to the show in August, and already most of the tickets had been sold out for the 3 week show. Trevor Noah has had a fairly meteoric rise as a comedian - I first saw him as a support act at a comedy club about 5 years ago, and now he has 2 hour shows across the world. 

The content of his act varied widely, and he is a great story teller (and writer); managing to get laughs from even difficult topics. The story about his meeting with Julius Malema was particularly impressive, as was the brilliant story of the arrival of the escalator in Zambia (which is not too say that Zambia is technologically backward). 

Earlier, the show opened with a drummer and a puppeteer with 2 dancing puppets (who put Miley's twerking to shame). It was followed by short act by Dusty Rich; which comprised of commentary on his name and blaming his parents for (in his opinion) various genetic defects. The puppeteer was amazing; Dusty was just ok.

I am not sure that the show itself lived up to its name; but that doesn't really matter. It was a great show that definitely lived up to Trevor Noah's well earned reputation.

The Price of Prepaid Mobile Data

The Economist has an analysis of mobile data prices (prepaid), with some surprising results. When the average prices are measured against the country's average income levels, SA prices do not come across as too bad - especially when compared to the US prices; and most of BRICS seem to be on par. With the recent announcement of even further cuts to mobile prices due to reduction in termination rates, the mobile data price should get better!

And Then Steve Said, ‘Let There Be an iPhone’

The NYTimes has a great article on the design and engineering challenges of building the iPhone, particularly leading up to its unveiling. It's particularly interesting how rough the initial demo units were, and how much improvement was actually done in the 6 months before the actual public availability. But best of all, it is a fantastic discussion on what it takes to deliver a brand new product; and the bets that Apple effectively took to deliver the iPhone (effectively stopping development of all other products to focus on the iPhone). 

There are a lot of articles on Steve Jobs today, and this is probably the best of the lot.

Carnivore

For a number of years, I have heard about the meat-lover's paradise called Carnivore. While discussing the rodizio concept with a Argentine-Brazzilian business-partner, I proposed that we go check out Carnivore.

Te restaurant is very much a rodizio, with the major difference being the variety of game meats, and the lack of a salad bar (some small amount of salad is brought to the table, but none of us had any). The decor in the restaurant is definitely geared for the tourists with iron statues of great African chiefs (Shaka, Moshoeshoe etc); some elaborate wood carvings an other curios. The service was very friendly, although quite slow.

The food (or rather the meat) was good; though some of the game was a bit tough. For meat lovers, it is certainly good value for money; and the variety of the type of meat is impressive. Unfortunately, unlike Brazilian rodizios, there wasn't too much variety in te type of preparation. It was a good evening, an certainly a great place to take meat loving tourists.

Buskaid Recital

Arcadia House in the Hollard Campus is a grand, but intimate location. It was a pity that there were still a number of empty chairs for the event. Instead of an orchestra, senior students performed a solo recital of their pieces, usually accompanied by Jill Richards on the piano.The program ranged from the well known (e.g. Beethoven's Romanze in F Major or Brahms' Scherzo for Violin and Piano) to the really obscure (Paul Patterson's Tides of Mananan). 

As usual the performances were of high quality - but a few performances did stand out - Cecilia Manyama's performance of the Dvorak's Sonatina for Violin and Piano; Pule Lekarapa's performance of  Faure's Sicilenne and Tisetso Mashini's performance of Tides of Mananan was the definite highlight of the evening.

At R50 a ticket, it was great value for money and an event that should have been supported more!

Movie: The Conjuring

As horror movies go, this one has a decent story, with good acting and some really scary moments. It is a ghost/poltergeist/demon story based around a large family (husband, wife, 5 daughters) that buys a dilapidated house which ends up being haunted with ghosts of a witch. In most ways its a straight forward story - well executed. I am not a fan of the genre, but I did like the fact that the horror was based on the actions of the demons/ghosts instead of gore of body parts flying around.

Naked and Afraid

Survivor made reality tv big, and Fear Factor exploited the viewer's fears (often of creepy crawlies and other gross things) and others have taken the viewers to exotic locations around the world. And in all examples of reality tv, it is a bunch of people competing for a prize. There are a lot of safety nets (in shows such as Fear Factor), and most reality tv shows are driven by the competition between the participants.

