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.

kidofdoom

They burst on the scene a few years ago, and after some notable hype, they disappeared - seemingly another good band lost. While I had never seen their performances live, their music certainly appealed - instrumental rock.

They have re-formed, and are currently on a national tour, though not playing a lot of gigs. Last night, they had a great performance at The Town Hall in Newtown (who were also celebrating their 3^rd birthday). An annoying thing about venues like Town Hall, is that there isn't much else around - thus, given that the opening band, Gateway Drugs, was starting about 2 hours after the advertised start, M and I decided to go have coffee and dessert at Cats Pyjamas instead of hanging about. We caught the tail end of Gateway Drugs performance, which features a great vocalist, especially the cover of Yvonne Chaka Chaka's "I'm Gonna Stop Loving You".

Instrumental rock is weird - often you expect lyrics to kick in, but it never does. But it gives the band space to do so much more interesting things with the music, and cross boundaries with musical genres. With a 90 minute set, and kidofdoom probably played through all their published songs. Often the boundary between songs was blurry, but their on-stage energy and the music itself was amazing. 

It has been a while since I went to a proper gig in a night club - and kidofdoom was certainly a great band to go see live!

Movie: Iron Man 3

I haven't bean to a "bean bag" cinema before - and must say it was disconcerting (is this hygienic?) while being possibly the most comfortable way to watch a movie. Although I had been meaning to go watch Iron Man 3 for a while, something (usually better) always came up. 

The movie itself was notable for some fine acting from Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin, but was off course dominated by technical gizmos, big explosions and corny jokes; and ultimately the good guy (as always) wins; and the bad guy is not necessarily who you think it is. But ultimately, it seems to have been a farewell to Iron Man, at least as a solo character. 

While the bean bag cinema experience was nice, the theatre decided to cut the credits scene, and not show the after credits scene. Oh well - there is at least YouTube for that :)

20 Years of Cricinfo

Cricinfo (or now, known as ESPN Cricinfo) is one of the oldest websites, still operational. It started as a community driven initiative, and as far as I know, it is the largest dedicated single-sports website on the net. It has become the defacto repository for cricket knowledge, opinion and journalism. I blogged previously on the facinating history, and as it celebrates 20 years, some of the back story is now being published online.

10 years ago, a lecturer at UCT posed the question - would anyone pay for news content, when there are so many alternative sources for free. I replied then, that I would pay for Cricinfo and Autosport.com. My Autosport subscription has since lapsed - more due to my waning interest in F1 than the content; and Cricinfo has never asked for subscriptions - but yes, I would still pay for Cricinfo. And there is really, no alternative out there.

Movie: Seven Psychopaths

It has been on the Ster-Kinekor Nouveau circuit for a while, so I was quite glad that I finally got round to actually watching it. It is a movie featuring great acting and a hilarious script - that pokes fun at both established Hollywood story narratives and for that fact what the movie is supposed to be about. 

It is a movie about an alcoholic Irish scriptwriter (played by Colin Farrel), wanting to write a more complex story about seven psychopaths - but without the classic shootouts and standard Hollywood fare. The movie is both about the struggle for him to write the story and the plot that he writes, which is intertwined in the movie - featuring a Buddhist monk, a Quaker, a mafia boss amongst other characters. 

It's a comedic gem that manages to combine insane characters and plot lines.

Song for Sekoto @ WITS Arts Museum

Gerard Sekoto is one of the most prominent South African painters, and would have turned 100 this year. In commemoration, the WITS Arts Museum is hosting an exhibition covering his full career - from Sophiatown, to District Six, back to Gauteng and finally exile to Paris in 1947.

Covering art that is held by museum collections across the country, corporates and private individuals, it is an amazing exhibition that covers all his famous paintings, and other aspects of his life, including letters, books, photos and a whole lot more. I don't frequent art galleries often, and it is quite amazing to see such an extensive collection and showcase of a single artist.

I particularly liked the vibrant oil paintings that seem to shine even from a distance, but the exhibition has everything, including drawings on seemingly scrap paper, charcoal, and water colours. It is an amazing collection, and the exhibition is on until only next weekend (2 June).