Winter Sculpture Fair

I saw the advert for the Winter Sculpture Fair, by accident on a billboard at Hyde Park Corner - accident, because I took a wrong turn. I was intrigued enough to Google for it, when I got out of the car - and the attraction of good food in an interesting location was too good to pass up.

Unfortunately the good food part didn't turn up completely. By the time, M and I got there (about 1pm), most of the food was sold out - and the remaining stalls had long lines waiting for food. There was also a lack of parking - since all parking was on the side of the road, outside the venue - and the parking easily stretched 1.5 km! This is the first such event, and should there be future events, it could do with a bit more organisation in these regards.

All that said, the Nirox Foundation's Sculpture Park is an amazing venue. Rolling green lawns, with amazing landscaped gardens and ponds, make perfect spot for picnics - although picnics are usually not allowed! There is a warning regarding a stray hippopotamus, on the outside fence - but that was nowhere to be seen. 

It is a large park, which takes quite a while to walk around. Unfortunately, there are no labels as to the title of the work, the artist or any other information. Some sculptures - such as the bakkie made of plastic clothes hangars were easy to identify - the more abstract pieces less so.

One of the cool things about sculptures, is that is very tactile - and whether allowed or note - some of the larger installations led young children to use them as their playground. That alone brought some extra life to installations.

Some of the abstract pieces were at least cool to look at - such as the fractal heads - I counted 8 - but perhaps there were more I couldn't see.

The hunter and her dogs was my favourite installation - it is quite simple in some respects - but at the same time, the complexity of balancing the dogs on one or two legs is more impressive - and the level of detail up close is amazing!

The head of a doll, in a mattress (stripped of all the foam) was weird (and there are a line of such doll heads). Quite a few of the installations featured skulls (human and animal) - and it seemed to be strong theme.

There were a few installations which leveraged off the water features. I particularly liked the reflection of the dog in the pond water.

Noam Chomsky on Worker's Rights

Dave's Worker's Day post had a link to a very interesting (but dated) video of Noam Chomsky speaking about worker's rights, specifically related to the contribution of trade union movement to human rights - and the suppression of trade unions in the US; and its impact on human rights. You need to skip about 30 minutes for the Noam Chomsky part of the presentation (which is actually the only bit I watched).

The part that stood out for me was the discussion on trade unions contribution to human rights - specifically in the context of keeping the government honest, and businesses focused on things other than profit.

In the South African context, the contribution of the trade union movement in challenging apartheid is well known, and acknowledged. But post-1994, apart from Vavi, the trade union movement - specifically COSATU  - has often faded into the background. In fact, as demonstrated last year at Marikana, it seems that COSATU has specifically shirked its responsibility regarding human rights. Vavi actually stands out like a sore thumb - continually asking questions about corruption, and whether you like his economic positions - he has held principled stance.

Even if you don't agree with Noam Chomsky's positions on worker rights - the discussion itself is enlightening; especially with regards to the "non business world" view. That alone is a reason to watch it - and it certainly makes one think - should worker's movements (like COSATU) even consider joining political movements in the first place?

Amazing Phishing Email

I got this email, this morning - perfectly formed and almost indistinguisable (click for a larger size). Pity, I am not a customer ...

The headers, and specifically Gmail's processing makes interesting reading (highlight my own). I wonder why it is a classified as a "Softfail" when the rule is clearly violated ...

Return-Path: 
Received: from dc1.DFMCASTROL.com ([58.48.109.18])
      by mx.google.com with ESMTP id iv6si3639532pac.241.2013.05.01.15.45.30
      for ;
      Wed, 01 May 2013 15:45:36 -0700 (PDT)
Received-SPF: softfail (google.com: domain of transitioning  

ibsupport@standardbank.co.za does not designate 58.48.109.18 as permitted 
sender) 
client-ip=58.48.109.18; Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=softfail 

(google.com: domain of transitioning 

ibsupport@standardbank.co.za does not designate 58.48.109.18 as permitted 

sender) smtp.mail=ibsupport@standardbank.co.za
Received: from User ([74.93.82.193]) by dc1.DFMCASTROL.com with Microsoft 

SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.4675);
  Thu, 2 May 2013 06:28:03 +0800
From: "Standard Bank"

Worker's Day Irony

May 1 is celebrated as Worker's Day in South Africa, and in various other guises across the world. Worker's Day specifically is about the celebration of "the role played by trade unions, the Communist Party and other labour movements in the struggle against apartheid". Like most public holidays in South Africa, it is also used by most middle class households for shopping, and consequently the shops and shopping centres are usually full. It is therefore ironic, that a holiday that celebrates and commemorates the struggles of the working class, means that a significant port of the working class ends up working. At least they get paid more for working on a public holiday.

