01 June 2007
Destination Germany
So, I have got a quite a good compromise to my problem. I will be doing both internships, but only 6 weeks at DT Labs and 3 months at Fraunhofer IIS. Off course all these depend on me getting the visas, but that shouldn't be a problem. Really excited - 6 weeks in Berlin in summer followed by 3 months in Bavaria. All I need to do now, is to organise my timetable well enough to go to at least one F1 race (currently thinking Monza would be awesome on 09 Sep and I could even make the German F1 race on 22 July) and off course travel around Germany. In fact, I am sure I am not going to make any money out of all this ...
29 May 2007
Movie: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Stanley Kubrick aparently said that this movie was unfilmable. I have never read the book, but if the movie is a true reflection of the book - it must be an amazing novel. The story explores the story of a man (from his birth), who has an extraordinary sense of smell - a super power, almost. And with that, he aims to become a perfumer - to capture the smells of the world. The story is dark, but in it's brilliant, and I really want to read the novel now.
Movie: Shortbus
Gay sex, gay threesomes, transsexual, hetero-sex, orgies, oral sex, bondage, in fact, other than pedophilia, bestiality and necrophilia, Shortbus features it all. It can be called a porn movie with a plot - but it's not a porn movie, even though it features more sex than the average late night movie on eTV. It is a movie about sex, told primarily from the view of a married, female sex therapist (sorry couples counselor) who has never had an orgasm.
It is a movie by artists, about art and pushes many of the boundaries present in movies. But, to paraphrase the movie, I think it is a load of pretentious bullshit, that tries to be intellectual, but isn't really.
It is a movie by artists, about art and pushes many of the boundaries present in movies. But, to paraphrase the movie, I think it is a load of pretentious bullshit, that tries to be intellectual, but isn't really.
25 May 2007
The end of an era?
So, last night was the last time I played badminton as a member of the UCT Badminton club, for the forseeable future. I have "threatened" to leave before, notably at the end of my 3rd and 4th year, but this time it is for real.
The club has changed a lot, since Tim, Murray, Kevin (Feng) and I joined in our first year (2000). It was a social club, and back then, it was struggling to sign up enough members to justify itself as a UCT sports club. Since then, the membership numbers have improved, and there is a good balance of competitive and social activities of the club, although some may justifiably say that the social aspect of the club has diminished substantially.
My association with the badminton club has been rewarding. I don't think I set out to get the club to be competitive, and many of the things that happened, almost arose from accident. I remember going to Frans' office, to ask him about SASSU, and whether he thought I should run. I left, not only wanting to run for SASSU but also the WPBA.
It is in the WPBA that I have possibly had the most rewarding time, but also the most frustrating time. The red tape, and the pig headedness is difficult to get used to, esp when you are used to getting things done (because usually, you are the only one doing anything). At the same time, seeing the results of the development program, such as Gugulethu and more obliquely Ocean View, is reward enough.
Unlike Navine, I don't think I can commit to UCT Badminton club after I leave UCT. It takes special dedication to commit to a club for 20 years, and sail through the turbulence without actually taking the helm. I don't know what my future holds, but if it is in Cape Town, then, maybe I should start my own club :P
The club has changed a lot, since Tim, Murray, Kevin (Feng) and I joined in our first year (2000). It was a social club, and back then, it was struggling to sign up enough members to justify itself as a UCT sports club. Since then, the membership numbers have improved, and there is a good balance of competitive and social activities of the club, although some may justifiably say that the social aspect of the club has diminished substantially.
My association with the badminton club has been rewarding. I don't think I set out to get the club to be competitive, and many of the things that happened, almost arose from accident. I remember going to Frans' office, to ask him about SASSU, and whether he thought I should run. I left, not only wanting to run for SASSU but also the WPBA.
It is in the WPBA that I have possibly had the most rewarding time, but also the most frustrating time. The red tape, and the pig headedness is difficult to get used to, esp when you are used to getting things done (because usually, you are the only one doing anything). At the same time, seeing the results of the development program, such as Gugulethu and more obliquely Ocean View, is reward enough.
