Now and then, a TV series grabs my attention. Heroes is one such series, and it has an example of how TV series are only part of the story, with the internet providing interesting glimpses into other parts of the story. In print, there are comics showing the story. In fact, visually Heroes has the […]
2007
Posted inNews/Politics
Lying, traitorous blackguards …
It’s Friday and into my mailbox pops the words of another famous blogger. Herewith the words of El Presidente … To remind all of us of what it means to be a member of the ANC, at our 2005 National General Council, I quoted the Oath contained in the ANC Constitution, to which all ANC […]
Posted inBusiness, Tech
The $15-billion Facebook fallacy
I’m amused by the sniggering in the blogosphere at Microsoft collecting the scraps from the Facebook table when it acquired the rights to sell the platform’s remnant advertising worldwide; ie, that inventory that Facebook doesn’t want to sell itself. Others have scowled at the other part of the transaction: the $15-billion valuation attached to Facebook […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Sport
An hour with Gavin Varejes
Daily we are confronted with traumatic events that redefine our lives and bring home the sombre realisation that many things are beyond our control: 9/11, tsunamis and the unavoidable encountering of Sharks supporters. When the genius concerned lists the day the Sharks won the Currie Cup for the first time at Loftus Versfeld among his […]
Posted inLifestyle, News/Politics
Margaret Legum: Thought Leader extraordinaire
In the traffic this morning, I was saddened to learn of the death of Margaret Legum. Margaret was an advocate for new economics. Her columns in newspapers provided a rare view that we could be doing better, and a view completely “out of the box”. In fact, her book is titled It Does Not Have […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Media
Get me a fake Springbok jersey!
Canterbury, the Springbok kit sponsor, is complaining that “counterfeit” goods are damaging its business and could lead to job losses. What hogwash! Canterbury’s argument, a familiar complaint by branded-goods manufacturers, is based on a false assumption: that people would buy the “official” goods if alternatives — the far cheaper “fakes” — were not available. For […]
Posted inNews/Politics, Sport
The best symbol of a united nation
Tuesday midday in GP: A R29 “business lunch special” at a Chinese restaurant in Rosebank with a colleague followed by filter coffee and baklava at Fournos around the corner. And as I used my finger to wipe the last drops of honey from the plate, I sighed in satisfaction: “What is this life if, full […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
SA’s press council: Public watchdog or (government) bloodhound?
Government’s constituency is highly irked by recent coverage, said Essop Pahad, Minister in the Presidency, on Thursday. “In the ANC, there are very, very, very strong views about how the media has been dealing with the ANC. There is real anger. The question is whether this will spill over to regulation — the answer is […]
Posted inMedia
Media freedom — on the verge of extinction?
After 1994, many people thought South African media would be free at last, following many years of censorship under apartheid regime. But that did not happen as we thought it would. In 1996, former president Nelson Mandela castigated black journalists for being critical of him and his government. My question is: Were these journalists being […]
Posted inLifestyle
‘She’s my Ma’am … and I love her!’
My brother, I don’t blame you for the way that you feel, I don’t blame you for doing things that you know, in your intellect, are not true to you. I don’t blame you for overlooking the blatantly obvious things that she does to hurt you, things that scream out foulness and stink of disrespectful […]
Posted inSport
I dunno … maybe we should all go running
If I bungle my argument along the way, please excuse me, I’m actually fairly vexed as I write this: I’ve just had my third debate about rugby being “left alone” in recent days. Just as we had anticipated, South Africa returned with the World Cup in hand and the politics came following after. The issue […]
Posted inMedia
Facebook: Pokes vs real penetration
We’ve all heard about how Facebook has changed the face of the planet, sucking even the most technophobic business dowdies into its vortex. I’m not going to debate the merits, or otherwise, of Facebook as an investment (ask Microsoft), as an application platform (ask Google), or as a waste of time (ask anyone). What I […]