Muizenberg Catwalk

One of the popular walking paths in Cape Town, the Muizenberg Catwalk stretches from Surfer's Corner to St James. It offers some stunning views, and is a fairly easy and accessible path.

Movie: Oblivion

In Arthur C Clarke's Space Odyssey series, a mysterious space object ends up being the guiding force behind humanity. Oblivion is in some respects the ultimate tribute to sci-fi movies, with a number of interesting references, and a mish-mash of plots borrowed from some of the best out there.

Ultimately, it actually works; although there are some elements that doesn't make as much sense - like the seemingly inconsistent manner of earth's destruction, and the really stupid final scene. But overall, it is an interesting and entertaining concept that is worth watching.

Blue Bird Food and Goods Market

M's friend wanted to meet at a neighborhood market round the corner from the apartment in Muizenberg tonight, so we went round. It's amazingly busy, with a number of food stalls that overwhelms the senses. There is a lot more food than goods, and has a very cool vibe.

Moyo's Courtyard at the Clock Tower

I haven't been to the Clock Tower side of the V&A for a long time, so I am not sure when the Paulaner Brauhaus gave way to Moyo. On the courtyard, there is quite a cool collection of "street food" booths, an installation of hydroponics and solar panels; which is quite impressive to see. Some of the booths have interesting names, and if it wasn't for waiting staff and Moyo being emblazoned everywhere, it would even look authentic!

Metallica

When they were last in South Africa 7 years ago, James Hetfield promised that they would be back. 5 years after their last studio album, they were - better late than never I suppose. I had bought tickets in Cape Town simply because the Golden Circle tickets in Jo'burg were sold out; and the Cape Town concert was later split into two, performing at the Belville Velodrome instead of the Cape Town Stadium. Given the half full Bellville Velodrome on Thursday night, the motivation for the move was quite clear ... although the sparse crowd was still quite surprising.

The concert started with local band Van Koke Kartel. Although 50% of the band is also part of Fokofpolisiekar, I didn't find the music as catchy and energetic. That is not to say that the performance wasn't energetic; but there was something missing.

After a fairly length break (of about an hour!) Metallica finally arrived, and the venue at least didn't feel half-full. Metallica have progressed to the stage of aging rockers, a fact acknowledged by James Hetfield after playing one of their early classics. The concert however wasn't devoid of modern gizmos, with a very impressive video wall and pyrotechnic sequences. 

It was a "greatest hits" type of show, with a performance spanning about 2 hours. All the big hits were performed, with a lot of energy from both the band and the crowd. It was a great concert performance, and definitely enjoyed attending!

The Shinning Girls

At the book launch last week, Arthur C Clarke winner, Lauren Beukes, commented on how easy it is to describe the plot of her new book - "Time Traveling Serial Killer". Unlike unlimited powers of time travel, the villain, Harper, is fairly restricted to when he can travel, and the medium of time-travel is quite interesting.

Set in Chicago, across a period of approx 70 years, Harper kills women - specifically shining women, whose murders seem to power the time travel itself. You meet the victims, usually twice - Harper first stalking them in their youth and then on their day of their death. And like all good serial killers ought to do, Harper, leaves some trademark signs - that are indistinguishable across time.

The story of the hero, Kirby, the lone survivor, and her pursuit of Harper, is woven alongside Harper's exploits. Like Zoo City's Zinzi, she is a strong female lead character/detective who has her own demons to fight and she pursues the killer as much for vengeance as for justice.

In the M&G review, the reviewer comments that The Shining Girls, leaves no comment on society, and doesn't "change your consciousness or your life". No, it doesn't; but that doesn't detract from a very well written story with a great plot. That alone should be the reason to read a book; not every great book needs to be a dissection on the human condition.

Blacks Only Comedy Show - Sandton 2013

As it seems traditional, David Kau started the show with a census of the audience  (of a sold out show, of over 4000); including a request for all Chechens with backpacks to leave the room. Apart from recent events, South African politics was a major theme from all the comedians on the bill, with Zuma, Zille and Gwede Mantashe being popular targets. And as ever, David Kau was brilliant as a host and MC - and his own routines were sometimes far better than the featured comedians!