Unlike Navine, I don't think I can commit to UCT Badminton club after I leave UCT. It takes special dedication to commit to a club for 20 years, and sail through the turbulence without actually taking the helm. I don't know what my future holds, but if it is in Cape Town, then, maybe I should start my own club :P
24 May 2007
Movie: Spiderman 3
Take one hero, who is going through a "I am the best, the greatest" etc phase. Take an alien "molecule" with a mind of it's own. Take a criminal with a concience. Take a self centered guy who just hates our hero's alter ego. Take the son of the hero's fallen nemesis, who wants revenge. I think we have enough for a good dose of action ... but wait, throw in a love triangle, some self loathing, some other girls going for the heros charms.
In the end, there is too much - it becomes boring, long winded and a bit too preachy. I can see why many people didn't like the movie, and I am with them - there isn't much to see. There was just too much hype and not enough substance.
In the end, there is too much - it becomes boring, long winded and a bit too preachy. I can see why many people didn't like the movie, and I am with them - there isn't much to see. There was just too much hype and not enough substance.
Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End
Way too long - and at the same time, still leaves enough scope for yet another sequel. Don't get me wrong - there is a lot of action, and the effects are super brilliant. But when you get bored during a movie, then there is something wrong. Worth watching once, just for entertainment maybe - but not more than once.
21 May 2007
Perpetual Copyright
In this New York Times article, Mark Helprin presents the case for perpetual copyright.Basically, ownership of property is perpetual - ownership can be transferred, but property is rarely transferred back to the commons. Helprin suggests that a similar concept should apply to intellectual property. The concept of perpetual copyright is not new - it was in fact suggested at the very begining, and for a brief while, perpetual copyright actually existed.
However, intellectual property itself is not like normal property, as it is intangible. It is also used in different form to normal property, and has different characteristics. Firstly, there is no wear and tear in IP, and there is a need to maintain property, to maintain its value. IP is valuable in itself - there is no attached maintainance costs for example.
Secondly, physical property, if fallen into desrepair and left unused, is often recycled and available to the commons. There are means to get rid of ownership of a physical property. IP cannot have perpetual ownership, until there is a means to recover abandoned works without fear of prosecution.
Lastly physical property has a narrow range of uses, morphing physical property to other uses is not easy. However, IP is about the idea - and a design of a house can be morphed to a design of a boat etc.IP is also used differently - you can't really combine physical assets to form new usable physical assets, while retaining the use of the original assets. With IP - you can mix songs and videos to produce something new.
IP and physical property are different types of property. In fact, copyright protection period is too long and need to be shortened; and not the other way around!
However, intellectual property itself is not like normal property, as it is intangible. It is also used in different form to normal property, and has different characteristics. Firstly, there is no wear and tear in IP, and there is a need to maintain property, to maintain its value. IP is valuable in itself - there is no attached maintainance costs for example.
Secondly, physical property, if fallen into desrepair and left unused, is often recycled and available to the commons. There are means to get rid of ownership of a physical property. IP cannot have perpetual ownership, until there is a means to recover abandoned works without fear of prosecution.
Lastly physical property has a narrow range of uses, morphing physical property to other uses is not easy. However, IP is about the idea - and a design of a house can be morphed to a design of a boat etc.IP is also used differently - you can't really combine physical assets to form new usable physical assets, while retaining the use of the original assets. With IP - you can mix songs and videos to produce something new.
IP and physical property are different types of property. In fact, copyright protection period is too long and need to be shortened; and not the other way around!
17 May 2007
Jo'burg Notes
So, Stephen and I was in Jo'burg for IFIP Sec 2007, for the past three days. I am not a big fan of Jo'burg, and every time I go there, I am reminded why, I am not a big fan of Jo'burg. We stayed at the Parkmore Lodge, a quiet little B & B near Sandton; definitely a place to consider next time I am in Jo'burg.
And most of the gripes is about the drivers and the roads. The traffic is horrible, but I suppose it's not anything different to the M5 in Cape Town. But, for the richest city in Africa, the road conditions are terrible, especially at night. For example, the road marking at night are hardly visible in some places, and I am not the only one who thinks that. And then there are the drivers - who all seem to be in a rush, and not care about anybody else on the roads. Everyday, there seemed to be some one who decided to turn in front of us (to cross the road), even though we (and others on the road) have the right of way, and are actually moving forward. No wonder there are so many road accidents!
On Monday night, Stephen and I met up with Siya and Reinhardt at a restaurant (the Butcher's Shop and Grill) on the Nelson Mandela Square. Phathu was also supposed to come along, but unfortunately he was feeling ill - hope he gets better soon.
