So it is Mother's Day on Sunday, and like every other "event", especially in an economic downturn, are trying whatever they can to make sure you buy presents (or whatever) in their store.
On the radio yesterday, I heard an ad from "Temptations", a lingerie store, asking you to buy your mother "something special". Sorry, but buying lingerie for your mom?
And over in Sandton City, there is a big stand in the foyer, from a beauty clinic asking you to buy your mum a consultation - so that she can get a wax. The poster, featuring a stylised naked woman, talks about bikini waxes, intimate waxes and some other stuff ...
08 May 2008
05 May 2008
Movie: Deathproof
This movie came out last year, while I was in Germany; and I only got round to seeing it this past weekend. It is a Quentin Tarantino movie, filmed in old 70's and 80's style, featuring old American muscle cars, set in the backwater towns of America, in the modern day - about a psyco stuntman who has a thing for killing beautiful women in car crashes.
The psycho, Stuntman Mike, played by Kurt Russel, is not really developed as a character - but instead each of the women characters are developed in great detail. While, there does not seem to be much of a story - it is a brilliant movie about some really impressive stuntwork (apparently no CGI was involved).
The psycho, Stuntman Mike, played by Kurt Russel, is not really developed as a character - but instead each of the women characters are developed in great detail. While, there does not seem to be much of a story - it is a brilliant movie about some really impressive stuntwork (apparently no CGI was involved).
Movie: Shoot 'Em Up
The movie really features three main actors: a mysterious lone ranger (Smith, played by Clive Owen), a lactating prostitute (Donna played my Monica Belluci) and the baddie (Hertz, played by Paul Giamatti). There is also a heavy metal loving new born baby, who is the main attraction for the story.
This movie, while having a storyline, is all about body count - the number of people that get killed, and the manner in which (Smith for the vast majority) they get killed. In fact, trying to keep a count of the number of people killed is the challenge in itself. It is an art movie about people getting killed - thoroughly entertaining and very impressive.
This movie, while having a storyline, is all about body count - the number of people that get killed, and the manner in which (Smith for the vast majority) they get killed. In fact, trying to keep a count of the number of people killed is the challenge in itself. It is an art movie about people getting killed - thoroughly entertaining and very impressive.
03 May 2008
Movie: Iron Man
I had not heard of the comic book - so I was not expecting much - this is a movie, I wanted to watch simply because the trailer promised a lot of action, and the hero was Robert Downey Jr - more unlikely than Tobey Maguire as Spiderman.
But it works brilliantly - and the movie, while still a cliche of superhero scripts, is well produced, and features some really impressive stunts and action sequences. And above all, the baddies are easily identifiable, and not not powered by mutants or aliens. And I think that is what is really interesting about this hero - it raises the idea, however briefly (because the physics are frankly next to impossible), that given enough money, it can be possible to be your own superhero. In short, Iron Man is the advanced version of Batman. :p
But it works brilliantly - and the movie, while still a cliche of superhero scripts, is well produced, and features some really impressive stunts and action sequences. And above all, the baddies are easily identifiable, and not not powered by mutants or aliens. And I think that is what is really interesting about this hero - it raises the idea, however briefly (because the physics are frankly next to impossible), that given enough money, it can be possible to be your own superhero. In short, Iron Man is the advanced version of Batman. :p
02 May 2008
Movie: U23D
3D movies are awkward for me - especially because they require me to wear 3D glasses (over my existing glasses). And, for the most part, I think they are just gimmicks. In fact, the trailer for a 3D movie, ripping off a Jules Verne novel starring Brendan Fraser (Journey to the Centre of the World) seems absolutely rubbish. But, this is not a movie - it is a music concert; featuring one of my favourite bands, U2.
And it is awesome - combined with the cinema sound, you actually feel like you are at the concert - be it in the crowd (when the shots are from crowd level), to standing beside Bono or the Edge or as a fly on the stage, observing Larry's incredible drumming. The 3D format works brilliantly, and if you like U2, you must go watch this movie.
And it is awesome - combined with the cinema sound, you actually feel like you are at the concert - be it in the crowd (when the shots are from crowd level), to standing beside Bono or the Edge or as a fly on the stage, observing Larry's incredible drumming. The 3D format works brilliantly, and if you like U2, you must go watch this movie.