The show started with KG, from Cape Town - who played on the link between his name and his large size. Apart from the seemingly mandatory fat jokes, his best jokes revolved around the issue of struggle credentials - how is it, he asked, that there seems to be only so few people with struggle credentials; as every one with a tender seems to have struggle credentials, but not the other way round. It was a sobering reflection on corruption, a topic that was mostly left out from the other comedian's repertoire. The equally large, Jason Goliath (another person, who played on the link between his (real) name and his size), was up next. He has an amazing, preacher/motivational speaker style delivery. He largely stayed off politics, but rather told stories with humourous twists - like how, he, a big fat guy, won a tennis tournament in school - as well as some amazing interpretations of a scene from Taken 2 (with corresponding accents).

The two feature performers were on either side of the break - starting with Marc Lottering. Unlike Jason Goliath's large booming voice, Mark's was softer, but still delivered in a preacher style. There was quite a few jokes around social media (on Twitter and Facebook) and a cut out to an audience member who was taking a photo on her cell phone, while Marc was talking about how every action was now being photographed and uploaded to Facebook and Twitter was particularly ironic.

The standout performance of the evening was ventriloquist Conrad Koch and his puppet Chester Missing - a blistering political analysis and commentary across the spectrum. It was the act that brought out the biggest laughs, and pushed some big boundaries. I have seen a few skits on Late Night News (on e-TV), but a live show is so much more impressive. There have been a few well known ventriloquists (Jeff Dunham comes to mind), and I think a full show of just Chester Missing's political analysis would be just as impressive.

Dylan Oliphant, a recent winner of best newcomer, delivered one liners in the style of Jimmy Carr - pushing undiscovered boundaries, and sometimes the jokes took a while to decipher for many in the audience. He doesn't yet command the stage to the same degree - but this is a performer who can easily become the next big thing. Issac Gambu finished of the evening, in a performance mainly in Zulu and Xhosa (and thus I didn't understand most of it).

At over 3 hours (including the interval), it is a show that does bring great value for money; and features excellent performances. Sandton Convention Centre is a central venue - although the bar service is slow and leaving the venue itself is quite congested.

Another Interesting Phishing Email

Earlier this week, there was an interesting mass phishing/spam email sent to a group mailing list, presumably from the "webmaster" of the webmail service. What I particularly like about it, is how legitimate it sounds, and the use of the ruse of applying better security (in this case, implementation of Sender Address Verification, anti-virus and encryption).The original address seems to be a California server on Comcast (although the IP address is apparently in Nigeria?); but the reply back is to an ISP in Chile.

Dear Subscriber,

Please, we are currently performing a database maintenance and upgrade on our webmail log for a better performance of our services to all subscribers. We are very much and indeed concerned about stopping the proliferation of spam. We have implemented a Sender's Address Verification (SAV) to ensure that you do not receive unwanted email(s) and to give you the assurance that your messages to message center have no chance of being filtered into junk email folder.

Also a DGTFX virus has been detected in your email account folder. Your email account has to be upgraded to our new and Secured DGTFX anti-virus 2013 version to prevent damages to our webmail log and files. To help us confirm and protect your account and our webmail log, please, fill the columns below and send back to us to validate your webmail account or your email account will have to be deactivated from our webmail log to avoid the spread of this virus.

Email Address:
Account Username:
Account Password:

You will be sent a password reset message in the next seven (7) working days after undergoing this process. We guarantee and assure you of more quality services at the end of this maintenance exercise and we apologize for the inconvenience this process might caused. Note also that your password will be encrypted with 1024-bit RSA keys for your password safety.

We sincerely apologize once again for this inconvenience and appreciate your help in this emergency situation.

Regards
---
----
Webmail Technical Team

Market on Main @ The Maboneng Precinct

The Maboneng Precinct is a very successful inner-city renewal project, filled with restaurants and art spaces (together with living and office spaces). Unlike Newtown, it's far more compact and seemingly more for the residents as opposed to tourists.There are some interesting architecture buildings and interesting public art installations - which is reason enough to go and have a walk around.

The premier arts space is Arts on Main, which reminded me of Tacheles in Berlin - a teeming with just a whole lot of different art works and artist spaces. Market on Main takes place on Sundays (10am to 3pm), in the Arts on Main complex and it has quite a nice vibe. The art and crafts are not curio pieces (in fact I don't think I saw a single curio piece), and there is an amazing variety of food. It's a great place to just walk around and relax - and have some awesome brunch.

Cycling Again

It has been over 4 years since I rode my mountain bike. Last week, I got it out of the garage, got a major service done, and finally took it out for a ride. Except for the ride around San Francisco bay, I haven't ridden much - and it was a nasty shock to see how unfit I am, and how much of a workout you get from cycling - especially on rough gravel roads. But at least I have a benchmark to compare against - I want to make it a regular occurrence.