Things I was hoping to see, but saw no evidence of: the intelligent highway and the Gautrain.
Things I was hoping not to experience and didn't experience: The famous Jo'burg crime.
Coincidence: Parked next to our car (a white Toyota Corolla 160i) was a white Toyota Corolla 140i whose number plate started with the same first three letters!
Oh yeah, had the most expensive ice cream at the Sandton store of Häagen-Dazs. Really worth the price!
And most of the gripes is about the drivers and the roads. The traffic is horrible, but I suppose it's not anything different to the M5 in Cape Town. But, for the richest city in Africa, the road conditions are terrible, especially at night. For example, the road marking at night are hardly visible in some places, and I am not the only one who thinks that. And then there are the drivers - who all seem to be in a rush, and not care about anybody else on the roads. Everyday, there seemed to be some one who decided to turn in front of us (to cross the road), even though we (and others on the road) have the right of way, and are actually moving forward. No wonder there are so many road accidents!
On Monday night, Stephen and I met up with Siya and Reinhardt at a restaurant (the Butcher's Shop and Grill) on the Nelson Mandela Square. Phathu was also supposed to come along, but unfortunately he was feeling ill - hope he gets better soon.
Things I was hoping to see, but saw no evidence of: the intelligent highway and the Gautrain.
Things I was hoping not to experience and didn't experience: The famous Jo'burg crime.
Coincidence: Parked next to our car (a white Toyota Corolla 160i) was a white Toyota Corolla 140i whose number plate started with the same first three letters!
Oh yeah, had the most expensive ice cream at the Sandton store of Häagen-Dazs. Really worth the price!
Rustenberg
Initially, I was supposed to meet up with Sarai in Sandton on Sunday. Due to various things, that idea got canned, and I drove to Rustenberg to see her instead. and, as Sarai has commented a number of times before to me, there is nothing much to see in Rustenberg.
It's a sleepy little town, where children still play in the streets (and ride bikes in the streets), there are no walls surrounding houses, houses are pretty big in size and leafy subrubs mean exactly that. And, watching F1 in the comfort of Sarai's mom's couch (on a massive rear projection TV) was great too!
The side trip was quite good, a welcome break in fact. But, it's hardly a town that I am dying to go back to. Oh yeah, property prices are quite cheap, and with the Royal Bafokeng Stadium due to host a number of matches, 2010 prospects are good!
It's a sleepy little town, where children still play in the streets (and ride bikes in the streets), there are no walls surrounding houses, houses are pretty big in size and leafy subrubs mean exactly that. And, watching F1 in the comfort of Sarai's mom's couch (on a massive rear projection TV) was great too!
The side trip was quite good, a welcome break in fact. But, it's hardly a town that I am dying to go back to. Oh yeah, property prices are quite cheap, and with the Royal Bafokeng Stadium due to host a number of matches, 2010 prospects are good!
IFIP Sec 2007
I normally describe IFIP as the European version of the ACM, which is unfair, because it is a lot more international. However, the participants of IFIP conferences tend to be more European centric, than US centric. This year, South Africa hosted the 22ndIFIP Security Conference (2nd time in South Africa), at the Sandton ICC.
I suppose the organisation of the conference was not bad, except the Sandton ICC venue was too large for the number of delegates. I think, it would have been far better, if the venue was the Balalaika Hotel, as per the Information Security SA conferences from the last two years. Another gripe, mainly associated with the venue, was the lack of free WiFi access during the conferences - come on, a computer conference without WiFi?
There was a distinct lack of local students at the conference - yes it is marginally more expensive than ISSA last year, but it is still cheaper than SATNAC and the value of this conference far outstrips that of ISSA and SATNAC, put together.
Day 1
Judge Mervyn King delivered the opening plenary talk, and it was the only, really general talk of the entire conference, focusing on management and risk over all, rather than specifically on IT. That said, his talk was quite entertaining and informative.
The first paper I attended was an adaptation of ticket based authentication, through the use of TPM chips. This was effectively an advance on my own ISSA paper from last year, which looked at the advantages of ticket based authentication systems for DRM, although my paper was focused on a software approach.
The other notable papers discussed identity management, with a specific focus on national government level identity systems, which was the focus of a panel discussion. I think it all boils down to two things: one governments need some sort of identity system to provide services to its population in a cost effective manner. However, there are too many features, and too many requirements being hoisted on to these systems, limiting their potential success and usage.