National Geographic's Naked and Afraid series (not sure if it is screening in SA yet) somewhat turns most of this up side down. There is no prize money. There is no competition between participants. For 6 episodes, 1 man and 1 woman, both supposed expert survivalists, are placed naked (as in absolutely no clothes) in some inhospitable location, with 2 survival tools (usually from the group of cutting implement, fire starting implement and pot) and live for 21 days. Yes there is a camera crew - but only during the day. The participants have to do everything for survival - get water, get food, make shelter and survive the local inhabitants, ranging from snakes, to bugs to hyenas. 

What is most interesting, is what it really takes to survive in remote locations with no real help. All participants loose weight - some with drastic weight loss. Many almost give up - and 2 actually do. Making fire, with 2 sticks can take hours. Making fire, even with a lighter, can fail when there is nothing to burn. Despite being experienced hunters, all participants go for days without food. Almost every participant falls sick or gets injured in some manner. And the nudity - you don't see much, this being an American production - makes it difficult when temperature drops, or sun leads to bad sunburn.

 

Should a post-apocalyptic scenario painted by novels or movies ever take place - humanity won't be only wiped out by the event - but by the thirst for water, lack of food, lack of good tools and microbes. It also means that while we were once equipped to survive on primitive conditions, we have also lost those natural defences long ago. Progress has its downsides ...

NSA and Cryptography Attacks

There have been a few excellent articles on the NSA "breaking encryption", as reported in The Guardian and New York Times. In the talk 2 weeks ago Vint Cerf commented that we should use stronger keys - but as per the articles, key length may not be the issue at all. To summarise there are a few ways encryption can be broken:

1. Brute force the keys
2. Bugs in the software/hardware implementation
3. Bugs in the algorithm
4. Interception before encryption (in the case of network encryption specifically)
5. Steal the key

For point 1,  I think the maths of brute forcing the keys still hold out, we may be close - but I don't think we are there yet. But still, the advice of stronger keys always helps.

For point 2, there have been bugs in encryption libraries before and there are potentially still bugs in these libraries. Both Bruce Shneier and Matthew Green comment on the possibility that there are bugs in the Microsoft crypto library (which is closed source) and even Open SSL. Another possible attack vector, as noted by Ed Felten, is buggy components that make up crypto components, such as bad random number generators - which can then lead to weak keys etc. Faulty hardware (including deliberate backdoors) is also a possibility explored by Ed Felten.

For point 3, in most cases the maths in encryption algorithms seem to be right, and strong. But there have been cases were crypto algorithms have been broken (sometimes after years in operation) and cases where weak algorithms have been submitted for consideration in standards. I think most of the modern algorithms, such as AES are strong - but perhaps there are flaws that just haven't been published.

Point 4 raises an interesting attack vector, which I have seen being carried out by pentesters - basically a proxy service where a network call is intercepted at the initiation of a network session, and then network encryption is easily eavesdropped by the middle party. If the NSA is intercepting huge amount of traffic, it is possible to create such an attack - but automating this in a large scale is surely difficult?

The last point, of stealing keys - or rather forcing companies to hand over their keys under Prism is probably the easiest way for the NSA. There is some commentary on the possibility that the NSA had access to compromised keys at certificate authorities - which would assist this type.

Overall, I don't think there has been fundamental break in cryptography - but there has certainly been weak implementations followed by exploitation by the NSA.

 

The best form of defence is active defence

Over the past couple of years, Dave and I have had numerous discussions on various legal concepts around IT. As a noted privacy expert, and a IT professor at UNISA, the topics have been varied, and often straying to the esoteric.

Over the weekend, Dave and I recorded a podcast with Tony Olivier for the DiscussIT Pubcast on IT Security, covering the concept of active defence/hacking back. Dave and I previously presented the topic at a closed forum? And thought it would make it interesting to make it available to a wider audience. Tony is an excellent host, and managed to steer the discussion to additional points we had previously not covered. The podcast is a bit rough - it picks up a bit of the ambient noise, and is mostly unedited so all the umms and stutters are included for special effect :)

Car Guard Insights

When M & I got to my car after lunch at 44 Stanley, we noticed that the car behind us was parked funny; which I commented to the car guard. To that he replied, that the driver ran out of petrol, and thus had to park it as best as he could. 

But it was the ensuing short conversation, that made me think. The guard proceeded to comment  - "Us black brothers just don't seem to plan ahead - after all the petrol station is just there" (pointing to the other end of Stanley road). "He and another guy went to get petrol some time ago - no idea where they are".