Hashi

Hashi is a new "fusion" Japanese/sushi restaurant in Rosebank, next to the Gautrain station. It is owned by a couple from South America, Venezuela if my memory serves me correctly; and it was great to see that Ceviche was on the menu and quite good too!

Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of fusion in the menu; the sushi on offer is certainly a lot more varied than the standard offerings; but had neither the quality or value of a place like Takumi in Cape Town. The presentation was beautiful; but it ended up being quite an expensive lunch. Would be nice if there was more variety in things like ceviche; otherwise not really a lot going for it.

Software Fragmentation

Software version fragmentation refers to the disparate versions of software installed across the user/install base. Fragmentation occurs primarily because the end user does not update or patch their applicable software to the latest version. Fragmentation has been in the popular news lately - firstly with regards to mobile operating systems (where Apple's iOS is probably the least fragmented mass used software platform, and Android seems to be heading the opposite direction); and secondly on Java virtual machines (which is actually under reported, as most reports only cover the PC based JVMs, and not the other JVMs out there, such as mobile JVM or embedded JVM; not to mention the non SUN/Oracle JVMs).

Not being on the latest version is not necessarily a problem - the recent JVM vulnerability was most widely exploited on the latest versions. Likewise, there are now very few exploited vulnerabilities on deprecated Microsoft operating systems, such as Windows 2000 - and there are many of those out there. But for the majority of cases, not being on the latest version implies that there are potentially vulnerabilities that can be exploited in the software.

While operating system and JVM fragmentation is discussed quire frequently, fragmentation in common applications is, I think, a bigger problem. Consider Adobe Acrobat Reader - the latest version is 11.0.2, but how many users are actually on this version? How many are on version 9 or earlier? In an investigation I did for a client earlier this year, less than 0.5% of the install base for either Adobe Reader or Adobe Flash were on the latest versions - and over 50% of the install base was at least 2 versions behind. Not to mention, that some really old versions of the software existed across the user base.

The problem with keeping software up-to date is that it seems to be incredible difficult on a large scale. It is not that there are no auto-updates - but there are lingering problems with dependencies (updating the JVM requires all applications that run on the JVM to also work, or integration of applications like Adobe Reader and Flash in other applications); and some users just don't update. There are other mitigations, such as Host IPS, but there is not a lot of widespread usage of these technologies. 

It seems that the platforms that have managed to get the least fragmentation, are the tightly controlled and integrated platforms - that connect to the Internet, and offer updates easily. Is the Apple, X-Box, Playstation model the way of the future?

Cirque du Soleil - Dralion

I first saw Circue du Soleil on TV about 10 years ago. At the time, I wasn't that impressed - after all it seemed more like a variety arts show with fancy costumes and some choreographed acrobatics. So, when P suggested we go to the Dralion show, touring South Africa, I wasn't overly enthusiastic.

TV and even video doesn't really do the Cirque du Soleil show justice. Each of the individual acts within the show - from the aerial hoops, to the juggling to the trampoline - are all in the standard circus repertoire. However, each of the acts seem to push the boundary for each discipline to, sometimes unbelievable, levels. The trampoline is an easy example in this regard - it was not only the standard acrobatic skills showcased in the trampoline, but the performers themselves were seemingly effortlessly scaling walls and jumping over tall structures. Likewise, in every act, there was something jaw-droppingly different/insane that made these acrobatic endeavours standout.

And the circus acrobatics are encased with clowns (which I do think got a bit tiring at times), amazing costumes and live musical performances. All these put together, this makes it a special type of circus and far more interesting than what I saw once on TV. I have been to a number of circus/acrobatic shows across many countries - Cirque du Soleil is certainly something special.

Movie: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

As Lincoln's credits were rolling, M commented that we needed to watch another light hearted, frivolous movie to make up for the heavy atmosphere of Lincoln. So, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, on its last week in South Africa was the selected frivolous movie. The movie has a poor script, nothing spectacular in its acting and mundane dialogue. That said, the concept of taking a classic fairly tale, and turning it into a steam-punk revenge story is cool, with some spectacular make-up and costumes - especially for the witches. It was a great, frivolous action movie - exactly what was needed :)

Movie: Lincoln

Daniel Day-Lewis' gives such a commanding performance as Abraham Lincoln, he effectively makes the viewer forget that this is an actor, playing a role. As a movie about one of the most significant events in history - abolishment of slavery in the United States - it brings forward the amazing nuances of the actual event - the balancing act between just ending the war, and ending the war with the abolishment of slavery, the horse trading required to get the action done, the archaic positions put forward by those who oppose the abolishment (but thoroughly endorsed by the general public). It is a story about a man who seemed to carry all the burdens of the world on his shoulder - and still persevere.