Day 2
Prof. Ross Anderson delivered the keynote talk in the morning, focusing on the economics of security, including a discussion on monopolies, buggy Microsoft products and why many large scale government projects fail (eNatis anyone?). I have heard most of the content before, but it was still a well presented, and well thought out presentation.
Most of the talks I attended were on access control, and one of the privacy session (which was where I presented my paper). Of note, was the Deutsche Telekom lab talk focusing on role based extensions to single sign on. The concepts were great, but their current approach creates a privacy problem where the single sign on service provider, potentially knows too much about the user. A paper earlier in the day, focusing on signing e-learning material (e.g. Moodle) was also interesting, but I think the problems could be solved easily if they use a verifiable digital identity system, like the proposal I outlined in my paper at ACM-DRM last year.
My own presentation went well, and was surprisingly short. At 40 slides, I thought my presentation would be longer than the 20 minutes I did take. There was some good discussion afterwards, always a good indication. The paper before me, in my session was interesting, although the presentation was a bit dry (and it was a difficult topic): about signatures that can be used to prove integrity and non-repudiation to a target user, but such a signature would prove nothing to any other users. One problem with the presentation was a lack of a useful example; so here is mine: whistle blowing. In whistle blowing, the user (often at risk) can inform securely to the monitoring organisation, but the monitoring organisation cannot unveil the whistle blower without his/her permission.
Day 3
Prof William Caelli presented the last keynote paper, on the requirement for a newer, updated definition of MAC, or Mandatory Access Control. This is good news, because in my thesis, I propose DRM as a new form of access control, and one that could potentially cater for the requirements placed by MAC.
Another, soon to be PhD graduate, Thierry Sans, presented a paper on a DRM policy administration model, which is similar to my own approach. However, my approach does not follow his approach of resigning the data at every step of the distribution cycle, as I think that strategy is inefficient, and ultimately un-necessary. Prior to that paper, there was a paper which discussed the potential to use web counters as a means to craft covert communication channels - great idea, but incredibly difficult to follow.
Another interesting paper was a theoretical trust model that looked at the possibility of clustering crowds according to their respective trustworthiness. Interesting, because it provides possibilities for wireless mesh routing (and possibly even other routing solutions).
I suppose the organisation of the conference was not bad, except the Sandton ICC venue was too large for the number of delegates. I think, it would have been far better, if the venue was the Balalaika Hotel, as per the Information Security SA conferences from the last two years. Another gripe, mainly associated with the venue, was the lack of free WiFi access during the conferences - come on, a computer conference without WiFi?
There was a distinct lack of local students at the conference - yes it is marginally more expensive than ISSA last year, but it is still cheaper than SATNAC and the value of this conference far outstrips that of ISSA and SATNAC, put together.
Day 1
Judge Mervyn King delivered the opening plenary talk, and it was the only, really general talk of the entire conference, focusing on management and risk over all, rather than specifically on IT. That said, his talk was quite entertaining and informative.
The first paper I attended was an adaptation of ticket based authentication, through the use of TPM chips. This was effectively an advance on my own ISSA paper from last year, which looked at the advantages of ticket based authentication systems for DRM, although my paper was focused on a software approach.
The other notable papers discussed identity management, with a specific focus on national government level identity systems, which was the focus of a panel discussion. I think it all boils down to two things: one governments need some sort of identity system to provide services to its population in a cost effective manner. However, there are too many features, and too many requirements being hoisted on to these systems, limiting their potential success and usage.
Day 2
Prof. Ross Anderson delivered the keynote talk in the morning, focusing on the economics of security, including a discussion on monopolies, buggy Microsoft products and why many large scale government projects fail (eNatis anyone?). I have heard most of the content before, but it was still a well presented, and well thought out presentation.
Most of the talks I attended were on access control, and one of the privacy session (which was where I presented my paper). Of note, was the Deutsche Telekom lab talk focusing on role based extensions to single sign on. The concepts were great, but their current approach creates a privacy problem where the single sign on service provider, potentially knows too much about the user. A paper earlier in the day, focusing on signing e-learning material (e.g. Moodle) was also interesting, but I think the problems could be solved easily if they use a verifiable digital identity system, like the proposal I outlined in my paper at ACM-DRM last year.