"Have you heard about our president and his fight with the media" (pronounced as Med-ia) he continued - "and it's not the media's fault that they are talking about bad things. If Zuma had done good things, they would be talking about good things; instead he fights the media".

Auckland Park is the centre of two of SA's biggest media organisations - SABC and Media24 - so the comment is not completely out of place. But what made me think is, that even the ANC's traditional supporters - such as the car guard - are not accepting the spin. The question is, as with service delivery protests, are the disaffected going to vote for opposition; or are they just going to not bother voting. 

Interesting times ...

Movie: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

M wanted to watch the movie based on the trailer - neither of us had read the books, nor did we expect much. Based on a similar premise as Harry Porter and the excellent Night Watch series - there is a hidden world where the supernatural exists, and similar to Night Watch, this is constant fight between good and evil. 

In this particular series, the good is represented by Shadow Hunters (assisted by werewolves), while the evil is represented by demons (with vampires and a few others). The shadow hunters are constantly hunting demons - thought their ranks are small and dwindling further; and the main plot in the movie revolves around internal conflicts within the shadow hunters; with a character similar to that of Voldemort in Harry Potter.

The movie starts of promisingly; but devolves into cliches, predictability, and illogical plot development. It is visually great, with ok acting, but is not really as compelling a story as Harry Potter or as complex as Night Watch. It's a fun movie - just not a stimulating one; and I doubt I will watch any other future adaptations.

Movie: Elysium

Elysium is effectively set in a world where the current economic and political policies are taken to their extreme, logical conclusion. A world where there is an effective two-class economy - the very rich, and everyone else (extrapolation of the current discrepancies in countries such as South Africa, Brazil and India), where immigration of the poor is controlled with a degree of viciousness (Australia's new immigration policies?), where even basic health care is difficult to get (almost everywhere except Europe), dependence on warlords for safety and security (Hamas in Palestine, Somalia?), over-population leading to vast slums (India, Brazil, South Africa) and a scenario of factories working off effectively slave labour (China). It is a dystopian future that has been on screen and books before - but I just don't think it has been shown in such extreme brutality.

In this setting, the story of Max (Matt Damon) who inadvertently starts a fight against the system is compelling, but ultimately looses out of steam about 70% of the way in - but by then the movie needs to finish a story, and not provide a philosophical parable. Perhaps the most telling point is that ultimately, in the future, it is the android robots that are more humane than the humans.

It is visually stunning, backed up with some great acting - especially by Sharlto Copley as the renegade mercenary Kruger. It is definitely worth watching, on a big screen.

Buskaid 2013

It was yet another sold out event for the annual Buskaid concert at Linder Auditorium last night; which presented yet again an eclectic compilation of music; most of which has probably not been presented on South African stages before. Two pieces also featured German musician Uwe Grosser playing the chitarrone; a strange plucking instrument descendant from the lute - probably another first in South Africa. 

The classical ensemble pieces included selections from Rameau's Suite from Les Indes Galantes, Vivaldi's Ercole su'l Termodonte: Simfonia and selections from Johannes Brahms' Liebeslieder Walzer. Of the three, the Vivaldi piece was the closest to a standard symphonic piece; while the others are shorter works which were often meant to be accompanied by dances (in the case of Rameau) or singing (in the case of the Brahms). Perhaps, for future concerts it would be worthwhile for Buskaid to consider such accompaniments - as it would certainly make the concerts a richer experience.

There seemed to be fewer individual pieces (i.e. featuring soloists), but they were certainly the highlights of the evening for me. Recent graduates from the Royal Academy of Music in London - Kabelo Monnathabe and Tiisetso Mashishi played the first two solo pieces - Nigel Hess' Theme from Ladies in Lavendar (from movie of the same name) and John Woolrich's Ulysses Awakes. Of these two, Ulysses Awakes was the surprising piece - a very somber moving piece for the viola.

The highlight piece was certainly Simiso Radebe (also a current student at the Royal Academy of Music) performing Jenő Hubay's Hejre Kati. In previous concerts, Simiso has often performed the virtuoso violin pieces, and this concert was no difference - this was the flashy piece, showcasing a wide range of what the violin can perform, and Simiso delivered a brilliant performance.