And the movie is supported by a host of excellent performances - most notably by Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field and James Spader. In terms of sheer amount of amazing acting performances, there is probably no other recent movie with such a great ensemble. It is a movie with a great script and amazing oratory (something missing from most modern political engagements). It is a movie definitely worth watching.

Movie: Oz the Great and Powerful

I have watched the original Wizard of Oz numerous times; and it is a movie that has stood the test of time. I was intrigued by the concept of a prequel to the series but did not hold out any hope that it would be as good as the original.

The new movie does have a few things going for it. There are a lot of references to the older classic, and overall the story ties together - including how the wizard came to be in Oz (a balloon in a freak wind), to granting gifts and some of the contraptions that the supposed wizard will come to use in maintaining his mirage. It also has some fantastic visualisations of Oz, enhancing its fantastical nature. 

That said, the script was very cheesy, and the movie felt like it dragged on for too long. While it is a perfectly entertaining movie, it is hardly one that will stand the test of time.

All Russian - JPO's 1st 2013 Season 4th Concert

Alexander Lubyantsev was back as the soloist, performing one of the most difficult piano concertos - Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.3, to a standing ovation. Like last week's concert, Lubyantsev was a study of concentration - staring at the piano with occasional glances at the conductor; and paying no attention to the audience. It was an amazing performance to watch, especially when his fingers were a blur racing across the keyboard. I haven't hear the full piece before - and it has an amazing combination of orchestra and piano - with both having starring roles. There were two encores - the first I didn't recognise (an etude perhaps) while the second was Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumble Bee, which is always amazing to see it performed live - simply because of the speed of the piece.

The first performance of the evening was Rachmaninoff's Vocalise, a piece I have heard many times before - especially in movies/TV series. The concert finished with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, to which the audience was warned that "it doesn't finish where you think it does", and that one should "wait for the more knowledgeable to first applaud".

Given the length of the pieces, the concert was a good 30 minutes longer than usual - which was fine, given today is a public holiday. The future of the JPO remains uncertain - hopefully it will survive; but the business rescue documents, unfortunately, do not give much hope.

Ultimate Bucket List

South Africa is a great tourist destination, and Forbes Magazine has an article proclaiming South Africa as the ultimate travel destination. It covers a wide variety of attractions around South Africa, and is one of the most complimentary pieces I have read on South Africa's attraction. And, not a word on crime ...

The Implausability of Secrecy

Law professor Mark Fenster has an interesting article on the nature of secrecy, where he argues that the concept of secrecy (in Government) is not binary - and in fact, in most cases, secrecy is almost impossible to maintain (regardless of the legal frameworks). Using a diverse set of American examples; the article shows how endeavors to maintain secrecy is often self defeating - either through the pure weight of the volume of people who know the information and through disjointed laws and regulations that allow for part of secret information to "leak" out.

Although based on American examples and law, there are interesting parallels to South African government's own attempts at maintaining secrecy - be it the arms deal, or Nkandla or many other examples. Based on the article, the real danger of the Information Bill, is not that ministers can seemingly make anything secret - but rather, by its very nature, that information will leak out, and the enforcement of this law is almost impossible.

Encore! JPO's 1st 2013 Season 3rd Concert

As Alexander Lubyantsev sat down on the piano last night, for Chopin's 1^st Piano Concerto, he already seemed to be in some sort of a trance. As the orchestra played its rather long intro, Lubyantsev sat seemingly staring at the top of the piano, with an occasional glance at conductor Robert Maxym. And when his turn did come - it seemed to be amazingly coordinated, with a tremendous amount of focus on the part of Lubyantsev. It was a mesmerising performance of an artist who seemed to be completely consumed by the piece he was playing - he didn't look once at the crowd; just at the conductor for his cue, and the piano (whether he was playing or not) - and finished to a rapturous applause. His first encore was his own composition (called Raindance), followed another encore of Chopin's Etude no 24. And he came back for a third encore (because "the audience was doing so much hard work" [in clapping]), of a piece he "thought the audience would know, but he wasn't sure if he knew" - all to great applause.

Earlier in the evening, the orchestra started with Beethoven's Prometheus Overture, which ensuring a lively start to the concert. Beethoven's 8^th Symphony was played in the first half to cater for the long concerto, and I am surprised that I don't listen to it more often.

The JPO plays tonight (same concert details) and Alexander Lubyantsev is back next week for an all Russian billing playing Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.3.