29 April 2008
Movie: More than Just A Game
It is billed as a drama - but it is really a documentary. Like most South African movies, it deals with the past - specifically - the contribution of games - specifically football (or soccer) to the life of the political prisoners on Robben Island.
It is certainly a well told story - and is a solid contribution to the history of football in South Africa. However, I think the directors and producers should not have tried mixing the dramatic recreation and documentary aspects (recollections from the surviving prisoners) in a single movie - as a concept I find it too jarring and just did not work for me. It would have been better to have it either completely narrated, or completely dramatised.
It is certainly a well told story - and is a solid contribution to the history of football in South Africa. However, I think the directors and producers should not have tried mixing the dramatic recreation and documentary aspects (recollections from the surviving prisoners) in a single movie - as a concept I find it too jarring and just did not work for me. It would have been better to have it either completely narrated, or completely dramatised.
27 April 2008
Movie: Avalon
I have been meaning to watch this movie for almost a year, and I finally got round to it this past weekend. It is a trully eclectic mix: Japanese writers, director and producers; Polish actors, location and language; storyline loosely connected to a a British/Norse myth - and it is quite literally what a "gamers" movie should be about.
The movie revolves around an "illegal" MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) in the near future (a bleak near future of drought and misery) called Avalon. Games have evolved to where VR is quite realistic, and people play in padded VR rooms (on hire, because the equipment is too expensive). Avalon is a WW2 like sim, where individual players and parties (groups of players who have joined up for a common cause) earn experience points, which can be used to amongst other things converted to real currency. But there are also dangers to the game - and a virtual death could translate to real life vegetative state. The movie tracks one of the top solo players of this game (Ash) and her quest for redemption (due to an earlier online incident which led to her going solo) and for a hidden level that literally separates the elite from the rest.
Avalon is billed as the "future of gaming" - and considering it was released in 2001; it is very much a forward thinking movie and concept. Avalon is a beautiful movie - highky stylised. If you have ever player RPGs, then the storyline will be quite engrossing - but it is very much a gamer's movie - full with hidden references. If you like games, you must watch this movie.
The movie revolves around an "illegal" MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) in the near future (a bleak near future of drought and misery) called Avalon. Games have evolved to where VR is quite realistic, and people play in padded VR rooms (on hire, because the equipment is too expensive). Avalon is a WW2 like sim, where individual players and parties (groups of players who have joined up for a common cause) earn experience points, which can be used to amongst other things converted to real currency. But there are also dangers to the game - and a virtual death could translate to real life vegetative state. The movie tracks one of the top solo players of this game (Ash) and her quest for redemption (due to an earlier online incident which led to her going solo) and for a hidden level that literally separates the elite from the rest.
Avalon is billed as the "future of gaming" - and considering it was released in 2001; it is very much a forward thinking movie and concept. Avalon is a beautiful movie - highky stylised. If you have ever player RPGs, then the storyline will be quite engrossing - but it is very much a gamer's movie - full with hidden references. If you like games, you must watch this movie.
26 April 2008
Telecommunication Prices
MyBroadband has an article on the proposed Neotoel consumer pricing info, and in my opinion, it is very competitive. But, as Phathu loves to say, South Africans love to complain.
Reading the forum discussion, it seems what Neotel (or for that matter Telkom) needs to provide is fibre to the premises, uncapped, high speed broadband, and all for less than R500! Sorry - but that is not only unrealistic in the short term - but it is also clear that many people just do not know how expensive it is to roll out telecommunication infrastructure.
As I work for a ICT company in South Africa, I have first hand knowledge of how expensive it is to build infrastructure. Just some raw figures - it costs approximately 1 million rand (if you are lucky) to lay one Km of fibre. That does not even include the costs it will take to process the admin required to dig across numerous roads and pavements. Fibre to the home ... forget it anytime soon. And don't forget the switches ... a low end switch for fibre networks easily costs a few hundred thousand rands. Then, one should not forget the emergency power supplies (always important in South Africa), the security measures and the costs start multiplying very quickly.
I have done the calculations (as part of my job) ... if a company is to roll out telecommunication infrastructure, across all the major cities in South Africa, charge about R1000 per month for a 1 Mbps link, they will need 30 000 subscribers on average over 5 years to just break even. And this would be for a wireless network (like WiMax or iBurst or something similar).