As per other Buskaid performances, the concert ended with a selection of kwela pieces; after a vocal solo piece - Hoagy Carmichael's Lazybones. The kwela pieces were new arrangements, and both the vocal pieces and the kwela pieces differentiate the Buskaid concerts from run of the mill classical concerts with more energy and fun - for both the performers and the audience. 

It was once again, a brilliant Buskaid concert and a great showcase of musical talent. Buskaid is a great initiative that deserves more support and has the potential to be a cultural institution for South Africa.

Vinton Cerf and Re-Imagining the Internet in the 21st Century

WITS Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adam  Habib opened the proceedings of the 62^nd Bernard Price Memorial Lecture, with reflections on Dr Bernard Price - a notable engineer and scientist who straddled a number of scientific disciplines and also had significant input into the development of South Africa's electrical infrastructure. In that sense, Prof. Habib concluded that, Vinton Cerf was similar; as someone who has straddled the development in science, most notably in the sphere of Internet protocols; but has also had a profound impact on the development of the world through his contributions.

 Vinton Cerf's talk definitely paid homage to that theme; where he charted the development of the Internet, from the initiation of ARPANET itself, all the way to the modern Internet of things, and inter-planetary Internet. His insights into the development of ARPANET itself was interesting - from the considerations that were needed for satellite and radio inter-connectivity, and to more humourous commentary on how the address-space allocation in IP was derived.

He covered some of the coming challenges of the Internet including privacy concerns (something, he believes will only be addressed through trial and error), the promise of Google glass (which will go on sale next year, apparently) and the policy battle for the control of the Internet. 

It is the first time, I have heard a clear and succinct explanation on why ICANN is better than the ITU - ICANN is a multi-stakeholder body that includes corporations, private persons and governments; whereas ITU is purely a government organisation. Thus, ICANN, being more participatory is more likely to uphold the tenets of the Internet, as opposed to ITU which may make it a political football. He did think that ICANN requires more government engagement, especially with regards to cross-border disputes and crimes - but ultimately it should be run without political interference.

He finished with commentary on the challenges of inter-planetary Internet. I had not considered the challenges to be that difficult, beyond the physical constraints - and the actual deployment of relay points via orbiters, probes etc. is something fairly logical IMO. However, when he threw the discussion to inter-stellar Internet, and the challenges posed by the bending of light via gravity, it did make the challenges far more interesting - although the approach was seemingly still similar.

Vint Cerf is an amazing speaker, and it was a great memorial lecture by one of the great scientists of today. You can see the full video on YouTube, though apparently the slides aren't shown.

Mass Hysteria

At over 3 hours, with 8 stand-up comedians, and ticket prices for only R180, Mass Hysteria was definitely one of the best value-for-money shows I have been to in the recent past. And when you consider the line-up, it was an absolute bargain. Themed around government minister (each comedian was a minster of something), it was a brilliant showcase of South African comedy touching all the usual points - race, sex, money, love, politics and general South African life.

The young, Mpho Pops (Minister of Da Youth), started of proceedings with one of the best routines of the evening - with some of the best jokes centred around the early integration of race in Model C schools, and township life. After Mpho, Joey Rashdien (Minister of Religion) was quite flat; and I think was the weakest set of the evening. Ndumiso Lindi (Roosta in Chief) continued the cultural focus, starting with the requirement of jackets for a traditional Xhosa gathering and ending with the complexities of kids with multi-racial friends. 

The best act of the evening was definitely John Vlismas (Minister of Offence, naturally); who did not care much about the line that can't be crossed in comedy. He announced that he was a vegetarian (and still a leather pants wearing hypocrite), took real exception to Gautengers' opposition to e-tolls after they were built (and not protesting during construction) and ended his set on why most miracles are actually rather mundane and not very fortunate in the first place. 

Despite attending many comedy shows over the past 10 plus years, I had not attended a live show featuring the soft spoken, and colourful Casper de Vries (Minister of Mini-series, Internet and other media). His take on the ANN7 bloopers while comparing it to early years of SABC was impressive, as was his various takes on TV shows. 

I have seen Conrad Koch and Chester Missing a few times in the past few months; and sadly there was no new material. While still a laugh, it just wasn't as impressive the first few times. Nik Rabinowitz, the Xhosa Jew (or is it the other way round?) used his multi-lingual skills to great effect - though for whatever reason, I didn't find his performance very memorable. For the final act, Tumi Morake (Minister of Women, Disabilities, Midgets, Aliens etc) showed Miley Cyrus how to twerk, explained the different interpretations of "getting a Brazilian" and explored the impact of non functioning contraceptives. 