My own presentation went well, and was surprisingly short. At 40 slides, I thought my presentation would be longer than the 20 minutes I did take. There was some good discussion afterwards, always a good indication. The paper before me, in my session was interesting, although the presentation was a bit dry (and it was a difficult topic): about signatures that can be used to prove integrity and non-repudiation to a target user, but such a signature would prove nothing to any other users. One problem with the presentation was a lack of a useful example; so here is mine: whistle blowing. In whistle blowing, the user (often at risk) can inform securely to the monitoring organisation, but the monitoring organisation cannot unveil the whistle blower without his/her permission.
Day 3
Prof William Caelli presented the last keynote paper, on the requirement for a newer, updated definition of MAC, or Mandatory Access Control. This is good news, because in my thesis, I propose DRM as a new form of access control, and one that could potentially cater for the requirements placed by MAC.
Another, soon to be PhD graduate, Thierry Sans, presented a paper on a DRM policy administration model, which is similar to my own approach. However, my approach does not follow his approach of resigning the data at every step of the distribution cycle, as I think that strategy is inefficient, and ultimately un-necessary. Prior to that paper, there was a paper which discussed the potential to use web counters as a means to craft covert communication channels - great idea, but incredibly difficult to follow.
Another interesting paper was a theoretical trust model that looked at the possibility of clustering crowds according to their respective trustworthiness. Interesting, because it provides possibilities for wireless mesh routing (and possibly even other routing solutions).
12 May 2007
My New Toy
I have wanted a Digital SLR camera for a while now, primarily because I want to get better at taking pictures, and also take better pictures. So, I have finally got myself a Canon 400 D and a Sigma 18-200 lens.
I bought this, primarily thinking of my South American jaunt, where I wanted a decent optical zoom capability but did not want to carry too much equipment around. And, this was the best package I could get overall.
And, I have been busy - the Boland Badminton Open was on this weekend, and I exhausted the battery already, after about 300 plus shots!
I bought this, primarily thinking of my South American jaunt, where I wanted a decent optical zoom capability but did not want to carry too much equipment around. And, this was the best package I could get overall.
And, I have been busy - the Boland Badminton Open was on this weekend, and I exhausted the battery already, after about 300 plus shots!
Music: Unit.R and The All Star Funk Four
I went to the album launch of The All Star Funk Four's new album, Control Alternative Delete, not to see them, but the support act, unit.r. My friend Mary (also known as my editor, Mary) was so enthusiastic about them, I just had to see them play.
And unit.r did not disappoint. They are a mix of electronic and heavy rock, with some interesting lyrics, and even more interesting music. They were simply a great band at a party, and were, in my opinion vastly superior to the headline act. In many respects, unit.r has what it takes to become successful, and this is a crossover act that works! Incidentally, the drummer, Aleks was in my honour's class.
The All Star Funk Four, was a disappointment. They are best described as a rock band with a rap singer (and lyrics). While that worked with Linkin Park, the problem with the band is two fold. Firstly, the lyrics are not clever, and it seems like he is trying too hard ... another Eminem wannabe really ... very much like that guy in the VW Polo ad, trying to get street cred. Secondly, the rapping introduces very jarring music, to coincide with the rapping, which, for me, just did not work. However, looking at the number of people in the mosh pit, maybe, I am just being unfair ...
And unit.r did not disappoint. They are a mix of electronic and heavy rock, with some interesting lyrics, and even more interesting music. They were simply a great band at a party, and were, in my opinion vastly superior to the headline act. In many respects, unit.r has what it takes to become successful, and this is a crossover act that works! Incidentally, the drummer, Aleks was in my honour's class.
The All Star Funk Four, was a disappointment. They are best described as a rock band with a rap singer (and lyrics). While that worked with Linkin Park, the problem with the band is two fold. Firstly, the lyrics are not clever, and it seems like he is trying too hard ... another Eminem wannabe really ... very much like that guy in the VW Polo ad, trying to get street cred. Secondly, the rapping introduces very jarring music, to coincide with the rapping, which, for me, just did not work. However, looking at the number of people in the mosh pit, maybe, I am just being unfair ...
10 May 2007
A good problem to have?
As many of you know, I am almost finished with my thesis, and should be handing in at the end of the month. Many of you also know, that I intended to take a 2 odd month backpacking trip across South America. The trip has sort of been put on hold (although I still intend to do it), but the reason why I have to put it on hold is the source of the problem ...