As for international bandwidth - it costs a lot because there is scarcity. Until the new cables come into operation, do not expect Internet prices to drop. And even with new cables, it will take time for prices to drop - under sea cables are expensive to lay and even more expensive to run and maintain.
In one of his early books, the late Arthur C Clarke argued that once there are enough satellites in space covering the globe, global communication would become almost free. What he did not obviously take into account was the price of maintaining global connectivity, and the bandwidth required for YouTube, HD Video or even Web 2.0.
Reading the forum discussion, it seems what Neotel (or for that matter Telkom) needs to provide is fibre to the premises, uncapped, high speed broadband, and all for less than R500! Sorry - but that is not only unrealistic in the short term - but it is also clear that many people just do not know how expensive it is to roll out telecommunication infrastructure.
As I work for a ICT company in South Africa, I have first hand knowledge of how expensive it is to build infrastructure. Just some raw figures - it costs approximately 1 million rand (if you are lucky) to lay one Km of fibre. That does not even include the costs it will take to process the admin required to dig across numerous roads and pavements. Fibre to the home ... forget it anytime soon. And don't forget the switches ... a low end switch for fibre networks easily costs a few hundred thousand rands. Then, one should not forget the emergency power supplies (always important in South Africa), the security measures and the costs start multiplying very quickly.
I have done the calculations (as part of my job) ... if a company is to roll out telecommunication infrastructure, across all the major cities in South Africa, charge about R1000 per month for a 1 Mbps link, they will need 30 000 subscribers on average over 5 years to just break even. And this would be for a wireless network (like WiMax or iBurst or something similar).
As for international bandwidth - it costs a lot because there is scarcity. Until the new cables come into operation, do not expect Internet prices to drop. And even with new cables, it will take time for prices to drop - under sea cables are expensive to lay and even more expensive to run and maintain.
In one of his early books, the late Arthur C Clarke argued that once there are enough satellites in space covering the globe, global communication would become almost free. What he did not obviously take into account was the price of maintaining global connectivity, and the bandwidth required for YouTube, HD Video or even Web 2.0.
25 April 2008
Movie: Street Kings
I am not too sure how to treat this movie - at its core, it is an action movie about cops and bad guys; but it could also be seen as a commentary on police brutality and police corruption. In the words of Capt. Wander (Forest Whitaker), "We are all bad" - and the movie is basically about how much. And because we are all bad, it does not matter how bad guys are taken down - and the question is posed from the very beginning. In the opening scene where the lead character "L.A.'s deadliest white boy", Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) rescues two girls from a child prostitution ring, and in the process kills all the thugs involved, and frames it as a defensive encounter. Should protocol have been followed? Should the suspects have been apprehended and brought to trial instead of being killed off?
This is a non-stop action thriller, and although it is quite predictable (particularly because of the trailer), it is still a very enjoyable movie. Forest Whitaker's acting is particularly impressive - and Keanu even manages some emotional expressions! But like in the Matrix, Keanu is particularly suited for this role, because it needed a cold, calculating person without expressing too many emotions.
This is a non-stop action thriller, and although it is quite predictable (particularly because of the trailer), it is still a very enjoyable movie. Forest Whitaker's acting is particularly impressive - and Keanu even manages some emotional expressions! But like in the Matrix, Keanu is particularly suited for this role, because it needed a cold, calculating person without expressing too many emotions.
23 April 2008
Back on the court
I had not played badminton since I left Cape Town, and it was great to play once again. Yesterday, I went to the Wanderers Club (next to the cricket staidum), and they have nice facilities and the people are quite friendly. It is quite far for me though - about 25 Km drive in each direction ... so need to see if I can find an alternate venue.
21 April 2008
Digital Lifestyle Expo
Digital lifestyle - one would think that would encompass lots of cool gadgets, lots of funky electronics and all those things that would make Eskom start another round of load shedding and your bank manager tearing his hair out on another potential bad debt. Unless you are the organisers of Digital Lifestyle Expo (that's ITWeb it looks like).
The expo distinctly lacked gadgets and presence from gadget makers. For starters, there was no display from Apple. Nor from Nintendo. Or from any camera maker. There were no funky gadgets that made you want to spend money. Even major household brands in South Africa - such as Samsung and LG did not have stalls.