It was a long show, and definitely one of the best comedy shows I have been to. Hoping that there are future iterations - with new content off course!

Amazing Biography of Marissa Mayer

It's not often that new media does really in-depth investigative style articles. Business Insider was probably the last place I would have seen such an article - often they just summarise and link to the story. Instead, the unauthorised biography of Marissa Mayer is well written, with sources to boot; and gives some interesting insight to one of the most powerful tech leaders. It's well worth a read!

Cirque de la Symphonie

After a few acts, the conductor of the evening, Theodore Kuchar, turned to the audience to say a few words - most of which were difficult to hear, given that he spoke without a microphone. The gist, I gathered, was that about 7 years ago, he was approached to create a spectacle combining circus acts and a Symphony orchestra playing classical music. He didn't think it would work, but was proven wrong, as orchestras that took on the concept had sell-out shows; and became a vital way to bolster orchestra's finances. And thus, Cirque de la Symphonie, came to become a global touring phenomenon featuring local orchestras. Last night, it was the turn of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra to host the show at the Teatro, followed by Cape Town next week.

The circus acts feature a combination of acrobatics, a clown juggler and a short magic skit - and some of the acrobatics were spectacular - especially the last act featuring two bronzed men, doing some gymnastics requiring impressive amount of strength, coordination and balance. The accompanying musical pieces were all popular pieces (although I couldn't name them all - and the lack of a program was disappointing in this regard).

Although the event was billed as a combination of circus and orchestra; in most cases it was the circus acts that took precedence in terms of applause and appreciation. But a full house, featuring an audience that was most unlike a regular JPO concert, did support Theodore Kuchar's statement that this was a great means to get new audiences. 

And it is in that regard that the JPO missed an important opportunity to do some simple market research. I would have been most interested in asking the audience some of the following questions:

• Did the audience members know that there was a JPO?
• Did the audience members know when the JPO concerts were?
• Were they more interested in the music or the circus acts?
• Were they more likely to go to a pure musical event?
• What type of music were they more likely to want to hear?
• What day of the week would they more likely want to attend a concert?
• Where would it be a more convinient place to attend a concert?

 I think it is the latter questions that are necessary to be answered before the JPO can truly become sustainable. A show like Cirque de la Symphonie suggests that there are people, of all ages, who would attend a musical concert featuring classical music. And that there is a market for classical music - but without actually tapping this market the JPO is bound to remain in the current financial quagmire.

Beethoven Flash Mob

Partly an advertising campaign, but still a very cool flashmob; where a lone musician (double bass) introduces the choral part of Beethoven's 9^th Symphony, and slowly an entire orchestra and choir joins in. The expression of the crowd, especially the kids, is fun to watch.

Odd Spam Mail

I usually go through my spam folder to check for incorrect identification; and once in a while I come across really weird emails. Weird in that, there is no obvious phishing attempt, attempt at selling me something or just plain malware. 

A few days ago, I came across this one - allegedly from the United Nations, looking for potential employees. At best it would be a CV harvest, which I suppose could be used for identity theft - but given the proliferation of job sites, this seems to be a strange way to harvest CVs. There are no attachments, and apart from being sent from a non UN email address (sent from a university in Bangladesh - possibly from a botnet); there isn't much going for this. Still rather strange ...

The Human Resources!

The United Nations Secretariat is looking for competent and motivated persons in all
fields of human studies and career, with a strong belief in its purpose and mandates,
who are willing to dedicate themselves to a rewarding international career in different
locations around the world.  The United Nations provides an opportunity to serve in a
dynamic, multicultural environment in a variety of jobs in the support of global
causes.

United Nations staff uphold the principles and core values of the Organization,
including integrity, professionalism, efficiency and respect for diversity.  The United
Nations welcomes applications from nationals of all Member States and strongly
encourages women to apply. Applicants with disabilities are considered by the United
Nations for employment under all types of contracts in full compliance with the United
Nations Charter. The United Nations offers a variety of ways to join its workforce. It
also offers university students opportunities to serve as interns.