Movie: The Sessions

Based on the essay, "On Seeing a Sex Surrogate", written by poet and journalist, Mark O'Brien, The Sessions is one of the best movies about disability that I have seen. Mark O'Brien (played by John Hawkes) contracted polio when he was young, and effectively lived in an iron lung for the rest of his life. 

Initially the story focuses on his own helplessness - first his dependency on his caregivers; to his relative exclusion from society and societal norms - which sets the movie up wonderfully in terms of the challenges of the disabled. The movie however is principally about the sessions with his sex surrogate - and the performances by both Helen Hunt (as the surrogate) and John Hawkes is magical. It conveys the awkwardness, the hope and the joy brilliantly, and conveys the humanity that Mark O'Brien clearly wanted to acknowledged. It is a touching story, with amazing performances.

Dosa Hut

I have never been to Fordsburg at night. Fordsburg is almost "little India" - with shops open in the evenings, neon lights and lots of different, authentic, Indian restaurants. It has a very nice vibe - although parking is admittedly quite difficult. Dosa Hut is located at 48 Central Road and focuses on South Indian cuisine. The decor is not much to speak of, and the service is somewhat slow - but the food is delicious and cheap. It is certainly not upmarket - but it does come across as more authentic.

JPO's 1st 2013 Season 2nd Concert

There seemed to be a few more people in the concert last night; but there were still a lot of seats left empty. They missed a concert filled with really jovial pieces. I have heard Mendelssohn's The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) on the radio before, but didn't really know the name. It's a short, fun piece - although it didn't really match the advertised transportation to a scenic Scottish island.

Serbian born, Johannesburg resident, Serge Cuca, played Bruch's popular Violin Concerto No.1. Serge Cuca did not have a strong stage personality when compared to some of the other violinists that have graced the JPO stage in the past; but it was still a masterful performance, deserving of the enthusiastic applause. Continuing the Beethoven theme of the season, the last piece was his 4^th Symphony.

The next two weeks feature Russian pianist Alexander Lubyantsev, with some great pieces. Looking forward to it!

Movie: Zero Dark Thirty

There are movies that are long and fail to hold your attention. But Zero Dark Thirty is not really that long (just over 2 and half hours) - it feels much longer; but still holds your attention throughout. It is an uncomfortable movie to watch; especially the much talked about torture scenes. But there is an element of relentless pursuit - and only towards the end do you realise that this movie covered events spanning a decade. 

It is a movie; not meant to be a documentary - but in many ways, this will be seen as a historical re-enactment. It is in that, the torture scenes become poignant - since there is a catch-22. To state that torture evidence was not useful, further extends the view that torture is barbaric and has no place in modern civilisation. To state that torture evidence was useful, and the result justifies the means; questions the very existence of treaties such as the Geneva convention - and any position of moral superiority. Ultimately the movie chooses the later - and like it or not - most people in the US seems to identify with the results more than the means. 

It is a superbly acted and directed movie. The questions about torture has affected the movie's reap of rewards - but I do think it at least poses the right questions.

Cables matter ...

My Samsung T240 LCD monitor died a couple of weeks ago - not sure why; but it just did. They just don't seem to make it like they used to - my 10 year old Gigabyte LCD still works fine! South Africa doesn't have a lot of choices on LCD monitors - especially in the high resolution space. After all, I saw large 27" monitors with just a 1920x108 resolution. 

After going through a number of manufacturer websites, I established that only Dell seemed to sell high resolution (ie bigger than 1920x1080) monitors; but their 24" models in South Africa are 3 years old, but their 27" monitors are LED and a bit pricey. I eventually decided on the 27" U2713HM, which only took a day to arrive instead of the advertised 2 - 3 weeks!

Connecting up the monitor with my old Samsung DVI-D cable however, I did not get the full resolution - any resolution over 1920x1080 was just snowed out - very disconcerting after spending so much for a high resolution monitor. It was not the graphics card, as the VGA cable could output a higher resolution (though not the maximum); and the graphics card advertised full resolution. So I changed over to the identical looking Dell cable, and it worked - crystal clear picture at the highest resolution of 2560x1440! 

I had always been suspicious of the claims that some cables - especially AV cables - are better than others. It seems that, at least for DVI-D cables, there is something different!

JPO's 1st 2013 Season 1st Concert

The JPO is still under business rescue proceedings, and the documents released do not paint a rosy picture. That said, the JPO has managed to put together a smaller symphony season, with a smaller orchestra through the sponsorship of Anglo-American and Hollard. The Anglo-American sponsorship will not be sustained, and this, coupled with its big debt burden, puts further strain on the future of the orchestra itself. 