As for the stalls that were there - I encountered some of the most incompetent people manning the stalls. For example, at the Iomega stall, the salesperson tried to sell me a NAS that supports "all versions of RAID 1 to 4". The salesperson for Netgear did not know where I could get his product. And over at the Asus stand (which did feature some cool motherboards), the AMD representatives walking around pointed out that the specs for the motherboards seemed to be wrong (apparently the motherboards featured ATI chipsets and not nVidia chipsets).
As an expo - this was a massive disappointment.
The expo distinctly lacked gadgets and presence from gadget makers. For starters, there was no display from Apple. Nor from Nintendo. Or from any camera maker. There were no funky gadgets that made you want to spend money. Even major household brands in South Africa - such as Samsung and LG did not have stalls.
As for the stalls that were there - I encountered some of the most incompetent people manning the stalls. For example, at the Iomega stall, the salesperson tried to sell me a NAS that supports "all versions of RAID 1 to 4". The salesperson for Netgear did not know where I could get his product. And over at the Asus stand (which did feature some cool motherboards), the AMD representatives walking around pointed out that the specs for the motherboards seemed to be wrong (apparently the motherboards featured ATI chipsets and not nVidia chipsets).
As an expo - this was a massive disappointment.
Photos from Saturday
Looks like composer function in Blogger is working in Windows (but still not in OS X). Anyway .. here are a couple of pics from Saturday.
20 April 2008
Cycling Again
It has been a long time since I cycled ... the last was in Nuremberg, and before that sometime in Cape Town, before I left. As for using my bike for its intended purpose - off road - it has been a seriously long time. Anyway, after dragging my bike from Durban, getting it serviced (quite cheaply too), Reinhardt introduced me to real off road mountain biking (i.e. not going up and down the block house on Devil's Peak).
As you enter Pretoria (from Johannesburg), there is a large nature reserve - Groenkloof Nature Reserve - which is very popular for cycling, 4x4 trails and hiking; and there are numerous trails around the reserve that cater for these activities. Most of the cycling options are not difficult - though I did manage to fall once (when my front wheel got stuck between two bog rocks) and had to walk a few times when I just could not find any traction going uphill on a sandy/rocky type of soil.
But what is really amazing about the reserve is that it is a proper nature reserve, complete with wild animals like Zebra and Wildebeest. There are also elands and giraffes, but we didn't see any. It really makes for a great cycling event; and I hope to come back often!
I would post pictures, but my image upload function has disappeared ...
As you enter Pretoria (from Johannesburg), there is a large nature reserve - Groenkloof Nature Reserve - which is very popular for cycling, 4x4 trails and hiking; and there are numerous trails around the reserve that cater for these activities. Most of the cycling options are not difficult - though I did manage to fall once (when my front wheel got stuck between two bog rocks) and had to walk a few times when I just could not find any traction going uphill on a sandy/rocky type of soil.
But what is really amazing about the reserve is that it is a proper nature reserve, complete with wild animals like Zebra and Wildebeest. There are also elands and giraffes, but we didn't see any. It really makes for a great cycling event; and I hope to come back often!
I would post pictures, but my image upload function has disappeared ...
18 April 2008
Sandton City Parking Bug
Sandton City has a nice parking fee structure - during office hours, fees are charged at hourly rates (and are quite steep). However during off peak hours (including weekends, and after 7pm on weekdays), it is a flat fee, regardless of how long you park.
The bug crops up when you enter the parking lot before 7pm and leave after 7pm. Instead of charging the higher of the after hour fees (R 8 currently) and the hourly rate (it is R 6 for the 1st hour), it just charges from the time of entry to 7pm.
So, if you enter the parking lot after 6pm, you actually get a cheaper flat rate than if you entered at 7pm! Ok, it is only R2 ... which is not even an ice-cream at Sandton City ... but still. And off course, it also means that if you enter before 6pm and leave after 7pm, you will probably pay a lot more than the flat rate!
The bug crops up when you enter the parking lot before 7pm and leave after 7pm. Instead of charging the higher of the after hour fees (R 8 currently) and the hourly rate (it is R 6 for the 1st hour), it just charges from the time of entry to 7pm.