We want people with integrity from all works of life. People who are fair, impartial,
honest and truthful. We want dynamic and adaptable persons who are not afraid to think
creatively, to be proactive, flexible and responsive. If you think you embody these
values then this is the place for you and your career. The UN Jobs is open to all
varieties of your human careers, so anyone can apply, but not anyone will be selected!
Applicants with satisfactory requirement as outlined in their curriculum Vitae will be
contacted directly by the relevant divisions for deployment.

In Global Service!

Mr. Steiner Cobla
Executive Director: United Nations Employment Unit
Email: dfid@careceo.com
Phone/fax: +44-7010-051-797
+44-703-187-7882

Movie: Of Good Report

Already famous for being banned, and then unbanned; the local movie definitely has an uncomfortable storyline. Parker Sithole, a quiet (save for laughing, grunting and screaming - he doesn't speak a word), but apparently quite bright and well qualified English teacher, inadvertently starts an affair with a young schoolgirl. Initially, the story has a generous portrayal of his good side - be it his shock when he finds the truth about his sexual partner's age, or his caring of his sickly grandmother. But as the story continues, it becomes increasingly darker and more sinister - concluding in some very violent murders.

The performances are amazing - from every key member of the cast. Mothusi Magano's performance as the silent protagonist is particularly impressive; and is well supported by the rest of the cast members. Stylistically, a modern movie filmed entirely in black in white provides an interesting set of contrasts; especially when the blood starts flowing. The bleakness, in some respects, is also a commentary on the subject matter - the pervasiveness of sexual predators and violence in SA; the education system; the family constructs headed up by grandmothers; the lack of decent living conditions and the criminal justice system.

It's a modern South African movie, warts and everything - a drama that does not have throwback to apartheid or racial politics. It is a clever story; where the lead character manages to communicate a lot, without saying anything; and certainly worthy of the attention it has received. And it is not a pornographic movie condoning or promoting child pornography that should have been banned.

JPO's Tchaikovsky Celebration

After almost a year of financial turmoil, the JPO did get new funding from the Lotteries board, which has allowed it to get back on its feet. The funding does not solve the JPO's debt problem - but at least it gives an opportunity to get back to a functioning organisation. 

Given the time of the year, the JPO has sensibly decided to put on a proper symphony season in October. In the meantime, there are a few one off shows - with the Tchaikovsky Celebration being one of them; and the only one that just features the JPO. 

The program started with Capriccio Italien, which is described in the program as ".. the Russian has written us a postcard from Italy". It is a fairly long piece - more of a letter than a postcard - with quite a few easily identifiable Italian themes, but still a piece that one could identify as being a  Tchaikovsky piece.

Pallavi Mahidhara returned to play with the JPO once again, this time Piano Concerto 1, one of my favourites.  It is quite interesting (and sometimes amusing) to see how different soloists behave during the orchestral only parts of the performances. Some stare into the crowd, some into their instrument - but Pallavi is one of the rare soloists I have seen that just close their eyes and sway to the music; as if playing along with the orchestra in their heads - and seemingly just in time, open their eyes, nod at the conductor and carry on!

The Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture after the break, felt too long for an overture - and more of a summary of the whole story instead of an opening introduction to the story. It seems from Wikipedia, that it is supposed to cover the whole play - but it did feel weird when listening to it - to go from peace, to fun, to sadness and finally the dramatic end - but at the same time, unlike many other pieces, it did capture the essence of the story so well.

The 1812 Overture, finished off the evening. It is a very popular piece, and this is the first time I have heard it live. It is famous for its boisterous ending, but it is great piece throughout; and was superbly timed and played by the orchestra and conductor Robert Maxym.

All in all, one of the most enjoyable JPO concerts I have been to.

Movie: The Wolverine

I had gone to see The Wolverine, thoroughly expecting a bad movie - and was pleasantly surprised. The movie features the usual superhero movie requirements - a reluctant hero with "issues", the beautiful lady that requires protection, the sidekick who pitches up in time, betrayal, twists on who the villain is, and off course amazing fight sequences. 

The storyline hangs together (most of the time at least), and Hugh Jackman's acting as the lone, reluctant superhero is superb. It was a thoroughly enjoyable movie, and far better than I expected - even if it is due to low expectations in the first place.

Movie: Pacific Rim

Visually, Pacific Rim is absolutely amazing. But the 3D movie, has very one dimensional plot, character development, acting, script, dialogue, and almost every other aspect of movie making. All the comments in support talk about the fact that this is supposed to be a movie about monsters vs robots - but that does not make it a movie. If the purpose was simply to showcase fights between large monsters and large robots, in different settings - shorts would have been far more effective.