This concert season has a lot of Beethoven, in support of the orchestra's Beethoven 9 Symphonies CD collection. The concert started off with Mozart's Cosi fan tutte Overture, which was quite an energetic start to proceedings. UCT Professor, Francois du Toit, was the soloist performing Piano Concerto No.3, whose 3^rd and last movement is quite popular. Personally, I liked the first movement more while the second movement is quite somber. Beethoven's  Symphony No.6(Pastorale) rounded off the evening; and was played expertly by the orchestra.

The JPO is a great orchestra, but ultimately orchestral music is an expensive endeavor to stage. Ultimately, for the JPO to survive, it needs a near full house, every week. I am not sure the JPO itself has explored what that means - from different times, to different music, to different venues. It's one of the fundamentals of business that having a great product is not enough - there needs to be a willing market to consume the product. Sadly, at this point in time, the JPO has a good product; but I am not sure there is a market.

Movie: Silver Linings Playbook

I am not a fan of "Romantic Comedies" - don't like the predictable story, find them mostly annoying and usually don't like the slapstick humour either. Luckily M doesn't like them much either - so much so, that I had to suggest that we watch Silver Linings Playbook (largely because of the high number of Oscar and other award nominations).

The movie retained the predictable storyline; but did find the acting to be superb - and thoroughly deserving of the award nominations (and the wins in this case). That said, I am not sure why it also garners praise for "best movie" when compared to the other movies nominated (which I have seen). While the acting is great; I didn't find that it had a lot going for it TBH. It wasn't a movie that was highly entertaining (e.g. Django Unchained) or impressive visually (e.g. Life of Pi) and unlike Beasts of the Southern Wild, it didn't make me go "wow". It's not really a movie that I would want to watch again.

Mies Julie

Based on a Swedish classic, Mies Julie explores the very topical discussion point on land reform, land ownership and farming. Set on 27 April 2012 (Freedom Day, 18 years after the first democratic elections in South Africa); it explores the complexities of rural life in the new South Africa. As per the very recent farm worker protests; while everyone is supposed to be "free" - it is very clear that political freedom has not really translated to other freedoms. 

And the lack of freedom is not only economic - but also the chains of history that has tied down a way of life; the baas-worker relationship that has tied down the haves and the not-haves; and the freedom to love constrained by racial and social pressures.

It starts of slowly; but it becomes a raw; highly charged emotional performance with an amazing dissection of the state of freedom in the new South Africa. And ultimately, the ending has its own message - that perhaps there is no amicable solution that everyone can live with. That, in itself is a worrying conclusion. And if no one tackles the storm head on - the protests of farm workers is only the begining of a much wider problem.

Mies Julie is on at the Market Theatre until 24 February 2013.

Movie: Flight

Within the first minute of the movie, Denzel Washington's character of Captain Whip Whitaker, drinks some beer, smokes a cigarette and snorts a line of cocaine - and he hasn't even got out of bed yet. 

In one sense, this is a movie about addiction, the lies addicts tell themselves, and the very hard and difficult road to beating addiction. But it is also a movie that asks a fundamentally difficult question - if an addict is fully functional in being able to deliver what they need to deliver (and in the case of the movie, actually do something that almost everybody else cannot do) - should they be stigmatised as addicts? 

Denzel Washington delivers a brilliant performance; and well supported by a wide range of great performances. Although the pace is a bit slow in the middle, it is a great story, and very worthwhile watching.

Hartford House

Hartford House has a rich history - from South Africa's colonial past to a world renowned horse farm; and now one of South Africa's top restaurants. After the Berg, we decided to stay a night at the boutique hotel and enjoy the food.

The grounds are amazing. Despite the fact that it is a working farm, it feels like a destination for relaxation. It is very luxurious, but it didn't necessarily feel like it was over the top; in your face poshness.

The highlight was definitely the food. Dinner was 5 courses - filling, but I did not have the really stuffed feeling that one would expect. Breakfast was included as part of the hotel stay, and was just as impressive in a three course setting. I have had my share of hotel breakfasts - from the lowly backpackers to 5 star exclusive hotels; and Hartford House's breakfast puts them all to shame.

M's vegetarian requirements were well catered for, and both plates kept to a common theme; with substitutions working perfectly. As the meal progressed, each course seemed to be better than the previous one; but my favorite was the second course.