I have been given a firm offer for internship at the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories in Berlin between mid July and Mid October. This fits in great with two conferences I wanted to attend, first in Germany at the end of the internship period and then ACM CCS 2007 in Washington DC two weeks later. I would be associated with some general security projects, and would be a nice break from DRM in a way.
I also have an opportunity to do an internship at Fraunhoffer IIS (the inventors of the MP3) in Erlangen. The internship period is quite flexible, so should be able to fit in the conferences. The only problem is, I have yet to get a confirmed offer from Fraunhoffer. At IIS, I would be associated with some DRM projects, notably the development of the next step in the OMA DRM specifications, and thus would actually get to use my degree for something!
I have been given a firm offer for internship at the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories in Berlin between mid July and Mid October. This fits in great with two conferences I wanted to attend, first in Germany at the end of the internship period and then ACM CCS 2007 in Washington DC two weeks later. I would be associated with some general security projects, and would be a nice break from DRM in a way.
I also have an opportunity to do an internship at Fraunhoffer IIS (the inventors of the MP3) in Erlangen. The internship period is quite flexible, so should be able to fit in the conferences. The only problem is, I have yet to get a confirmed offer from Fraunhoffer. At IIS, I would be associated with some DRM projects, notably the development of the next step in the OMA DRM specifications, and thus would actually get to use my degree for something!
09 May 2007
Movie: Fierce People
Diane Lane plays a single mother, massage therapist, with a drug and alcohol problem. The young son, is just about to be reunited with his father (a world renowned anthropologist, studying the Yanomani tribe in the amazon rain forest), when he is busted in a drug raid, destroying his summer holiday. So the two of them, pack up and end up living in the estate of a billionaire (who needs a massage therapist). The movie, is effective a study of the rich people tribe ... surely just as different to the common people.
Brilliant acting, great story and Donald Sutherland makes a great patriarch. There is a bit of a murder mystery, not that difficult to spot really - but over all, a great movie to watch.
Brilliant acting, great story and Donald Sutherland makes a great patriarch. There is a bit of a murder mystery, not that difficult to spot really - but over all, a great movie to watch.
08 May 2007
Theatre: The Lesson
Another PlayGround reading performance - and a lot more entertaining performance. The Lesson is a play by Eugene Ionesco, about a young lady who goes for a lesson at the house of a renowned professor. The play is brilliant in its absurdity ... trying to enunciate the difference in languages, but using one language as the medium or the absurdities of simple arithmetic. And the performances were great to boot - even if it was just a reading and not a full blown performance.
02 May 2007
My Coke Fest 2007
Last year's concert was going to be hard to live up to, and not surprisingly, Metallica's performance still remains the best live performance I have seen. That said, this year's festival, was not bad at all - and the South African bands were particularly impressive. And so was the event organisation - plenty of space, plenty of facilities, plenty of food and drink, and hardly any queues. That said, things seemed to be more expensive (R150 for T-Shirts!) and the set up times seemed quite long. Also, with the absence of Guns N' Roses, it was expected that some of the bigger SA bands, especially the Nudies to play longer sets. Sadly, they were all limited to 20 minutes, with the Nudies playing for 30 minutes. So, a festival billed as 12-12, ended up being 12:30-11! Also, the advertised last band, "Lonehill Estate" did not even play.
But the best part: after 4 days of rain, there was no rain, little wind and quite a warm night, under a full moon. What else do you need for a rock concert?
I have always enjoyed the Bed on Bricks, and have seen them live a number of times. Their live act is superb, and have some interesting songs, especially Humanarium. A great performance, to start the show.
I have always wanted to see them ... but manage to have conflicting commitments every time. So, Taxi Violence was always going to be a highlight for me; and they did not disappoint. They seemed to have a lot of fans in the crowd, and they played well. Although, to be honest, I can't remember too many specifics of their performance ...
Love Jones is a very quirky band - weird style, some weird lyrics ... what Sam described as very kitsch. I don't know if kitsch is the right word, but they are a crossover between 70/80s style with a very indie feel. A very energetic performance, and really cool songs; plus a nice bonus story about a band being sponsored by a green airline to fly to Cape Town :P I would love to see a hour gig from them!
