When, if ever, does the talent of an individual attain such heights that it lessens, or even negates the impact of their horrific deeds? Can a writer’s past be ignored or, as Johann Hari puts it, glossed over, in an effort to recognise his work? Perhaps an even more important question is can you do […]
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Posted inLifestyle
Poll: Who is the idiot?
One of the best books I have ever read in my life is East of Eden by one of my favourite authors of all time, John Steinbeck. I have read the book three times from cover to cover — the first of those times as a wide-eyed, innocent 18-year-old. The book resonated with me on […]
Posted inBusiness, News/Politics
The colour of money
The great critic of bourgeois hypocrisy, Honoré de Balzac, reminded us in Father Goriot that behind every great fortune is a forgotten crime, forgotten because it was done neatly. But what exactly does it mean to do a crime neatly? Balzac did not mean mere cat-burglar prowess at the drainpipe, nor the tricky finesse of […]
Posted inMedia
Has 702 made us more stupid?
Talk Radio 702 has managed, despite various plummets in listenership over the years, to remain Gauteng’s premier talk radio station. But isn’t it merely peddling the stupid and pedestrian views of the idle middle class back to itself, as a way to generate ad revenue? I have listened to 702 on and off for the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
SA ambassador opposes UN ‘rape as war weapon’ resolution
I was disconcerted to read in the Sunday Times this weekend that South Africa has led an effort in the UN General Assembly to block a draft resolution condemning states that use rape as a weapon of war and intimidation. This is very odd, particularly in view of the fact that one of the most […]
Posted inBusiness, Tech
Free advice to anybody wishing to start another Facebook
This is the kind of business about which people dream and fantasise. Facebook was launched in February 2004. In November 2007 it was reported that Microsoft bought a 1,6% share of the company for $240-million. You can do the sums to check out how much the market seems to think Facebook is worth now, in […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Why Polokwane might matter after all
So why should we care who wins the ANC presidency? We shouldn’t, Ndumiso Ngcobo suggests in his latest post. And he is right to insist that the difference between the candidates is not nearly as great as their supporters and the analysts (sorry, “star gazers” and “palm readers”) make out. But, despite this, the succession […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Tutu, Habib, apartheid and Islamophobia — the power of the internet
I read with interest the decision of the United States government to refuse Professor Adam Habib entry into the US. Purportedly this was based on an Immigration and Nationality Act relating to terrorist activities. Habib is the deputy vice-chancellor of research, innovation and advancement at the University of Johannesburg. Crucially here, he is also a […]
Posted inTech
A rough history of the web industry in South Africa
A personal account of how the web industry got started, and some of the colourful characters who populated it I guess it’s starting to feel like I’m running out of time to write this piece. I’m getting, well, old, frankly. The next web generation has arrived and is hard at work creating all kinds of […]
Posted inMedia
Media independence: From whom?
It can be frustrating when, after speaking to a journalist for 20 minutes, they only use one line of your comments. This happened to me last week after I was interviewed by the Sunday Times about the proposed takeover of Johncom, publisher of the Sunday Times, by a group involving senior government officials. I don’t […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Debunking pork myths
GOP pork spending has got so bad, I’m told, that the Democrats are now the party of fiscal responsibility, and if I’m a small-government libertarian, I should prefer to see Democrats in charge in the US. Luckily, some people keep track of these things.
Posted inLifestyle, Media
A very blind date
No, luckily not something involving me, but rather a horrible live-on-air incident that happened on a show called Blind Date in the UK in 1997. We all know the format: a guy or girl chooses a partner for a blind date by listening to the responses of three “invisible” hopefuls. In Blind Date, the losers, […]