Course 1: Smoked Salmon-Nori Terrine with Horseradish Creme, Quail Eggs, Cherry Tomatoes, Micro Herbs, Herbed Croutons and Caper Berries

M's: Camembert Salad

Course 2: Garden Pea Soup with Kamberg Ham Ice Cream, Oven Dried Prosciutto chips and Pea Shoots

M's: The same without the meat elements

Course 3: Pink Peppercorn seared Wildebeest Loin Salad with Fresh Beetroot, Parmesan Spoon, Candied Walnuts, Chicken liver Parfait and black lava salt

M's: Same with shiitake mushroom substitution

Course 4: Shiitake crusted Beef filet, with caramelised red onions, Pomme Amandines and Exotic mushrooms

M's: Lentil Bobotie with similar elements

Course 5: Cream Cheese Fruit Cake Mince Pies, with Cherries, Gorgonzola, Parmesan Ice Cream and Licorice

Kamberg Valley

About 15 Km from Mooi River, Kamberg Valley is one of the most scenic drives I have driven in South Africa. About 80 Km of twisting mountain roads surrounded by green rolling hills and the Drakensberg in view; it was lots of fun to drive; despite the potholes and then the rain. If you have an hour to spare, and driving on the N3 - take the detour. It's lots of fun.

Dragon's Cave Farmstall

About halfway between Bergville and Winterton on the R74, there is a strangely decorated farmstall called "The Dragon's Cave". There didn't seem to be much in the way of local produce (the jams and honey seemed to be known brands); but there is a collection of dragon statues/decorations. The food menu is small, but the freshly made vetkoek is well worth the stop.

San Rock Art Paintings

One of the factors contributing to the Drakensberg parks being listed as a World Heritage Site is the numerous San rock art paintings. In the RNNP there are approximately 30 such sites, but only one is easily accessible. Due to vandalism etc. it is available only via a paid guided tour. The guides are from the surrounding community, and they are quite knowledgeable.

Mathiba of Amazizi

There is a sign just outside the Royal Natal National Park, "Canibals", which I thought was a bar or something. It turned out to be a lot darker - the nearest village is called Amazizi or "The Cannibals"; named after a group of people who resorted to cannibalism in the time of Shaka. The story itself was unclear - were they fleeing Shaka's army or whether they themselves were part of Shaka's army.

Out guide for the San paintings was Mathiba, a young man from the village. He was a talkative guide talking about a number of things - from his parents (mother from Lesotho, father from the village), his love of horses, his job as a groom in Johannesburg, and his many ideas on rural improvements - most notably starting a library.

I wish him all the best, and if you come this way, bring some books to drop off.

Edit: Some additional text on the cannibal story - http://www.cavern.co.za/the-legend-of-cannibal-cavern/

Olivershoek Pass

It's a more scenic and toll free alternative to the N3; but the road is very bad on the Harismith side. Great views though.

Cruel Weather Gods

We are leaving Royal Natal this morning, and it is sunny and quite clear ... There is still some cloud on the mountain peaks, but I reckon the falls would have been visible.

Tugela Gorge Hike #3

This is the third time I have walked along the Tugela Gorge hike path, and I didn't finish any of them. The first time, P and I just wanted to learn of the logistics; we had no water or even hiking shoes; but did about 2 km of the route. The second time, Dave and I went almost to the end; but the mist had come in, so it didn't make sense to go further as the falls would be invisible.

This time, it had been raining the whole night, and part of the morning. While the clouds had partially lifted, the Amphitheatre was still shrouded. But the afternoon was dry, so we decides to walk for about an hour and then turn back.

The pace wasn't too bad, we covered just over 3 Km of the route. And despite the cloud cover, the scenery was still beautiful.

But still, I must come back to go to the bottom of the falls, an perhaps also to the top; both of which require clear skies.

Thendele

Nestled in the lower Drakensberg mountains, Thendele offers some cosy self catering chalets for overnight visitors to the Royal Natal National Park. It's a deceptively steep drive up, but the views are gorgeous, especially when the skies are clear (which was unfortunately not the case for most of our stay).

Tiger Falls

One of the many waterfalls in the Royal Natal National Park, it is neither as big nor as spectacular. It is an easy walk from the Thendele camp, with spectacular views of the valley. As you approach the falls, the more distant Gudu Falls is far more audible (and indeed spectacular), though it is easier to approach the Tiger Falls.

Vodacom vs MTN

In the corner of KZN, Free State and Lesotho, there is barely any MTN signal; hovering between a single bar and "No Service". On my Vodacom 3G router, I have full 3G!

Not sure if I am glad or not ... Was looking forward to being disconnected.

Sterkfontein Dam

Near Harrismith, Sterkfontein Dam is one of South Africa's largest.