I had previously seen them perform live, for one song at Obz Fest (they were about to finish), nothing to form an opinion (and it was over a year ago). The Dirty Skirts were really impressive , and I think they have a very similar sound to Kaiser Chiefs. Very good performance, and very good music; and I think they were the best South African band on show.
After a hard rock band, the Parlotones' soft/pop rock was a bit of a downer ... but the thing about pop rock - almost every one knows the songs, and everyone can sing along. In that sense, the Parlotones were brilliant, and really started to get the crowd going.
This was meant to be the last stop in their relaunch tour. With that in mind, I was really expecting the new music. But understandably, with their time constraints, they could only play 3 old songs, before they launched into their old, crowd favourites. I think a lot of people were disappointed with the short time given to the Nude Girls, and on a performance level, they were miles ahead of the other SA bands. They could however take a leaf out of Evanescence on how to interweave old and new songs together in a show.
Definitely the best band when it came to interacting with the crowd! Really great stage show, and great performance. Played a number of their big hits, together with some less well known (as in frequent radio play) music. And, they asked everyone to get their music, even if it is downloaded from the Internet. It seems, like many others, they have chosen to follow the path of getting money through shows rather than album sales. Maybe, it's time I expanded my Hoobastank collection.
IMO, Staind was the second best band on show. Like Seether last year, their on stage performance was rather static - not too much jumping up and down etc. But that was all made up, with the quality of their music. Their songs are really good, and musically one of the best bands on show yesterday. I have heard a few Staind songs on the radio, but never a complete album. I think it is high time I acquired a their albums ...
After the heavier Staind, 3 Doors Down was a bit more pop, and they also interacted well with the crowd, and generally had a good show. They also played two songs live for the second time (first being the Coke Fest in Jo'burg) and had a good mix of old and new songs. There was also a swipe at Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses for not making the trip, with some verses of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". Personally, I think a cover of "Sweet Child O' Mine" would have been better. They ended of with "Looser" and were joined by Aaron Lewis (of Staind), something I think more bands should have been doing (collaborating with others).
Evanescence was the band I wanted to see from the beginning, and I was not disappointed. Amy Lee is a fantastic singer, and the blend of her voice with heavy rock music is simply brilliant. Amy Lee did not interact as much as Hoobastank with the crowd, but their set was brilliant, and the inclusion of a grand piano with heavy rock was just impressive. Their playlist was brilliantly set up with a good combination of their older songs from "Fallen" and their new songs from "The Open Door". A brilliant performance, and well deserving of the headline act status.
30 April 2007
Theatre: A Lie of the Mind
So it was a bit of a cultured weekend - I read "A life of Pi" and watched a theatre performance ... effects of the rain I suppose. The Baxter Theatre hosts a "Play Ground reading" - basically, actors get together (for a week) to read a play - not a fully polished performance: actors still carry their lines, the sets are crude and costumes are hardly perfect; and given a week, accents and other details are not perfect. But it allows the actors to stage plays that are interesting, and may not become commercial success.
I have been to two of these before, and thoroughly enjoyed them. A friend of my house-mate Donal was performing, so it was a good way to spend a cold wet evening. And the performances were brilliant - and yes unpolished. But for the play itself - written by Sam Shepard, it is a convoluted story of miscommunication in Middle America. Funny dialogue, brilliant banter; but I left wondering what it was all about - there were story plot lines that just did not seem complete; and the story itself did not make much sense. Entertaining yes - but what was the story? Not sure ... maybe it was at a higher intellectual plane ...
I have been to two of these before, and thoroughly enjoyed them. A friend of my house-mate Donal was performing, so it was a good way to spend a cold wet evening. And the performances were brilliant - and yes unpolished. But for the play itself - written by Sam Shepard, it is a convoluted story of miscommunication in Middle America. Funny dialogue, brilliant banter; but I left wondering what it was all about - there were story plot lines that just did not seem complete; and the story itself did not make much sense. Entertaining yes - but what was the story? Not sure ... maybe it was at a higher intellectual plane ...
The Cricket World Cup Farce
Australlia, deservedly, won the World Cup. Regardless of our number one ranking, we never really deserved it, neither did we ever feel comfortable saying that we were the number one team in the world. And, with respect to the world cup, we can't say that we are the number two team in the world - Sri Lank, were deserving runners up, and gave Australlia their closest match.