In fact, almost every morsel of good ideas that could have made this a great movie was seemingly spurned. The backstory of why the monsters want to attack earth - a short snippet by perhaps the most irritating character on any super-hero movie - and then left to rot. The back story on why building a wall is a better way - never explored. The political machinations on the closure of the giant robot fighting apparatus - mostly ignored. Instead, what you have left with is substandard acting, really horrible scripts and plot holes larger than the monsters and robots that are the subject matter.

Ultimately this is a disaster movie, and has the expected ending of the saving of the human race. It played a lot like Armageddon (so much so, I think there are direct parallels that can be drawn between the various characters) - less the brilliant sound track. Armageddon was just far better.

Great Phishing Email (target - Standard Bank)

I love great phishing emails - the ones where the phishers have made the effort to make the email look legitimate. Earlier this week, I got this one from Standard Bank - an email that actually strikes the right notes in many ways. In fact, it is very difficult to state that it is illegitimate, and I doubt most normal users would be able to spot it as a phishing email.

Firstly, I am ex-customer - so asking details for further screening is not a "bad" message. The grammar, the notes on the opening times of the customer contact centre, the disclaimers are all perfect. I did open the HTML attachment, but not on a browser - and even the stylesheets are perfect (using a legitimate Standard Bank stylesheet). They even have the right anti-phishing messages

"Important security alert! Standard Bank will never ask you to access internet banking through a link in an email. Don't fall victim to fraud!"

And lastly, all the HTML code seems to point to Standard Bank website - unless a domain itself is compromised, I couldn't spot an incorrect domain. But perhaps, I didn't look hard enough.

So, why do I think it is a phishing email?

1. The attachment asks for your ATM pin and Internet Banking password (to be reset)
2. Asks for "Zip Code"
3. Asks for other personal data, such as ID numbers
4. Asks for email password
5. And lastly, the email headers give it away

Received: from exchange.szlonghao.com ([113.98.251.13])
        by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id q66si27264684yhl.395.2013.07.29.03. 

48.06
        for 
        (version=TLSv1 cipher=RC4-SHA bits=128/128);
        Mon, 29 Jul 2013 03:48:47 -0700 (PDT)
Received-SPF: softfail (google.com: domain of transitioning 

ibsupport@standardbank.co.za does not designate 113.98.251.13 as permitted 

sender) client-ip=113.98.251.13;

Happy End

This is the first crowdsourced initiative that I have backed, and got all the rewards. A 96 page hardcover photo book, covering remote plane crashes where all on board survived. Some of the stories of the miraculous landings are impressive - the photos of crahsed planes, where nature has reclaimed them, even more so. His website has many more abandoned initiatives - the Olympic Spirit covering abandoned Olympic games venues is particularly poignant - especially the ones covering Athens.

Turbine Art Fair

Set in Johannesburg's iconic Turbine Hall, the 1^st Turbine Art Fair, was a show case of young artists and gallery art in a single location. There was a wide variety of art, most for sale - and probably the best way to see a wide variety in a single location. A very nice way to spend an afternoon in the city ...

Big Top Burlesque

According to the Wikipedia article, Burlesque is a musical or theatrical parody, although it later morphed into more of a variety show, and in American settings, with a tilt towards featuring strip-tease. I have been to two burlesque shows before - and both featured a significant amount of parody - mostly with sexual innuendo. 

Big Top Burlesque is a South African production, featuring an amazing singer (singing a variety of pop hits), and dancers effectively exhibiting wares from one of the sponsors - Lola Montez. That is not to say that the show was bad - the individual performances were actually quite good, including a great acrobatic show. But, I don't really think it should be called burlesque ...

However the disappointment was not the show - but the food. One of the selling points of the show, is the 3 course meal from the restaurant The Blue Feather, on whose grounds the show takes place. Considering that the restaurant features a R500 per person tasting-menu one would have thought that the food would be of the quality of a fine dining restaurant. Instead, it was, at best, the same quality as a chain restaurant at a shopping mall (and I am not referring to Tashas) - hardly the advertisement for a fine dining venue.

Individually the components of the show were not bad - but the overall package just didn't live up to the billing, and I wouldn't really call it value for money.