So, if you enter the parking lot after 6pm, you actually get a cheaper flat rate than if you entered at 7pm! Ok, it is only R2 ... which is not even an ice-cream at Sandton City ... but still. And off course, it also means that if you enter before 6pm and leave after 7pm, you will probably pay a lot more than the flat rate!
16 April 2008
Movie: Vantage Point
It has been some time since I watched a movie on the big screen - in fact since I left Cape Town (when I was watching a movie almost once a week), this is only my fourth visit to the movie theatre. Anyway, it was a good opportunity to activate my Vitality card - although the overall selection of movies at Sandton City was quite poor ...
As for the movie itself - it tries too hard to be "artistic", and fails miserably. The idea of telling a story from different perspective really worked in Crash - in Vantage Point it doesn't - because the roll backs become very irritating. In fact a number of people watching started swearing after the third or fourth vantage point. The subject itself is quite amusing in some ways - an more "friendly" version of Americans - the president does not want to bomb the terrorists, the bumbling tourist saves the young girl and it is not only muslims who want to kill Americans.
All said, Vantage Point is a really good action film - the car chase is brilliant, and the storyline does have quite a few nice ideas. It is above all, entertaining.
As for the movie itself - it tries too hard to be "artistic", and fails miserably. The idea of telling a story from different perspective really worked in Crash - in Vantage Point it doesn't - because the roll backs become very irritating. In fact a number of people watching started swearing after the third or fourth vantage point. The subject itself is quite amusing in some ways - an more "friendly" version of Americans - the president does not want to bomb the terrorists, the bumbling tourist saves the young girl and it is not only muslims who want to kill Americans.
All said, Vantage Point is a really good action film - the car chase is brilliant, and the storyline does have quite a few nice ideas. It is above all, entertaining.
14 April 2008
Splash and Dash to Durban
On Saturday morning, I drove down to Durban ... on Sunday morning I drove back to Jo'burg - a very quick trip indeed, about the same as my Easter weekend trip - Saturday afternoon to Gaborone, and Sunday afternoon back to Jo'burg.
Both trip were due to my Mom I guess - the trip to Gaborone was taking the family there, and the trip to Durban was taking (some) of them back ... but it also served me to get my stuff - especially my mountain bike. So now the bike is in the shop for a much needed service, and hopefully I will be able to go on a ride this weekend.
Both trip were due to my Mom I guess - the trip to Gaborone was taking the family there, and the trip to Durban was taking (some) of them back ... but it also served me to get my stuff - especially my mountain bike. So now the bike is in the shop for a much needed service, and hopefully I will be able to go on a ride this weekend.
31 March 2008
SUVs - Reasoning behind the madness?
For the most part, I do not understand why people drive SUVs - they are big, consume a lot of fuel, and are generally not used for much other than an expensive shopping cart. And, for the most part, I thought it is particularly wasted in Gauteng, where the best use of the off road capabilities is to overcome potholes, park on the pavement and jump the dividing kerb, to make a u-turn when avoiding traffic.
This afternoon, while on my way to a meeting, I was stuck in yet another traffic jam. So after making a quick check in my map book, I decided to duck into a side street and take a slightly longer way around. After a few minutes, I realised why not many people seem to be taking this route - it was mostly a dirt road! And, there are actually quite a few dirt roads around Midrand - and together with the farms (saw a Rainbow chicken farm the other day), there are enough reminders of how recent this place has undergone urbanisation.
For the record, it was still a quicker route - it seems that there was an accident, opposite the entrance of my destination - and the traffic was backed up by quite a bit.
This afternoon, while on my way to a meeting, I was stuck in yet another traffic jam. So after making a quick check in my map book, I decided to duck into a side street and take a slightly longer way around. After a few minutes, I realised why not many people seem to be taking this route - it was mostly a dirt road! And, there are actually quite a few dirt roads around Midrand - and together with the farms (saw a Rainbow chicken farm the other day), there are enough reminders of how recent this place has undergone urbanisation.
For the record, it was still a quicker route - it seems that there was an accident, opposite the entrance of my destination - and the traffic was backed up by quite a bit.