The fact is, the organising and the format of the World Cup has been a farce. A 7 week tournament? Cricket tours are sometimes shorter than that! How many people have the time to watch all the matches? And then there was the number of mismatches. In fact, it would be fair to say, that there were only a few really close or exciting matches - a small percentage. In hindsight, it all started with the "super" stage nonsense ... bring back the format of 1996! And if you want less of a knockout, then use the 2003 format without the super stage.
It is sad that some of the best players had to end their careers in this farce. Excet for Glen McGrath off course. He took the most wickets, didn't have to bat, and walked off with the player of the tournament. He went off with a high, and deservedly so. But, to see Brian Lara's last game ended with a run out, or Flemming's last match in a thrashing by Sri Lanka? They deserved better; and the cricketing supporters deserved better.
The fact is, the organising and the format of the World Cup has been a farce. A 7 week tournament? Cricket tours are sometimes shorter than that! How many people have the time to watch all the matches? And then there was the number of mismatches. In fact, it would be fair to say, that there were only a few really close or exciting matches - a small percentage. In hindsight, it all started with the "super" stage nonsense ... bring back the format of 1996! And if you want less of a knockout, then use the 2003 format without the super stage.
It is sad that some of the best players had to end their careers in this farce. Excet for Glen McGrath off course. He took the most wickets, didn't have to bat, and walked off with the player of the tournament. He went off with a high, and deservedly so. But, to see Brian Lara's last game ended with a run out, or Flemming's last match in a thrashing by Sri Lanka? They deserved better; and the cricketing supporters deserved better.
25 April 2007
Movie: Venus
The movie is a simple concept really - an old man, a somewhat celebrated actor, at the end of his life; charming a young girl, who is the grand niece of his best friend. It can be seen as a somewhat creepy, love across the ages (Anna Nicole Smith?) but without the gold digging. But is somewhat more ... yes there is love, but it is more about the interaction between the old and the young - going to a theatre and then going out clubbing ... quoting Shakespeare and quoting Spice Girls. And even though the movie is ultimately sad, it is funny - the interactions between the old men just absolutely brilliant.
And, ultimately it is a movie about acting, by some of the most celebrated actors ever. Peter O'Toole, playing the lead old man, was nominated for his 8th Oscar (incidentally he has never won one); and it has references to other movies and plays everywhere. It is worth watching for his acting alone.
And, ultimately it is a movie about acting, by some of the most celebrated actors ever. Peter O'Toole, playing the lead old man, was nominated for his 8th Oscar (incidentally he has never won one); and it has references to other movies and plays everywhere. It is worth watching for his acting alone.
19 April 2007
Lessig and Free Development
The SA chapter of the Internet Society hosted a talk by Lawrence Lessig (wikipedia link). As the person who invented Creative Commons, Lessig is definitely an interesting speaker, and an interesting mix to Stallman and Co. The talk was more evangelising than anything else - I have come across most of the ideas before, both for my PhD work and other areas. Looking at the network stack, Lessig wants to promote the freeing up of the other stacks (TCP/IP is already free) to cater for commons, non profit usage.
His proposals have merit - the market space of the operating system and network providers, is often dominated by monopolies; and the monopolies have a direct say in what is available and supported by the operating systems and networks.
It is evident in UCT itself for example - ICTS as the sole provider of network access at UCT has the authority to decide what type of traffic is acceptable and not acceptable. It can dictate that certain applications should not be used; and thus block it. It can decide to throttle speeds etc etc. The argument is, that this type of operation, while probably fine for a company or even a community is not suitable for a country and even the world at large.
The problem is changing the mindset - after all; most IT guys don't want to talk the law. And most lawyers and legislators don't talk code. Maybe if we all did, it would be much better?
His proposals have merit - the market space of the operating system and network providers, is often dominated by monopolies; and the monopolies have a direct say in what is available and supported by the operating systems and networks.
It is evident in UCT itself for example - ICTS as the sole provider of network access at UCT has the authority to decide what type of traffic is acceptable and not acceptable. It can dictate that certain applications should not be used; and thus block it. It can decide to throttle speeds etc etc. The argument is, that this type of operation, while probably fine for a company or even a community is not suitable for a country and even the world at large.
The problem is changing the mindset - after all; most IT guys don't want to talk the law. And most lawyers and legislators don't talk code. Maybe if we all did, it would be much better?
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