Movie: The Great Gatsby

The movie has been out for over 2 months now - and I was quite surprised that there are theatres that are still showing it. I started reading the book a few weeks ago, but for various reasons I just haven't progressed to the finish.

The movie seems to be a very close adaptation of the book - but I did find the movie portrayal to be a far more elaborate and over the top - and perhaps captures the flamboyance and grandeur far better than I imagined while reading the book. And thus, it really is a great adaptation of a classic story.

Credo

The Freedom Charter is quite an amazing document - and given the time it was draft, and the circumstances in which it was drafted, it certainly made for a very forward thinking goal in the struggle against apartheid. It is actually quite a short document, and fairly succinct in what the aims should be for not only political freedom, but also economic freedom.

As a celebration of 140 years of existence, UNISA commissioned, what it is described as a multimedia oratorio, celebrating the Freedom Charter. The work, Credo, is based on a poem by Brent Meersman, with orchestral composition by Bongani Ndodana-Breen and a multi-media projection piece by Andrew Peter Black. The work premiered on Thursday followed by public performances on Friday evening and Sunday afternoon.

It is quite an impressive piece of work . The full orchestral score, seemingly in 4 movements (but that wasn't too clear) starts of quite somber but ends with the expected pomp of hopefulness. The music doesn't overpower either the choir (the Gauteng Choristers) or the solo performances (Sibongible Khumalo, Monika Wassung and Otto Maidi), and there are some absolutely stunning pieces of photography that plays in the background of the performances. 

However, individually it all feels a bit muddled. The performance is certainly longer than that of the Freedom Charter - but there is neither criticism, nor praise, or even any real level of commentary on the charter itself. The charter off course has a lot of politically difficult points - such as nationalisation - and the delivery of the less difficult points (access to health care, security, education etc) post democracy makes it seem more like a hopeful target rather than a real one.

But for me, the sticky discussion point is why is this so intricately tied to Nelson Mandela - the show debuts on his birthday (Nelson Mandela Day) and is 67 minutes long. Yes, Madiba was an instrumental part of the drafting of the Freedom Charter - but does the focus of conducting a tribute to one specific individual not lessen the role of the others in the drafting of this document? Should this work not paid tribute to all the contributors - instead of singling out one?

Gmail's Inbox Tabs Suck

I love tags in Gmail - they are a brilliant way to organise and manage emails. This past week, Gmail introduced a new feature - inbox tabs - some sort of an automate sort of emails based on sender/content. 

Normally, I don't have issues with most changes in Gmail - but inbox tabs just didn't work for me. During the week, I mostly use the Gmail app on my phone - and I kept getting notification of emails that I couldn't see - because they were automatically moved to a different tab; unless I went and changed my view. And there were quite a few inconsistencies in how emails popped up in different tabs - some LinkedIn emails went under "social" while others went to "promotional". 

Perhaps I use my Gmail differently - I minimise the number of active emails on my Inbox, and archive and tag everything else. What really annoyed me - unlike tags, in the tabs view, I could only ever have an email in one view; so I ended up trying to find emails across multiple tabs. Eventually, I just switched it off.

Jo'burg CBD's Integrated Transport Map

Last week, as I got out of the Gautrain's Park Station, I got a pamphlet "Integrated Transport Map", covering most of the Jo'burg CBD. There are two things that stand out immediately - the lack of minibus-taxi routes depicted in the map, and how sparsely official transport lines actually cover the city.

The map covers Reya Vaya, Gautrain Busses and Metro Busses - but these seem to be confined to a very narrow area within Jo'burg CBD. The lack of minibus taxi routes mean that the map is hardly integrated, and it seems that most of Jo'burg is inaccessible.

No wonder the taxi drivers get pissed off ...

Oh, and there doesn't seem to be an online version either!

Leafy greens Cafe

Set amongst a working farm in Muldersdrift, Leafy Greens Cafe is a vegan restaurant focused on organic food and products. It's part of the Casalinga restaurant, which is well known for both its food and also as a wedding venue. 

I am not a fan of dairy substitutes, and I was quite impressed that the majority of the food on offer didn't pretend to be something else. The restaurant is set amongst a grove of trees, with birds chirping (and not to mention chickens running about), it has an atmosphere that is quite unique in Gauteng.

The food courses on the weekend is a plate-based buffet, and the pricing is fairly reasonable. Definitely worth a revisit.