27 March 2008
The Rand Show
The Rand Show is billed as the largest trade fair in Africa, and "in terms of size and visitor attendance, the Rand Show is rivalled only by the large state fairs held in the USA". Since I needed to shop for appliances and furniture anyway (moving to an unfurnished apartment next week), decided to see what was on offer. It is not a cheap affair if you just want to browse, a 85Km round trip, R55 entry fee and R15 for the parking!
Yes, I got there at 6pm - but considering that it is a Friday, there was hardly anyone there. In fact, by the general look of things, it seems like there was not many people in attendance. But that sort of worked out quite well for me - I managed to "negotiate" the price of a bed from R5249 down to R4000 (including delivery) - so it was a worthwhile trip in that sense. I was actually quite impressed with the customer service (Mattress King). Let's just see if the delivery works out on time!
On other furniture and appliances, I could not really see anything I wanted - so it is off to the usual suspects (Game/Makro/Hi-Fi Corp). On the other halls, there was a surprisingly large section from various government departments, including housing and even correctional services. But they were not well manned, and all seemed to be packing up.
To be honest, over all, it was just another big market - without life. I suppose, it is much better during the weekends; and in that case, why bother opening during the day?
Yes, I got there at 6pm - but considering that it is a Friday, there was hardly anyone there. In fact, by the general look of things, it seems like there was not many people in attendance. But that sort of worked out quite well for me - I managed to "negotiate" the price of a bed from R5249 down to R4000 (including delivery) - so it was a worthwhile trip in that sense. I was actually quite impressed with the customer service (Mattress King). Let's just see if the delivery works out on time!
On other furniture and appliances, I could not really see anything I wanted - so it is off to the usual suspects (Game/Makro/Hi-Fi Corp). On the other halls, there was a surprisingly large section from various government departments, including housing and even correctional services. But they were not well manned, and all seemed to be packing up.
To be honest, over all, it was just another big market - without life. I suppose, it is much better during the weekends; and in that case, why bother opening during the day?
22 March 2008
My Coke Fest 2008
In more ways than one, this year's Coke Fest was a different experience than previous years (2006, 2007). The obvious - I went to the Johannesburg concert and not the Cape Town concert. And unlike previous years, when I bought the tickets very early (December/Eary January), this year, I bought the tickets just a few days before. Golden circle tickets were sold out by the time I got back from South America, but I managed to find tickets on sale on Bid or Buy, and had to pay a hefty premium (R1000 instead of the R600 list price). And unlike previous years, where I knew the music of most of the international bands, this year, I could only really claim to know music of one of the bands.
Coke Fest this year was massive - apparently there were 46 000 people who bought tickets. And while, there seemed to be enough food and drink, I think the organisation and facilities could have been much better. For starters, the toilet facilities were grossly inadequate, and clearly not meant to cater for that many people. And while there seemed to be enough food and drink, all of it was at the edge of venue perimeter. And the control of the numbers in the golden circle seemed lax - people could buy "an upgrade" ticket from the organisers (which worked out to almost the same cost as my ticket) and I over heard quite a few people boasting about how they sneaked in. Golden circle was packed - and I think that there should have been bar and food facilities attached to the golden circle.
Was golden circle worth it - absolutely; from the general admission, the stage was hardly visible. And the concert was definitely worth the money! A review of all the bands, in the order of appearance can be found below.
Lonehill Estate
In my opinion, this was the best South African band on show, and I would really like to go see them play at a smaller, more intimate, venue. For a rock band, they had an amazing variety - from the standard rock anthems, to a fusion of jazz and rock, including a Sophiatown mix, with electric guitar riffs coupled with a flute/penny whistle. I think, with the right exposure (and luck) they could be the next big South African band!
Crash Car Burn
They are a more standard rock band, and although their music was great, there was nothing really special - nothing extra that sets them apart from the other rock bands. Good music, good songs - just not as interesting.
Wonderboom
A well established band, their performance showed why they have lasted so long. They played a number of their hits from the years, and got the crowd going. Although, I have hear their music a lot over the years, this was my first time seeing them live, and I really enjoyed the performance.
Prime Circle
Another well established South African band (and seemingly a regular at Coke Fest), and they gave a great performance once again. Although I enjoy listening to their music, I cannot really say, I am a big fan of the band. Great performance though, and a good warm up for the international acts.
30 Seconds To Mars
Like Hoobastank last year, there seemed to be a massive following of the band from the female fans - especially for the lead singer, Jared Leto. In fact, one girl had a placard stating "Jared, I want your sperm". And like Hoobastank, the band members had an awesome stage presence. In fact, it bordered somewhat around crazy.
Jared walked out into the crowd, to the back of the golden circle crowd, and sang a bit from the top of the fence separating the golden circle and the general admission area. And for the last song, he scaled the scaffolding of the stage and sang to the crowd - he apparently wanted to see the crowd better. Musically, it was a god show, and they performed songs from both their albums.
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs was the main reason I wanted to go to this year's concert - I like their music, and I really wanted to see them perform live. Unsurprisingly, they were introduced by Lucas Radebe, and they played a brilliant set. Like 30 Seconds To Mars, the lead singer, Ricky Wilson, was also very active on stage - and also sang in the middle of the crowd - although he did not brave stepping outside of the stage area. Their performance was amazing, although considering the lineup, their music genre was a bit out of step - a bit like Lonehill Estate I suppose
Good Charlotte
I first heard this band through my friend Ronald, quite a long while back. Like 30 Seconds to Mars, they are also quite a pop-rock band. But unlike 30 Seconds to Mars, their on stage performance was a lot more sedate, and less energetic. I think their music was a lot better though!
Chris Cornell
Before Coke Fest, I must confess that I had not really heard of Chris Cornell. Yes, I have heard his music, but could not associate his name with the music. Similar to Staind last year, Chirs Cornell definitely had the best songs (lyrically) of the concert. And like Staind, their on stage performance was rather sedate.
Muse
If Chris Cornell had the best songs, Muse definitely had the best music of the concert. Muse did not really interact much with the crowd - there was no "I love you" and "We will be back very soon" - it was very much a case of letting their performance speak for itself. And their music was absolutely brilliant, featuring some amazing combination of classical, jazz and rock music. Their performance was definitely the major highlight of the concert.
Korn
For a headline act, they played a surprisingly short set (of just over an hour). The music however did live up to the band's reputation, and there was a lot of serious head banging. That said, the mosh pit was a lot smaller than I expected - a lot smaller than previous years (especially given the numbers) and nothing compared to the Way of Darkness Festival (the standard by which I will judge all mosh pits I think). Considering the headline acts of the past concerts however, I think they were not in par with either Metallica or Evanescence. That said, it was still a very good set.
20 March 2008
Sport and Race
It finally had to happen - an in form "player of colour (POC)" (the official term from the department of sports, honest) is selected ahead of another in form player of colour, one is upset and not being selected, the other is upset in being selected as a quota player, and both decide not to accept selection!
The problem with quotas, especially when they are set in stone, is that they become stupidly rigid. I remember, when I was part of the Western Province Badminton Association executive, we had an interesting problem in selecting a junior team - the requirement was that each team needed to have 2 POCs (one boy, one girl). There were two junior teams, and 3 girls who would be classified as POCs. But, all three girls were selected, on merit, to the A team, and there were no girls, who could be part of the B team, and were classified as a POC. I don't remember how it was resolved - but this is a similar situation.
The fact is, Langeveld is good enough to be part of the Proteas. And so in Nel. And on Zondeki's (the replacement) recent form in the domestic series - he should also be there on merit - but he will always be regarded as the quota player. That is sad, and just plain wrong.
Cricket SA could have handled this a lot better - and more importantly, could have picked a 15 man squad instead of a 14 man squad.
The problem with quotas, especially when they are set in stone, is that they become stupidly rigid. I remember, when I was part of the Western Province Badminton Association executive, we had an interesting problem in selecting a junior team - the requirement was that each team needed to have 2 POCs (one boy, one girl). There were two junior teams, and 3 girls who would be classified as POCs. But, all three girls were selected, on merit, to the A team, and there were no girls, who could be part of the B team, and were classified as a POC. I don't remember how it was resolved - but this is a similar situation.
The fact is, Langeveld is good enough to be part of the Proteas. And so in Nel. And on Zondeki's (the replacement) recent form in the domestic series - he should also be there on merit - but he will always be regarded as the quota player. That is sad, and just plain wrong.
Cricket SA could have handled this a lot better - and more importantly, could have picked a 15 man squad instead of a 14 man squad.
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